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J. Cole has returned. The Dreamville boss surprised fans with the release of his Might Delete Later project, which arrived on Friday (April 5) without any sort of warning.
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The effort is filled with 12 tracks and features assists from a diverse range of artists including Gucci Mane, Cam’ron, Bas, Central Cee, Ari Lennox, Young Dro and more.
Might Delete Later finds a handful of songs Cole teased snippets of during his Vlogs of the same name recapping his travels as part of Drake’s Big As the What? Tour earlier this year. One of which finds J.C. and Killa Cam rapping over Dipset’s “I’m Ready.”
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It appears that Might Delete Later serves as an appetizer for fans rather than an LP, as Cole reminds everyone that The Fall-Off is still on the way this year to close out the project.
The project comes two weeks after Kendrick Lamar’s atomic bomb on the rap game when he torched “Big 3” running mates Drake and J. Cole with his guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You album standout and No. 1 hit “Like That.”
J. Cole’s last album arrived in 2021 with The Off-Season, which topped the Billboard 200 to give the North Carolina rapper his sixth No. 1 album with 282,000 equivalent album units sold in the first week.
It’s going to be a busy weekend for the 39-year-old, who is hosting his annual Dreamville Fest this weekend (April 6 and April 7).
Cole is headlining the anticipated fourth edition of the festival alongside SZA, Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown. Other performers include Lil Yachty, JID, Sexyy Red, ScHoolboy Q, Teezo Touchdown, Jeezy, Monica, Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock, Jeremih, Lul Tyler, Muni Long and more.
Stream Might Delete Later below.
LE SSERAFIM’s next project is a slam dunk.
The South Korean pop-group forges a multi-year collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to headline the league’s celebrity and influencer program in Asia.
Through the new “Friends of the NBA” alliance, the five-piece pop outfit will attend NBA games and events, play their part in promotional activities for the Association, and participate in various exclusive content that will appear on NBA and LE SSERAFIM’s social media channels — the first of which can be seen below.
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The girl group is on a hot streak. Earlier this year, the singers became a Billboard Hot 100-charting act for the first time with the single “Easy.” The EP of the same name debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, in an historic week during which TWICE’s With YOU-th EP bowed at No. 1 on the chart, marking the first time that the top 10 had featured two all-women K-pop groups.
Easy also started at No. 2 on both the World Albums and Top Album Sales charts, while the title track surged to No. 6 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, marking the group’s second, and top charting, top 10.
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LE SSERAFIM, which is signed to Source Music/Geffen Records/IGA, notched its first Billboard chart entry on May 14, 2022, when “Fearless” debuted on Global Excl. U.S. and the Billboard Global 200 charts (at Nos. 74 and 155, respectively).
The NBA with its wealth of talent is increasingly calling upon the profile of K-pop stars to spread the word. Last year, BTS’s Suga was named as an NBA Ambassador, with duties for engaging the Association’s “fans around the world”.
The NBA has never been more popular with sports fans abroad, and the game itself had never been more “international.” When the 2023-24 season tipped off, franchise rosters included a record 125 international players from 40 countries, led by Canada (26) and France (14). When the last regular season came to an end, international players led the league in points per game and rebounds, and non-U.S.-born players have won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for each of the past five seasons.
Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.
While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.
Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the April 6, 2024-dated charts.
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ILLIT
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The South Korean group makes its first showing on Billboard’s charts with its debut four-track EP Super Real Me and single “Magnetic.” The set, released March 25 on BELIFT LAB (a sublabel of HYBE Corporation), debuts at No. 10 on the World Albums chart and No. 15 on Heatseekers Albums with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 28, according to Luminate.
The EP’s breakout single “Magnetic” also arrives at No. 33 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 63 on the Billboard Global 200; it drew 21.7 million official streams worldwide. TikTok has been a contributing factor in the song’s growth, as a portion of it has soundtracked over 170,000 clips on the platform, where the group boasts 1.4 million followers. The song is expected to vault further on next week’s, April 13-dated charts.
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ILLIT was formed through the Korean JTBC reality show R U Next? and comprises members Iroha, Minju, Moka, Wonhee and Yunah.
Love Fame Tragedy
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Love Fame Tragedy nets its first entry on Billboard’s charts, as “Don’t You Want To Sleep With Someone Normal?” debuts at No. 39 on Alternative Airplay (up 24% in plays).
The act is a solo side project of Wombats frontman Matthew Murphy. The band, from Liverpool, has maintained a steady presence on Billboard’s charts since 2008, with five charting songs on Alternative Airplay and two charting albums (of its five total) on the Billboard 200: Glitterbug (No. 91 peak in 2015) and Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (No. 190, 2018).
“Normal?” is from Love Fame Tragedy’s second album, Life Is a Killer, released March 29 on Bright Antenna Records. The band released its first collection, Wherever I Go, I Want To Leave, in 2020.
Mark Ambor
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Mark Ambor is officially a Billboard-charting hitmaker, thanks to his breakthrough viral song “Belong Together.” Released Feb. 16, the song debuts at No. 167 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart with 8.2 million streams earned outside the U.S. The song also starts at No. 88 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
Before releasing the song, Ambor had been teasing it for weeks on TikTok, where two versions have gone viral. Its original audio has soundtracked over 20,000 clips, while a sped-up mix has been used in over 120,000 videos. Ambor himself boasts nearly a million followers on the platform.
Ambor released his debut seven-track album Hello World in 2022, followed by other songs, including another viral hit, “Good To Be” (118,000 clips on TikTok). Ambor has a run of European tour stops lined up in April.
Yahir Saldivar
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The Mexican singer is now a Billboard-charting artist, thanks to his breakthrough viral hit “SC-9.” The song, released Feb. 1 on Cash On Beat/H.D.P., debuted at No. 45 on the March 23-dated Hot Latin Songs chart and holds at its No. 23 high on the latest list with 3.7 million U.S. streams (a 14% gain from the previous week). The song also stands at No. 4 on Latin Digital Song Sales after reaching No. 1 a week earlier, where it became Saldivar’s first career Billboard leader. Plus, Saldivar ranks at No. 38 on the Emerging Artists chart.
The recent gains for “SC-9” can partly be attributed to TikTok, where Saldivar boasts over 500,000 followers. The song has been used in over 50,000 videos on the platform.
Loe Shimmy
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The emerging rapper, from Pompano Beach, Fla., reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to his new album, Zombieland 2. Released March 22 on NETL/Open Shift Records, the set debuts at No. 13 on Heatseekers Albums (which ranks the most popular albums each week by new or developing acts) with 4,000 equivalent album units earned. It features collaborations with fellow Billboard-charting artists Luh Tyler and Veeze, plus rappers BLP Kosher and ffawty.
Loe Shimmy has been releasing music on streaming services since 2020. Since then, he’s dropped two additional full-lengths – Zuper PowerZ in 2021 and Z end in 2022 – along with his EPs Zombie Land and World WAR Z (both in 2020). He has also released songs with Kodak Black, Bossman Dlow and Danny Towers, among others.
Ahadadream & Priya Ragu
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Both artists land their first Billboard chart hits, thanks to their new collaboration with Skrillex, “TAKA.” Released March 22 via Major Recordings/FFRR, the track debuts at No. 37 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 512,000 U.S. streams.
British-Pakistani electronic/house DJ Ahadadream (real name Ahad Elley) has been releasing music for nearly a decade, including four EPs: Movements, Shade, 3:33 and Homecoming. Outside of Skrillex, he has also collaborated with Ellie Goulding, ELIZA, and Tommy Genesis. “TAKA” initially rose to prominence last September, when he previewed the track during his debut Boiler Room set (alongside Skrillex). He has a run of North American and European tour dates lined up through August, including a set at The Do Lab stage at Coachella this month.
Priya Ragu released her debut studio album Santhosam, on Warner Records U.K., following the mixtape damnshestamil in 2021 (also via Warner U.K.) The Tamil-Swiss singer-songwriter, who has also released music with Jungle and Oddisee, has a string of European and Australian tour dates scheduled through May.
As for Skrillex, “Taka” earns the EDM star his 61st entry on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, tying The Chainsmokers for the fourth-most in the chart’s decade-long-plus history, after David Guetta (86), Marshmello (68) and Kygo (63).
Keith Nieto
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The Mexican singer-songwriter has already appeared on Billboard’s charts as saxophonist for the group La Maquinaria Norteña, but he earns his first career entry as a soloist with “Contigo Sí.” The song, on Azteca Records/Fonovisa/UMLE, debuts at No. 35 on Regional Mexican Airplay, with a 110% gain in radio audience impressions. The song is on Nieto’s debut solo six-track EP Saxy, released Feb. 28.
La Maquinaria Norteña has charted 32 songs on Regional Mexican Airplay, including 14 top 10s and three No. 1s: “50 y Cincuenta” (in 2022), “Eres Ese Algo” and “Te Quiero Ver” (both 2023). The group has also logged 10 albums on Top Latin Albums, including three No. 1s: El Fenomeno (2014), Ya Dime Adios (2015) and Generacion Maquinaria Est. 2006 (2016). Nieto, who has written and produced many of the band’s hits, is joined in the group by his brothers Tony and Rory Nieto, as well as Iván Gutiérrez and Sergio Soto.
Rosemarie
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The R&B singer-songwriter claims her first Billboard chart hit, thanks to her collaboration with Roddy Ricch, “Is it Real?” Released in November on her 12-track project Rock Paper Scissors: Recut (via Bird Vision/Interscope Records), the song opens at No. 39 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay with a 4% gain in spins at the format.
Rosemarie released her debut full-length TBD: To Be Determined in 2019 and dropped her nine-track set Sinnergy in 2021. Outside of Roddy Ricch, she has collaborated with Juvenile and Kalan.FrFr.
ÁSDÍS
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The Icelandic singer hits Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to her featured appearance on Seven Lions and Illenium’s “Not Even Love.” Released March 22 on Casablanca/Republic, the track debuts at No. 14 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 1 million U.S. streams.
ÁSDÍS, based in Berlin, has been releasing music since 2020. She has collaborated with fellow Icelandic singer Daði Freyr on “Feel the Love,” and co-wrote Sophie Simmons’ 2021 release “Love Turns Lonely” (which deadmau5 produced).
Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar reign on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart dated April 6 with “Like That,” which blasts in at No. 1. In the March 22-28 tracking week (the song’s first, after premiering March 22), “Like That” earned 59.6 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.
It’s the biggest week for any song in the U.S. in 2024 and the most streams in a single week since the second week of release for Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (as reflected on the Feb. 4, 2023, chart), which accrued 59.8 million listens.
As “Flowers” opened with 52.6 million streams (Jan. 28, 2023), “Like That” boasts the biggest opening week for a track since Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” which began with 59.7 million streams (Nov. 5, 2022).
Among R&B/hip-hop titles (defined as those that have hit Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart), “Like That” sports the most weekly streams since Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring current leader Future and Young Thug, soared in with 67.3 million (Sept. 18, 2021).
“Like That” is Future’s third Streaming Songs No. 1, following “Way 2 Sexy” and his own “Wait for U,” featuring Drake and Tems (2022).
Metro Boomin earns his first Streaming Songs ruler (as a billed recording artist), eclipsing a pair of No. 2 peaks with “Runnin,” a co-bill with 21 Savage (2020), and “Creepin’,” a triple bill alongside The Weeknd and 21 Savage (2023).
Lamar nabs his fourth Streaming Songs No. 1, following “Humble.” (2017), Lil Wayne’s “Mona Lisa,” on which he’s featured (2018), and “N95” (2022).
“Like That” leads an onslaught of titles from Future and Metro Boomin’s new collaborative album We Don’t Trust You on Streaming Songs — 17 in total, the LP’s entire tracklist. That includes five of the chart’s top six, with “Like That” followed directly by “Type Shit,” by Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, at No. 2 (34.9 million streams). The only non-Future and -Metro Boomin song in the top six: Hozier’s “Too Sweet,” which debuts at No. 3 via 28.9 million streams.
Concurrently, as previously reported, “Like That” debuts at No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100 with 5.6 million radio audience impressions and 9,000 downloads in addition to its streams. We Don’t Trust You bounds in atop the Billboard 200 with 251,000 equivalent album units earned.
Alek Olsen’s “Someday I’ll Get It” holds onto No. 1 as Sexyy Red’s “Get It Sexyy” reached the top 10. Tetris Kelly:Three new songs break into the top 10, but who’s got the top spot? Alek Olsen’s “Someday I’ll Get It” holds on to No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the chart […]
Alek Olsen’s “Someday I’ll Get It” lands its second week atop the TikTok Billboard Top 50, while G-Eazy’s “Lady Killers II” vaults into the top three on the April 6-dated survey.
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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity March 25-31. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50. As previously noted, titles that are part of Universal Music Group’s catalog are currently unavailable on TikTok.
“Someday I’ll Get It” soared to No. 1 on the March 30 chart a week after debuting at No. 19. The track continues to be used in a trend remembering deceased pets, although other recent clips find creators reminiscing about relatives who have passed away, broken relationships and more.
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In the March 22-28 Billboard multimetric chart tracking week, the song jumped 62% to 4.2 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate. It lifts 24-20 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs list dated April 6 as the chart’s top Streaming Gainer and bows at No. 12 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100’s Bubbling Under chart.
Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival,” featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, a former two-week No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, rebounds 7-2, while G-Eazy’s “Lady Killers II (Christoph Andersson Remix)” makes its first appearance in the top three, jumping 8-3.
The trend for “Lady Killers II,” the original version of which was released in 2012 on G-Eazy’s album Must Be Nice, while the Andersson remix arrived on streaming services March 17, remains one in which users turn the light illuminating them on and off in sync with the song’s “make her disappear just like poof/ Then she’s gone” verse, often while on a beach.
“Lady Killers II” bows at No. 47 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with 4.3 million streams in the first full week for the remix (March 22-28).
Djo’s “End of Beginning,” also a former two-week No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, falls 2-4, while Sexyy Red’s “Get It Sexyy” is one of three songs in the top 10 for the first time, blasting 12-5 in its third week on the list. The song is largely carried by a dance and lip sync trend and is Sexyy Red’s third top 10 and highest charting since “SkeeYee” was the ranking’s inaugural No. 1 last September.
Adrianne Lenker’s “Anything” jumps to a new No. 8 high and FloyyMenor and Cris Mj’s “Gata Only” rounds out the group of new top 10s, leaping 16-9. The latter’s rise is also spurred by a dance trend, while the former benefits from a theme usually captioned “that’s so pretty I’m gonna take a picture,” with the user usually then showing a significant other, pet or a pretty scene.
The week’s top debut belongs to Above & Beyond, whose rendition of New Order’s “Blue Monday” starts at No. 14. The rise of the track, originally released in 2020, comprises two similar trends: one dance-focused with creators rocking side to side, while another, with similar motions, features users squaring off as if they’re fighters in an arcade game.
Next among debuts, Artemas’ “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” arrives at No. 19. The song was teased on TikTok for weeks prior to its March 19 release, helping spark its debut on multiple charts, including the Hot 100, where it’s Artemas’ first entry (No. 70).
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
With three nods, Sarah Aarons has the edge leading into the 2024 APRA Music Awards, set for Wednesday, May 1 at ICC Sydney, on Gadigal land.
The chasing pack is close behind, and includes dual nominees Troye Sivan, Budjerah, Ainslie Wills, Styalz Fuego, Amy Shark, The Kid LAROI, James Johnston and MAY-A.
Aarons, the Los Angeles-based, Melbourne-raised songwriter, has a swag of APRA Awards in her collection. At the 2019 APRAs in her hometown, Aarons collected four circular trophies, including the coveted, peer-voted APRA song of the year. The following year, she entered APRA AMCOS’s The 1,000,000,000 List for one billion streams of her Grammy-nominated “The Middle,” performed by Zedd, Grey and Maren Morris; and won songwriter of the year at the inaugural Global APRA Music Awards in L.A. Last year, Aarons jointly won song of the year with Flume, for the EDM star’s “Say Nothing” featuring MAY-A.
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This time, she’s in the hunt for most performed Australian work, most performed pop work, and APRA song of the year with “Therapy,” co-written with Ajay Bhattacharyya and performed by Budjerah.
Also competing for APRA’s song of the year, the night’s top award, is previous winner Paul Kelly and the late David McComb (for “If Not Now”), Angie McMahon (“Letting Go”), Troye Sivan (for “Rush” with co-writer Styalz Fuego) and G Flip plus co-writer Aidan Hogg for “The Worst Person Alive.”
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Mega-stars Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, and David Guetta are shortlisted for most performed international work.
Organizers APRA ring in the changes this year with the inaugural most performed hard rock/heavy metal work category, which sees five heavyweights duke it out: Alpha Wolf (“60cm of Steel”), Parkway Drive (“Darker Still”), King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (Dragon”), Polaris (“Inhumane”) and the Amity Affliction (“It’s Hell Down Here”).
And the breakthrough songwriter category is renamed emerging songwriter, with Beckah Amani, grentperez, MAY-A, Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell (Royel Otis), and Scarlett McKahey, Anna Ryan, Jaida Stephenson and Neve van Boxsel (Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers) cracking the shortlist.First time APRA Award nominees include Tex Perkins, The Buoys, Frank Sultana, Alan Boyle and Christian Harvey (pka Blues Arcadia), Ian Moss, Dean Brady, Kaylee Bell, Skin on Skin, Forest Claudette, Elliott Hammond, Jordan Samatua, Jack Madin and Edward Service (Shouse), Parkway Drive, the Amity Affliction, Polaris, Alpha Wolf and more.
Established in 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association’s annual songwriters’ ceremony is one of the Australian music industry’s most treasured events, a worthy counterpart to Britain’s Ivor Novello Awards.
The special moments in the APRAs program includes the performance of those song of the year nominees, often completely reimagined, by another star from Australia’s scene, duties for which falls this year to musical director Julian Hamilton of The Presets. TV funnyman Tom Gleeson is host on the night, alongside guest presenters Jen Cloher and Bumpy.
Visit apraamcos.com.au for more.
A former employee of Ye’s now-closed Donda Academy has filed a lawsuit against the rapper accusing him of discrimination and seeking to lock students in cages. Metro Boomin took to X to share that he had been hacked. Lizzo took to social media to clear up what she meant when she said she “quit.” Flavor […]
Ahead of this weekend’s CMT Music Awards, Billboard is putting a spotlight on five country artists you should watch. This episode features The Red Clay Strays. Tetris Kelly:Country meets rock, making the perfect blend of genres. The Red Clay Strays started making music in 2016 and the Alabama natives have climbed the chart since without […]
Gale Sparrow, the former executive who led MTV’s talent and artist relations team during the cable television channel’s golden years, died Sunday (March 31) following a battle with lung cancer. She was 74.
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Born Jan. 20, 1950, Sparrow began her career in the music business at CBS/Epic Records in 1976.
Five years later, in 1981, she was recruited to join MTV’s startup team. MTV switched on in August of that year and started a revolution, one that facilitated a change in the way music was consumed, and how artists and labels presented their music.
Sparrow played her part in that sea change, initially as the talent coordinator. As MTV’s presence and network grew, so did Sparrow’s duties, with a promotion to director of talent and artist relations.
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MTV helped launch, and relaunch, countless careers. Sparrow worked with all of them. Tina Turner’s remarkable solo comeback in the mid-’80s can be attributed, in part, to the late singer’s support from MTV, and savvy guidance from artist manager Roger Davies. Speaking with Billboard in 2023 following the Rock Hall inducted legend’s passing on May 24 at 83, Sparrow recalled Turner as the “hottest ticket in town,” who “just wowed everybody” in person. “She just was a sparkle. She had that spark in her eye,” Sparrow remembered. “Tina gave MTV a kind of second jolt of excitement. It was a whole different persona as an artist: She could have been your best friend. Everybody felt comfortable around her. You don’t have to please her.”
As news spread of Sparrow’s passing, friends and former colleagues paid tribute to the exec and her work. Sparrow was “an integral and passionate part of the original team that launched MTV —and many of those legendary artist moments were directly her contributions,” comments Bob Pittman, former CEO of MTV Networks and co-founder and programmer who led the team that created MTV. “That voice, laugh, and the wickedly mischievous smile will be missed….one of a kind.” The 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards “were in memory of her,” Pittman says.
“There’s no doubt in my mind they needed someone up there in rock ‘n’ roll heaven to handle talent and artist relations,” remarks MTV co-founder Les Garland. “After all the years, I’ve never felt closer to Gale than these past three years. Indeed, we all have Gale Sparrow stories, galore. Please let them bring a smile and a grateful feeling to your soul. RIP ‘Sparrow’, I will miss those phone calls! #Love #Respect.”
Sparrow died peacefully at her home in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, according to reps.
No funeral is planned at this time per Sparrow’s wishes.