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13 May 2024

‘American Idol’: Top 3 Finalists Selected For 2024 Finale

Dreams came true for three American Idol contestants on Sunday night (May 12), as the remaining contestants travelled to Walt Disney World for the adventure of a lifetime.

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Disney Night was the theme for the penultimate episode of this 22nd season, as the top 5 visited the theme park with mentor Kane Brown.

When the fun was done, Abi Carter, Will Moseley and Jack Blocker were announced as the three finalists, while Triston Harper and Emmy Russell were eliminated.

For their spot in the final, Carter sang “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid and “The Chain” from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; Blocker performed “Nobody’s Fool” from Cars 2 and “Space Oddity” from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; and Moseley hit “Born To Be Wild” from D3: The Mighty Ducks and “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” from Toy Story 4.

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Jenifer Lewis and Terence Blanchard joined in on the action with a performance of “Dig A Little Deeper” from The Princess and the Frog, while Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie nailed a rendition of “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” from Toy Story.



Also on the night, The Walt Disney Company used the platform of Idol to announce that new Walt Disney World Resort attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, will open in Florida on June 28, and Idina Menzel was presented with an award for “Let It Go” from Frozen becoming certified Diamond by the RIAA.

Carter, Moseley and Blocker move into the three-hour grand final, which will feature Rock And Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi as guest mentor, along with special performances from Nick Fradiani, New Kids On The Block, Jason Mraz, Hootie And The Blowfish, Cece Winans, James Bay, Wyonna Judd, Seal, Bishop Briggs and Cody Johnson.

American Idol airs live coast-to-coast next Sunday (May 19) at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT on ABC, and the next day on Hulu.

13 May 2024

Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ Stays Hot In U.K.

Sabrina Carpenter has a hot one on her hands with “Espresso.”

The pop gem enters a second straight week at No. 1 in the U.K., where it’s the U.S. pop star’s first leader and fourth appearance in the top 40.

The leader at the midweek phase, “Espresso” is, once again, the most-streamed song during the U.K. chart week, with 8.6 million plays, the Official Charts Company reports. All told, the track rakes-in 76,500 chart units.

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It’s an Island Records 1-2 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, May 10, as Hozier’s former leader “Too Sweet” lifts 3-2.

Meanwhile, Shaboozey keeps country music’s hot run going with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (via American Dogwood/Empire), up 6-3. That’s the U.S. artist’s career peak chart performance in the U.K. With Dasha’s “Austin” (Warner Records) holding at No. 9, country artists lock up two U.K. top 10 positions, a rare scenario for a chart that’s typically dominated by rock, pop, indie, hip-hop and electronic music.

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Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” (ISO Supremacy/Pulse) has exploded since the tune went viral on TikTok. In the U.K., the Virginia-born artist’s breakthrough number blasts 31-7, a new peak position. “Million Dollar Baby” last week opened at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Further down the Official Chart, Kendrick Lamar lands his eighth U.K. top 10 with “Not Like Us” (Interscope), his controversial Drake diss track. It’s new at No. 10. Lamar’s ongoing beef with Drizzy yields two more appearances on the latest frame, with “Euphoria” (at No. 11) and “Meet The Grahams” (at No. 28), lifting the west coast rapper’s tally of U.K. top 40 appearances to 23.

The target of Kdot’s ire, Drake, debuts at No. 17 with his response track “Family Matters” (OVO/Republic Records).

Finally, as she debuts at No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart with Radical Optimism (via Warner Records), Dua Lipa lands another U.K. top 40 single, her 27th in total, with album track “These Walls.” It’s new at No. 40.

13 May 2024

Dua Lipa’s Lands U.K. No. 1 With ‘Radical Optimism’

Dua Lipa is the new queen of the U.K.’s albums chart, as Radical Optimism debuts at No. 1.

The runaway leader at the halfway mark, Radical Optimism (Warner Records) collects 46,300 chart units in its first cycle, the most for any British female since Adele’s November 2021 smash 30, the Official Charts Company reports.

Also, Radical Optimism becomes the biggest opening week of any British act so far this year, eclipsing the 39,400 first-week total for Liam Gallagher and John Squire’s eponymously title LP, which dropped in March. The likes of Caroline Ailin, Danny L. Harle and Tobias Jesso Jr. provided creative input on the new collection, while Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker co-wrote and produced seven tracks, including the three U.K. top 10 singles “Houdini,” “Training Season” and “Illusion.”

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Radical Optimism is Dua’s second U.K. No. 1 after 2020’s Future Nostalgia, and first to bow at No. 1; Future Nostalgia climbed to the summit in its second week, and has logged 204 weeks at the top, including four stints at the top. Her self-titled 2017 debut peaked at No. 3 but has clocked 354 weeks on the Official Albums Chart.

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With her latest leader, confirmed Friday, May 10, Lipa knocks off Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department (EMI), down 1-2 after two weeks at the chart zenith.

Closing out the podium is Frank Turner’s Undefeated (Xtra Mile), new at No. 3. It’s the sixth U.K. top 10 appearance for the English singer and songwriter following 2013’s Tape Deck Heart (No. 2 peak), 2015’s Positive Songs For Negative People (No. 2), 2018’s Be More Kind (No. 3), 2019’s No Man’s Land (No. 3) and 2022 chart-topper FTHC.

Also netting a U.K. top 10 debut is Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones, whose second solo studio effort Inevitable Incredible (Ignition) starts at No. 6. That’s a career solo best for the Welshman, bettering the No. 8 peak for his debut solo LP Don’t Let The Devil Take Another Day from 2020. As a member of Stereophonics, Jones has eight U.K. No. 1s.

Finally, as ABBA celebrates the 50th anniversary of their Eurovision Song Contest win with “Waterloo,” the Swedish pop group’s juggernaut Gold: Greatest Hits (Polydor) rebounds into the top 10, up 11-9 in its 1,149th week. Britain can claim a small part in ABBA’s early success. The group won Eurovision in Brighton, England back in 1974, though the Swedish entry received nil points from the U.K. voting jury. Viewers of the 2024 Eurovision final, hosted in Malmo, Sweden, were treated to a surprise on Saturday night when ABBA’s digital avatars were beamed to the studio from the ABBA Voyage stage show in London. The pop megastars’ early breakthrough is retold in ABBA: Against the Odds, streaming in the U.S. on the CW Network.

10 May 2024

Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice & BTS’ RM Release New Music, ENHYPEN’s Fate World Tour Preview & More | Billboard News

It’s Friday, May 10, and the rap girlies are back in the game. Megan Thee Stallion & Ice Spice released new singles and BTS’ RM dropped his new song, “Come Back to Me.” Dhruv shares about what he’s looking forward to when performing at Head In The Clouds. We give you all access to ENHYPEN’s Fate Plus World Tour, and we even got to sit down with them to chat about how they feel about performing in the states. We take a look at how Stray Kids dominated U.S. & Global Billboard Charts just in time for the release of their new song with Charlie Puth, “Lose My Breath.” Camila Cabello & Lil Nas X teamed up to release their new single, “He Knows.” We had Wayne Brady, Deborah Cox, JaQUEL Knight and Amber Ruffin stop by the studio to talk about how they’re reviving and updating ‘The Wiz.’ Ryan Castro released his new album, ‘El Cantante del Ghetto,’ and he shares his journey to stardom, what to expect from his new music and more!

Tetris Kelly
New Music from Meg, Ice and RM we run down Stray Kids history making music take you to see ENHYPEN in LA, Head In The Clouds heads to New York and catch up with the cast of ‘The Wiz.’ Happy Friday, we’ve gotten tons to get into and today’s Billboard News starting with our Friday music guide.

Tetris Kelly
Megan Thee Stallion levels up on boa and is that a Gwen sample I hear? Ice Spice takes things higher with “Gimme me a Light.” I love festival season and this weekend is a good one in the clouds is going down in New York City and they’ve enlisted some epic acts from (G)I-DLE to Joji, Head In The Clouds is bringing the party back to New York City with a stacked lineup of Asian talent. Atarashii Gakko will take the stage again this weekend when Head In The Clouds returns to Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. In addition to them BIBI is set to make her NYC debut also making their NYC debut is Dhruv.

10 May 2024

Taylor Swift Holds Off Dua Lipa In Australia’s Albums Chart Race

Taylor Swift makes it three straight, as The Tortured Poets Department (via Universal) holds on for another week at No. 1 in Australia, while Sabrina Carpenter nabs her first leader on the singles survey with “Espresso” (Island/Universal).

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Tortured Poets reigns over the ARIA Chart, published Friday, May 10, and is her 13th chart-topper, more than any other female artist in Australia’s chart history.

The hottest debut this week belongs to Dua Lipa, whose third studio album Radical Optimism (Warner U.K./Warner) starts at No. 2. That’s the British artist’s third consecutive top 10 album in the land Down Under after Dua Lipa peaked at No. 8 in 2017 and Future Nostalgia logged three non-consecutive weeks atop the tally in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

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Radical Optimism has a strong Aussie connection. Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker co-wrote and produced seven tracks on the collection, including the three hit singles “Houdini,” “Training Season” and “Illusion.”

SZA’s SOS (RCA/Sony) completes the ARIA Chart podium, down 2-3.

The top ranked homegrown release this week belongs to superstar singer Sia Furler whose Reasonable Woman (Atlantic/Warner) debuts at No. 14. Hailing from Adelaide, Sia has previously led the national chart on two occasions, with 1000 Forms Of Fear from 2014 and This Is Acting from 2016.

Over on the singles frame, Sabrina Carpenter’s Australian chart story perks up as “Espresso” lifts 2-1, for the U.S. singer and actor’s first leader in these parts. “Espresso” is also the current No. 1 in the U.K.

Rising U.S. singer and rapper Tommy Richman has a hit on his hands in Australia, as “Million Dollar Baby” (CONC) cashes from its viral turn on TikTok, up 33-2 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

Shaboozey’s country-leaning number “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (EMP) completes the top three on the ARIA Singles Chart, unmoved at No. 3.

Finally, Kendrick Lamar has the top debuts as his Drake diss tracks, “Euphoria” (at No. 8 via Universal) and “Not Like Us” (at No. 9), both debut in the top 10.

Those controversial songs lift Lamar’s tally of Australian top 10 hits to 12, including his contribution to Taylor Swift’s 2015 chart-leader “Bad Blood.”

10 May 2024

Kings of Leon Return With ‘Can We Please Have Fun’: Stream It Now

Hits, headline slots, awards and inter-band fighting. Since their 2003 debut, Kings of Leon has soaked it all up, rocked out, and, at times enjoyed the royal treatment.

With the release at midnight of Can We Please Have Fun (via Capitol), KoL’s career goes nine albums deep.

The award-winning sibling act’s latest LP is led by the shaggy rocker single “Mustang,” which cracked the top 5 of Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay and Alternative Airplay charts.

“Our only rule is to not have any songs on the album that we would be embarrassed if they were a single — so we try to make the album great, because we don’t know anything about the business side of things or algorithms or which song will do well,” bandmate Jared Followill tells Billboard.

“Now,” he continues, “it seems like you just need a great 15-second piece of a song to make it big on TikTok — slow it down, reverb it, make it huge. But we don’t know what works anymore, and I don’t think anybody knows … You just have to play ball a little bit, and hope that you’re with the right people who know what they’re doing.”

After working with Markus Dravs on their last two full-lengths, including 2021’s When You See Yourself, the quartet tapped Kid Harpoon last year to guide the new effort.

The rockers — Caleb (guitar/vocals), Nathan (drums), Jared (bass) and Matthew Followill (guitar) — burst into the mainstream in the late 2000s with smashes “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire,” both from 2008’s Only By the Night; the former song won record of the year in 2010, one of their three career Grammys.

Along the way, they’ve collected three NME Awards, two Brit Awards, and one Juno, headlined major festivals around the globe, including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Glastonbury, and landed a No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 2016’s Walls, one of the band’s four top 10 appearances on the chart.

KoL hits the road this June for a world tour in support of Can We Please Have Fun. Produced by Live Nation in North America, the jaunt will visit 26 cities across the U.S. and Canada, starting Aug. 14 at Moody Center in Austin, TX.

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Stream Can We Please Have Fun below.

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09 May 2024

Jay Wheeler & Kany García Back on Latin Pop Albums With Dual Top 10 Debuts

For the first time in over four years, two albums debut in the top 10 at the same time on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart.

On the May 11-dated list, Jay Wheeler’s Música Buena Para Días Malos opens at No. 4, while Kany García’s García, arrives at No. 8. The pair marks the first time the Latin Pop Albums chart has dual titles launch in the upper region since Oct. 12, 2019, when José José bowed at Nos. 1, 6 and 7, following his death that September, with Serie Platino – 20 Exitos Vol. 2, El Principe de La Canción and Secreto, respectively.

Wheeler’s Música Buena Para Días Malos starts with 5,000 equivalent units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 2, according to Luminate. Out of those, a little over 4,000 derive from streams, which equates to 6.3 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Traditional album and track sales comprise the remaining sum of the album’s first week.

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Música Buena Para Días Malos was preceded by one song on the overall Latin Airplay chart: “Historia,” which peaked at No. 35 (chart dated April 27).

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Further, with the simultaneous top 10 debuts on Latin Pop Albums by two different artists, Wheeler and García also repeat a feat last achieved five years ago, when Miguel and Anitta debuted at Nos. 3 and No. 4, with Te Lo Dije (EP) and Kisses on the April 20, 2019-dated list.

Both sets add to the list of few albums that have debuted on Latin Pop Albums in 2024. Here are those five top 10 debuts, including two No. 1 albums:

Debut Date, Debut Pos., Title, Artist
Jan. 27, No. 1, Orquídeas, Kali Uchis
April 6, No. 1, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira
April 13, No. 6, Final, Vol. 2, Enrique Iglesias
May 11, No 4, Música Buena Para Días Malos, Jay Wheeler
May 11, No. 8, García, Kany Garcia

García’s eponymous album arrives on Latin Pop Albums with 2,000 equivalent units earned in the U.S. during the same period. García’s opening frame was almost entirely driven by the streaming activity of its 12 songs. That figure equals to 3.4 million official on-demand streams of the set’s songs.

García, who has history on the tally, returns to the top 10 after almost five years, when the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s Contra El Viento debuted and peaked at No. 3 in June 2019.

García has landed 10 titles on the chart altogether, with eight of them reaching the top 10, spanning three decades since the album Cualquier Día, her chart debut, rose to No. 10 in September 2007.

García was preceded by three songs on Latin Pop Airplay. The No. 15-peaking “Una Vida Buena” led the new recruits (Feb. 3). Meanwhile, “Que Vuelva,” with Carla Morrison, and “En Esta Boca,” with Young Miko, reached No. 12 on the March 16- and March 30-dated rankings, respectively. Lastly, “Te Lo Agradezco,” with Carin León, re-enters at No. 43 on the current multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, which combines airplay, digital sales, and streaming activity.

09 May 2024

Cardi B Apologizes After Met Gala Backlash, Megan Thee Stallion & Ice Spice Tease New Singles, Shaboozey in TikTok Chart Top 3 & More | Billboard News

It’s Thursday, May 9, and Cardi B issued an apology after receiving backlash from her Met Gala interview where she forgot her designer’s name and just stated he was Asian. Meanwhile,  Kendrick Lamar’s back catalog is up 49% following a weekend full of beef, while Drake’s is down by 5%. Ice Spice teases her new single “Gimme A Light,” Megan Thee Stallion announced her new song “BOA” and Jermaine Dupri posted a sneak peek at a possible remix with one of Mariah Carey’s songs. Ryan Castro talks new music with us and what to expect from his new album, ‘El Cantante del Ghetto’  Cover star Lainey Wilson teases new music and some of the challenges she’s had with stardom. Will Lay Bankz be able to hold on to her top spot on the TikTok Chart? SEVENTEEN takes us behind the scenes of their music video for “Maestro” and more! 

Tetris Kelly
Kendrick’s music is up with Drake’s down, three big teases in new female Hip-Hop tracks, and Cardi B is clearing the air. We go behind the video with SEVENTEEN, chat new music with Ryan Castro find out who’s on top on TikTok and Lainey Wilson is on Billboard’s Country Power Players issue. You’ve got another very exciting episode of Billboard News, let’s jump in. Here’s three things you need to know any apart. With all the distracts between Drake and Kendrick Lamar fans are wondering if Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” is going to top the charts. But when it comes to both rappers catalogs a winner in the battle is clear. Kendrick Lamar’s back catalogue is up 49% following the weekend of beep, while Drake is down 5%. Dang Drake’s Hotline ain’t blinging no more, we’ll have to see if we’re getting a new king of the charts and new music is coming. Ice Spice has teased “Gimmie A Light” out Friday.

09 May 2024

Ryan Castro Talks New Album ‘El Cantante del Ghetto’ & His Journey to Stardom | Billboard News

Ahead of the release of his album, ‘El Cantante del Ghetto,’ Ryan Castro shares his struggles to get to where he is today and more!

Ryan Castro:

I never thought one day as I was waiting to sing on the bus, all sweaty with my mic, that in a few years I was going to be at the same bus stop, but in an interview with Billboard.

Tetris Kelly:

Colombian superstar, Ryan Castro, sat down with Billboard for an interview ahead of the release of his new album to talk about how far he’s come. 

Ryan Castro:

I had more needs. I believe that that need also made me do crazier things to get what I wanted. And nowadays I am more mature, I think about the actions I take so I can stay out of trouble or to avoid making bad moves.

Tetris Kelly:

His latest dream is this album featuring some big collaborations including Arcángel on the focus track. 

Ryan Castro:

To be able to say that I have a song like that is a triumph, like being able to say that I have a song with Arcángel and for it to be the focus of my album, for me it is a real triumph and it says that my career and my music is getting the respect I dreamed of. 

Tetris Kelly:

The album fittingly called, ‘El Cantante del Ghetto,’ or ‘The Ghetto Singer,’ is inspired by his humble upbringing in Medellín as he reflects on what the streets taught him. 

Ryan Castro: 

I learned to control my time and emotions. I learned not to skip the process. I learned that singing on a bus.

Keep watching to learn more!

09 May 2024

Tommy Richman Lands in Top 3 of TikTok Billboard Top 50 Chart, Is Lay Bankz Still No. 1? | Billboard News

Will Lay Bankz be in the No. 1 spot for the third week in a row on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart? Or will she be usurped by Tommy Richman or Shaboozey? Keep watching to find out?

Tetris Kelly:
Lay Bankz continues to reign, while two new faces debut in the top 10. “Tell Ur Girlfriend” spends the third week at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the chart posting May 9. Debuting at No. 2 is Tommy Richman with “Million Dollar Baby.” He claims the same spot on the Hot 100 as well.

Country legend Johnny Cash’s “The Chicken In Black” debuts at No. 6 thanks to a trend involving pets. Climbing into the top 10 is Laila!’s “Like That!” at No. 4, and “Pedro” by Jaxomy, Agatino Romero and Raffaella Carrà rises to No. 8.

Every Thursday, Billboard will bring to you the verified list of the hottest songs on TikTok by monitoring music discovery and engagement on the platform in the United States. To find the TikTok Billboard Top 50 each week, users can simply go to any sound detail page and tap the top right button to access the charts page.