bbnews
Page: 128
Ariana Grande is having a massive week on Billboard’s charts. Along with claiming the No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 and reigning as the No. 1 act on the Billboard Artist 100, she also rules the Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts for the first time.
As such, Grande becomes just the fourth artist to top all five of those surveys simultaneously, a feat achieved just 10 times since Billboard launched the songwriter and producer charts in 2019. Here’s a look at every such week.
Chart Date, Artist, Billboard 200 No. 1 album, Hot 100 No. 1 songMarch 23, 2024: Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”Nov. 18, 2023: Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), “Cruel Summer”Nov. 11, 2023: Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]”Sept. 9, 2023: Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan, “I Remember Everything” ft. Kacey MusgravesDec. 3, 2022: Taylor Swift, Midnights, “Anti-Hero”Nov. 26, 2022: Taylor Swift, Midnights, “Anti-Hero”Nov. 12, 2022: Taylor Swift, Midnights, “Anti-Hero”Nov. 5, 2022: Taylor Swift, Midnights, “Anti-Hero”Nov. 27, 2021: Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version), “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)”April 4, 2020: The Weeknd, After Hours, “Blinding Lights”
Trending on Billboard
Taylor Swift has led all five charts simultaneously a record seven times, and via three albums: Red (Taylor’s Version), Midnights and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The Weeknd and Zach Bryan have both achieved the feat once, thanks to their LPs After Hours and Zach Bryan, respectively.
[embedded content]
Grande tops the latest Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts thanks to her credits on all 12 of her charting songs on the Hot 100, all from Eternal Sunshine. Notably, she’s the only co-songwriter and co-producer on all 12 songs. Here’s a recap.
Rank, TitleNo. 1, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”No. 10, “Yes, And?” (up from No. 31; debuted at No. 1 on Jan. 27)No. 16, “The Boy Is Mine”No. 17, “Supernatural”No. 23, “Eternal Sunshine”No. 25, “Bye”No. 28, “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again”No. 30, “True Story”No. 37, “Imperfect for You”No. 38, “Intro (End of the World)”No. 39, “I Wish I Hated You”No. 55, “Ordinary Things,” feat. Nonna
Eternal Sunshine is Grande’s first album cycle in which she’s credited as a co-producer. She logged her first career Hot 100 entry as a credited producer on “Yes, And?,” with Max Martin and ILYA. Of the 12 charting songs from the set, Martin is a co-producer on all but “Intro (End of the World)” and “I Wish I Hated You.” ILYA co-produced all except “Intro,” “Supernatural” and “Ordinary Things.” Martin and ILYA rank at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, on Hot 100 Producers.
Martin has an unprecedented history on Billboard’s charts, having produced a record 25 No. 1 songs on the Hot 100. He tallied his record-breaking 24th leader in January with “Yes, And?” (passing late Beatles mastermind George Martin). He tallies his 25th with “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”
As for ILYA, 26 of Grande’s Hot 100-charting entries have been produced or co-produced by the hitmaker, including her two most recent No. 1s, as well as her first top five hit, “Problem,” featuring Iggy Azalea, in 2014. He also co-produced Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ 2022 No. 1 “Unholy,” along with songs by Justin Bieber, Jonas Brothers, Lizzo and Normani.
Billboard’s weekly Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on the Hot 100. As with Billboard’s yearly recaps, multiple writers or producers split points for each song equally (and the dividing of points will lead to occasional ties on rankings). Billboard launched its Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts, as well as genre-specific rankings for country, rock & alternative, R&B/hip-hop, R&B, rap, Latin, Christian, gospel and dance/electronic in June 2019. Alternative and hard rock joined in 2020, along with seasonal holiday rankings in 2022.
Judas Priest lands its third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart, as Invincible Shield starts atop the ranking dated March 23. Invincible Shield bows with 25,000 equivalent album units earned March 8-14 in the U.S., according to Luminate. Of that sum, 23,000 units are via album sales. It’s the first new No. […]
Ariana Grande snags the biggest streaming debut of 2024 with “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” which opened at No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart dated March 23.
“We Can’t Be Friends” earned 32.6 million official U.S. streams in its first week (March 8-14), according to Luminate.
It exceeds the 29.2 million streams accumulated by Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hiss” in its first week (Feb. 10) to become the biggest debut week for a song in 2024. And it’s the biggest bow of any song since three songs from Drake’s 2023 album For All the Dogs started on the Oct. 21, 2023, survey: “First Person Shooter,” featuring J. Cole (42.2 million), “IDGAF,” featuring Yeat (40.8 million) and “Virginia Beach” (34.5 million).
The song also sports the second-biggest week for any non-holiday song this year, second only to “Carnival” by Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign. The Rich the Kid– and Playboi Carti-featuring song racked up 33.7 million streams toward the March 16 list, its fourth week on the tally and third at No. 1.
“We Can’t Be Friends” and “Carnival” are the only non-holiday songs to boast more than 30 million streams in a given week this year.
It’s Grande’s sixth No. 1 on Streaming Songs, a chart that began in 2013. That ties her with Justin Bieber for the third-most rulers in the list’s history; Drake leads all acts with 20 reigns.
Most No. 1s, Streaming Songs20, Drake8, Taylor Swift6, Ariana Grande6, Justin Bieber5, Travis Scott4, Beyonce4, Cardi B4, Kanye West4, Lil Baby4, Megan Thee Stallion
She first crowned the ranking with “Thank U, Next,” a seven-week leader beginning in November 2018. Prior to “We Can’t Be Friends,” she had last led via “Yes, And?,” for a week this January.
Both “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Yes, And?” are songs from Eternal Sunshine, Grande’s seventh studio album, which concurrently debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 227,000 equivalent album units earned, as previously reported. All 12 chart-eligible songs from the LP appear on Streaming Songs, including four of the top 10; the No. 1 track is followed by “The Boy Is Mine” (No. 7, 17.6 million streams), “Yes, And?” (No. 8, 17.3 million streams) and “Supernatural” (No. 9, 16.4 million streams).
As previously reported, “We Can’t Be Friends” also starts at No. 1 on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100.
Chief Keef opens up about working with Sexyy Red and Mike Will Made-It, his upcoming album Almighty So 2 and more backstage at Rolling Loud 2024.Chief Keef:Saying she wants to come through and I said, “hell f–king yeah.”
Oh s–t. I’ve been working on that s–t man. It’s actually dope, man.
Man, you know, but when I do go on tour, I mean, I’d be ready to go home.
Tetris Kelly:Chief Keef is the epitome of a mood, and from following him to his juiced set at Rolling Loud and heading backstage with him and Mike Will Made-It. It was down with the man Sosa and Billboard News. Arriving just before his set, everybody — and I mean everybody — was excited for Chief Keef at Rolling Loud, and he ran to the stage to give the people what they want.
And right afterwards, he was in high demand, as he doesn’t do press often, but Billboard was able to hop in the van with the legend for some hilarious shenanigans.
Unknown Speaker:He hit that bih like Tom Cruise.
Tetris Kelly:To cruise backstage and chat all about the show and his new project. Hanging out backstage with Chief Keef at Rolling Loud. Man, the festival has been such a vibe. The fans was loving your set. How was it up there, man?
Chief Keef:Always dope. It’s always loud. Rolling Loud.
Tetris Kelly:I mean, you had Sexyy Red up there, man. How did you guys start working together? It was so good.
Chief Keef:S–t.I just know she f–k with me real heavy. I f–k with her too. Saying she wants to come through and I said “hell f–king yeah.”
Tetris Kelly:And I mean what do you think it is about her that has like made people go so crazy for Sexyy Red?
Chief Keef:She just … you could tell she really just come from where we come from.
Tetris Kelly:I feel you on that, man. Then also you know you just dropped “Dirty Nachos” with Mike Will Made-It, so what made y’all decide to collaborate on a project together?
Chief Keef:That’s my dog. He right up there. Where he at? That’s my boy.
Tetris Kelly:And the fan reaction has been great. How’s it feel to finally have the project out there?
Chief Keef:Man, it ain’t even just … that ain’t even what we suppose to been drop. That just what he decided, you know what I’m saying? Let’s just drop something before we do what we suppose to drop. Yeah, man, like I said, that my mans and we always got together and we always working too.
Tetris Kelly:And then you got Almighty So like the sequel, to part two coming out, man. So tell me what the fans gonna expect from that.
Chief Keef:Oh s–t. I’ve been working on that s–t, man. It’s actually dope, man. Got some different stuff on it.
Tetris Kelly:Got some features you can tease us with a little bit?
Chief Keef:Yeah, I got some features on there, but I just want to, you know, keep it a surprise if they don’t know already.Watch the full interview above!
aespa is the latest superstar music fans can experience on the big screen.
Today (March 20), the K-pop girl group unveil plans to bring aespa: WORLD TOUR in cinemas to audiences worldwide for two nights only next month.
The quartet’s debut concert film transports viewers inside aespa’s U.K. live debut at London’s O2 Arena as part of their 2023 Synk: Hyper Line world tour.
aespa: WORLD TOUR in cinemas promises to bring the group’s signature futuristic stage visuals and fierce performances of Billboard Global 200 hits like “Next Level,” “Savage,” “Girls,” “Spicy,” and “Black Mamba,” as well as the individual performances by members KARINA, WINTER, GISELLE and NINGNING. Beyond the stage, the 125-minute production includes behind-the-scenes interviews with the group and glimpses into their inner workings.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Directed by Yoon Dong Oh (who helmed recent K-pop concert films like NCT Nation: To the World and BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas) and Hamin Kim, aespa’s movie comes courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing (the global event-cinema distributor that’s teamed with the likes of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS and Coldplay) with select theaters hosting immersive ScreenX, 4DX and ULTRA 4DX formats.
“Since this is our first world tour, it will always hold a special place in our hearts as it gave us the opportunity to see MYs from all over the world,” aespa said in a statement, shouting out their beloved fanbase, MYs. “We hope you enjoy our first concert movie and keep an eye out for the exclusive content behind the scenes.”
Trending on Billboard
CEO of Trafalgar Releasing Marc Allenby adds, “Dedicated MYs, as well as those curious to discover the global phenomenon, will appreciate the opportunity to witness the full artistry and energy of aespa’s captivating live show on the big screen.”
“We are pleased to release a live concert of global artist aespa’s first world tour as a movie in special formats,” says Jongryul Kim, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX. “ScreenX and 4DX will recreate the thrilling performance of aespa and fans in the theatre with immersion.”
aespa: WORLD TOUR in cinemas hits theaters worldwide on April 24 and 27. Tickets go on sale on March 27. Fans can find screening details and participating countries at aespaworldtourincinemas.com.
Bruce is back.
If there was any doubt that Bruce Springsteen hadn’t fully recovered from the peptic ulcer disease that caused him to postpone 29 dates on his world tour with the E Street Band last fall, he dispensed of that notion within minutes of taking the stage Tuesday (March 19) at Phoenix’s Footprint Center for the first time in six months.
The Boss was in top form from show opener “Lonesome Day” and fully had his sea legs back by third song, “No Surrender,” when he gave his first trademark shout out, “C’mon, Steve!” beckoning for his brother-in-music for over half a century, Steven Van Zandt, to join him on the mic.
For more than 50 years, Springsteen’s live shows have been about two things above and beyond the superb musical performance: Feeling alive and trusting in the communion between the Boss and his fans.
For longtime fans such as myself (I’ve seen more than 50 shows over more than 30 years), a Springsteen concert is one of the places where we feel most vibrant. There’s the unbridled joy of hearing the music that has given meaning and voice to our life experiences in the company of likeminded souls. For many of us, Springsteen has been the best traveling companion through life imaginable. Part of that also comes from the trusting communion at any show: there’s the implicit understanding that Springsteen is going to take care of us and entertain us during that concert the best way he can—by pouring everything he has into the performance— and, in return, we’re going to send that energy back to the stage by being as present as we can be.
That’s why when he postponed nearly 30 shows after his Sept. 3 dates at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. because of his illness, fans feared that this could be the end. Even though he has long prided himself on being in superhuman physical condition (and proved he still is in Phoenix by ripping his shirt open to show his toned chest), at 74, it’s clear that the road will end eventually for Springsteen. But as Tuesday night showed, he’s returned at the top of his game and the end feels far into the future if he wants it to be (though for longtime fans, it hasn’t gone unnoticed that on this tour Springsteen does not end the shows with his former trademark line, “We’ll be seein’ you.”)
When this world tour started in February 2023, Springsteen was working a theme built around “Last Man Standing,” an emotional song featured on his underrated 2020 album, Letter to You. Like on the earlier shows on the tour, Springsteen addressed the Phoenix audience (in this case, for the first time all night more than an hour in), giving a beautiful speech about playing in his first band, The Castiles, when he was 15 in the mid-‘60s, and how more than 50 years later, he stood by the bedside of his friend and bandmate George Theiss, as he lay dying, leaving Springsteen the last member of the band alive. It’s a reflection on mortality, but also on resilience and joy. Though he’s never spoken of death and the gift it brings the living from stage so eloquently before, it’s understood by fans. For example, after my mother died, I consoled myself by going to as many shows as I could on the consecutive Magic and Working on a Dream tours because standing in the pit of a Springsteen show was where I felt most alive.
Unlike the setlists from earlier shows that seemed slightly more reflective and wide-ranging, Tuesday’s show was a high-octane freight train of a rock show. The message is that life is to be savored and, more than anything, celebrated and met head on at full-speed. Springsteen and the band barreled through 29 songs, most of them full-on rockers, in 2 hours and 45 minutes. The show felt nothing if not efficient. There was no fat. The only break between songs was the few seconds it took for Springsteen to change guitars and, other than a few asides, he only addressed the audience for the speech before “Last Man Standing” and after “Backstreets.” He never brought up his illness until right before the closing song when he apologized to anyone inconvenienced by the Phoenix date shifting from Nov. 30 to March 19, adding, “I had a mother**ker of a bellyache.”
Below are five of the highlights from the Phoenix show, which had former N.J. governor Chris Christie and rocker Alice Cooper in attendance, in an evening filled with nothing but stellar moments.
One-Two Punch of “Last Man Standing” and “Backstreets”
“Tubthumping,” Chumbawamba’s hit from 1997, has been thumping from loudspeakers at public events led by New Zealand’s deputy prime minister Winston Peters. And the politically-charged British group is having none of it.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Last weekend, Peters, whose party New Zealand First is part of the country’s coalition government, walked on stage to “Tubthumping” ahead of his controversial “state of the nation” address.
During an hour-long speech, the veteran right-wing politician reportedly discussed plans to remove gender and sexuality lessons from the school curriculum, and referred to the song’s lyrics, telling the audience “we got knocked down, but we got up again,” the BBC reports.
Chumbawamba’s members want the populist politician to stop all references to the song. “Some mini-Trump in New Zealand totally not getting how egregious we think he is,” reads a post on the now-defunct band’s official Facebook page, linking to the BBC article.
Trending on Billboard
[embedded content]
Speaking with the Corporation, Boff Whalley, the band’s lead guitarist, said the act did not give Peters permission, not does it share his ideas on race relations.
“Chumbawamba wrote the song ‘Tubthumping’ as a song of hope and positivity, so it seems entirely odd that the ‘I get knocked down …’ refrain is being used by New Zealand’s deputy prime minister Winston Peters as he barks his divisive, small-minded, bigoted policies during his recent speeches,” Whalley remarked.
“[We] would like to remind him that the song was written for and about ordinary people and their resilience, not about rich politicians trying to win votes by courting absurd conspiracy theories and spouting misguided racist ideologies.”
On Wednesday, March 20, NZ online news title Stuff reported that rights society APRA AMCOS would forward a cease and desist notice to New Zealand First, from Sony Music Publishing, the band’s music publisher.
Peters used the platform of X to return serve at critics – including Chumbawamba.
“It seems the media care more about the Chumbawamba story than we do. We actually don’t care,” he writes in one post. “There’s nothing to ‘cease or desist’. The song worked like a charm for our first public meeting after the election. The over 700 people in the crowd thought so too. We will be sure to file the ‘cease and desist’ letter in a safe place if it ever arrives. I would use another of their hit song titles as a quip at the end of this post but unfortunately they only had one.”
The group’s signature song, “Tubthumping” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Pop Songs chart. Chumbawamba’s Tubthumper album hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200. In the U.K., the song reached No. 2, one of the band’s two top 10 hits (1998 follow-up “Amnesia” peaked at No. 10). Aside from that stirring fight song, the band is long remembered in their homeland for an ice-cold moment during the 1998 Brit Awards when drummer Danbert Nobacon tipped a bucket of water on then deputy prime minister John Prescott.
Chumbawamba disbanded in 2012, ending a 30-year career.
Never let it be said that Jimmy Kimmel doesn’t have a sense of humor.
The late-night talk-show host and Academy Awards MC was the butt of a joke when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Eminem piled in for a surgery sketch which aired Tuesday (March 19) on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Dre, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame-inducted producer and hip-hop’s first billionaire, takes the lead in the “Dre’s Anatomy” sketch, which sees Kimmel on his back in the ER, with his privates under scrutiny.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
As Dre struggles to locate the issue, Snoop, then “Dr Jackson,” introduce an array of instruments fit for task.
Trending on Billboard
Snoop applies some of his special smoke, Kimmel flatlines, the unmistakable sounds of “Still D.R.E.” kick in and the hip-hop legends get down to operate on some beats. Crisis averted.
Eminem appears late to give it “one shot” – a mean looking green goo prepped in a horse-sized syringe.
Though Dr. Dre might not have the letters M.D. after his name, the West Coast legend does now have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dre officially received the 2,775th star during a star-studded presentation on Tuesday afternoon (March 19), with the likes of Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine in attendance and sharing words of praise for the creative.
“Growing up in Compton, I never imagined that I would one day be represented here among some of my childhood heroes,” Dre told guests.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to make a living doing exactly what I love to do. How about that? Isn’t that the dream?” he continued. “Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of finding and nurturing new talent as well as pushing the boundaries in hip-hop both in content and substance.”
As a member of N.W.A., Dre was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2020, and last year was named by Billboard as the greatest rap producer of all-time. Eminem was a member of the Rock Hall class of 2023.
Watch the “Dre’s Anatomy” spot from ABC‘s Jimmy Kimmel Live below.
[embedded content]
Seven months after THE BOYZ initially introduced their three-part Phantasy album series with Christmas in August, the K-pop group completed the 15-track project with the final chapter Love Letter.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Led by the sentimental single “Nectar,” THE BOYZ member Kevin says the final chapter in their trilogy delivers an “emotional-but-hopeful kind of vibe” for Love Letter that contrasts the summery, shimmering pop single “Lip Gloss” for Christmas in August, and their dark and experimental “Watch It” single for Pt. 2 Sixth Sense. “At this point in our career, we want to tackle what we haven’t done before.”
“I really hope through this trilogy that we got to really emphasize Phantasy and our fans were able to see a lot of different sides of THE BOYZ,” Jacob told Billboard News‘ Tetris Kelly during a visit to Los Angeles with his members Kevin, Juyeon, Hyunjae and Eric. “As we are ending it off with ‘Nectar,’ saying goodbye to our bittersweet memories and going for our happier new future, I hope you guys just come along with us and we’ll be able to show you what we have in store.”
Now that their Phantasy releases are complete, THE BOYZ say it’s time to perform these new songs live for fans.
“Our fans have been dying for us to go on a tour and I think it’s about time,” Eric says. “We are going to make it happen this year,” with Kevin making sure to add, “We may or may not be seeing you in your own city/country.”
Before they do make their way back to the States, fans can stay on top of their additional musical activities by following them on TikTok where Kevin delivers Beyoncé covers, Jacob plays guitar in his pajamas, and all 11 of THE BOYZ sing, dance, and share their lives.
We don’t really get to do a lot of musical production in our group for our own music, so I like to experiment and do things on TikTok,” Kevin says. It’s my musical outlet, and I like to do a lot of covers there.”
Jacob agrees with that sentiment, adding, “Since we’re in a group, I don’t really get to play the guitar and sing for the fans, so I use TikTok for my pajama karaoke covers.”
While Juyeon, Hyunjae, and Kevin have all attended events and linked up with different fashion brands, like Dior, Gucci, and Jeremy Scott, the guys also shared some surprising insight into their personal style during the sitdown.
“Whenever we have events where our stylist can potentially dress us in casual clothing, we opt for our own clothes instead of our stylists’ clothes,” Kevin shares. “We like to dress ourselves as much as we can.”
Watch the full Billboard News interview above for more from Kevin, Juyeon, Jacob, Hyunjae and Eric on THE BOYZ’s Phantasy album, plus find out who among them is most likely to snack at midnight, run late getting ready, know another K-pop group’s choreography and more.
[embedded content]
Billboard News exclusively sat down with Dua Lipa. The pop star opened up about her upcoming album ‘Radical Optimism.’ Nicki Nicole is on the cover of Billboard Español and we sat down with Jessica Roiz to get the inside scoop on her conversation with Argentina’s pioneering urban artist. K-pop boy band THE BOYZ members Kevin, […]