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Taylor Swift is the queen of Christmas in Australia as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) retains the chart title for an eighth consecutive week.
With that feat, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via Universal) is the longest running No. 1 album of 2023, outpointing Swift’s own Midnights, which led for seven non-consecutive weeks between January and July, ARIA reports.
Swift completed unprecedented sweeps on the ARIA Albums Chart during the year, and doubled up on both main tallies. The U.S. pop star’s sales and streaming action should reach fever pitch in February 2024 when Swift’s The Eras Tour visits Australia for seven sold-out stadium shows, produced by Frontier Touring.
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Meanwhile, Australian alternative rock favorites Violent Soho return to the ARIA Chart at No. 2 with Hungry Ghost (I Oh You/Universal), their third album. The LP roars up the survey thanks to a 10th anniversary reissue, which eclipses its previous peak of No. 6, during a run when Hungry Ghost logged more than a year in the top 50. Violent Soho, which announced an indefinite hiatus in 2022, has reigned over the ARIA Albums Chart twice: with 2016’s Waco and 2020’s Everything Is A-OK.
Completing Australia’s albums chart podium is Swift’s Midnights, up 4-3; while Michael Bublé’s double-diamond certified Christmas (Reprise/Warner) shines on the national tally, up 8-4. Christmas first hit No. 1 in 2011 and logged 15 weeks at the summit, across six stints, ARIA reports.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” (Atlantic/Warner) completes a sixth-straight week at No. 1, handing the Louisville rapper honors as the first new artist in six years to reign over Australia’s chart during the week of Christmas.
With Harlow’s hit getting all the love, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia/Sony) is denied a sixth consecutive Christmas No. 1; it’s up 3-2 on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, Dec. 22, ahead of Tate McRae’s “Greedy” (down 2-3 via RCA/Sony), Wham’s “Last Christmas” (up 5-4 via Sony) and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” (up 9-5 via Warner/Universal), respectively.
Cher enters the U.K. history books — twice — as “DJ Play a Christmas Song” (via Warner Records) blasts to No. 20 on the national singles tally.
The pop legend’s holiday number vaults 41-20 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Dec. 22, meaning Cher becomes the first solo artist to land top 40 hits with new material in seven consecutive decades, and she becomes the oldest female to snag a top tier hit.
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At 77 years, 7 months old, Cher is the oldest solo female performer to secure a top 40 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, beating the previous mark set by Shirley Bassey, who was 70 years and 4 months old when “The Living Tree” peaked at No. 37 in 2007.
No other solo artist has achieved a top 40 U.K. hit across seven consecutive decades, the Official Charts Company reports. Cher got the ball rolling with her debut solo single “All I Really Want To Do” from 1965, and has cracked the top 40 every decade since.
“Cher cements her position as a living legend this week, notching up two incredible landmarks,” comments Martin Talbot, CEO of the Official Charts, “becoming the oldest living female to secure a Top 40 single and the only female solo artist to claim an Official Top 40 single in seven consecutive decades.”
The late Captain Sir Tom Moore holds the record for the oldest artist to score a U.K. No. 1 single, doing so at age 99 years and 11 months old when his charity-fundraising collaboration with Michael Ball, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” summited in 2020.
“DJ Play a Christmas Song“ is Cher’s highest-charting single in the U.K. in over two decades, since “The Music’s No Good Without You” reached No. 8 in 2001. It’s the lead single from her 27th studio LP Christmas, which vaults 15-5 on the latest albums tally, for a new peak position and 11th career top 10 effort.
“DJ Play a Christmas Song” has been a record-setter on both sides of the Atlantic. When the single jingled to the top of the Dec. 2-dated Dance/Electronic Song Sales survey, she became the first solo artist to earn a new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart; the only other act to have at least one new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s is the Rolling Stones.
Eight years after the deaths of rapper Canserbero and his producer Carlos Molnar, previously ruled as a murder-suicide, Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab, released a new update on Tuesday (Dec. 26) after reopening the case last month.
According to Saab, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has clarified the case, and released the confession of those now presumed responsible of murdering the two: Canserbero’s manager and Molnar’s partner, María Natalia Améstica, and her brother, Guillermo Améstica.
In three videos shared by the prosecutor on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Améstica confesses that, in the midst of a work-related fit of rage, she served Canserbero (real name Tirone José González Orama) and Molnar tea mixed with a sedative on the night of Jan. 19, 2015 in her apartment in the city of Maracay, and later stabbed them to death. She also states how, with the help of her brother and the complicity of officials, the scene was altered to make it appear that Canserbero murdered Molnar and then committed suicide.
“It is 1:30 in the morning on December 19, 2023. I am making this video to publicly confess my responsibility for the double homicide of Carlos Molnar and Tirone González ‘Canserbero,’” begins the first 4:40 minute clip. Also, María Natalia claims that the problems began a month before the tragedy, when she found out that she would not be reimbursed for the tickets she had bought for a tour of the artist nor would she be paid for her marketing work for the tour, and that Canserbero didn’t want her as his manager. “That hurt me a lot,” María Natalia declares. “I was left with a lot of internal suffering because of the disdain.”
In a second video, her brother Guillermo Améstica corroborates the information by telling his version of events.
According to information published on Tuesday on the official website of the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor’s Office, Saab declared that “110 investigative steps were taken and 13 trips were made to Maracay to gather the new evidence that allowed the case to be clarified.”
“She poured into the tea she gave them a total of 10 milligrams [of Alpram] previously made into powder to dilute in that tea, resulting in both of them falling asleep within minutes of ingesting that beverage,” the official said.
According to the statements of the Améstica siblings, published by the ministry, María Natalia first assaulted Molnar in the kitchen with three stab wounds, and then went to the sofa in the living room, where Canserbero had fallen asleep, to stab him twice on the side. She called her brother to ask for help, and he “arrived at the property in the company of three officers of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) who advised him on the alteration of the scene in exchange for $1,000 each.”
To make it look like a murder-suicide, “Guillermo stabbed Molnar and gave Canserbero’s body a blow with a pipe that disfigured his face, with the purpose of simulating a fight between them.” Then, they threw Canserbero’s corpse out of the window, Guillermo left the scene and Maria Natalia called the neighbors, according to Venezuelan authorities.
According to the Améstica brothers, the commission of the Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigations Corps (CICPC) noticed that the scene had been altered upon arrival and arranged the last details in exchange for $10,000. The authorities initially claimed that the rapper stabbed his friend to death before taking his own life.
The resolution of the case comes just over a month after the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office announced it would reopen the case following persistent appeals from the late rapper’s family and friends.
Canserbero died at the age of 26 as a leading figure not only in Venezuela but in the world of rap in Spanish. Known for dark lyrics reflecting the violence in his country and real life experiences, he collaborated with artists such as Mala Rodríguez and Apache and released two solo studio albums, Vida and Muerte.
In August, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español named him one of the most essential Spanish-language rappers of all time.
Hackney Diamonds are forever, it would seem, as the Rolling Stones return to No. 1 in the U.K.
The Stones’ latest album bumps 6-1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Dec. 22, for its second non-consecutive week at the top.
Featuring collaborations with Lady Gaga, Elton John Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, and contributions from former bass player Bill Wyman and the group’s late drummer Charlie Watts, Hackney Diamonds (via Polydor) is the Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years– since A Bigger Bang, which peaked to No. 2 in 2005.
Following its release in October, the LP went straight to No. 1 for the rock legends’ 14th U.K. No. 1, by outselling the rest of the top 5 combined.
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“It’s a wonderful way to round off 2023,” the Stones say in a statement published by the Official Charts Company. “Thank you to everyone for listening to Hackney Diamonds. Have a very happy Christmas and New Year.”
The Christmas gift for the Stones also doubles-up as a late birthday present for guitarist Keith Richards, who turned 80 on Dec. 18.
Meanwhile, Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise) holds No. 2 on the new chart, while Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) improves 4-3.
Cher brings some Christmas cheer to the latest tally with her Christmas (Warner Records) collection, which lifts 15-5 for a new peak position. Christmas features “DJ Play A Christmas Song,” which lifts 41-20 on the latest U.K. singles chart, an effort that sees the iconic entertainer become the first solo artist to achieve a top 40 hit with new material on the Official U.K. Singles Chart across seven consecutive decades, the Official Charts Company reports.
At 77 year and 7 months, Cher is also the oldest solo female performer to snag a top 40 U.K. single, besting previous record holder Shirley Bassey, who was 70 years, 4 months old when “The Living Tree” reached No. 37 in 2007.
The Whamageddon didn’t transpire in the U.K., as “Last Christmas” (Epic) finally claims the coveted Christmas No. 1 spot.
Wham’s holiday classic from 1984 holds at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Dec. 22, for its first Christmas-time stint at the summit.
According to the Official Charts Company, “Last Christmas” clocked up 13.3 million plays during the seven-day chart cycle – making it the most-streamed Christmas No. 1.
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It’s not the first time “Last Christmas” has reigned over the national tally; it first did so at the start of 2021, breaking a 36-year hoodoo, and returned to the top later in 2022.
Following its initial release, “Last Christmas” was famously beaten to the Christmas No. 1 by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” on which Wham’s co-founders George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley contributed.
With its latest feat, a full 39 years in the making, “Last Christmas” sets a new mark for the longest journey to the U.K. Christmas No. 1, the Official Charts Company reports.
Across its lifetime, the pop number has raked-in 5.34 million chart units, including 1.93 million sales and nearly 413 million streams, the OCC reports. It’s now the U.K.’s third biggest song of all time, behind Elton John’s “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” / “Candle in the Wind 1997” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” respectively.
With Wham taking the glory, Britain’s Eurovision 2022 entrant Sam Ryder misses out, as his Amazon Music Original “You’re Christmas To Me” (EastWest/Rhino) lifts 10-2, while Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia) completes the podium.
Predictably, Christmas tunes dominate the latest survey. Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s former leader “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic/EMI) improves 6-5; The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” (Rhino) featuring the late Kirsty MacColl dips 5-6; while holiday favorites from Brenda Lee, Michael Buble, Shakin’ Stevens, Andy Williams, Kelly Clarkson, Dean Martin, Chris Rea and more impact the top 40.
Finally, Cher cracks the top 20 — and cracks a new record — with “DJ Play A Christmas Song” (Warner Records). The legendary entertainer’s Xmas effort lifts 41-20, for her 34th U.K. top 40 single. At 77 year and 7 months, Cher is the oldest solo female performer to snag a top 40 U.K. single, the OCC reports.
Josh Groban shocked the theater community when he and his Sweeney Todd co-star Annaleigh Ashford announced that they will be playing their final shows on Jan. 14, 2024, with Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster set to replace the pair. While Groban expressed gratitude for getting to be in the show in his departure announcement, the star provided additional context as to why he left in a new interview with Billboard News.
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“I think that we feel whether we stayed in it another year, whether we left tomorrow, I think Annaleigh and I feel like we did what we came to do,” Groban explained to Billboard‘s Rebecca Milzoff. “We wanted to get it off the ground in a way that we were really proud of, to get a response that [Stephen] Sondheim would have been really excited by and proud of, we wanted to bring our essence to the role and do something to it that we personally would be really proud of. And then it comes down to, how long do you stay fresh in that and how long do you feel like you have something really vital in your tank to give it.”
Their revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, to use its full title, received eight Tony nominations, including best revival of a musical and best actor and actress in a musical for Groban and Ashford. The cast album from the show is nominated for a Grammy for best musical theater album. Final-round voting is currently underway. The awards will be presented on Feb. 4.
Elsewhere during Groban’s interview, he spoke about his link to David Foster, who mentored him throughout the process of recording his 2001 self-titled debut album, and revealed that the experience gave him the tools necessary to soar on his sophomore follow-up, Closer. Groban reflected on the album hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and being surprised because it felt “a little more expressive” than his debut.
“I remember it didn’t open at No. 1. I remember being surprised [when] I got the call that it had gone No. 1 when that’s usually not the case. Usually, you have your big opening week, at least that’s the way the business is now, so that was a really special feeling.”
Closer entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4 in November 2003 and finally reached No. 1 in its ninth week in January 2004. “You Raise Me Up,” a Foster-produced track from the album, became his first hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and brought him his first Grammy nod (best male pop vocal performance).
“That was the first album I started to write on,” Groban recalls. “I felt like that was the first album that I started to explore more eclectic taste and took more risks and dipped my toes into waters that felt a little more self-expressive.”
He continued, “Your first album you’re just so careful, you got a lot of chefs in the kitchen. When you got someone like David Foster, you’ve got Gordon Ramsey in your kitchen — in a good way. So that album doing what it did really made me realize that my fans are in it for the long run. That album going to No. 1 made me realize, ‘Oh we’re gonna have a journey together.’ … They were open to other styles. They were open to me being me.”
Watch Groban’s full interview with Billboard News in the video above.
Josh Groban spoke with Billboard’s Executive Features Editor Rebecca Milzoff about leaving Sweeney Todd, earning a Grammy nod for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023 Broadway Cast Recording), the 20th anniversary of his album Closer, working with David Foster, his friendship with Leslie Odom Jr. and Josh Gad, and more.
Josh Groban:The Jonas Brothers were across the street from us at The Marquee. They would come out to greet stage door, right at the time that I think, like, I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s a big death at the end with a quiet moment right afterwards, and so the audience would chuckle because this very serious dramatic death would happen and then there would be these just absolute screeching, scream outside the theater.
Hi, it’s Josh Groban, and you’re watching Billboard News.
Rebecca Milzoff:Hi, everyone. Welcome to Billboard News. I’m Rebecca Milzoff, executive features editor at Billboard, and I’m here today with Josh Groban.
Josh Groban:Hi!
Rebecca Milzoff:Hi, Josh.
Josh Groban:Thanks for having me.
Rebecca Milzoff:You may not remember, but we actually met once before six years ago, when you were making your Broadway debut in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.
Josh Groban:I do remember that. Yes, I knew when we met that we’d met before, I just couldn’t remember exactly when it was.
Rebecca Milzoff:Well, I remember that you said at the time that you were excited by educated risks.
Josh Groban:Yes.
Rebecca Milzoff:I thought that was such a great thought and I imagine Sweeney was very much one of those.
Watch the full interview above!
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