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22 Feb 2024

Normani’s Debut Album, Lady Gaga’s ‘Fortnite’ Concert, Selena Gomez New Music & More | Billboard News

Normani announces her debut album ‘Dopamine’ is on the way. Lady Gaga teases her Fortnite Festival performance. Selena Gomez shares her single “Love On” and meets a fan who is fighting cancer. Billboard explains Ice Spice’s meteoric rise on the Billboard charts. Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love” tops the TikTok Billboard Top 50. And more!

Tetris Kelly
Normani’s new album, Gaga is in Fortnite, and Selena makes a fan’s dream come true. We reveal who’s on top of the TikTok charts, explain Women in Music honoree Ice Spice’s success and run down some of the R&B and hip-hop artists you should know this year. It’s Thursday, February 22nd, I’m Tetris and this is Billboard News. With everything we have in the show today, we are still getting you started with the good stuff, which is the news. Here’s three stories you should know today. Normani’s first album finally has a name. Normani shared a song snippet, the cover art and the title of her first album ‘Dopamine.’ Fans brought up an old tweet from almost six years ago, where Normani said ‘I have my album title y’all.’ But don’t worry: She’s in on the joke, sharing a link to the new project on the website WheresTheDamnAlbum.com I’m glad she’s having fun with it because we weren’t, but I have a feeling it’s gonna be well worth the wait.

Watch the full video above!

22 Feb 2024

HARDY’s ‘Rockstar’ Reigns on Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart

HARDY notches a second No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart thanks to the appropriately named “Rockstar,” which bows atop the Feb. 24-dated survey.

“Rockstar” accumulated 2.5 million official U.S. streams, 209,000 radio audience impressions and 2,000 sold from its Feb. 9 release through Feb. 15, according to Luminate.

The download count launches “Rockstar” at No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Song Sales, where it’s HARDY’s third ruler, following “Jack” and “The Mockingbird & the Crow,” both in October 2022.

“Rockstar” also premieres at No. 21 on Hard Rock Streaming Songs, No. 31 on the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and No. 40 on Mainstream Rock Airplay.

The song follows “Sold Out” in April 2022 as HARDY’s second Hot Hard Rock Songs No. 1. In between “Sold Out” and “Rockstar,” he logged nine entries on the survey, including six top 10s, paced by a pair of No. 2 debuts and peaks in “Jack” and, last month, “Quit!!”

HARDY boasts entries on both Billboard’s rock and country hybrid charts; “Truck Bed” ranks at No. 11 in its 46th week on Hot Country Songs, after peaking so far at No. 10 in January. It’s the current radio single from The Mockingbird & the Crow, HARDY’s second studio album and his first to fuse country and rock elements. The song concurrently reaches a new No. 6 high on Country Airplay.

“Rockstar” is currently a standalone single. The Mockingbird & the Crow debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts in February 2023 and has earned 1 million equivalent album units to date.

22 Feb 2024

Global Citizen NOW Sets First International Edition In Melbourne

Global Citizen NOW will make its international debut in Melbourne, Australia next month, for a two-day program capped with a special performance by Crowded House.

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Set for March 4-6 at Centrepiece, Melbourne Park, the summit will drive action on the climate crisis, gender inequity, innovations in health systems and fighting food insecurity and extreme poverty in the region and around the world, as Australia hosts ASEAN leaders in the Victorian capital.

Speakers include Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste. Global Citizen ambassadors Hugh Jackman and Charlie Puth; Julia Gillard, former prime minister of Australia; and Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank, will join virtually.

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Ferguson is co-chair of the event. “I’m coming to Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne to participate in vital intergenerational conversations with young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region, who are doing frontline, grassroots work to address the climate crisis, the hunger crisis, girls’ education,” she explains in a statement, “and issues perpetuating cycles of extreme poverty. I look forward to listening to them, learning from them, and contributing whatever voice I have to speak up for the future of our planet.”

The inaugural Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne event wraps March 6 with Global Citizen Nights, an “intimate evening of music and storytelling” at the Palais Theatre, headlined by Crowded House.

“We are delighted to be providing a closing performance for Global Citizen, who are bringing together talented and passionate young advocates and innovators to help solve the most urgent problems facing all of us…equity and climate,” comments Crowded House frontman Neil Finn. “Who knows from what distant corners brilliant ideas might come from. Young people’s amazing potential is sometimes hidden from view. We want to be there to help bring it into the light.”

The ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted band is gearing up for the release of Gravity Stairs, their first through a new arrangement with BMG. Due out May 31, it’s the eighth studio album from the beloved folk-rock act which has sold over 15 million records worldwide, won 13 ARIA Awards, eight APRA Awards, a BRIT Award, an MTV VMA and landed No. 1 albums in the U.K. and Australia.

Free tickets to the performance and can be earned by taking action on the Global Citizen app and at globalcitizen.org/nights.

Global Citizen, the leading advocacy organization, has a strong Australian connection. It’s the brainchild of Australia humanitarian Hugh Evans. “It’s all I’ve ever cared about, since I was literally 12 years old, was the eradication of extreme poverty. It’s the simplest truth about me and our co-founders,” Evans told this reporter in 2022, on a trip to his homeland.

Global Citizen NOW: Melbourne is presented by the State Government of Victoria, with a range of partners including Cisco, Citi and P&G.

Additional performers will be announced in the coming days.

22 Feb 2024

AC/DC Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Vinyl Reissue

First the comeback concert tour, now AC/DC announces a reissue of its catalog on wax.

In celebration of 50 years rocking, the legendary Australian band will release its full set of albums, pressed on “vibrant gold vinyl,” reads a brief statement. The first nine titles will be released March 15, and are part of the “AC/DC 50” collection: High Voltage (1975), Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap (1976), Powerage (1978), Highway to Hell (1979), Back in Black (1980), For Those About to Rock (1981), Who Made Who (1986), The Razor’s Edge (1990), and the double album Live (1992).

Also, new colored pressings of Highway to Hell (orange blend) and Back In Black (black/white blend) are available to pre-order from AC/DC’s official webstore.

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As previously reported, the Rock Hall-inducted band is powering-up for a pan-European tour with a line-up featuring singer Brian Johnson, guitarist Angus Young, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction) replacing longtime bassist Cliff Williams. Williams retired from the band after the conclusion of the 2016 Rock or Bust tour, returning to the fold briefly for the 2020 Power Up album.

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Power Up blasted to the summit of the Billboard 200, for their third leader, and on the Official U.K. Albums Charts, for their fourth No. 1.

In their homeland, Power Up charged to No. 1 on the ARIA Chart for their sixth leader, setting a unique record as the only Australian group to have No. 1 albums in each of the past five decades.

The forthcoming 24-date trek of the U.K. and Europe, their first in eight years, is slated to kick off May 17 with the first of two dates at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.

Formed in Sydney in 1973, the rockers were inducted into the inaugural ARIA Hall of Fame, saluted at a ceremony in 1988, alongside Dame Joan Sutherland, Johnny O’Keefe, Slim Dusty, Col Joye and Vanda & Young. In 2003, AC/DC were elevated into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, and, a decade on, in 2013, Back In Black was entered into the Grammy Hall Of Fame, established by the Recording Academy to honor “recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance.”

Those meaty rock records are never out of style. The title track from their seminal seventh LP, Back In Black, recently passed one billion views on YouTube, the band’s second to hit the milestone after “Thunderstruck” crossed the line in 2021.

21 Feb 2024

Nicki Minaj Invites Katt Williams on Tour, Beyoncé’s Makes Chart History & More | Billboard News

Ariana Grande is gearing up to release her new album ‘Eternal Sunshine.’ The singer has revealed a few song titles and has been announced as a musical guest on ‘SNL’ next month. Nicki Minaj has invited comedian and actor Katt Williams on tour. Questlove defends Sexyy Red after she is announced to perform at the 2024 Roots Picni. Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart making her the first woman to have topped both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since October 1958. We go behind the video with LE SSERAFIM. And more!

Tetris Kelly
Ariana Grande’s ‘Eternal Sunshine’ era is almost here. Nicki tries to bring the funny to Gag City, QuestLove got Sexyy Red’s back and Beyoncé breaks the charts yet again and explain WIM’s Group Of The Year NewJeans’ success. Plus we highlight some amazing black women making moves in the music industry. Happy Wednesday music lovers I’m Tetris, this is Billboard News and we have all your music tea sip on February 21. I’m so excited to talk about some of my fave K-Pop groups. But before we get to that we must talk news starting with Ms. “Yes, And ?” Ariana Grande is set to take the ‘SNL’ stage after revealing some of her new tracklist.

Tetris Kelly
A Hot 100 No. 1, a remix with Mariah and an ‘SNL’ performance announcement. Ariana’s next era isn’t even officially here and she’s already dominating. For those that can’t wait to hear the track names before ‘Eternal Sunshine’ drops on March 8th. Ariana revealed them, kind of censoring the titles with beeps. And if you love “Yes And ?” Ariana says there’s even better track to come comparing the new track to “Thank U Next.”

Tetris Kelly
Which tracks are you most excited to hear? And what do you think the next single will be? Let us know in the comments.

Watch the full video above!

21 Feb 2024

Ye & Ty Dolla $ign Top Streaming Songs Chart With ‘Carnival’

Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart dated Feb. 24, the former’s fourth No. 1 and the latter’s first.

The top-performing song from the duo’s collaborative album Vultures 1 earned 23.5 million official U.S. streams Feb. 9-15, according to Luminate. That’s despite just six days of availability during the tracking week; the album was released Feb. 10.

Ye reigns on Streaming Songs for the first time since “Hurricane” led for a week in September 2021. His other rulers on the list, which began in 2013, include “All Mine” in June 2018 and “I Love It,” with Lil Pump, in September 2018.

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Between “Hurricane” and the release of Vultures 1, which accounts for 13 Streaming Songs appearances in all on the Feb. 24 ranking, Ye’s best rank had been a No. 8 peak with “Hot Shit,” on which he was billed as a lead act alongside Cardi B and Lil Durk, in July 2022.

Meanwhile, Ty Dolla $ign garners his first Streaming Songs leader with “Carnival.” The rapper first reached the chart in 2014 with “Paranoid,” featuring B.O.B (No. 36), and his highest rank on the tally had been his featured turn on Post Malone’s “Psycho,” which debuted and peaked at No. 2 in March 2018. As a lead act, his best had been “Hot Girl Summer,” billed as a lead alongside Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj, which debuted and peaked at No. 6 in August 2019.

The next-highest debut from the 13-song pack of Vultures 1 debuts is “Fuk Sumn,” which bows at No. 10 via 13.3 million streams.

As part of its No. 1 debut on Streaming Songs, “Carnival” also reigns on R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs and Rap Streaming Songs.

Concurrently, as previously reported, “Carnival” bows at No. 3 on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100. In addition to its streams, the song also earned 4,000 downloads.

Its parent album, Vultures 1, also scored a No. 1 debut, premiering atop the Billboard 200 via 148,000 equivalent album units earned.

21 Feb 2024

Black History Month Spotlight: MVD Publicists Massah David & Miatta Johnson | Billboard News

For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating MVD publicists Massah David and Miatta Johnson.

The sibling duo, who are repping Liberia, founded the boutique creative agency MVD Inc. with the goal of amplifying Black storytelling, and they do it by producing and creating some of the most imaginative music industry events. You would recognize their notable work with Kanye West during some of his biggest listening parties and more. Their events always highlight the excellence in Black culture as shown when they produced the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective ceremony at Resorts World Las Vegas, where they honored John Legend and more. In just this year, the events saw them create beauty on Grammy weekend with stars packing in the elaborate soiree that was honoring Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey and more.

The pair has said, “Culture is our pulse and keeps us inspired.” And you inspire us, which is why this month we honor you!

21 Feb 2024

Taylor Swift Crowned IFPI’s Global Recording Artist For Record Fourth Time

It’s official: Taylor Swift is the biggest-selling recording artist on the planet, again.

The pop music superstar is crowned on the IFPI’s 2023 Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, an honor that recognizes the top artist across physical sales, downloads and streaming.

The dominance of K-pop is on display, as four acts from the genre crack the IFPI’s top 10: SEVENTEEN (No. 2), Stray Kids (No. 3), TOMORROW X TOGETHER (No. 7) and NewJeans (No. 8). Also, IVE and NCT Dream make their first appearances in the IFPI Global Artist Chart Top 20, at No. 12 and No. 15, respectively.

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However, it’s Swift who takes back-to-back titles and the glory.

And, as she tends to do, Swift makes history by becoming the first artist to top the IFPI tally on four occasions — doing so in 2014, 2019, 2022 and now 2023.

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According to the trade body, the artist award and chart is the first and only ranking to accurately capture the popularity of artists across streaming channels, alongside digital and physical album and singles sales on a global basis, across the calendar year.

Swifties propelled their hero to a “stellar year” during which she ignited charts around with globe with her Midnights LP and the “Taylor’s Version” releases of the Speak Now and 1989 LPs. Also, her record-breaking The Eras Tour, which is currently midway through a seven-stadium run in Australia, helped “lift engagement with her entire catalog on streaming platforms around the world,” reads a statement.

This “phenomenon,” notes the IFPI, was demonstrated by the second life given to “Cruel Summer,” which initially dropped with 2019’s Lover but took flight on charts as she toured the globe.

“We are immensely proud to award the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award to Taylor Swift for the fourth time, as she continues to redefine the limits of global success,” comments Lewis Morrison, director of charts and certifications at IFPI. Swift “is a singular talent and her commitment to her craft and her fans is truly phenomenal.”

The IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award is now celebrating its 11th year, and is presented to the leader of the IFPI’s Global Artist Chart, also released today.

Top 20 IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart 2023

1 — Taylor Swift
2 — SEVENTEEN
3 — Stray Kids
4 — Drake
5 — The Weeknd
6 — Morgan Wallen
7 — TOMORROW X TOGETHER
8 — NewJeans
9 — Bad Bunny
10 — Lana Del Rey
11 — Ed Sheeran
12 — IVE
13 — SZA
14 — Eminem
15 — NCT DREAM
16 — Zach Bryan
17 — Travis Scott
18 — Kanye West
19 — Post Malone
20 — King & Prince

Previous IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart No. 1 Artists

2022 — Taylor Swift
2021 — BTS
2020 — BTS
2019 — Taylor Swift
2018 — Drake
2017 — Ed Sheeran
2016 — Drake
2015 — Adele
2014 — Taylor Swift
2013 — One Direction

21 Feb 2024

Former Interscope Exec Tim Glover Joins Pulse Records as President, A&R

A&R veteran Tim Glover is named as president of A&R, Pulse Records, Billboard can confirm.

Glover joins the team from Interscope Geffen A&M, where he served as executive VP of A&R since 2022, and held the position as senior vp of A&R before that.

In his new role, announced today (Feb. 21), Glover works specifically on the Pulse Records division of Pulse Music Group, the umbrella company, and reports jointly to Scott Cutler, co-CEO of Pulse Music Group; Josh Abraham, co-CEO of Pulse Music Group; and Ashley Calhoun, president, Pulse Music Group.

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During his time at Interscope, Glover was the point person for the label’s partnerships with Dreamville — which has included such artists as J. Cole, JID and Ari Lennox, among others — and LVRN, including Summer Walker and 6LACK, as well as working with Tierra Whack and more than a dozen other artists at the label.

“Tim’s creative ability has led him to sign and work with some of the world’s top recording artists,” reads a statement issued jointly by Abraham, Cutler, and Calhoun. “We want our artists at Pulse Records to work with the very best in executive talent and Tim will be a key part of the team as we continue to build.”

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The experienced recruit joined Interscope in 2014, was promoted to senior vp in March 2019, and in 2021 was named to Billboard’s 40 Under 40 list of trailblazing young executives in the music business.

At Pulse, Glover will continue to A&R select projects with Interscope, a rep tells Billboard.  

Launched in June 2023, Pulse Records is a part of Concord Label Group and is distributed through the company’s longtime relationship with Universal Music Group.

Since then, Pulse Records formed an artist development joint venture with ISO Supremacy, the new record label founded by platinum recording artist and Pulse Music Group publishing client, Brent Faiyaz. Through that arrangement, Pulse and Faiyaz signed Tommy Richman to Pulse Records.

Also, Pulse Records recently signed New Zealand-born, South African artist 9lives, a leader in the Sigilkore scene, a rap subgenre which blends cloudrap, hyperpop, and electronic, working with the likes of Trippie Redd, Rico Nasty, JELEEL!, Kanii and Odetari.

The Pulse team “is synonymous with artist creativity, artist development, building a strong creative community, and they go out of their way to customize their A&R strategies to the unique needs of each and every artist,” comments Glover in a statement announcing his appointment. “I look forward to big things ahead.”

21 Feb 2024

Boy George Responds to ‘Recycling’ Kylie Minogue’s ‘Tension’ Artwork

If imitation if the greatest form of flattery, Kylie Minogue should feel mighty chuffed indeed following the release of Boy George’s new single, “Religion.”

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The former Culture Club frontman this week shared the standalone single “Religion,” one of two songs included in the audiobook of his 2023 memoir Karma: My Autobiography (the other, “Suddenly I’m Wiser,” is not widely available on streaming platforms).

When “Religion” dropped on DSPs, X (formerly known as Twitter) had words. Eagle-eyed social media users spotted the cover art’s close resemblance to that of Minogue’s Tension album, which led the U.K. and Australian albums charts following its release in 2023.

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George batted away the critics left and right.

“I’m recycling everything. It’s all the rage. Even fashion is catching on?,” he wrote in one post. In response to one particularly agitated comment, he assured the copycat image was “utter genius.” He returned serve on one poster who described the artwork as “pathetic,” and quipped that he “broke wind,” a retort to a Daily Mail headline which reads, “Boy George breaks silence after ‘copying’ Kylie’s album cover.

Both artists launched their careers in the 1980s. George (real name George O’Dowd), the flamboyant singer with Culture Club, was, for a time in the early-to-mid ‘80s, one of the most recognizable artists on the planet.

Culture Club captured six top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including a No. 1 with 1983’s “Karma Chameleon.” Its parent album Colour By Numbers peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

When the band was dissolved in 1986, George embarked on a solo career, which was briefly derailed by substance abuse, controversy and legal problems, before the singer reinvented himself as a club DJ, returned to the stage and studio, and found regular work on reality TV. In 2015, he snagged the Ivor Novello Award for outstanding contribution to British Music, one of the U.K. industry’s highest honors.

Kylie is in a purple patch. The Aussie “princess of pop” recently signed with UTA for live representation in the U.S. and Canada, as well as “acting endeavors” worldwide. Her Vegas residency has been extended, she recently won her second Grammy, for best pop dance recording with “Padam Padam,” the U.K. top 10 hit from Tension; she’s nominated for international artist of the year at the 2024 Brit Awards, where she’ll receive its Global Icon Award; and next month, she’ll scoop Billboard’s Women in Music Icon Award.⁠

Tension is the ninth No. 1 album for Kylie in the U.K., where she is the first ever female artist — and second artist overall — to bag a No. 1 album in five consecutive decades.