bbnews
Page: 169
Some battles end in tears, or stunned disbelief. When Eli Ward and Jason Arcilla went head-to-head Tuesday night (Oct. 31) on NBC’s The Voice, they wrapped it up with laughter, like two old buddies catching up, cracking open a few cold ones.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Team Gwen pair tackled Bread‘s “Make It With You,” bringing their own flair to the corny pop-rock number which led the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week in 1970.
“Gwen, what a song choice,” John Legend remarked. The performance was “so like fun and soulful” and “you got these handsome gentlemen to serenade you,” he quipped. The lads were smooth, Legend acknowledged. Arcilla had a “gentleness” of tone, he continued. And Ward, :I loved how confident and in command you felt the whole time.” If he had to choose, Legend would side with Ward.
“You guys sounded great together, you were having fun,” remarked fellow coach Reba McEntire. “I loved the little choreography moves.” If she had to pick, she’d go with Ward.
Niall Horan was impressed with Ward’s “’50s meets ‘70s” smoothness – and his biceps (the Waterloo, IL native is a Division I athlete at the University of Iowa with the cross-country track team). “Your tone is really pure and classic.” Arcilla, the 34-year-old who lives in Pukalani, Hawaii, has “an etherealness” to his voice. It’s a tough choice. If the Irishman had to make it, he would lean ever so slightly in the direction of Arcilla.
Stefani had to make the cut, and she wasn’t happy about it. “This is impossible right now,” she remarked. “I have zero, zero idea of what to do now.” After praising both singers, and remarking on their growth during the contest, she settled on a winner, someone who is “ready right right now.”
And that was Arcilla.
In the aftermath, the No Doubt singer explained her decision. “Jason has the kind of voice that has this breathy, airy, serene quality that I would actually listen to on a record. I think that he’s just really gifted.”
Watch below.
[embedded content]
The Nosferatu, a vampire so iconic in the annals of horror, it ranks right up there in the rogues’ gallery alongside Frankenstein’s Monster, Michael Myers, and Jason, has just had an update — thanks to Bad Bunny.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Just in time for Halloween, the Puerto Rican superstar gets his creep on for “Baticano,” lifted from Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, his third and latest No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Directed by Stillz, the music video has all the angles, shadows and hallmarks of the 1922 version of Nosferatu, a benchmark in German Expressionism filmmaking. Steve Buscemi plays the father figure/mad scientist, who tells the pointy-eared creature, “they’re not ready for you in this world. But you are beautiful. Remember that. You are too perfect for this world.”
Bad Bunny is following in some mighty footsteps. Max Schreck’s performance in that early film was so compelling, Willem Dafoe reprised the role for 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire, which posited that, just maybe, Schreck was an actual garlic-hating, sunshine-avoiding vampire. Werner Herzog helmed the 1979 remake of Nosferatu the Vampyre, with Klaus Kinski, in the lead role, creepier than a box of spiders. Robert Eggers directs an update on the blood-sucking count, due out in 2024.
All 21 songs from Bunny’s new album (which translates to “Nobody Knows What Is Going to Happen Tomorrow”) went on to enter the Billboard Hot 100, including “Baticano,” which bowed at No. 78 last month. It’s his fifth solo studio album, following last year’s blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti. His 2022 album spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and topped the year-end Billboard 200 as well — the first Spanish-language album to do so.
Following its release, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana was confirmed by Spotify as the platform’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.
Watch the music video for “Baticano” below.
[embedded content]
Musician Oliver Tree stopped by Billboard News and discussed accidentally creating his persona, how he finds inspiration for his music videos, why Alone In The Crowd could be his last record and more!Rania Aniftos:Maybe we should just end the interview now.
Oliver Tree:Want to wrap it?
Rania Aniftos:Yeah. Thank you everybody for watching!
Oliver Tree:Thank you!
Rania Aniftos:Yeah, it was so nice or…
Oliver Tree:What’s going on? It’s your boy Oliver Tree and you’re watching Billboard News.
Rania Aniftos:Hey, everybody. I’m Rania Aniftos with Billboard News and I am so excited. We’re here with the one and only Oliver Tree. Hello!
Creating this Oliver Tree persona was kind of almost an accident, right? Because I think I heard you say you were putting out music and nobody was really listening. And then you kind of grabbed a ski jacket from your mom and the sunglasses and you kind of turned it into comedy and suddenly people started caring about your music.
Oliver Tree:I’d already spent the bulk of my existence on earth making music and no one was listening to it. No one cared and I was like, “Wow, this actually worked.” This is bigger than my music and all I did was just show up looking stupid. And I think it’s a mirror that I was setting up of society, like how dumb things have gotten in a lot of ways. But also experimentation is kind of the birth of invention and trying to make something that hasn’t been done a million times.
Oliver Tree is my birth name, both my parents were trapeze artists.
Rania Aniftos:This album that you’ve just released, it’s a little more open, like a little more vulnerable, I think looking into who you are and your interests. Were you concerned about taking that extra step in your artistry and your lyricism and you’re playing around with different genres?
Oliver Tree:The first album I made was really a lot like this one in the context that people weren’t listening to albums. And I kind of made the album with that mindset of “Hey, this is really a collection of all my favorite styles and selected works.”
Rania Aniftos:Yeah.
Oliver Tree:“If you will of the highlights of what I like, different styles.” But also, there can still be a component that’s a thread through of a concept album through the visual component, through the character, which still allows it to be cohesive.
Rania Aniftos:Yeah.
Oliver Tree:And the thing that also ties it together nicely is I produce every single song, I’m the one who mixes so from the beginning of the conception through the mixing process, I’m hands-on. I can produce these things by myself, It’s not something I’m particularly interested in doing because you spend so much time making these albums. And if you’re just by yourself making music all the time, it’s very lonely.
Rania Aniftos:Yeah.
Oliver Tree:And I used to do that, for all my old music. It was just me by myself. And I found myself incredibly lonely. And I think that that’s ironic, in the context of this album, is exploring the theme of loneliness.
Rania Aniftos:Yeah.
Oliver Tree:And it’s such a big part of it. It’s kind of a full circle moment as I’ve evolved as an artist, I recognize that it doesn’t have to be so lonely. I would rather do it with my friends. I’d rather go to Brazil, and bring out my friends and work there than necessarily be stuck in one place by myself in this dark room.
Rania Aniftos:Yeah.
Oliver Tree:So it’s a way that I’ve found it’s a lot more fun and sustainable in the long term.
Watch the full video above!
City Girls’ JT is setting the record straight on what she really fought with Lil Uzi Vert about at the BET Awards. Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto became the fastest song to reach 1 billion streams in Spotify history, the streaming platform announced. The MAMA Awards have revealed the second round of performers for their 2023 show: ENHYPEN, (G)I-DLE, LE SSERAFIM, SEVENTEEN, TXT and more are set to hit the stage in Tokyo. And more!
Tetris Kelly:“And then home of the brave! Of the brave…”
“Of the brave….”
Happy Halloween from Billboard News.
City Girls’ JT is setting the record straight. BTS’ Jung Kook is breaking records. The MAMAs announced another round of epic performers. We sit down with Oliver Tree. And Manuel Turizo explains what’s Behind the Photo.
Happy Halloween! I’m normally Tetris Kelly, but as you can see today, I’m Flavor Flav and it’s Tuesday, October 31st.
We’re starting the show by addressing some rumors. Well, JT from the City Girls is, at least.
JT:“For real. OK, the reason I threw my phone at Uzi is because…”
Tetris Kelly:We all remember when couple JT and Lil Uzi Vert got into a little viral altercation in the BET Awards audience. Well, now JT is opening up about exactly what happened. Let me break it down. Earlier this year, videos went viral of JT of City Girls and Lil Uzi Vert arguing at the BET Awards. She legit threw a phone and people were saying it was because of Uzi and Ice Spice. Well JT went on ‘The Breakfast Club’ to clear the air that it was just their homie.
JT:I had on a huge dress so I’m thinking he’s leaving and about to send somebody back to come and get me but when I got up, he’s down there with Bari — sorry, Bari. He now chilling with Bari and so happens…”
Interviewer:“Who’s Bari?”
“A$AP Bari?”
“His friend… his friend that he brought. You should have made sure I had that seat.”
Tetris Kelly:And she made it clear her and Ice Spice had no beef.
JT:“It was never about another artist because an artist is supposed to be there. Oh, he sat directly back next to Ice Spice. I said where Bari was sitting so it was never a problem.”
Tetris Kelly:So there’s a lesson here: Always save a seat for your boo.Watch the full video above!
SYDNEY, Australia — Daniel Johns signs a global publishing deal with BMG, a so-called ”landmark” agreement that includes the veteran Australian artist’s Silverchair catalog.
The worldwide deal includes all of Johns’ compositions on his second solo album FutureNever, which led the ARIA Chart in 2022, along with his Silverchair hits including “Straight Lines,” “The Greatest View,” “Ana’s Song,” “Freak,” “Tomorrow” and “many others reverting into the deal in 2025,” according to a joint statement (the rock trio’s catalog of recordings were united under one roof, at Sony Music Australia, in early 2021).
Confirmed Tuesday, Oct. 31, the new agreement expands on the recording deal Johns struck with BMG in 2017, ahead of the release of FutureNever, which became ARIA’s best-selling new Australian album of 2022.
Now, the independent music company represents the Newcastle-based artist for both publishing and records. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
“There is nothing without a heartbeat that I value more than my songwriting catalog,” Johns says. “Bringing my life’s work as a composer to BMG signifies the level of faith I have in this company and their people.”
It was BMG that, in 2021, spearheaded the hit Spotify podcast Who Is Daniel Johns? And in 2022, the music company developed Past, Present and FutureNever, the immersive, award-winning exhibition in Melbourne’s iconic Rialto building. Next year will see the release of the “grunge sci-fi” featurette film What if the Future Never Happened?, starring Rasmus King (6 Festivals, Bosch and Rockit) as a young Johns.
FutureNever hit No. 1 on Australia’s chart in April 2022, then, with its vinyl release, returned to the top, a full 22 weeks later – a record-setting gap between stays at the chart penthouse by a solo Australian artist. The LP won for best independent pop album or EP at the 2023 AIR Awards.
Johns is the most ARIA-awarded artist of all time, with 21 pointy trophies, and his collection includes six APRA Music Awards, three of which are for songwriter of the year — a record-equaling haul. Across his recording career, Johns has sold 10 million albums and enjoyed six ARIA No. 1 albums, including all five Silverchair studio releases.
Formed in 1992 by Newcastle schoolmates Johns (vocals, guitar), Ben Gillies (drums) and Chris Joannou (bass), Silverchair enjoyed global success, starting from the tip-off with their grunge-influenced 1995 debut album Frogstomp and the powerhouse single “Tomorrow.” Frogstomp went to No. 9 on the Billboard 200, and its followup, 1997’s Freak Show, peaked at No. 12.
In 2011, still at the peak of their powers, Silverchair’s members announced they would go their separate ways.
Johns’ is also behind FutureNeverFund, a charitable organization to help raise money to create better futures for people and animals in need. The not-for-profit has now raised and disbursed more than A$100,000 from personal and public donations.
“Daniel is a true multi-talent and musical icon,” says Jodie Feld, BMG senior creative director Australia & New Zealand. “It’s an honor for the whole BMG team to expand our relationship with Daniel and to have the opportunity to work across not just a record, but a podcast, film, exhibition and now his iconic publishing catalog.”
If you’re game to tackle Evanescence, you’d better bring the power.
That’s exactly what Joslynn Rose and Rudi did, when they went toe-to-toe Monday night (Oct. 30) on NBC’s The Voice.
The Team Gwen singers came out swinging in the Battles round with a rendition of “My Immortal.” Now 20 years old, “My Immortal” appeared on Fallen, the breakthrough 2003 album from Amy Lee and Co. which dominated sales charts across Europe, the U.K. (hitting No. 1) and the U.S. (No. 3), and gave us the epic number “Bring Me to Life.”
“What a lovely job,” remarked John Legend following the performance. The soul man praised Joslynn for her opener, in which she appeared “in control,” poised and “felt ready to seize the moment.” He’s a fan of her tone, “you really have a beautiful voice and your tone is so lovely.” Rudi, he continued, had power, clarity, and was “really impressive.” If he had to choose, he’d lean towards Rudi.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Joslynn impressed with her low register, and the control of it, was Reba McEntire’s take. Rudi’s vocals were “wonderful, great stage presence,” she continued, “you both have very powerful voices.” If she had to choose, the country star would go with Rudi.
Rudi, added Niall Horan, “that was phenomenal. Pretty much flawless. It felt like you were climbing a mountain the whole way through the song. And it kept going, and going. And going.” Her rival, the way she started the performance, “brilliant, to have that poise, to take front and center and sing the way you did was really beautiful, especially for your age.”
Gwen Stefani had the tough choice to make. After thanking her singers, reminding the audience of their potential and talents, and pointing out just how hard a target it was to hit, the No Doubt star went into decision-making-mode.
There could be only one winner of this battle. And that was Rudi, who progresses to the knockouts. “She’s ready for what’s to come in the competition,” Stefani enthused in the washup.
But letting go a fine contestant, yeah, “that sucks.”
Watch below.
[embedded content]
Taylor Swift will be crowned when the U.K. albums chart is published later this week.
The U.S. pop singer opens-up a monster lead in the U.K. chart race with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI), which is currently outperforming the rest of the top 40 combined, the Official Charts Company reports.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) reigns over the midweek chart, and is already the year’s best-selling album, amassing 148,000 chart units. That’s more combined units in just three days than Lewis Capaldi’s second LP Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent (95,000 combined units), the previous leader for 2023, clocked in its first full-week. And it’s roughly double the sum collected by Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds (Polydor), the current leader on the weekly chart and, until now, one of the three best-sellers of 2023.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
When the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Oct. 3, Swift will nab her 11th U.K. No. 1 album, a tally that includes the original recording of 1989, which ruled for a single week in 2014. That result would extend her record as the female solo artist with the most chart-topping albums this century. Only Madonna, with 12 U.K. No. 1s, leads Swift on the all-time tally.
The re-recorded edition of 1989 is the fourth of Swift’s six “versions,” and features three bonus tracks and five songs from the “Vault.”
Swift is likely to nab a chart double. Based on midweek singles sales and streaming data published by the OCC, “Is It Over Now” slides into pole position, ahead of “Slut” and “Style,” respectively.
Meanwhile, OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is on track for an eighth top 10 album with Bauhaus Staircase (100 Percent Records), new at No. 2 on the midweek tally, ahead of the Stones’ Hackey Diamonds, down 1-3 on the chart blast.
Duran Duran’s “ultimate Halloween party” album Danse Macabre (BMG) is forecast to enter the chart at No. 4, for what would be the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ 12th U.K. top 10 LP. The new set, a collection of covers, reinterpretations of DD songs, and three new numbers, is the followup to Future Past, which opened and peaked at No. 3 in 2021.
Also eyeing top 10 berths are new releases from James Blunt (Who We Used to Be at No. 5 via Atlantic), CASisDEAD (Famous Last Words at No. 6 via XL Recordings), Alfie Boe (Open Arms – The Symphonic Songbook at No. 7 via BMG); Simple Minds’ live recording New Gold Dream – Live from Paisley Abbey (No. 8 via BMG), Billy Bragg’s career retrospective The Roaring Forty 1983-2023 (No. 9 via Cooking Vinyl) and Gaslight Anthem (History Books at No. 10 via Rich Mahogany Recordings).
Celebrities are showing off their best Halloween costumes during the creepiest, crawliest time of the year. We round up the best costumes donned so far this Halloween season. Can Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” continue its run at No. 1? Morgan Wallen continues to have a big impact on our charts, SZA and Luke Combs continue […]
SZA adds a record-furthering 50th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Songwriters chart (dated Oct. 28), thanks to her song “Snooze” and Drake’s “Slime You Out,” on which she’s featured.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The tracks rank at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the latest Hot R&B Songs chart. SZA co-wrote “Snooze” with Babyface, BLK Beats, Leon G. Thomas III and Khristopher van Riddick-Tynes. She’s also a co-writer on “Slime You Out,” with Drake, 40, BNYX, Noel Cadastre, Grant Lapointe, Chris Powell and Dalton Tennant.
A week earlier, SZA broke the record for the most weeks notched at No. 1 on R&B Songwriters, as her 49th frame at the summit lifted her past The Weeknd, with 48. Along the way over her record run, her smash “Kill Bill” spent 30 weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B Songs.
[embedded content]
Across Billboard’s 13 weekly songwriter charts, SZA joins a select number of talents who have reached the milestone of 50-or-more weeks at No. 1. Here’s a recap.
Weeks Spent at No. 1, Chart Name, Artist:121, Gospel Songwriters, Kirk Franklin96, Latin Songwriters, Bad Bunny62, Dance/Electronic Songwriters, f a l l e n62, Dance/Electronic Songwriters, SAINt JHN57, Alternative Songwriters, Dave Bayley56, Rock & Alternative Songwriters, Zach Bryan56, Rock Songwriters, Zach Bryan53, Dance/Electronic Songwriters, Elton John53, Dance/Electronic Songwriters, Bernie Taupin50, Rock & Alternative Songwriters, Dave Bayley50, R&B Songwriters, SZA
In March, Kirk Franklin became the first and, to date, only creative to have led a songwriters survey for 100 weeks.
Spending 50 weeks atop one of Billboard’s 13 producers charts is even more rare. Only five producers have achieved the feat: Joey Moi, with 122 weeks spent at No. 1 on Country Producers; Tainy (119, Latin Producers); Jonathan Lindsey Smith (84, Christian Producers); Kanye West (59, Gospel Producers); and Jeff Pardo (54, Christian Producers).
Billboard launched the 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, while alternative and hard rock joined in 2020, along with seasonal holiday rankings in 2022. The charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on the Billboard Hot 100. The genre-based songwriter and producer charts follow the same methodology based on corresponding “Hot”-named genre charts. 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).
The full Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts and full genre rankings can be found on Billboard.com.
The Taylor Swift takeover is in full swing on the U.K. chart blast.
Based on sales and streaming data for the first 48 hours in the U.K. chart week, Swift is on track to nab the top three spots with songs from 1989 (Taylor’s Version): “Slut,” “Style” and “Is It Over Now,” respectively.
According to the Official Charts Company, just over 200 chart units separate the three songs at this early stage in the chart cycle.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Swift couldn’t possibly do any better. Unlike Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the OCC‘s chart rules dictate that a maximum of three tracks by the same artist can impact the top 100 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
“Slut,” written by Taylor, Jack Antonoff and Patrik Berger, and “Is It Over Now,” written by Taylor and Antonoff, are two of the album’s five “Vault” tracks, works that were written during the original 1989 sessions, but never made it to the finished version (for the record: 1989 logged one week at the U.K. chart summit in 2014).
The original cut of “Style,” written by Taylor, Max Martin, Shellback and Ali Payami, was released as the third single from first version of 1989, and peaked at No. 21 in the U.K.
The fresh album (via EMI in the U.K.) features newly recorded editions of all 13 original songs, plus three bonus tracks (“Wonderland,” “New Romantics” and “You Are In Love”) and the “Vault” tracks (“Is It Over Now?,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Say Don’t Go,” “Suburban Legends” and “Slut”).
Swift already has 23 top 10 singles in the U.K., including two No. 1s: “Look What You Made Me Do” (from 2017) and “Anti-Hero” (2022). The extend to which she expands on that tally will be revealed late Friday, Nov. 3, when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published in full.
Thanks to the Taylor Swift effect, Kenya Grace’s three-week reign with “Strangers” (FFRR) looks set to come to a halt. It’s down 1-5 on the First Look chart, just behind Casso, Raye and D-Block Europe’s “Prada” (Ministry of Sound), set to dip 2-4.