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It’s tight at the top of the midweek U.K. albums chart, as J Hus’s Beautiful and Brutal Yard (Black Butter) takes the lead.
Beautiful and Brutal Yard leads Official Chart Update and, if it holds its spot, would give the Stratford, England rapper his second leader following 2020’s Big Conspiracy. J Hus enjoyed a critical and commercial breakthrough with his 2017 debut Common Sense, which peaked at No. 6 on the national survey and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.
Close behind is Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI), last week’s leader which dips to No. 2 on the chart blast.
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Coming in at No. 3 on the midweek survey is Rita Ora’s long-awaited third studio album You & I (BMG), which could give the British pop star a second top 10, after her debut Ora from 2012 which went all the way to No. 1. You & I is the followup to 2018’s Phoenix, which peaked at No. 11 on the weekly list.
According to the Official Charts Company, fewer than 2,000 chart units currently separate the top three albums.
Meanwhile, Glasgow, Scotland singer-songwriter Gerry Cinnamon is set to arrive at No. 4 with Live At Hampden Park (Little Runaway); American alt-pop artist Pvris who could bag a second top 10 with Evergreen (Hopeless), poised to debut at No. 5; Lauren Spencer Smith’s debut full-length album Mirror (Island) could bow at No. 6; and Mahalia’s second record IRL (Atlantic) is on course for No. 9, for what would be the British R&B artist’s first top 10 entry.
Finally, U.S. rapper Lil Tjay could snag a third top 40 with 222 (Columbia), new at No. 24 on the chart blast, while Joel Corry’s singles collection Another Friday Night (Atlantic) is at No. 28, and could give the British DJ and producer his first appearance on the Official Albums Chart.
All will be revealed when the national survey is published this Friday, July 22.
BTS‘s Jung Kook is enjoying a healthy start to his solo career in the U.K., where “Seven” (via BigHit Entertainment) is challenging for the chart title.
Featuring U.S. rapper Latto, “Seven” is just 2,000 chart sales behind the leader on the midweek chart, Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood).
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“Seven” could go where no member of BTS has gone before – to the summit of the U.K. singles survey.
All seven members of the K-pop phenomenon – Jin, Jimin, Suga, Jung Kook, RM, V and J-Hope – have shared solo material, with Jimin setting the bar with a top 10 for “Like Crazy” (peaking at No. 8); he separately landed a top 40 hit with “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” hitting No. 30. Bandmate j-hope was the first member of BTS to secure a U.K. top 40 single, with his J. Cole collaboration “On The Street” peaking at No. 37.
All told, BTS has accumulated nine U.K. top 40 singles, including four top 10s (with a No. 3 best for 2020’s “Dynamite,” plus “Butter” and “My Universe” with Coldplay, both from 2021). Two BTS titles have led the national albums chart.
Dave and Central Cee’s hip-hop hit “Sprinter” has proven hard to beat. It’s reigned over the Official U.K. Singles Chart for six consecutive weeks.
Meanwhile, Billie Eilish is making a play for the top 10 with “What Was I Made For?” (Interscope), lifted from the Barbie movie soundtrack. If it holds its position, “What Was I Made For?” will give the U.S. pop star her ninth top tier appearance.
Finally, J Hus is poised to make a noise on the U.K. chart, thanks to the release of his third and latest album, Beautiful and Brutal Yard.
His current single “Who Told You” (Black Butter/OVO/Republic) with Drake is unmoved at No. 4, while album cuts “Militerian” with Naira Marley (No. 21) and “Masculine” with Burna Boy (No. 22), both via Black Butter, are set for top 40 debuts.
All will be revealed when the Official Chart is published late Friday, July 22.
Toni Watson, the chart-busting Australian singer and songwriter who, as her alias Tones And I, set records around the globe with “Dance Monkey,” is one of the finalists for the 2023 Australian Women In Music Awards (AWMAs).
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Watson is up against Tanya Batt and The Superjesus leader Sarah McLeod for the songwriter award, which recognizes an outstanding female songwriter or composer.
Other high-profile artists nominated for this year’s event include Kate Ceberano, the one-time ARIA Award winner for best female artist, who is a finalist for the AWMAs lifetime achievement award, a category that also includes Jeannie Lewis and Clare Moore.
Meanwhile, chart-topping pop artist Jessica Mauboy will face-off with Beccy Cole, and Vika & Linda for the artistic excellence award, which celebrates “exceptional creative achievement from a female artist/musician across any genre.”
Established in 2018, the AWMAs acknowledges the contributions and shines a light on the accomplishments of women across all areas of industry from on stage, including those behind the scenes, technicians, leaders, elders, performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, filmmakers and photographers, music journalists and more.
One of those awards is the inaugural ARIA executive leader game changer, which rewards the “exceptional leadership” of an executive leader who “creates significant and positive change to bring about equality for women in the Australian music industry,” and is open to a CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, MD or GM.
“I have seen the industry of music in this country change so much and the education and delivery of music through the eyes and hearts of Australian women, my peers Renée, Chrissie, Olivia, Colleen, Kylie and more,” says Ceberano in a statement.
“It has been an education and at times a baptism by fire. But we are hardy and the Australian singers that are striking notes globally, not only with their music but with their minds, is outstanding.” She continues, “I’m glad to be a part of this modern community of likeminded artists who wish to share their wisdom and prevail despite all provocation to do otherwise.”
Twenty AWMAs will be handed out at a ceremony Sept. 27 in Meanjin/Brisbane, the designated 2032 Olympic city, and broadcast later on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Each category is assessed by a 37-seat jury, with representation across a diverse range of music disciplines and cultures.
The 2023 AWMAs and conference program is supported by the Queensland government together with corporate, industry and community partners.
The event “not only celebrates the most innovative, committed, and visionary singers and songwriters in Australian music, it provides an opportunity to further promote gender equality and diversity including the voices of First Nations women,” comments Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. “The future looks bright for the music industry as our government invests in a 10-year roadmap to promote arts, culture, and creativity.’’
AWMA is an initiative of the not-for-profit Charity Cicada International Ltd, and is spearheaded by AWMA founding executive producer and program director Vicki Gordon.
“AWMA has raised the collective voice – demanding equitable access, safety and recognition for women in the Australian music industry. We support and promote women as vital, essential contributors to the future business growth of the sector and are calling on the industry to adopt gender equality as a core music industry value,” explains Gordon. “Gender equity is still a long way in the future and we all need to remain vigilant.”
For the full list of nominations visit womeninmusicawards.com.au.
Taylor Swift’s third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), was a hot seller in its first week of a release in the U.S., according to the data tracking firm Luminate. In the week ending July 13, the set sold 507,000 copies across all of its physical and digital retail formats (CD, vinyl, cassette and digital download album). That sum represents nearly a quarter of all album sales in the U.S. that week (2.131 million).
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Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’s share of the album sales market is similar to when she dominated the landscape during the debut week of Midnights in 2022. That album sold 1.14 million copies in the week ending Oct. 27, 2022 – accounting for 41% of all albums sold in the U.S. that week (2.79 million).
Swift can capture a large chunk of the album sales market in a given week because she remains a solid seller at a time when yearly album sales have declined in 10 of the last 11 years, as more music fan adopt streaming services as their primary means of consuming music. Thus, Swift’s outsized album sales dwarf the rest of the industry.
In 2022, Swift was the top-selling act for the year in terms of total album sales, with 2.93 million copies sold across her entire catalog – about 3% of total album sales across all albums from all artists (100.09 million). She also had the year’s top-selling album, with Midnights selling 1.818 million copies (more than twice the sum of the year’s second biggest seller, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, with 757,000).
In 2023 so far, through July 13, Swift’s total album sales across all of her releases stands at 2.096 million – 3.8% of all album sales this year, by all artists (54.519 million).
Swift’s selling power is further evidenced on Billboard’s latest 100-position Top Album Sales chart (dated July 22, reflecting the sales week ending July 13), where Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) debuts at No. 1 with 507,000 copies sold, the Nos. 2-100 titles – combined – sold just 381,000.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new July 22, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on July 18. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a re-recorded version of Swift’s 2010 studio album Speak Now, which topped both the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales chart. The 22-track re-recorded edition includes new recordings of the original album’s 14 standard tracks, along with bonus cuts and previously unreleased “From the Vault” recordings. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) follows Swift’s re-recorded Red and Fearless albums, released in 2021.
Of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’s 507,000 copies sold, physical sales comprise 410,000 (268,000 on vinyl; 134,000 on CD and 8,000 on cassette) while digital album download purchases comprise 97,000. The album’s vinyl sales mark the second-largest week for a vinyl album since Luminate began tracking data in 1991 – only the debut week of Midnights posted a bigger vinyl week (575,000).
Swift announced the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on May 5, the same day she began taking pre-orders for the album via her official webstore. The set sold as a digital download album, double-CD, double-cassette and in three color vinyl LP variants (orchid marbled, violet marbled and a Target-exclusive lilac marbled color). The iTunes Store also carried an exclusive edition of the album with a short video clip as a bonus feature. On the final day (July 13) of the album’s debut tracking week, Swift released a deluxe digital album download of the set exclusively sold through her official webstore, which added two bonus live tracks recorded during her ongoing The Eras Tour (“Dear John” and “Last Kiss,” both of which were originally released in their studio form on the Speak Now album in 2010).
All told, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is the 12th No. 1 on Top Album Sales for Swift.
Elsewhere on the latest Top Album Sales chart, Swift has five more titles in the top 10, as her former No. 1s Midnights (a non-mover at No. 3 with 18,000; up 49%), Folklore (8-6 with 13,000; up 45%), Lover (10-7 with 12,000; up 50%), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (14-9 with 11,000; up 81%) and Red (Taylor’s Version) (19-10 with 10,000; up 89%). It’s the second time Swift has placed at least six titles in the top 10 concurrently. She did it previously on the July 22-dated list. No other act has charted six or more albums in the top 10 at the same time.
As for the non-Swift titles in the top 10: Stray Kids’ former No. 1 5-STAR is a non-mover at No. 2 (27,000; up 70% after the release of a new CD edition), aespa’s MY WORLD falls 1-4 in its second week (14,000; down 65%), Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. jumps 33-5 (13,000; up 265% after a new vinyl edition of the album was released) and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation debuts at No. 8 (11,000).
In the week ending July 13, there were 2.131 million albums sold in the U.S. (up 22% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.729 million (up 21.8%) and digital albums comprised 402,000 (up 23.2%).
There were 705,000 CD albums sold in the week ending July 13 (up 8% week-over-week) and 1.008 million vinyl albums sold (up 33.4%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 18.893 million (up 4.1% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 25.371 million (up 21.7%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 54.519 million (up 8.1% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 44.556 million (up 13.4%) and digital album sales total 9.962 million (down 10.5%).
According to TMZ, Ariana Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez have been separated since January and are heading toward divorce. They tied the knot in May 2021. With ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ reaching No. 1, Taylor Swift achieves her 12th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 and surpasses Barbra Streisand for the most chart-toppers […]
It was a celebratory weekend in the Big Apple for Jay-Z. Hours after launching the sprawling Book of HOV exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library, the rap deity hosted the 20th anniversary Shawn Carter Foundation gala alongside his mother, Gloria Carter, on an overcast Friday night (July 14).
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Dignitaries across sports, music, Hollywood, and business crossed paths at the swanky Black-tie affair at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan’s West Side.
The star-studded guest list included Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Lil Uzi Vert, Tinashe, A$AP Ferg, Meek Mill, Babyface, Regina Hall, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, Yo Gotti, Miguel, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and many more.
Khaled was the last of the stars to hit the Pier 60 red carpet but his entrance was well worth the wait. The energy of the venue noticeably refilled when he and his partner Nicole Tuck stepped out of their mocha Mercedes-Maybach S680 designed by Virgil Abloh, and his array of Khaled-isms could be heard before even being seen.
When the lights are brightest and the cameras are rolling, DJ Khaled is at his best. Strutting down the carpet in a sleek black suit and matching designer shades, the We the Best mogul agrees with Billboard‘s ranking of having his “GOD DID” collaborator atop the greatest rappers list.
“Hov is the GOAT for a lot of reasons,” he begins while taking off his sunglasses. “It would take many books to write the reason why, but for me, it’s to let you know that it’s possible. When I say possible, anything he puts his mind to he makes it happen and takes it to the higher heights.”
Even outside of music, Khaled is impressed with how Jay-Z’s been able to bring his greatness to numerous endeavors and help others along the way. “What I love about him the most is that he’s always there to help somebody,” Khaled continues. “Come on, that’s Jay-Z – the best rapper to ever do it, entrepreneur, mogul, father, family man, friend, partner. It’s too many – that’s HOV did!”
Apple Music executives Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden have had a front-row seat to the Brooklyn legend’s decorated career as longtime radio veterans for over two decades.
“Quality and consistency and knowing the time to expand and when he expanded, he did it really thoughtfully,” Lowe testifies to Jay’s brilliance. “I saw an interview with Burna Boy the other day and someone said, ‘Did it feel like a good decision?’ And he said, ‘I only make good decisions.’ And I feel like that’s JAY-Z’s mantra.”
Ebro adds to give HOV his flowers: “I think his taste, intellect and appreciation of art and culture are the real drivers when you listen to his music. Not only the things that he talks about, but how he puts it together.”
The Shawn Carter Foundation ended up raising over $20 million by the end of the night, which will benefit individuals enduring socio-economic hardships that hope to continue their education. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez also made a notable $10 million legacy donation.
Inside the gala, Babyface delivered one of the night’s rare performances, with the Grammy-winning legend candidly raving about having the ultimate respect for Jay-Z.
“I’m honored to be here — and if you ask me to do anything, I will always do it, because you deserve that,” Babyface said to a round of applause. “You always deserved to be honored.”
“If you ask me to do anything, I will always do it because you deserve that. You always deserved to be honored.” – Babyface to Jay-Z at the Shawn Carter Foundation 20th Anniversary Gala pic.twitter.com/gwYtLrMqz3— JAY-Z Daily (@JAY_Z_Daily) July 17, 2023
Still recovering from his famous July 4 Hamptons white party, Michael Rubin is someone who has got to know Jay-Z in recent years, through the launch of the REFORM Alliance in 2019 advocating for criminal justice and partnering to purchase sports apparel brand Mitchell & Ness.
“What I’ve learned about Jay is that there is nobody who I know that steps up to do the right thing all the time,” Rubin says. “He cares as much about that as much as anything in his life. That’s what makes him an inspiration to me.”
On the flip side, Roc Nation athletes Dez Bryant and Rudy Gay have long idolized HOV while reaching the top of their respective crafts but now they’re inspired to chase their post-playing career dreams — thanks to seeing the diverse empire JAY-Z has been able to build into his 50s.
“For me, being at the end of my career, it’s something I could really look up to and try to emulate,” Gay says, while the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver adds: “He makes me feel like I can touch anything I want by watching him be great.”
D-Block Europe are now record-setters.
As the hip-hop duo’s latest mixtape DBE World (via D-Block Europe) arrives at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Chart, they become the British rap act with the most top 10 albums, with seven.
Comprising Young Adz and Dirtbike Lil Bantz, the pair stroll past Mike Skinner’s The Streets, with six top 10 appearances on the albums survey. Manchester rapper Bugzy Malone is in third spot among British hip-hop acts with five top 10 sets, the Official Charts Company reports.
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DBE’s tally includes 2019’s Home Alone (No. 6 peak) and PTSD (No. 4), 2020’s Street Trauma (No. 9) and The Blue Print – Us vs Them (No. 2), 2021’s Home Alone 2 (No. 6) and 2022’s Lap 5 (No. 2).
The Streets will hope to jointly reclaim that title with its new album, The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light, slated for release Oct. 20 via 679 Records/Warner Music UK.
D-Block Europe’s success extends to the Official Singles Chart, where the act has snagged 28 top 40 hits, with three top 10s: 2021’s “Overseas” with Central Cee (No. 6 peak), and Clavish collaborations “Rocket Science” (No. 9 in 2022) and “Pakistan,” No. 10 on the latest survey.
British hip-hop is on a tear right now – both at home and further afield.
Dave and Central Cee’s current smash “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) has proved unstoppable, notching six consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. It’s also the leader on the ARIA Chart, leading the way in Australia for five non-consecutive weeks.
Last month, “Sprinter” (via Virgin Music Australia/Universal) opened at No. 1, becoming the first U.K. hip-hop single to debut at the top in the land Down Under, and ending the eight-week reign of Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” (Republic/Universal).
Russ Millions and Tion Wayne’s “Body” (Warner UK) became the first U.K. hip-hop leader on the ARIA Chart in May 2021, when it lifted 3-1.
Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) is showing no signs of slowing down.The homegrown hip-hop number enters a sixth week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published July 14, beating Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (Geffen), unmoved at No. 2.
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The midweek leader, “Sprinter” races away with 8.2 million U.K. streams, according to the Official Charts Company.
The podium is completed by Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (EMI), which improves 6-3. That’s a new chart peak for the track, originally released in 2019 with the Lover album.
As Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) blasts to No. 1 on the national albums survey, two of its tracks enter the singles chart. The highest is “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version),” new at No. 6, for Swift’s 23rd U.K. top 10 entry and the week’s top debut, while “Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)” bows at No. 15, for her 48th U.K. top 40 spot.
Also moving on up is Peggy Gou’s clubbing nugget “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (XL Recordings), which lifts 7-5 for the South Korean DJ and producer’s first appearance in the U.K. top 5.
D-Block Europe and Clavish’s “Pakistan” (D-Block Europe) improves 10-8; Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry & Ella Henderson’s “0800 HEAVEN” (Atlantic) rises 15-9, for Dawe’s third, Corry’s sixth and Henderson’s ninth top 10 appearances, the OCC reports; while Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam” (BMG) returns to the top 10, up 12-10.
Meanwhile, there are new peaks for the Weeknd, Madonna and Playboy Carti’s “Popular” (Interscope/Republic Records/XO) up 17-11; Gunna’s “Fukumean” (300 Entertainment) is up 18-12; Jorja Smith’s “Little Things” (FAMM) gains 14-13; Tom Grennan’s “How Does It Feel” (Insanity) surges 23-17; and Anne-Marie’s collaboration with Shania Twain, “Unhealthy” (Atlantic/Asylum/EMI), climbs 21-19.
The big gainer in the latest cycle belongs to British DJ D.O.D., whose “So Much In Love” (Armada) soars 38-24.
Taylor Swift takes the elevator to the penthouse as Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) debuts at No. 1 in the U.K.
Swift’s third and latest rerecorded LP leads the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published July 14, for her 10th leader. The album racks up more than 67,000 chart units in its first seven days, the Official Charts Company reports, more than double the tally (28,200) for the original 2010 release, which peaked at No. 6.
Vinyl accounted for more than a third of the “Version’s” opening-week sum — a market-leading 22,500 units.
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The runaway leader at the midweek point, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) extends the U.S. pop superstar’s record-breaking succession of U.K. leaders, with all her crowns earned in the space of just 10 years and eight months (beginning with 2012’s Red). Last year, TayTay eclipsed Madonna to snag honors with her ninth chart-topper Midnights. The Queen of Pop, however, still holds the record for the female soloist with the most U.K. No. 1 albums (12).
Though Swift’s U.K. leg of The Eras Tour won’t kick off until next summer, that hasn’t stopped Swifties from diving into the singer’s catalog. A further five of her LPs impact the top 40 — 2022’s Midnights (No. 9), 2014’s 1989 (No. 10), 2019’s Lover (No. 12), 2017’s Reputation (No. 21) and 2020’s folklore (No. 25).
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is also the leader on the Billboard 200 and the ARIA Chart this week.
Coming in at No. 2 on the U.K. chart is Wham’s retrospective collection The Singles: Echoes from the Edge of Heaven (Sony Music CG), for the pop duo’s sixth top 10 appearance. The hits set enjoys a bump thanks to the Netflix documentary on the ‘80s pop group, led by George Michael and his schoolmate Andrew Ridgeley.
Completing an all-new top three is Gabriels’ Angels & Queens – Pt 2 (Parlophone), new at No. 3. That’s well up on the No. 25 peak for its predecessor, 2022’s Angels & Queens – Pt 1. The British-American act (Jacob Lusk, Ryan Hope and Ari Balouzian) are no doubt still buzzing from their appearance on stage at Glastonbury Festival for Elton John’s historic headline set. Meanwhile, the Rocket Man’s Diamonds (Mercury/UMR) career retrospective dips 2-7.
Also bagging top 10 starts on the latest national survey is PJ Harvey’s I Inside the Old Year Dying (No. 5 via Partisan) and D-Block Europe’s mixtape DBE World (No. 6 via D-Block Europe), for the rap outfit’s seventh appearance on the tally.
Lauren Spencer Smith‘s debut album, Mirror, has finally arrived. The singer released the project on Friday (July 14), and leading up to its release spoke with Billboard News about the meaning behind the project’s interesting title, as well as the lessons she took away from writing the LP. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and […]