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When Ashanti and Yung Miami of the City Girls teamed up for the “Queens Remix” of Diddy’s “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller, the R&B top five hit was transformed into a no-holds-barred women’s anthem.
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“What makes it [“Queens Remix”] so dope is how Diddy flipped it from the original version’s male perspective about moving on,” says Ashanti. “For the remix, it’s the female telling him to move on. It just gives the song a whole new light.” And of the pairing with Yung Miami, she adds, “Yung Miami just makes sense. You know, they have their thing going on, and me writing from real-life experiences … the timing was absolutely perfect.”
Dishing on her studio session for the remix, Yung Miami says that Diddy turned out to be a stern collaborator to the point where cell phones were banned. “I was like, ‘Diddy, you’re a serious producer; you don’t play,’” she recalls of laying down her verse. It reads in part: “Step one, I can’t stress me a n***a (Yeah) / Forty-point necklace, I could buy me a n***a (That’s right) / DeLeón sippin’ but my new n***a richer (Facts) / He hit like this tequila, I could feel him in my liver.”
But the results were worth it, Yung Miami adds. “I’ve been reading the reviews and people have been like, “That’s the best verse she ever did … Diddy really got her on beat.”
Ashanti’s remix lyrics seemingly address producer/industry executive Irv Gotti’s recent comments about having a relationship with her, which the Grammy winner has denied. “It’s givin’ ‘Obsessed’ / It’s givin’ you stressed / It’s givin’ you pressed / It’s givin’ this n***ga missin’ the best …,” she sings in the second verse.
“It just organically came together,” says Ashanti. “My name was all over the place. But sometimes it’s really cool to be able to express yourself through your art. Sometimes we get into situations where people need to move on instead of being bitter or talking ill or negative about a person. It’s better to just let go and move on.”
Since the release of “Queens Remix,” its accompanying video has garnered 3.8 million YouTube views. It’s one of four remixes — including one by Cool and Dre — comprising the “Gotta Move On” bundle that Diddy’s Love Records/Motown released in mid-October. “Gotta Move On” continues to rank at No. 3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, No. 4 on Adult R&B Airplay and has climbed to No. 25 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally.
Moving on beyond the remix, both queens are currently busy with other projects. Ashanti released her new single, “Fall for You,” on Oct. 28. Produced by Bleu, who also co-wrote the song with Ashanti, its accompanying video has logged 1.3 million YouTube views. While the title may suggest the mid-tempo tune is about the start of a romance, Ashanti says it’s quite the opposite.
“Immediately you think the record is about falling for someone,” she explains. “But it’s actually titled that because I’m not falling for [the person] anymore. It’s very Ashanti 2022-esque. From [pre-release] snippets I dropped on Instagram, people were like ‘I need this. This is my life.’ I love those connections that come with writing from a real place.”
Earlier this year, Yung Miami made her debut as an executive producer, along with City Girls mate JT, on Issa Rae’s recently renewed HBO Max series Rap Sh!t — inspired by the pair’s own career. Yung Miami also launched her own talk show this year, Revolt’s Caresha Please, which tied with fellow Revolt show Drink Champs for the best hip-hop platform award at the BET Hip Hop Awards in early October. The accolade, which she describes as an honor and blessing, is another step toward her dream of being the “next Oprah.”
“I’m not gonna lie, I was very nervous,” says Yung Miami of doing the show’s first episodes with Diddy and Kevin Gates. “I was the one doing the interviewing and coming up with the questions, so I was just shaking in my boots.” But now that she’s been honing her talk-show skills, Yung Miami is setting her sights on a new goal: having Beyoncé as a guest on the show next season.
“Beyoncé, if this interview reaches you, please!” she says.
In the meantime, next up for the rapper is joining the cast of BMF, along with comedian/actress Mo’Nique. The Starz series begins its second season in January. Also coming next year: a new City Girl album. As for what fans can expect, Yung Miami hints only that the album will feature two love songs. “It’s still going to be fun,” she assures. “But it’s also going to give you another side of us.”
Taylor Swift is on the brink of her longest-running No. 1 in the U.K., as “Anti-Hero” takes pole in the race to the top.
The Midnights number has led the Official U.K. Chart for two consecutive weeks, equaling the reign of her 2017 single “Look What You Made Me Do.”
Based on early sales and streaming data compiled by the Official Charts Company, “Anti-Hero” is on target for a third week at No. 1, while “Lavender Haze” (6-12) and “Snow On The Beach” (8-15), featuring Lana Del Rey, are set to tumble out the top tier.
“Anti-Hero” leads the First Look chart, ahead of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” while Rihanna’s comeback track “Lift Me Up” appears set to slip 3-9.
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The big takeaway from the chart blast is the impact of Drake and 21 Savage’s collaborative album, Her Loss. Three tracks from the new LP, which dropped last Friday (Oct. 4) are set to impact the top 10: “Rich Flex” (No. 3), “Major Distribution” (No. 4) and “On BS” (No. 5).
Should the trio of tracks maintain momentum, Drake’s total of U.K. top 10 singles would rise to 37, the OCC reports, while 21 Savage could boast five.
Meghan Trainor is eyeing a rare top 10 appearance with “Made You Look,” which is on the climb in the early stages of the chart cycle. The U.S. pop singer’s latest single is set to climb 14-10, for Trainor’s fourth top 10 appearance, and first in seven years, since 2015’s leader “Marvin Gaye” with Charlie Puth.
Finally, British rapper and songwriter K-Trap appears set to be the week’s big gainer, according to the OCC, with “Warm” ready to vault into the top 20, at No. 19, what would be a peak position.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday (Nov. 11).
Ed Sheeran breaks records like the rest of us kick back on a weekend — with monotonous regularity.His 2017 hit “Shape Of You” is the most-streamed song ever on Spotify, he’s the only artist to sell one million tickets on a single tour of Australia, he’s behind the longest climb to No. 1 in the U.K. (19 weeks with 2014’s “Thinking Out Loud”).
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Sheeran establishes another new mark, this time in his homeland where he becomes the first artist to have four albums chart inside the Official Albums Chart Top 10 for a year.
Those albums, Sheeran’s studio collections + (Plus), x (Multiply), ÷ (Divide) and = (Equals), have now all charted for 52 weeks or more inside the top 10 of the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
He’s the first artist to ever achieve this feat, the Official Charts Company reports.
Since the weekly tally was published for the first time on July 22, 1956, only one other act has had more than one album go the distance — Simon and Garfunkel, with two LPs.
Sheeran has an impressive five-from-five leaders on the national albums survey – 2019’s No. 6 Collaborations Project also hit the target. He also has a grand total of 13 No. 1 singles, level with Madonna and behind only Cliff Richard and Westlife (14), the Beatles (17) and the all-time chart king, Elvis Presley (21).
The Englishman last week teased the 2023 release of a new album, which Sheerios are speculating could be called Subtract, in keeping with the mathematical theme of those previous hit album titles.
Sheeran is facing a busy year. Aside from the prospect of new music, he’ll hit the road for a major international stadium jaunt, dubbed the “+ – = ÷ x Tour,” due to kick off Feb. 2 at Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, followed by dates across Australia and North America.
It’s another week, another U.K. No. 1 for Taylor Swift as “Anti-Hero” (EMI) logs a second stint at the summit, while Rihanna enjoys a comeback to savor.
“Anti-Hero” pulls in 7 million U.K. streams for its second cycle atop the Official Chart, ahead of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” (EMI), holding at No. 2.
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Swift earns a second consecutive chart double, with Midnights extending its reign on the albums survey for a second week, and two more tracks from it impact the singles chart top 10 – “Lavender Haze,” down 3-6, and “Snow on the Beach” featuring Lana Del Rey, down 8-4.
Rihanna’s return to music is an instant hit with British music fans, as “Lift Me Up” (Def Jam), lifted from the Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, opens at No. 3. That’s the week’s highest debut, and RiRi’s highest charting solo single in 10 years, since “Diamonds” led the survey in 2012.
Meanwhile Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz’s EDM tune “Miss You” (Atlantic) lifts 8-3 for a new peak position, while Beyoncé’s Renaissance number “Cuff It” (Columbia/Parkwood Entertainment) bounces 11-9, and venbee & goddard’s “messy in heaven” (Columbia) lifts 14-11 for a peak position in its sixth week.
Further down the list, Meghan Trainor’s “Made You Look” (Epic) cracks the top 20 for the first time, lifting 28-14, while close behind, SZA bags her fifth U.K. top 20 with “Shirt” (RCA/Top Dawg), new at No. 17.
Australian singer and songwriter Dean Lewis is on the move with his tear-jerker, “How Do I Say Goodbye” (Island Records Australia), up 31-23, while Dermot Kennedy’s “Kiss Me” is also on a high, up 34-28.
Halloween has come and gone, though some ghoulish favorites are making their presence felt on the top 40. Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” (Arista) theme blasts to No. 32, and Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash” (Themonstermash.com) returns at No. 38.
The highest climber on the Official Albums Chart, published Nov. 4, belongs to British producer Fred Again, with “Delilah (Pull Me Out of This)” (via Atlantic), soaring 71-35. “Delilah” appears on Fred Against trilogy-completing LP Actual Life 3, which appears at No. 4 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart this week, for a career high.
It’s still Midnights time in the U.K., where Taylor Swift locks down another chart double.
The pop superstar’s tenth and latest album Midnights reigns supreme for a second consecutive week on the Official Albums Chart, having smashed records in its opening stanza. Over on the national singles chart, published Nov. 4, album opener “Anti-Hero” comes out on top for a second week.
With Midnights holding firm, TayTay beats none other than the Beatles, whose classic album from 1966, Revolver, reenters at No. 2. Revolver led the U.K. chart for seven consecutive weeks following its original release, and vaults into the top 5 for the first time since December 1966, the OCC reports.
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That’s all thanks to a “super deluxe” re-release, which include outtakes, hand selected to reveal the “humanness” behind the recording of Revolver. This includes a melancholy, acoustic version of “Yellow Submarine,” sung by John Lennon.
The Beatles rewrote chart history during their all-to-brief recording career. With 17 U.K. No. 1 albums, no other act has as many leaders. The remixed and expanded Revolver box set is the best-seller on vinyl this week.
Coming in at No. 3 on the U.K. tally, is Michael Ball and Alfie Boe’s Together In Vegas, the highest debut on the latest frame. It’s the pair’s fifth top 5 album as a duo with following 2016’s Together (No. 1), 2017’s Together Again (No. 1), 2019’s Back Together (No. 2) and 2020’s Together At Christmas (No. 1).
Meanwhile, London producer Fred Again lands in the top 5 for the first time with Actual Life 3, the final cut in his Actual Life trilogy. It’s new at No. 4.
The U.K. top ten this week welcomes new releases from Massive Wagons (TRIGGERED! at No. 6); Tom Odell (Best Day Of My Life at No. 7); Foo Fighters (The Essential at No. 10), while further down the list, Paul Weller scores his 27th Top 40 appearance with Will Of The People, a 3xLP collection of rare B-sides, remixes and live recordings from the years 2002-2021. It’s new at No. 15.
Finally, after opening for Ed Sheeran earlier this year, rising singer-songwriter Dylan (real name Natasha Woods) bags her first top 20 with The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn. It’s new at No. 19.
JoJo Siwa is enjoying the holiday season with a little help from Ocean Spray. The 19-year-old singer, dancer and actress spoke with Billboard this week about her new partnership with the cranberry product company, as well as their new collaborative TikTok challenge.
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“I genuinely put the cranberry sauce on everything,” Siwa tells Billboard of the fitting partnership. The star’s cranberry-loving habits didn’t develop on their own, as Siwa says even age-old family recipes would be paired with the cranberry product.
The star, who originally rose to fame after becoming a series regular on Lifetime’s popular series, Dance Moms, explains that she grew up using Ocean Spray’s cranberry sauce on meals like relish and, of course, Thanksgiving dinner. She even witnessed her mom using the sauce on her family’s generational chicken and broccoli.
“I remember my mom would make our favorite meal — It’s called chicken and brocooli, and it’s a fancy casserole that’s been in her family for years.” Siwa shares. “And on the side, we’d have Ocean Spray cranberry jelly sauce. It’s the perfect opposite taste of every meal you put it with.”
Siwa, who’s since moved to Los Angeles from Nebraska, now says her favorite way to use the company’s cranberry spread is on deli sandwiches when cooking for herself.
To announce her partnership, Siwa fittingly took to TikTok. She posted her first “jiggle with us” challenge on TikTok with the aim of getting everyone of all ages wiggling and jiggling, just like the cranberry sauce famously does. “It’s a fun, easy, inclusive challenge,” said Siwa.
See it below.
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Everything’s coming up just gravy. Yung Gravy sat down with Billboard News to discuss his recently released fourth studio album, Marvelous, and also addressed his relationship with Addison Rae’s mother, Sheri Easterling. The 26-year-old rapper, who made headlines when he took Easterling as his date to the VMAs in August, said he “didn’t expect” people’s reaction “to be that crazy.”
Gravy’s original plan was to have a different woman entirely be his date that night. “[Sheri and I] flirted a little bit over the internet and then I got invited to the VMAs, needed a date. I hit up Martha Stewart, she couldn’t make it,” he told Billboard News host Tetris Kelly. “Sheri and I had been talking. I said ‘You know what? Come be my date.’ We had never met in person. It was a good time. I’ve seen her twice since then. She lives in Louisiana.”
“A lot of people ask if we’re dating,” he added. “There’s been rumors that she’s pregnant. She’s not pregnant. We’re not dating, but a good friend. We had a nice couple of dates and we keep in touch.”
The rapper also chatted about the Marvelous’ breakthrough track “Betty (Get Money)” — which made the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 (No. 39) and Hot Rap Songs top 10 (No. 9) in late August.
“Betty” features a sample of Rick Astley’s signature hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” but Gravy assured that he was not trying to RickRoll his fans with the track.
“Nah, I just love that song,” he explained to Billboard News host Tetris Kelly. “Great song, I’ve always been a fan. I wanna say my mom was blasting it when I came out the womb. It’s a good songs and I just figured I wouldn’t be able to clear it. Obviously it’s been on my mind as a sample.”
The rapper also touched upon how an oldies radio station and his friendship with Waka Flocka Flame contributed to album single “Dancing in the Rain.”
Gravy shared that he worked extensively on the song with producer Dwilly. “We were listening to this radio station that you can basically pick any era and country and see what was playing there, and we found this Cuban song from 1972, got inspired to play something like that,” he shared. As for how Wacka Flocka inspired the track, Gravy revealed Flaka “actually called me, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna pay you a little homage on this.’ And that’s how the hook came together. I was just hyped on it, he inspired me in that moment with that phone call.”
Of Marvelous, the Minnesota rapper adds, “It’s the most refined gravy I’ve dropped to this day. The recipe has been effective and I’ve really put together something that I think is music I’ve made and experimental stuff all spread out. It’s dope.”
Watch Yung Gravy’s full interview with Billboard News in the video above.