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Stray Kids is headed to the big screen and their music label is headed to Latin America. Keep watching for more! Tetris Kelly: Stray Kids are heading to Marvel as their label ventures into Latin music, let’s dive in. The Billboard cover stars of Stray Kids are going to be appearing on the soundtrack for […]
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In an episode filled with stunning acts, it was police officer Mervin Mayo from Richmond, VA., who truly stole the spotlight on America’s Got Talent.
His heartfelt rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” left the judges and audience alike in awe, earning him four enthusiastic yeses and a standing ovation.
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Mayo, who has dedicated his life to helping at-risk youth, shared a deeply personal story before his performance. He recounted his challenging upbringing in the housing projects of Richmond and how a police officer named Curtis Simmons saved him from a life of crime.
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“I’ve seen more murders as a child than I have as a police officer,” Mayo revealed. The experience inspired him to become a police officer and mentor to at-risk youth, working tirelessly for 17 years to provide the same guidance he once received.
With the encouragement of his wife Michelle, the director of school counseling for Richmond Public Schools, Mayo decided to take a leap of faith and audition for America’s Got Talent. His performance of “Thinking Out Loud” was more than just a song—it was a tribute to his wife and the journey they’ve shared.
As Mayo sang, he frequently glanced toward the wings where Michelle was watching proudly, adding a layer of genuine emotion to his performance.
His smooth, soulful voice captured the essence of Sheeran’s romantic ballad, and his heartfelt delivery resonated with everyone in the room.
The judges were visibly moved by Mayo’s story and performance. “You really do have a good voice and everything you did was sincere,” praised Simon Cowell. Sofia Vergara echoed these sentiments, saying, “You guys are a beautiful couple and your voice is spectacular. Super romantic, how beautiful that you love her and you’re singing to her.”
Howie Mandel commended the couple’s dedication to their community, saying, “You are the people that allow us to be safe and people who are in our school system. You are both serving the community and that’s a wonderful thing.”
Heidi Klum summed up the judges’ feelings, “You sounded great up there. You felt right at home. I felt the love. It was beautiful.”
Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” achieved major success on the Billboard charts. Released in 2014 as part of his album x (Multiply), the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained in the top 10 for 23 weeks.
It also became the first song to spend a full year in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 40. As well as this, “Thinking Out Loud” topped the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart and earned Sheeran two Grammy Awards in 2016 for song of the year and best pop solo performance. In his homeland, “Thinking Out Loud” logged two weeks atop the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
To see how Mayo progresses in the competition, tune in to America’s Got Talent on Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC, or catch it streaming the next day on Peacock.
Watch his full performance on America’s Got Talent below.
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Three weeks after Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs, the song rolls 3-1 on the Tropical Airplay chart (dated July 20), for the Colombian’s first No. 1 there. It’s the second track by a female soloist, unaccompanied by another act, to rule the tally in the 2020s.
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“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” on Bichota/Interscope/ICLG and released June 21, advances to No. 1 on Tropical Airplay –as the Greatest Gainer of the week– with 7.6 million audience impressions during the July 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate: that’s a 27% gain from the week prior.
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While “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” gives Karol G her first champ on Tropical Airplay, the singer-songwriter previously achieved a No. 8 high through “Casi Nada” in 2016, before the chart became genre-based.
The track, produced in partnership with Coke Studio, makes Karol G the second solo woman, unaccompanied by any other act, to lead Tropical Airplay this decade, after Rosalía hit No. 1 with “Despechá” in 2022. Prior, La India ruled with “Dímelo” for one week in 2016.
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Notably, only six women have seated atop Tropical Airplay in the ‘20s with or without collaborators: Natti Natasha, La India, Rosalía, Maria Becerra, Shakira and now, Karol G. Out of those, Rosalía has successfully managed three champs, while Becerra, two. Here is their collection of No. 1s:
Title, Artist, Peak Date, Weeks at No. 1“La Mejor Versión de Mí,” Natti Natasha & Romeo Santos, Oct. 26, 2019, 15 (seven of its weeks at No. 1 were in 2020)“Victimas Las Dos,” Victor Manuelle & La India, May 29, 2021, one“La Fama,” Rosalía Featuring The Weeknd, May 14, 2022, two“Te Espero”, Prince Royce & Maria Becerra, May 28, 2022, four“Despechá”, Rosalía, Oct. 1, 2022, four“Monotonía,” Shakira & Ozuna, Dec. 3, 2022, nine“El Pañuelo,” Romeo Santos & Rosalía, Feb. 4, 2023, four“Así Es La Vida,” Enrique Iglesias & Maria Becerra, Dec. 9, 2023, eight“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Karol G, July 20
Over on Hot Latin Songs, “Si Antes” remains at its No. 2 debut and peak for a third week. Meanwhile, advances 5-2 on the overall Latin Airplay list.
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Gretta Ray, the award-winning indie-pop singer and songwriter, is recovering from a serious health complaint which required a visit to the ER and a lengthy stay in hospital.
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The Australian artist touched down in London earlier in the summer, a rite of passage for so many of her compatriots and a personal mission for Ray to further her career.
After going quiet on social media, Ray reached out to alert her followers on recent events. “Hi darlings,” she writes, “I wanted to share with you that shortly after moving overseas to London last month, I was admitted to the ER and have remained in hospital for 5 weeks now.”
She continues, “it’s been a scary time, but after a lot of uncertainty, I have a plan moving forward and will soon be on the other side of all of this.” The post is accompanied with a picture taken from her hospital bed, an intravenous drip looming above.
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The road ahead is a long one. “I have a long recovery period ahead of me and for now I’m going to keep the details of my illness private,” Ray adds, “but I felt compelled to make this post to remind all of you that if you are ever feeling unsettlingly sick, in unexpected sudden pain, or you just know that something is wrong, make sure you listen to that gut feeling and get seen to as soon as you can.”
Ray’s family are now in London “taking care of me,” she writes in a followup post. “I am in good hands here in a really good hospital.”
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Hailing from Melbourne, Ray’s career blossomed while she was still at school. In 2016, a teenage Ray won Triple J Unearthed and she scooped the 2016 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, which came with a A$50,000 winner’s check.
Her debut album, Begin to Look Around, dropped in 2021 and was nominated an ARIA Music Award (breakthrough artist release) and a J Award, for Australian album of the year.
In 2023 came the sophomore album Positive Spin, which was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize, the J Award and her single “Heartbreak Baby” was nominated for song of the year at the 2024 APRA Music Awards.