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It’s Friday which means we’ve got some new music! Kesha dropped two new singles, SEVENTEEN’s ‘FML’ is finally here, Jack Harlow surprised everyone with a new album called ‘Jackman’, and more! Gayle credits Taylor Swift with helping her put backlash into perspective when it comes to her success or her polarizing smash hit “abcdefu.” Doechii shared some of her Florida slang with us. And more!
Reggaetón is becoming one of the most popular genres of music globally, but how did it get there and, more importantly, who are the women making their mark in the male-dominated genre?
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The latest episode of Billboard Explains dives into the women who are carving their own paths within the genre, breaking barriers and setting new records within the space.
Reggaetón started in Panama and later continued evolving in Puerto Rico, combining elements of reggae music, Latin dancehall and hip-hop influences through the 1990s. Tego Calderón and more led the first wave of the genre, while Daddy Yankee brought the genre to the masses in 2004 with his hit “Gasolina.”
Ivy Queen, also known as the first lady of reggaetón, was the first female artist to break barriers within the genre. She got her start at a club called The Noise in Puerto Rico, where she was the first woman to ever step onto the stage and won in her very first battle. Her rebut single “Muchos Quieren Tubarme” stemmed from her performance at the club and cemented her status as a reggaetón star. In the time since, artists like Becky G, Natti Natasha and more have popped up, with Karol G and her album Mañana Será Bonito marking the first time an all-Spanish language album by a female artist reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and why Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was able to shoot to No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Did you know Karol G’s album ‘Mañana Será Mas Bonito’ became the first all-Spanish language album by a female artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts? And it’s a reggaeton album? Reggaetón has grown in popularity over the years. But what is reggaetón and why is it considered a male-dominated space? Which female artist broke barriers in the genre? And who are the women taking over? This is Billboard Explains: Women in Reggaetón.
Record labels have been around for decades and, for a long time, being signed to one meant that an artist made it in the music industry. But what does a label actually do, how do they make a profit and how are they evolving? The latest episode of Billboard Explains answers all those questions.
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There are two types of labels: major labels, which are organized into umbrella companies called label groups, and independent labels. The three major labels in today’s industry are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — with each having their own subsidiaries. Independent labels differ from major labels, as they operate on their own funding. They can also outsource distribution and publishing, while majors do that themselves.
“When you think about a record label now, it’s really important to focus on the fact that they have massive marketing and publicity muscle,” says Dan Rys, Billboard‘s senior writer. “They are the ones who are able to put a billboard up in Los Angeles. They’re the ones who can get you placement on streaming services.”
Labels typically make money on songs’ master recordings one of three ways: through music sales, downloads and streaming of an artist; brand partnerships where an artist endorses a product; and master licensing, using the exact recording of a song for a commercial, movie or TV show. Labels can also make money on touring, merch and other opportunities based on deals signed with artists.
Thanks to social media, the way labels recruit artists has changed drastically. “There was a time when record labels were the only way that anyone could actually get their music out to the public,” says Keith Caulfield, Billboard‘s managing director of charts and data operations. “They controlled all the marketing and distribution of getting your music into stores. Today, that’s greatly different because you have the Internet.”
Watch the latest Billboard Explains above. After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about the origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and why Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was able to shoot to No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Did you know 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop? The genre has lived through many different iterations from acts like Grandmaster Flash to LL Cool J to Tupac and Drake. It has become the number-one genre in the world with nearly 250 No.1 albums on the Billboard 200 and over 100 No.1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. So how did hip-hop begin? Who were the key players? What is the future of Hip-Hop? This is Billboard Explains: The Origins of Hip-Hop.
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When Taylor Swift asked her devoted fans to meet her at midnight, Swifties showed up in droves to support her. But how did Swift arrive at her 10th studio album Midnights? And, more importantly, how did her previous nine LPs prime her to have the biggest album of her career?
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It all started with Swift’s self-titled album, which she released in 2006 at age 16. The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and keeping up that momentum, the then-rising star returned in 2008 with her sophomore album Fearless, which spent 11 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The accolades didn’t stop there: The project earned four Grammy Awards, including the coveted album of the year award, making her the youngest artist at the time to receive the honor.
The year 2010 saw the release of Swift’s Speak Now. In addition to once again hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the record additionally sold 1 million units in its debut week. Red, her 2012 follow-up, saw Swift headed in a new direction musically, combining the best of her country roots with pure pop. The record resulted in her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Though Red was commercially successful, it failed to pick up any Grammys, leading her to focus on creating a more cohesive body of work with 1989, and her concentrated efforts paid off — it was her second album of the year winner and included three Hot 100 No. 1s: “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space” and “Bad Blood.”
The latter half of Swift’s discography spans Reputation, Lover, Folklore and Evermore — in addition to her re-recorded Taylor’s versions of Red and Fearless. Learn more about these projects in the latest installment of Billboard Explains in the video above.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and why Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was able to shoot to No. 1 on the Hot 100.
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