billboard news

21 Feb 2024

Black History Month Spotlight: MVD Publicists Massah David & Miatta Johnson | Billboard News

For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating MVD publicists Massah David and Miatta Johnson.

The sibling duo, who are repping Liberia, founded the boutique creative agency MVD Inc. with the goal of amplifying Black storytelling, and they do it by producing and creating some of the most imaginative music industry events. You would recognize their notable work with Kanye West during some of his biggest listening parties and more. Their events always highlight the excellence in Black culture as shown when they produced the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective ceremony at Resorts World Las Vegas, where they honored John Legend and more. In just this year, the events saw them create beauty on Grammy weekend with stars packing in the elaborate soiree that was honoring Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey and more.

The pair has said, “Culture is our pulse and keeps us inspired.” And you inspire us, which is why this month we honor you!

20 Feb 2024

Ayra Starr on Success of ‘Rush,’ Her First Grammy Nomination & More | Billboard News

Ayra Starr talks about the international success of her song “Rush,” becoming the youngest African female artist to surpass 100 million views on YouTube, getting her first Grammy nomination, her aspiration to be a teenage pop star, the growth of popularity of the Afrobeats genre and where she sees the future of the genre going and more!

Ayra Starr
I wasn’t here two years ago, now I’m doing an interview with Billboard.

Rania Aniftos
Fresh off the Grammys, girl.

Ayra Starr
Hello, I’m Ayra Starr and you’re watching Billboard News.

Rania Aniftos
Hey everybody, its Rania Aniftos with Billboard News and I am so excited. We have the Afrobeats queen herself in the studio today, Ayra Starr.

Ayra Starr
Hello!

Rania Aniftos
Welcome to the studio.

Ayra Starr
Thank you for having me. I’m excited.

Rania Aniftos
You were just nominated for your first-ever Grammy nomination. How did that feel?

Ayra Starr
Amazing. I had a great time at the Grammys. All the parties even before the Grammys, I was just like, oh, like, I’m at the Grammys. You can see me at the red carpets. I was having a good time. Let me tell you.

Rania Aniftos
Was there something that surprised you over the course of the week that you were like, I was expecting this, but this happened instead.

Ayra Starr
To be honest like anytime I come to LA, I’m always like indoors and never do anything and people like people know me, but people don’t really know me. They know my music, but they don’t know me. This time, every room I walked into: Ayra Starr! I was fangirling over the people who are fangirling over me, like, “You know me!” And it was the best thing.

Watch the full video above!

20 Feb 2024

Billie Eilish vs. TikTokers, Madonna’s Fall, Peso Pluma’s Tour, J-Hope’s New Album | Billboard News

TikTok Star Bryce Hall responds to Billie Eilish’s comments on TikTokers being invited to the People’s Choice Awards. Madonna takes quite the fall while onstage in Seattle. Peso Pluma is going back on tour with over 35 shows. BTS fans rejoice: J-Hope announces a new album and a six-part documentary coming soon. And more!

Tetris Kelly
Billie Eilish gets caught talking about TikTokers and they respond. Madonna takes a tumble. J-Hope takes on Beyoncé. And Peso Pluma take his show on the road. We’ve been down with Ayra Starr and we find out who’s on the top of the Hot 100. I’m Tetris Kelly, welcome back to Billboard News after a long weekend. It’s Tuesday, February 20th, and we’ve got to start today’s show off with some Billie Eilish thoughts. Billie Eilish is confused as to why so many TikTokers were at the People’s Choice Awards in a viral video, and one of the app’s biggest creators is firing back.

Bryce Hall
I’m just gonna address this clip of Billie Eilish being disgusted that TikTokers were at the People’s Choice Awards. I was one of them.

Tetris Kelly
In the video circulating the Net, Billie Eilish is seen apparently saying, “There’s some, like, TikTokers here,” and looking confused — and listen, sometimes I too am at events and wondering how did I get in the presence of Billie Eilish? Should people from the ‘Tok be invited to the same carpets as A-listers? Well, Bryce Hall had words for his 24 million followers.

Bryce Hall
First off, Billie Eilish, I am so sorry that I didn’t acknowledge your greatness and bow down to you being another human being, here there it is and, second People’s Choice invited us.

Watch the full video above!

20 Feb 2024

Hot 100 Chart Reveal: Feb. 24 | Billboard News

Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” breaks into the top 10, Kanye West and Beyoncé also get top 10 debuts for new songs “Carnival” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” respectively. Watch the video to find out which track is at No. 1.

Tetris Kelly:
This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated Feb. 24. Noah Khan brings “Stick Season” to the top 10, “Greedy” slips to No. 9, while “I Remember Everything” falls to eight and SZA’s “Snooze” is at seven.

“Cruel Summer” dips to six, last week’s No. 2 — “Lose Control” — is at five, as “Beautiful Things” is at No. 4.

Kanye West along with Ty Dolla $ign and friends grabbed the No. 3 spot with “Carnival.” Beyoncé debuts at No. 2 with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Jack Harlow holds off stiff competition and nabs a sixth week at No. 1.

Watch the full video above!

20 Feb 2024

Jack Harlow’s ‘Lovin on Me’ Adds Sixth Week Atop Hot 100, Beyoncé Leads New Top 10s

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” lands a sixth nonconsecutive week atop the Billboard Hot 100. With the song, which first led for a week in December, the rapper doubles his previous longest reign, as “First Class” ruled for three weeks in 2022. He has also led with “Industry Baby,” with Lil Nas X, for one week in 2021.

Meanwhile, three songs are new to the Hot 100’s top 10: Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” bounds onto the chart at No. 2; Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” debuts at No. 3; and Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” rises to No. 10, from No. 11.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Feb. 24, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Feb. 21 (a day later than usual due to the Presidents’ Day holiday in the U.S. Feb. 19). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” released on Generation Now/Atlantic Records, drew 77.8 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 2%) and 21.6 million streams (down 7%) and sold 5,000 downloads (down 7%) in the Feb. 9-15 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The single adds a fifth week at No. 1 on the Radio Songs chart, drops 3-5 after five weeks atop Streaming Songs and rebounds 20-11 after two frames atop Digital Song Sales. It concurrently leads the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same methodology as the Hot 100, for a 13th week each.

Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” blasts onto the Hot 100 at No. 2, with 19.2 million streams, 4.8 million in airplay audience and 39,000 sold through Feb. 15. The track is one of two that she released Feb. 11 (with instrumental and clean and explicit a cappella versions of the song released Feb. 14), along with “16 Carriages,” which debuts at No. 38 (10.3 million streams; 90,000 in audience; 14,000 sold).

The arrival of both tracks was announced via a Verizon commercial that aired during CBS’ broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII, ahead of the March 29 release of Beyoncé’s album expected to be titled Act II, which follows her 2022 Renaissance LP.

Beyoncé lands her 22nd Hot 100 top 10 with “Texas Hold ‘Em” – which concurrently soars in as her first No. 1 on the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart; “16 Carriages” starts at No. 9 on the latter list, giving her two top 10s with her first two entries on the chart.

As previously reported, “Texas Hold ‘Em” is being promoted to country radio, among other formats, and debuts at No. 54 on the Country Airplay chart. It also begins at No. 38 on Pop Airplay, while additionally drawing play at adult pop, rhythmic, adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop formats.

“Texas Hold ‘Em” concurrently begins at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, where it’s Beyoncé’s 11th leader.

Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” enters the Hot 100 at No. 3, with 23.5 million streams and 4,000 sold from its Feb. 10 release on the pair’s collaborative album Vultures 1 through Feb. 15. As previously reported, the album, Ye’s first since his string of hate speech and antisemitic remarks, which resulted in companies including Adidas and Def Jam Recordings distancing themselves from the rapper, premieres at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Ye adds his 21st Hot 100 top 10 and Ty Dolla $ign, his third – and first in a lead role; he previously led for a week in 2018 as featured on Post Malone’s “Psycho” and hit No. 4 in 2016 as featured on Fifth Harmony’s “Work From Home.”

“Carnival” by the pair, billed collaboratively as ¥$: Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign, crowns Streaming Songs, marking Ye’s fourth No. 1 and Ty Dolla $ign’s first.

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” backtracks to No. 4 from its No. 3 Hot 100 high; Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” falls to No. 5 from its No. 2 best; and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” slips 4-6, following four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in October.

SZA’s “Snooze” descends 5-7 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, as it leads the multimetric Hot R&B Songs chart for a 29th week.

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, retreats 6-8 on the Hot 100, after it led for a week upon its debut last September. It tops the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a 25th week each.

Tate McRae’s “Greedy” dips 7-9 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3. It also becomes McRae’s first No. 1 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, after it dominated Pop Airplay for eight weeks.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” climbs to No. 10, from No. 11, with 17.8 million streams (up 7%), 15.9 million in airplay audience (up 17%) and 2,000 sold.

The song is the Strafford, Vt., native’s first Hot 100 top 10. He arrived on the chart last June with “Dial Drunk” (featuring Post Malone), which reached No. 25, and peaked at a No. 14 best among his entries prior to “Stick Season” as featured on Zach Bryan’s “Sarah’s Place” in October. Notably, Kahan wrote “Stick Season” solo, making it any soloist’s first top 10 solely written by that artist since Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” (No. 10, January 2023).

“Stick Season” – which leads the multimetric Hot Alternative Songs chart for a fifth week, after it reached No. 2 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart in November 2022 – is the title track from Kahan’s album released that October. Sparked by its latest deluxe version, the set rebounds to its No. 3 high on the Billboard 200.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Feb. 24), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Feb. 21).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

19 Feb 2024

Black History Month Spotlight: President, Founder and CEO of Femme It Forward Heather Lowery | Billboard News

For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating, President, Founder and CEO of Femme It Forward Heather Lowery.

Heather Lowery
I’m Heather Lowery, the president, founder and CEO of Femme It Forward.

Heather Lowery
Femme It Forward is a female led entertainment company. Our mission is to celebrate, educate and empower women.

Tetris Kelly
Heather Lowery is a champion for women as president and CEO of Femme It Forward, she uplifts women in music and entertainment. Femme It Forward does everything from presenting concert experiences to honoring accomplishments in music with events like their pre-Grammy high tea.

Heather Lowery
The celebration of women and all the amazing things that we accomplished. Despite our challenges and circumstances. I just want you to know that we see you, we feel you, we breathe you and we are so proud of you.

Tetris Kelly
Heather also creates panels where women can share their ideas and experiences and Give Her Flowers an awards gala highlighting and celebrating outstanding women.

Heather Lowery
I just wanted to #GiveHerFlowers just to celebrate women and music and entertainment. And so now and it’s manifested into a whole night where we give awards to the women in the industry that are doing dope things.

Tetris Kelly
As a partner at Live Nation Heather has created multiple music events. Using those successes and her unique vision she paved her own way and the way for other women to by creating Femme It Forward.

Heather Lowery
I want you to know that you are worthy of celebrating all your wins. All of them big or small.

Tetris Kelly
Today we celebrate President, Founder, CEO and all-around queen Heather Lowery.

16 Feb 2024

Prince Royce Overcomes Shyness for Ultra-Personal Album ‘Llamada Perdida’: ‘I Tried Not to Overthink’

A lot has happened in Prince Royce’s life since his last studio album, Alter Ego (2020). Along with having his promotion and touring plans derailed thanks to the pandemic, the bachata star went through a divorce in 2022, following a 12-year relationship. Now, Royce presents what is arguably his most personal work to date in Llamada Perdida, his seventh studio album, released Friday (Feb. 16) under Sony Music Latin/Smiling Prince Music.

“I think that at a composition level, it’s very personal. I tried not to overthink the album, to have fun, add personality,” the bachata star tells Billboard Español, confessing that the most difficult thing was not to put his feelings on paper, but to share them with his fans.

“I am kind of shy, I don’t like people knowing that I am suffering, that I’m crying. I like to pretend everything’s fine on the outside, not to be fake but, no one wants to be seen as vulnerable,” he explains. “But you know what? I think it was a way for me […] to let go. The beautiful thing about music is that in the end the audience doesn’t know if its fiction or non-fiction. It could be a little bit true, a little bit of a lie, a fusion of many things. I think that gives me the opportunity to vent, in some ways.”

With 23 tracks (22 songs, actually, plus one skit) fusing bachata with uptempo/disco, regional Mexican, merengue, urbano and more, Llamada Perdida — Spanish for “Lost Call” — is “a celebration of overcoming obstacles, especially in love, [which] represents the end of a life chapter as well as the acceptance of a new beginning,” as described in a press release.

Beyond that, the Royce and D’lesly “Dice” Lora-produced set takes us on a fascinating roller coaster of emotions. It is heartbreaking in “Un Papel and “Frío en el Infierno,” which talk about the pain of a separation and letting the loved one go, respectively; funny in “Los Lambones,” and hopeful in “La Vida Te Hace Más Fuerte.” And it includes a long, eclectic list of collaborators: There are both established and emerging Latin stars like Nicky Jam and Jay Wheeler (“Si Te Preguntan…”), Maria Becerra (“Te Espero,” with a surprising sample of Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight”) and Gabito Ballesteros (“Cosas de la Peda”), as well as less-predictable names like New York rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie (“Boogie Chata”), Dominicans Ala Jaza (“Sufro”) and Luis Miguel del Amargue (“Anestesiada”).

“I think the overall concept of the album is the form of communication,” Royce says, explaining why he chose its title. “If you take the call, something can happen. If you don’t take it. If you say something; if you don’t say something. If you send a drunk text; if you don’t send it.”

During the interview with Billboard Español, Prince Royce spoke in depth about the album, the lessons he learned over the last four years and — half seriously, half jokingly — the role that alcohol played in his life. Watch the full interview above.

16 Feb 2024

Prince Royce Talks New Album ‘Llamada Perdida,’ Being Vulnerable About Heartbreak & More | Billboard News

Prince Royce talks in depth about his new album Llamada Perdida with Sigal Ratner-Arias, deputy editor of Billboard Español. He explains why he wanted to name his new album Llamada Perdida, being vulnerable and open about his heartbreak while making it, what his favorite songs are, what he learned about himself while making Llamada Perdida, collaborations with Maria Becerra, Ala Jaza, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Luis Miguel Del Amargue, Gabito Ballesteros, Nicky Jam, Jay Wheeler and more.

Prince Royce:
These are very in depth questions.

Sigal Ratner-Arias:
Look at the happy face.

Prince Royce:
When I was young, my slogan was “live life smiling,” and that’s still my email signature. So I try to remind myself to smile. What’s up? It’s Prince Royce and this is Billboard News.

Sigal Ratner-Arias:
Hi, welcome to Billboard News. We’re here today with superstar Bachata singer Prince Royce, who brings us his album Llamada Perdida. Welcome, Prince Royce! Last night I listened to the 23 songs from your album Llamada Perdida. I loved it from start to end. Congratulations! I feel I got to know you …

Prince Royce:
Really?

Sigal Ratner-Arias:
A little better. I thought it was a very personal album, maybe the most personal one of yours. Do you think it is more personal?

Prince Royce:
Yes. I think that at a composition level, it’s very personal. I tried not to overthink the album, to have fun, add personality. There are very serious concepts, and at the same time, I find ways to, make a joke, or find the brighter things. This album comes after an album that came out during COVID. My last album Alter Ego came out in 2020. I did four shows, then tour was canceled. It was a strange moment because usually, you release an album and you have your plan. I recorded the album, tours and those things happened. I wasn’t recording much or writing. Many strange things happened in my personal life. It was definitely, a weird time the recording of this new album.

Watch the full video above!

16 Feb 2024

Ariana Grande & Mariah Carey’s “Yes And ?” Remix, Met Gala Chairs Revealed & More | Billboard News

Ariana Grande remixes her Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Yes And ?” with her idol and iconic diva Mariah Carey, Dua Lipa is officially in “Training Season” with her latest drop, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and Chris Hemsworth will co-chair the 2024 Met Gala, Gunna drops his latest single “Bittersweet,” Billboard reporter Rania Aniftos breaks down the inside scoop about Jennifer Lopez’s latest project ‘This Is Me…Now,’ Karol G teams up with DJ Tiësto on their latest song “CONTINGO” and more!

Tetris Kelly
Some of the biggest names in music will co-chair the Met Gala. We take you inside J.Lo’s movie premiere. Jennifer tells us more about her possible last album. Prince Royce stops by our studio and our Friday music guide is chock full of divas.

Tetris Kelly
Happy Friday fam. I’m Texas Kelly for Billboard News. It’s February 16th and we’re starting today’s show off with our Friday music guy and it includes my favorite dynamic duo. Ariana and Mariah on a non holiday track it is still feels like Christmas to me. Come on whistle tones.

Tetris Kelly
We’ll have more new music throughout the show. But first let’s get into our top story. The first Monday in May is almost here and we know some famous faces we’ll definitely be seeing it this year’s Met Gala. Zendaya has been named one of the year’s co-chairs of the 2024 Met Gala. She’s no stranger to walking those famous stairs and with her recent ‘Dune: Part Two’red carpet show steal. There’s no surprise she’s top of the list. Bad Bunny is also one of this year’s co-chairs. He’s always the talk of the town when he attends the gala. This year, it’s in honor of the exhibit Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. While the exhibit sounds Disney it actually refers to clothing so fragile it can ever be worn again, thus sleeping in the archives. Another Met Gala staple Jennifer Lopez is our final musical co-chair, fellow actor Chris Hemsworth rounds out the fantastic four co-chairs with his first ever Met Gala appearance. We can’t wait to see how they adhere to this year’s dress code the Garden of Time. Some other artists we’d love to see at the Met Gala: Beyoncé of course, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B always blow us away with their looks. The girls of BLACKPINK always shines. Maybe we can get some more K-Pop artists. Plus Ariana Grande, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift will all be coming off of album releases and we’d love to see what kind of fashion they bring.

Watch the full video above!

16 Feb 2024

Black History Month Spotlight: Super Producer & Music Executive Quincy Jones | Billboard News

For Black History Month, Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest Black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating, Quincy Jones.

Quincy Jones
To get to work with almost every major influencer in America, you know from Louis Armstrong to Billy Eckstine, Ella, Sarah, Ray Charles, Aretha, Paul Simon, everybody.

Tetris Kelly
For Black History Month Billboard is celebrating by highlighting some of the greatest black executives in music, and today we’re celebrating Quincy Jones.

Tetris Kelly
The incomparable Quincy Jones is a staple in the music industry with 25 songs on the Hot R&B, Hip-Hop Songs chart, four of which reached No. 1, he’s won an Emmy, a Tony, a humanitarian Oscar and an insane 28 Grammys, making him one of only 25 people to achieve EGOT status. He has an incredible resume and over 70 years of musical memories to be proud of.

Quincy
Meeting Ray Charles was number one, playing with Billie Holiday at 14 years old at the Eagle auditorium. Played with Billy Eckstine, played with Cam Calloway…

Tetris Kelly 1:08
But it’s not just his own successes on his CV, some of the biggest legends in music have Quincy Jones to thank for their achievements. In 1961, Quincy became the director of A&R for Mercury Records. Three years later, he will become the vice president becoming the first African American to hold a top executive position at an American major record label. Quincy has worked with some of music’s greatest and is to thank for creating the Michael Jackson we know to this day.

Quincy Jones
Michael that was an accident. We did ‘The Wiz.’ And he said, because he helped me find a producers and Michael, you don’t even have the song and the picture yet. Let’s not only think about that, let’s get to the song when he asked me about the producer to see what he could do that hadn’t been done before. I was thinking about the reins of his voice and just that’s the stuff that you do like the architecture of production, you know.

Tetris Kelly
There’s no denying Quincy Jones has changed the entertainment game.

Quincy Jones
I’ve been so blessed to be able to contribute to how that changes is how we are represented and received. We’ve come a long way from the time when you need to see faces of color on TV.

Tetris Kelly
Today we honor the music Titan Quincy Jones