billboard news

To wrap up Black History Month, we’re highlighting prominent Black artists in Country who have made history and broken barriers. The artists include: Beyoncé, Shaboozey, The War and Treaty and more!

Tetris Kelly: 

Country music continues to soar on the Billboard charts, and to celebrate Black Music Month, Billboard is highlighting five Black country artists that broke barriers and made history. Shaboozey made history when he replaced Beyoncé atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with his hit, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” It helped him earn his third Hot 100 entry alongside his two collaborations, “SPAGHETTII” and “SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’” from Bey’s album ‘Cowboy Carter.’ Shaboozey’s star is rising fast. He released his third album, ‘Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going,’ and “Tipsy” has been going strong on the Hot 100 for 10 weeks. We can’t wait to hear more Shaboozey.

The War and Treaty have made a name for themselves in the country music world. They became the first Black duo to be nominated for the ACM Award for duo of the year last year. And they were nominated for best new artist at this year’s Grammys. Billboard honored them at this year’s Country Power Players event as Groundbreakers, and the couple just released their latest single, “Called You By Your Name,” two weeks ago. Mickey Guyton became the first Black woman to be nominated for best country solo performance in 2020 at the Grammys for her song “Black Like Me.” Guyton also became the first Black female artist to perform at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the first Black woman to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2021. 

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KATSEYE debuts their group with their new single, “Debut.” Lisa is a “Rockstar” with her newest drop and Jimin releases “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (Featuring Loco).”

Tetris Kelly:

LISA returns with a slay, and a global girl group makes their debut. We’re breaking down the huge K-Pop new releases. We were with them when they formed last November, and now the girls of KATSEYE make their debut with “Debut.” And the sure to be summer bop is full of sass and top notch choreo that we would expect from the talented group of six. And keeping the girl power going is LISA from BLACKPINK with “Rockstar.” Not only are the song and video epic, but she even includes three popular Thai transgender women showing progression in the genre. Jimin smiles and we all smile. The BTS member released “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (Featuring Loco).” The first of more singles to come from his new album ‘MUSE,’ out July 19th. And the first offering just feels so good. It’s heartfelt perfection.

Megan Thee Stallion drops her new album, ‘Megan’ and Camila Cabello is signing her name with her latest album, ‘C,XOXO.’ We’re “Getting No Sleep” with Tinashe’s latest hit. Keep watching for this Friday’s loaded music guide!

Tetris Kelly:

Some of the most anticipated album drops, hot new singles and a killer collab. It’s June 28th and this Friday Music Guide is stacked. Megan The Stallion has everyone moving with tracks off her album ‘Megan’ and she channels her passion for anime on “Otaku Hot Girl” and it’s ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ sample. The other album job everyone’s talking about comes from Camila Cabello. ‘C,XOXO’ features a ton of collabs and even two from Drake. One of Camila’s is collaborators Lil Nas X dropped his own track, “HERE WE GO!” for the new ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ soundtrack. While we see some femme fatales follow up their current hits like Tinashe’s “Getting No Sleep.” And Doechii’s “ROCKET.” And the boys are serving, too. The Kid LAROI is giving early 2000s vibes with “GIRLS.” Plus a team up from Offset and Gunna. “Style Rare” is a banger for sure. For all the latest music drops check out billboard.com 

Mustard is riding high off of his success with Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” He sits down with us and gives us the inside scoop on how he helped create it and how it changed his life, how the late Nipsey Hussle helped name his new album ‘FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED’ and his opinion on why the Kendrick & Drake beef was good for hip-hop. He goes in-depth about his latest single “Parking Lot” with Travis Scott, his divorce, collaborating with Rihanna, Mariah Carey and more!

Mustard:

Drake and Kendrick and even J. Cole, they all came and just made this thing the top of- It’s back. Would you guys rather me stay with this lady and me be unhappy and me dog her or something? What would you want me to do? I remember like the last conversation I had with Nipsey he was telling me to name that album ‘FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED.’ What up, it’s Mustard, and you’re watching Billboard News.

Tetris Kelly:

You picked the perfect time to stop by Billboard. Hot 100, No. 1 song- 

Mustard:

Yeah.

Tetris Kelly:

“Not Like Us,” man. How’s it feel at this point of your career to be topping the Hot 100? 

Man, I keep saying it. And I can’t say enough. It’s got to be God. Like, because you think about it, it’s like I think like a couple months ago, I knew I had this whole album. And I’m just like, Okay, what am I gonna do to get myself back hot? What am I going to do to? You know, I can’t I want to do drip checks no more. I did that already. I don’t want to do the weight check stuff. I’ve done that already. I want to get as much as in shape as I can, but you know, I was just like, what am I going to do? How are we going to spark for people to be like, oh, I want to hear Mustard, again? You know, that’s just like, I think every artist would think about that. And then the song came out. 

Tetris Kelly: 

Well, there’s my Apple promotion. 

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NewJeans & Rina Sawayama meet in Tokyo, Post Malone & Chris Stapleton collab on a new song coming soon and Omar Apollo & Pedro Pascal have a new song, too? Keep watching to see all of the link ups!

Tetris Kelly:

Music collabs, artistic endeavors, and backstage meet cutes. Some of your faves are having surprising link ups. We knew Rina Sawayama was a Bunnie and she got the chance to catch up with NewJeans backstage at their Bunnies camp in Tokyo and even exchanged albums! Now how about a collab? Continuing his string of country collabs is Post Malone. He teased a new song with Chris Stapleton. It comes after his Hot 100 No. 1 hit with Morgan Wallen and new track with Blake Shelton. It’s all part of his ‘F-1 Trillion’ album due August 16. But collabs don’t always have to be musical. Omar Apollo told ABC News, he asked his friend and superstar actor Pedro Pascal he wanted him on his sophomore album, ‘God Said No,’ out tomorrow.

We break down everything about Camila Cabello, from her concerns about duetting with Shawn Mendes on “Señorita” to her not wanting to be known as a pop girly and more!

Tetris Kelly:
Was Camila afraid to duet with Shawn? Plus new duets coming her way and she doesn’t want to be a pop girly. We’re breaking down all things Miss Cabello.

We might look at Camila as a pop star, but not her. Not only does she not want to be a pop girly, she didn’t want to be just Shawn Mendes’ girl. She told Complex on her “Señorita” success, “I think there’s always a worry when a song becomes so massive that it’s going to be bigger than you. But it does get people attached to you in a certain light. I was in a really public relationship, and as a woman, you’re like, ‘I don’t want this couple thing to be my new identity.’”

But she’s been owning new music, and in addition to her collabs with Lil Nas X and Playboy Carti, we will be getting JT and Yung Miami of City Girls and double the Drake. Her new album, C,XOXO, is out June 28.

In honor of Ariana Grande’s 31st birthday today, we take you through her Billboard hits and rank them.

Tetris Kelly: 

Happy Birthday to Ariana Grande. The pop star celebrates her 31st birthday today and Billboard is honoring her by ranking the Top 10 Ariana Grande songs.  Starting off at No. 10 with the ballad from her latest album ‘eternal sunshine’ “imperfect for you.” Ari told Zach that the song is her favorite from ‘eternal sunshine’ and was the last song she finished for the album.  “ghostin” is at No. 9 and definitely stands out as one of Ari’s most heartbreaking and features a sample from her late ex and dear friend, Mac Miller. Ariana said it was her hardest song to write for ‘Thank U, Next’ especially the second verse as she initially didn’t want to release it, but her then manager Scooter Braun convinced her to do it. No. 8 is a dance anthem collaboration that saw Ariana team up with another pop queen, Lady Gaga, it’s “Rain On Me.” Billboard ranked this song at No. 1 Best Song in 2020. At No. 7 is Ari’s live cover of an all time classic, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” which she performed at her One Love Manchester concert. Ariana did another more recent cover of the song while she was filming ‘Wicked.’ No. 6 is one of Ariana’s biggest and well known hits, another collaboration, this time with EDM DJ Zedd, it’s “Break Free.” 

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