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17 Jul 2024

Stray Kids to Appear on ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Soundtrack & More | Billboard News

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 ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’ The highly anticipated movie is hitting theaters on July 26th and with their new song, “Slash,” arriving on the soundtrack July 24th. And the band’s label, JYP Entertainment, tells Billboard they are launching a Latino music division that will be focused on developing artists for the Spanish language market. We can expect that to come together on an audition show called L2K that will “discover, train, and launch” the next global latin girl group. JYP’s audition show, A2K, aired in the U.S. last year and launched VCHA.

17 Jul 2024

Janelle Monáe Recreates Infamous Michael Jackson Photo, Janet Jackson Is Over Interviews | Billboard News

Janelle Monáe is living it up in Europe and recreated an iconic photo of Michael Jackson, and Janet Jackson confesses she’s over interviews. Keep watching to hear what she has to say!

Janet Jackson:

And I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to be honest with you. Please stop asking me questions.

Tetris Kelly:

Janet Jackson keeps it real as Janelle Monáe recreates one of her brother’s most infamous moments. Janelle Monáe has been having a blast on tour in Europe. She recreated one of Michael Jackson’s most recognizable moments in pop culture history, in a now deleted IG post, when he held his child outside a window to share with his fans. Janelle held her robot dog off the balcony with a towel over its head even wearing a similar outfit to MJ. Meanwhile, his sister Janet says she’s not a fan of interviews during an interview. 

Dev Griffin:

People want to know, do you have a question that’s a “please stop asking me?” that you feel like maybe just comes up a little too much.

Janet Jackson: 

And I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to be honest with you. Please stop asking me questions.

Tetris Kelly: 

While talking to UK’s Heart Radio, Janet said she’s over interviews.

Janet Jackson: 

I really don’t like speaking, so I’d rather stay quiet and listen to other people talk and that’s always been me.

Tetris Kelly:

We love an honest queen!

Janet Jackson: 

Don’t ask me questions, are we finished?

17 Jul 2024

Charli XCX, Tinashe & Megan Thee Stallion’s Viral TikTok Songs You Need to Know | Billboard News

Charli XCX, Tinashe and Megan Thee Stallion are all over TikTok with their latest hits. Here are all the updates you need to know.

Tetris Kelly:
From Megan’s new Hot 100 hit, Charli bringing the apples and “Nasty” getting a remix, we’re talking about three of the most viral songs you should know. Tinashe’s “Nasty” has been all over the ‘Tok and even in our studio, but now Tinashe’s highest charting solo Hot 100 hit is getting a remix with superstar Chlöe Bailey.

And not sure if you heard, but it’s a BRAT summer. And as people are loving our cover star Charli XCX’s new album, its song “Apple” has a dance that her homie Troye joined for, one of our faves KEEHO, and even John Summit joined Jake Shane.

And we all think we know Japanese now thanks to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi” with Yuki Chiba, which became his first Hot 100 song and just climbed to No. 45 on the chart.

17 Jul 2024

Charli XCX Takes Fans Through a Day In Her Life | Billboard Cover

Billboard cover star Charli xcx made a statement this summer with BRAT. She takes us through a day in her life in London, showing us her favorite spots and reflecting on how her previous records contributed to her current success. She explains how her BRAT inspiration transpired and why the BRAT green is uncool, her Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan and more!

Charli XCX:
Hi, Billboard. I’m Charli XCX. Let’s spend 24 hours together.

This is Artwords — this is a bookshop that I sometimes come into. It’s on a very cute street by London Fields and I just like to come here on the weekends when I’m in London. To be honest, I don’t read loads. I won’t lie — I’m more of a movie watcher, but I definitely go through phases where I’m, like, really on a book, you know? The book I’m reading at the moment is David Bailey’s autobiography. He is an amazing British photographer. I really like reading David Sedaris books, I love reading Natasha Stagg’s books, but I’m not a big fiction reader, to be honest. I like reading about people who exist in the real world and their stories and how they’ve ended up where they are.

I’ve definitely been on a journey with my creative process and the music that I make and I think … You know, my first record, True Romance, which I think literally, like, 11 people heard, is one that is really dear to me and I love it. And I think it’s, in my opinion, stood the test of time, but you know, obviously, everyone else will have their own opinions on that. But after that record, I made a much more, I don’t know, kind of like a commercial-sounding record which is what I wanted to do at the time.  

Keep watching to learn more!

16 Jul 2024

Drake Vs Kendrick, Ice Spice Vs ATEEZ & More Battle It Out In Fan Army Face-Off 2024 | Billboard News

Billboard’s Fan Army Face Off is back this year and there’s loads of fandoms that are battling it out to take the No.1 spot. Head to billboard.com to cast your vote now!

Tetris Kelly:

Drake versus Kendrick, Ice Spice versus ATEEZ, NewJeans versus Sabrina Carpenter. Billboard’s Fan Army Face Off is back and the 32 matchups in round one to see who has the ultimate fandom are already heating up! Last year’s winner, SB19 takes on SZA in round one while their rubber up, SEVENTEEN, is up against viral chart new comer, Chappell Roan. Speaking of charts, the king and queen of this year’s charts, Morgan Wallen and Taylor Swift go head to head. While BLACKPINK, who hasn’t released an album in almost two years, takes on Charli XCX who has one of the most acclaimed albums of the year. But one of the biggest battles of round one has to be Drake versus Kendrick Lamar. We’ll see if the fans can settle this beef once and for all. For the full list of matchups in round one and to cast your vote, head to Billboard.com

16 Jul 2024

Noah Kahan’s We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour In Madison Square Garden | All Access | Billboard News

Noah Kahan sold out Madison Square Garden for two nights in a row with his We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour, and we give you an exclusive behind the scenes look!

Tetris Kelly:

It’s “Stick Season” every season as Noah Kahan took over Madison Square Garden for his first two sold out nights. We take you there in Billboard All Access. Fans packed into the arena to grab their merch and get ready for a night that kicked off with James Bay as the opener, singing his new collab with Noah that’s out July 19th. And then it was time for the main event. Noah opened with “Dial Drunk” and sang fan favorites like “Homesick,” and “You’re Gonna Go So Far,” before James Bay joined him for his hit, “Stick Season.” Fans left MSG happy, and so was Noah.

16 Jul 2024

Adele Wants to Step Away From Music for ‘a Big Break’ | Billboard News

Ahead of Adele’s Munich residency, she dropped the bombshell that she wants to take a “big break” from music. Keep watching for the details!

Tetris Kelly:
Adele says she’s taking a break from music, but what’s next for the chart-topper? Ahead of her 10-day residency in Munich, Germany, Adele sat down with German outlet, ZDF, to talk about her upcoming shows.

During the interview, according to NME, Adele said she has no plans for new music and wants “a big break after this … to do other creative things, just for a little while.”

No word on what those other creative things may be. We know from her stint on SNL she is a comedy queen. And she didn’t specify how long “a little while” is. But we do know she returns to Las Vegas to finish out the last 10 dates of her Weekends with Adele residency spanning Oct. 25 to Nov. 23.

16 Jul 2024

TITAN CONTENT Announces First Girl Group & Reveals Two Members in ‘Next-Generation’ K-Pop Debut Strategy

Less than nine months after Nikki Semin Han organized what the former SM Entertainment CEO called “the Avengers of the K-pop community joining forces to redefine the industry” in TITAN CONTENT, the newly-launched venture is officially beginning to roll out its first-ever artist.

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Billboard can exclusively reveal the first details on TITAN CONTENT’s forthcoming girl group AtHeart, which is set to officially debut in the first half of 2025.

Beginning with the reveal of AtHeart’s first two members Sorin and Michi, the upcoming act will share all its members in the coming months as the future stars develop individual online presences and connect with fans while preparing for their K-pop debut via individual Instagram and TikTok accounts. TITAN CEO Katie Kang says, “The members will be sharing their daily lives and unique personalities through their social accounts, showcasing their journey to becoming AtHeart together. TITAN will reveal all members of AtHeart sequentially with special content this year.”

Trending on Billboard

Both 17 years old, Sorin and Michi hail from South Korea and Hawaii, respectively, and begin the structure of what TITAN describes as a girl group that “will appeal to audiences around the world.”

Simultaneously revealing a new K-pop group’s members and launching their individual social media accounts is unconventional in the Korean-entertainment industry. Most new-artist startups are kept secret — even if pre-debut social media accounts are launched for a group, individual member accounts tend to launch years after establishing themselves on the scene. (For example, BLACKPINK’s four members launched their individual accounts less than two years after debuting, but it took more than eight years for the BTS guys.)

However, as CEO Kang adds, the strategy is a part of the group’s overall vision toward more connected K-pop idols.

“The name ‘AtHeart’ speaks to this group’s genuine nature and the connection and love they will build with their fans by empowering them to be their authentic selves,” Kang tells Billboard. “TITAN has been scouting and holding global auditions since the beginning of 2024 and we were captivated by the incredible talent we discovered. These members are so uniquely charming and they embody the next generation of K-pop. I know fans around the world will resonate with their genuine personalities and I am so excited for all the global fans to listen to their songs and watch their performance.”

“As the first K-pop company established in the U.S., TITAN will take an innovative and disruptive approach to creating, marketing, and promoting the content and artists we produce,” adds Han, Chairman at TITAN. “Working with powerhouse executives, creators, and producers from both East and West, we will break the mold by targeting global markets simultaneously from the start.”

Chief Business Officer Dom Rodriguez describes the Los Angeles–based company as “an artist-first and fan-first company,” touting its prodigious goals can be met with TITAN’s deeper involvement in the musical and personal processes of developing K-pop stars.

“We are relentless in our pursuit of innovation and creativity,” the CBO adds. “We prioritize the needs of our artists, the exceptional songwriters and producers who are integral to our success, and the dedicated fans who drive the K-pop phenomenon. Our hands-on A&R process is meticulously designed to elevate the next generation of K-pop artists, maintaining the highest standards of musical greatness. Collaborating with accomplished writers and top music producers worldwide, we’re committed to upholding excellence and shaping the future of music.”

“AtHeart marks the beginning of an exciting journey built upon the connection between K-pop idols, their dedicated fans, and music, with a commitment to upholding everything that makes K-pop unique and special,” says TITAN Chief Visual Officer Guiom Lee. “Backed by a team of industry experts who share a profound love and understanding of the genre, we will display innovation across all facets of AtHeart, pushing the limits in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. From top-tier visuals and fashion to captivating musical performances, we are excited to unveil AtHeart to a global audience.”

As previously reported, the team making up TITAN has experiences with K-pop artists across generations, including chart-topping names like BoA, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, EXO, TWICE, Monsta X, ITZY, The Boyz, and more. Beyond artist development and management, TITAN plans to produce music festivals and revealed plans to combine “traditional K-pop training and artist development with Web3 and metaverse innovation.” The company also announced today that it will soon open an upcoming platform where “AtHeart will communicate with global fans with new and diverse content through a K-pop fandom platform that combines various innovative technologies such as Web3 and AI.”

Get to know Sorin and Michi in these first-look images below and by following the future AtHeart members on social media. Look out for more from the group via its official website

sorin

Sorin

Courtesy of Titan Content

michi

Michi

Courtesy of Titan Content

16 Jul 2024

Griff On ‘Vertigo’ Inspiration, Opening for Taylor Swift & Sabrina Carpenter & More | Billboard News

Griff released her debut album as a trilogy, and the final installment, ‘Vertigo,’ is out. She stops by Billboard and shares how she got inspired to release her debut album in three parts, her experience on opening for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, and how she will be opening for Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n Sweet Tour. Griff also shares how she’s preparing for her first tour and more!

Griff:

The eight year old me that listened to Taylor and like was obsessed with ‘Fearless’ is like so like dying inside that, like, the fact that that’s happening is an achievement in itself. Hey, it’s Griff and you’re watching Billboard News.

Lyndsey Havens:

Hey I’m Lyndsey for Billboard News, and we’re here with the stellar singer-songwriter Griff.

Griff:

Thanks for having me.

Lyndsey Havens:

Yeah. Thanks for being here. So you have some super exciting tour announcements. And then obviously, your debut album that we’ve all been waiting for. So it was announced that you’re opening for Sabrina Carpenter this fall. Congratulations on that one.

Griff:

Thank you.

Lyndsey Havens:

So if you can remember, how did you find out that this was happening?

Griff:

I was doing my first ever European tour. And I just finished a show and I was getting on the tour bus and my tour manager called me and I had to step off. And he was like, so, Sabrina Carpenter wants you to join her on tour, which was obviously so surreal, and it’s such an honor that she would want that to happen. I bumped into her for the first time at a Grammy party last time I was in LA. And then I saw her last time she was in the UK for a festival. So that was nice, like, fully hang out and say hi, but yea I’m so excited. 

Keep watching to learn more!

16 Jul 2024

Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ & Benson Boone’s ‘Beautiful Things’ Lead Luminate’s 2024 Midyear Charts

In the first half of 2024 in the United States, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department was the most popular album, while Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” was the most-streamed song (by on-demand audio streams), respectively, according to data tracking firm Luminate.

Read more about midyear metrics in the 2024 Luminate Midyear Music Report.

‘Poets’ Perched on Top: For the tracking period of Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department was the most popular album in the U.S. The pop superstar’s studio set was released on April 19 via Republic Records and earned 4.66 million equivalent album units in the first half of 2024. (See full top 10 chart, below.) Poets spent its first 12 weeks atop the weekly Billboard 200 chart – the first album by a woman to spend its first 12 weeks at No. 1.

Poets is also the top-selling album, by traditional album sales, at the midyear point, with 2.47 million sold. The set is the top-selling album on CD (1.07 million), vinyl (988,000) and digital download (395,000) of 2024’s first six months.

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The most-streamed song by on-demand audio streams (inclusive of user-generated content [UGC] streams) was Boone’s breakout hit “Beautiful Things,” with 448.7 million clicks in the first six months of the year. “Beautiful Things,” released via Night Street/Warner Records, marked Boone’s first top 40-charting hit on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart, and peaked at No. 2 on the tally in March.

Equivalent album units – for album titles and chart rankings cited below (but not industry volume numbers) – comprise traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sales, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album, or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official and audio streams generated by songs from an album.

Equivalent album units cited for album titles in this story, and in the “Midyear Top 10 Albums in U.S.” chart do not include user-generated content (UGC) streams. UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry volume numbers and its midyear song streaming rankings. (UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.)

For the sake of clarity, equivalent album units do not include listening to music on broadcast radio or digital radio broadcasts. All numbers cited in this story are rounded, and for the U.S. only. Programmed streams are not included in any of the data in this story.

Luminate (formerly MRC Data, Nielsen Music and SoundScan) began tracking music consumption in 1991. Luminate’s sales, streaming and airplay data is used to compile Billboard’s weekly charts.

Of The Tortured Poets Department’s 4.66 million equivalent album units earned at midyear, album sales comprise 2.47 million, SEA units comprise 2.16 million (equaling 2.82 billion on-demand official audio and video streams of the 31 songs on the deluxe edition of the album) and TEA units comprise 23,000.

The top five most popular albums at the midyear point in the U.S. are The Tortured Poets Department, Morgan Wallen’s March 2023 release One Thing at a Time (1.78 million), Noah Kahan’s October 2022 release Stick Season (1.22 million), Beyoncé’s March release Cowboy Carter (1.10 million) and SZA’s December 2022 release SOS (1.06 million). In 2023, One Thing at a Time and SOS  were the Nos. 1 and 3 most popular albums of the year in Luminate’s year-end report.

2024’s Midyear Top 10 Albums in U.S. (by Equivalent Album Units)
1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (4.660 million)
2. Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time (1.776 million)
3. Noah Kahan, Stick Season (1.224 million)
4. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter (1.105 million)
5. SZA, SOS (1.064 million)
6. Future & Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You (1.046 million)
7. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album (1.010 million)
8. Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan (984,000)
9. Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (953,000)
10. Taylor Swift, Lover (948,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024. UGC (user-generated content) streams are not included in this chart, but are included in Luminate’s on-demand streaming charts (below). Luminate’s equivalent album unit totals include SEA and TEA for an album’s songs registered before an album’s release, but only during the tracking period.

2024’s Midyear Top 10 Selling Albums in U.S. (Physical & Digital Album Sales Combined)
1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (2.474 million)
2. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft (306,000)
3. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter (257,000)
4. Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (250,000)
5. Taylor Swift, Lover (208,000)
6. TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Minisode 3: TOMORROW (193,000)
7. ATEEZ, Golden Hour: Part.1 (191,000)
8. Taylor Swift, Folklore (174,000)
9. TWICE, With YOU-th (174,000)
10. Taylor Swift, Midnights (171,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024.

2024’s Midyear Top 10 Selling Vinyl Albums
1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (988,000)
2. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft (160,000)
3. Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (117,000)
4. Taylor Swift, Folklore (108,000)
5. Taylor Swift, Lover (106,000)
6. Taylor Swift, Midnights (100,000)
7. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter (94,000)
8. Taylor Swift, Evermore (88,000)
9. Noah Kahan, Stick Season (87,000)
10. Olivia Rodrigo, Guts (74,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024.

Total Album Consumption Increases 7.4% at Midyear: Year-to-date, total equivalent album units grew by 7.4% (to 527.3 million) as compared to the same time frame in 2023 (491.1 million in the span of Dec. 30, 2022, through June 29, 2023). However, Luminate notes in its midyear report that due to changes in methodology and provider reporting, a trend break occurred in the first half of 2024, and they are unable to provide an accurate representation of year-over-year changes with regards to independent retail physical sales. In turn, for the above total equivalent album unit comparison, sales from independent retail stores are excluded from both the midyear 2024 and 2023 numbers above as there is no comparable historical data to provide an accurate year-over-year trend. Indie store album sales are included in the top 10 album rankings in this story. (In January 2024, Luminate retired a weighted data modeling method that previously measured physical sales in the indie retail sector. In April, Luminate launched a partnership with data provider StreetPulse to collect music sales from independent retailers.)

On-Demand Audio Streaming Up 8%, ‘Beautiful Things’ Most-Streamed Song: Boone’s “Beautiful Things” was the most-streamed song by on-demand audio streams in the first half of 2024 in the U.S. (see list, below), with 448.7 million streams (inclusive of UGC). Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves (437.3 million) and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” (409.7 million) round out the top three.

Total on-demand audio streams at midyear grew 8% in the U.S. as compare to the same point a year ago (665.8 billion versus 616.5 billion).

UGC streams are included in Luminate’s industry streaming on-demand volume numbers (above) and its midyear streaming song charts (below). UGC streams are not factored into any of Billboard’s weekly charts.

In general, all songs in the below charts combine the assorted remixes of a song into one overall total.

2024’s Midyear Top 10 Most Streamed Songs in U.S. (On-Demand Audio)
1. Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things” (448.7 million)
2. Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything” (437.3 million)
3. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (409.7 million)
4. Tommy Richman, “Million Dollar Baby” (374.9 million)
5. Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar, “Like That” (374.9 million)
6. Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (362.1 million)
7. Noah Kahan, “Stick Season” (342.9 million)
8. Jack Harlow, “Lovin On Me” (340.8 million)
9. Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (333.1 million)
10. Hozier, “Too Sweet” (333.1 million)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024. Includes UGC streams.

Digital Song Sales Fall 11%: Digital song sales declined 10.9% in the first six months of 2024, falling to 61.96 million, as compared to 69.57 million sold in the first half of 2023. The top-selling digital song at the midyear point is Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” with 219,000 sold.

2023’s Midyear Top 10 Selling Digital Songs in U.S.
1. Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (219,000)
2. Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things” (200,000)
3. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (195,000)
4. Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ‘Em” (178,000)
5. Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help” (156,000)
6. Megan Thee Stallion, “Hiss” (107,000)
7. Jack Harlow, “Lovin On Me” (95,000)
8. Tom MacDonald & Ben Shapiro, “Facts” (93,000)
9. Eminem, “Houdini” (88,000)
10. Hozier, “Too Sweet” (85,000)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024.

Harlow Hot at Radio: The most-heard song on U.S. radio in the first half of 2024 was Harlow’s “Lovin On Me,” with a cumulative 1.743 million audience impressions across all formats monitored by Luminate.  “Flowers,” with a cumulative 2.409 billion audience impressions across all formats monitored by Luminate. The track led Billboard’s weekly Radio Songs airplay chart for 12 consecutive weeks (from Jan. 27, 2024 through April 13, 2024).

2024’s Midyear Top 10 Radio Songs in U.S. (Based on Audience Impressions)
1. Jack Harlow, “Lovin On Me” (1.743 billion)
2. Teddy Swims, “Lose Control” (1.692 billion)
3. Doja Cat, “Agora Hills” (1.544 billion)
4. Taylor Swift, “Cruel Summer” (1.402 billion)
5. Tate McRae, “Greedy” (1.388 billion)
6. Luke Combs, “Fast Car” (1.248 billion)
7. Tyla, “Water” (1.210 billion)
8. Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things” (1.142 billion)
9. Sabrina Carpenter, “Feather” (1.123 billion)
10. SZA, “Snooze” (1.111 billion)
Source: Luminate, for the tracking period Dec. 29, 2023, through June 27, 2024.