Billboard
Page: 145
When Lele Pons posts on Instagram, she does it with a mix of glamour, self-deprecating humor and simplicity that has charmed some 50 million fans into following her. And over the past two years, many of her buzziest posts have showcased the Venezuelan influencer’s love for her fiancé, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Guaynaa, who counts 6.2 million followers of his own. But Pons, 26, and Guaynaa, 30, are much more than just a captivating couple, and their recent engagement isn’t limited to marriage: They’ll now be also making music together.
Check out the exclusive photos below, and read the full Billboard cover story by Sigal Ratner-Arias here.
Related Images:
On the Billboard 200 chart (dated Feb. 18), 35 albums post unit gains thanks to either performances, presentations or on-air wins during the CBS-TV broadcast of the 2023 Grammy Awards (Feb. 5).
Leading the way at the top of the chart is presenter SZA, whose SOS album reclaims the No. 1 slot with 100,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 9 (up less than 1%), according to Luminate. SZA presented the best música urbana album category during the ceremony, which was won by Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (8-7 with 45,000 units; up 16%). Bad Bunny also opened the show with a medley of two songs from the album.
Also in the top 10 is Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, which took home a pair of awards on the CBS broadcast (pop vocal album, album of the year). It jumps 13-9 with 38,000 equivalent album units (up 51%). Styles also performed the album’s lead single “As It Was” on the show.
Other notables among the 35 Grammy-boosted titles on the Billboard 200 include: Beyoncé’s Renaissance (climbing 24-11 with 37,000 equivalent album units; up 109%), Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights (70-46 with 14,000; up 16%), Lizzo’s Special (194-89 with 11,000; up 52%), Adele’s 30 (134-93 with 11,000; up 25%) and Samara Joy’s Linger Awhile (a debut at No. 158 with 8,000; up 319%). On the CBS broadcast, Renaissance won best dance/electronic album, Lacy performed the Gemini Rights hit (and nominated track) “Bad Habit,” Lizzo won record of the year for the Special single “About Damn Time” and performed a medley of “About” and the album’s title track, Adele won best pop solo performance for the 30 single “Easy On Me” and Samara Joy won best new artist.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Feb. 18, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 14. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Here are the rest of the Grammy gainers on the Billboard 200:
Performer Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me (12-13 with 27,000 equivalent album units; up 1%) and My Turn (22-21 with 19,000; up 6%); performer Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up (19-19 with 20,000; up 6%), This One’s for You (36-34 with 16,000; up 5%) and What You See Is What You Get (44-38 with 15,000; up 4%); SZA’s Ctrl (20-22 with 19,000; up 1%), presenter Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (23-23 with 18,000; up 2%), winner Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city (27-24 with 18,000; up 6%), DAMN. (42-30 with 16,000; up 11%), Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (59-39 with 15,000; up 20%) and To Pimp a Butterfly (a re-entry at No. 168 with 8,000; up 26%). Mr. Morale won best rap album during the CBS broadcast, and Lamar was on-hand to accept the trophy.
Mick Fleetwood took part in the CBS broadcast, performing Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird” in tribute to its late songwriter, his former Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie. (He joined Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt in the performance.) Fleetwood Mac sees its Rumours album (which includes the original version of “Songbird”) rise 29-26 (17,000 equivalent album units earned; up 4%) and Greatest Hits climb 198-189 (8,000; up 5%).
Performer Chris Stapleton’s Traveller (66-61 with 12,000; up 4%) and Starting Over (113-100 with 11,000; up 7%); Styles’ Fine Line (68-48 with 14,000; up 15%) and his self-titled debut (190-161 with 8,000; up 11%); Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG (98-73 with 12,000; up 11%) and El Ultimo Tour del Mundo (a re-entry at No. 187 with 8,000; up 8%); performer Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv Is Rage 2 (94-87 with 11,000; up 4%) and Eternal Atake (126-124 with 10,000; up 2%) and Quavo and Takeoff’s Only Built for Infinity Links (103-109 with 10,000; up less than 1%). Quavo performed during the In Memoriam segment in tribute to the late Takeoff.
Rounding out the Grammy gainers on the Billboard 200 are winner Adele’s 21 (162-141 with 9,000 equivalent album units; up 10%) and 25 (192-156 with 8,000; up 14%), winner Dr. Dre’s Dr. Dre – 2001 (149-142 with 9,000; up 4%), performer Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III (163-151 with 9,000; up 8%) and performer and winner Sam Smith’s In the Lonely Hour (164-157 with 8,000; up 5%).
Samara Joy shakes up Billboard’s charts, as the Grammy Award winner for best new artist hits No. 1 on Jazz Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums and Heatseekers Albums for the first time (all on the lists dated Feb. 18) with Linger Awhile. The set, which was released last September, also reaches the top 10 of the Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales charts, while additionally debuting on the Billboard 200.
All charts dated Feb. 18 will be posted to Billboard.com on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The 23-year-old Joy was presented the best new artist trophy during the CBS-TV broadcast of the main ceremony of the Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, while she also won another Grammy that day, for best jazz vocal album for Linger Awhile. (That award was presented during the non-televised Premiere Ceremony that streamed live on the Grammy.com website.)
Linger Awhile earned 8,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 9 (up 319%), according to Luminate. Of that sum, traditional album sales comprise 6,500 (up 316%). Linger Awhile tallies the largest week, by both units and album sales, for any non-holiday non-reissue jazz album in over a year – since Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s Love for Sale earned 12,000 units (of which nearly all were album sales) on the chart dated Jan. 1, 2022.
Linger Awhile jumps 3-1 on Jazz Albums, 2-1 on Traditional Jazz Albums and 35-1 on Heatseekers Albums. On the Billboard 200, the title debuts at No. 158. On Top Album Sales, Linger Awhile vaults 87-5, while on Top Current Album Sales it bolts 42-5.
Meanwhile, Joy’s self-titled debut effort, released in 2021, debuts on Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums at No. 7 (1,500 equivalent album units earned; up 362%). With Linger Awhile and the self-titled album concurrently in the top 10 on both charts, Joy is the first woman with two concurrent top 10 albums on both lists since the Jan. 8, 2022-dated list, when Ella Fitzgerald held a pair in each top 10.
Jazz Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums and Heatseekers Albums rank the week’s most popular jazz albums, traditional jazz albums and new and developing artists’ albums by equivalent album units, respectively. The Billboard 200 is an all-genre chart, ranking the week’s most popular albums by units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales rank the week’s top-selling overall albums (both current and older, catalog titles) and current albums, by traditional album sales.
Daughtry frontman Chris Daughtry wanted to release an amped-up cover of an ’80s rock song before writing the follow-up to his band’s 2021 album, Dearly Beloved. He just wasn’t sure which track would best fit. Keyboardist Elvio Fernandes had long suggested Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” but the vocalist was leaning more toward Europe’s “The Final Countdown.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Then, when Daughtry watched the final episode of the fourth season of Stranger Things, everything changed. During a tension-filled scene, he heard the haunting Bryce Miller/Alloy Tracks remix of Journey’s 1983 single, and he was sold. “The way they used it in the show reminded me of how incredible that song is,” Daughtry says from his home office in Nashville. “And it has this darkness to it that really lends itself to being a heavier, more aggressive rock song.” (The Journey classic, a Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit in ’83, also charted anew on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs lists after being featured in the blockbuster Netflix series.)
In July 2022, Daughtry asked his producers, Scott Stevens and Marti Frederiksen, if they thought it would be a good song for the band to cover. They agreed, but suggested Daughtry perform it as a duet with a female vocalist to give it a different vibe. “I didn’t hesitate,” he says. “I was like, ‘Yes, with Lzzy Hale, and I will text her right now.’”
Hale, frontwoman of hard rock hitmakers Halestorm, wasted no time replying: “That’s my go-to karaoke song!” she texted. “I’m in.”
Daughtry and Hale’s cover of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart”) debuted on Jan. 5 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Journey hit single. So far, the song has garnered nearly 900,000 YouTube views and holds at No. 24 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart (dated Feb. 11) after four weeks.
“We never could have imagined it would take off the way it has,” Daughtry says. “Any time you touch a classic such as [this one by] Journey, there’s always a chance you’re going to get raked over the coals. I’m very grateful that hasn’t happened.”
Still, there was some minor drama. When Hale committed to collaborating, the band hadn’t yet learned the song. By the time the vocalists coordinated their schedules and planned to enter Nashville’s Sienna Studios together in October 2022, Daughtry had to fast-track the process and work on a version of “Separate Ways” that was faithful to, but more aggressive, than the original. Then they had to record the music and guide vocals. They structured the song so Hale would trade off lead vocals and harmonize on the pre-chorus and chorus.
“I was really excited to finally do it, because I’ve been singing that song in one way or another since I was 12,” Hale says before a show in Brisbane, Australia. “My mother is a huge Steve Perry fan. She had a huge crush on him when I was growing up, so there was always a Journey album playing in the house.”
For their version of “Separate Ways,” Daughtry created a greater contrast between the ethereal keyboards and the main rhythm, and planned for the vocals to match the bite of the guitars. He was going to explain his idea to Hale, then realized there was no point: “Once she opened her mouth, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m just going to shut up and let her do what she does, because she’s clearly got this. Lzzy has no shortage of bite.”
Ironically, when the collaboration began, no one involved knew that Jan. 5 marked four decades of the original song’s release. By the time Daughtry’s team realized the marketing advantage that gave them, they had just two weeks to mix, master, and submit the track to streaming services. “We didn’t plan for that at all, but it couldn’t have worked out better,” Daughtry says, before adding, “Thank God no one in Journey told us we couldn’t release it.”
Hale, who once included “Separate Ways” in an onstage piano medley with Halestorm, hopes the cover helps more young music fans develop the kind of a passion for Journey that she still cherishes. “They’re such a great band, and it’s such a cool song that lends itself to so many feelings,” she says, adding that the reverence she and Daughtry hold for the song might have contributed to the success of their cover. “Maybe people who hear it can tell how much we loved doing it and how much fun we had working together.”
Daughtry and Halestorm met in 2008 in Los Angeles at a barbecue their mutual producer, Howard Benson, threw for his birthday. They kept in touch, but became much closer when they toured together in 2013. “We still don’t see each other all that often,” admits Daughtry. “But when we do meet up, we take over right where we left off.”
Five days after “Separate Ways” hit streaming services, Daughtry and Hale connected at Nashville club The Basement East on Grunge Night. There, they joined the house band to sing an impromptu version of Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box.”
“It’s funny, because we were both confirmed to do Grunge Night separately, and then we just decided to do the song and it looked like we had planned the whole thing,” Hale says. “It was a total coincidence, and I can’t tell you how many people came up to me afterward and said, ‘Why didn’t you do “Separate Ways?”’ I was like, ‘It’s Grunge Night!’ But I very much look forward to the day we get to perform this together live, whenever that is.”
When she hasn’t been touring with Halestorm, Hale has been busy writing songs for other artists she won’t name and contributing guest vocals for two acts she can’t yet reveal. “All I can say is one is a legendary rock group that has asked me to do amazing things on top of a track,” she says. “I’m very grateful to be a wanted lady, but people are probably going to sick of me before the year’s out. ‘Lzzy again? Seriously?’”
Daughtry will play shows in Orlando, Fla., on March 5-6 before heading to the United Kingdom for the rest of the month. When the band returns to Nashville, it will start writing the follow-up to Dearly Beloved. Not only will “Separate Ways” be on the tracklist, Daughtry says it likely will set the tone for the album.
“I feel like this cover was a catalyst for the next phase of this band,” he says. “It gives me an idea of where we want to go sonically with this next record, and I’m really excited about that.”
SZA’s SOS jumps back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Feb. 18), collecting an eighth nonconsecutive week atop the list. It earned 100,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 9 (up less than 1%), according to Luminate.
The last album by a woman with eight weeks at No. 1 was Taylor Swift’s Folklore, more than two years ago, as it notched its eighth and final week atop the list on the chart dated Oct. 31, 2020.
Also in the top 10 on the new Billboard 200, Shania Twain captures her sixth top 10-charting album, as her latest studio effort, Queen of Me, debuts at No. 10.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Feb. 18, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Feb. 14). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of SOS’ 100,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Feb. 9, SEA units comprise 99,000 (up less than 1%, equaling 135.4 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 500 (up 2%) and TEA units comprise 500 (up 8%). SOS has yet to be released for sale on any configuration other than a digital download album.
The last R&B/hip-hop album with at least eight weeks atop the list was Drake’s Views, which 13 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 (May 21-Oct. 8, 2016). SOS has the most weeks at No. 1 for an R&B/hip-hop album by a woman, or an R&B album by a woman, since Mariah Carey’s Music Box spent eight nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in late 1993 and early 1994. SOS has the most weeks at No. 1 for an R&B album by any act since Usher‘s Confessions ruled for nine nonconsecutive weeks in 2004.
R&B/hip-hop and R&B albums are defined as those that have hit or are eligible for Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top R&B Albums charts, respectively.
Four former No. 1s trail SZA, as Swift’s Midnights rises 3-2 (62,000 equivalent album units; down 9%), TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION falls 1-3 (48,000; down 70%), Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album climbs 6-4 (46,000; up 8%) and Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains dips 4-5 (nearly 46,000; down 3%).
The Weeknd’s The Highlights vaults 41-6 with 45,000 equivalent album units earned (up 207%). The best-of effort contains such hits as “Blinding Lights” and the resurgent “Die for You” (from The Weeknd’s studio albums After Hours and Starboy, respectively). On the new chart, the TEA and SEA units for those songs contribute to The Highlights, as a song’s activity is assigned to the artist’s album with the most traditional album sales in a week. (The Highlights sold nearly 1,000 copies in the latest tracking week, while After Hours and Starboy each sold under 1,000.) A week ago, the TEA and SEA for the songs were directed to After Hours and Starboy, respectively, as they outsold The Highlights that week.
Bad Bunny’s chart-topping Un Verano Sin Ti rises 8-7 with 45,000 equivalent album units earned (up 16%), while Drake and 21 Savage’s former leader Her Loss falls 5-8 with 43,000 (down 2%).
Harry Styles’ former No. 1 Harry’s House returns to the top 10, climbing 13-9 (38,000; up 51%), following its win for album of the year at the Grammy Awards (Feb. 5). The set also took home the trophy for best pop vocal album, while Styles additionally performed on the show, singing the set’s single “As It Was.”
Twain closes out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, as her latest studio album, Queen of Me, debuts at No. 10 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 34,000; SEA units comprise 3,500 (equaling 4.92 million official on-demand streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise 500. Twain previously visited the top 10 with Now (No. 1 in 2017), Greatest Hits (No. 2; 2004), Up! (No. 1, 2002), Come On Over (No. 2, 1997) and The Woman In Me (No. 5, 1996).
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.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
It’s not really a list if it doesn’t get people in their feelings. Case in point, Ja Rule took to Twitter to drag Billboard after noting he didn’t make the cut in its 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list.
Regardless of Ja’s beef, the list was already causing a stir due to some suspect choices. For example, in what universe does Andre 3000 come in at 12 only to be followed by Rakim at 13 and Big Daddy Kane at 20? Sure it’s Billboard, and VIBE, so the context includes charts and sales, but that means 3 Stacks has a solid beef since him and OutKast moved big units and were chart darlings.
Anyway, as for Ja Rule not cracking the top 50 isn’t exactly a top priority in rap debates, but the Queens rapper nevertheless took issue.
“There ain’t 50 rappers dead, alive or waiting to be born better than me… #ICONN #Vibes,” wrote Ja on Twitter on Thursday (Feb. 9). “@billboard congrats to everyone on the list well deserved but check my resume… #ICONN #Vibes.”
Now Ja does have a gang of major hits, but Hip-Hop itself is 50 years old and that’s a lot of great MC’s, regardless of sales and chart placement. Just saying.
Rule eventually added, “This the last thing I’m gonna say about the list… I’m pissed cause this was not an oversight it’s statistically IMPOSSIBLE to comprise this list without me so my question to @billboard who records these stats is what went into the decision to leave me off??? Just curious…”
Conspiracy theories aside, Billboard‘s list was revealed via countdown, with Jay-Z ultimately coming in at no. 1. Twitter has been debating the validity of the list ever since it full dropped. Check out some of the more passionate reactions in the gallery.
1. Ice Cube felt a ways…
10. At least someone is happy.
Super Bowl LVII is taking over Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 12, 2023, and leading up to the big game, musicians have been attending the plethora of events in the surrounding areas.
The 2023 Super Bowl will be held at the State Farm Stadium with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Rihanna is lined up to perform at the halftime show, and on Thursday (Feb. 9), the singer sat down with Apple Music’s Nadeska Alexis in front of a live studio audience to discuss all of the hard work she’s put into her first live performance in seven years.
“When I first got the call to do it again this year, I was like, [hisses] ‘You sure?’ I’m three months postpartum. Should I be making major decisions like this right now? I might regret this,” she said. “But when you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was because I haven’t been on stage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all … It’s important for my son to see that.”
Meanwhile, stars like Bleachers, Paramore, Kelly Clarkson, Lance Bass and many, many more took part in events like the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest and NFL Honors.
See below for photos of all the musicians at Super Bowl events this year.
Related Images:
Related Images: