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Beyoncé Surprises With Coachella Attendance, Drake & Kendrick Lamar Beef Escalates, Rauw Alejandro’s Tattoo Removal & More | Billboard News

It’s Wednesday, May 8th, and Drake & Kendrick Lamar’s beef is getting intense. On Tuesday morning, Drake’s security guard was shot at the rapper’s Toronto residence and his London OVO store was vandalized with the phrase “they not like us,” referencing Kendrick’s diss to Drake. On top of that, it looks like both rappers’ diss tracks are making their way to the Hot 100 next week. We give you All Access to 21 Savage’s American Dream Tour. Beyoncé posted an IG Reel showing that she was actually at Coachella a couple weeks back — how could we miss that? Meghan Trainor debuted a new music video for her new single “To the Moon,” from her upcoming album ‘Timeless.’ It looks like Rauw Alejandro covered up one of his tattoos that he got with now ex Rosalía. Craig David stopped by and explained ‘How It Went Down’ for his iconic single “7 Days” and more!

Tetris Kelly: 

Beyoncé’s stealthy surprise trip, Meghan Trainor’s out of this world video and Rauw Alejandro says bye to his ex. The Kendrick and Drake beef takes a wild turn. We take you inside 21 Savage’s show and Craig David breaks down one of his biggest hits. This Hump Day is packed with news, and it’s starting with a shocking update. The Kendrick and Drake beef is getting intense and now it’s beyond just diss tracks. Let’s break it down. After the back and forth diss tracks, a security guard working at Drake’s Toronto residence was shot early Tuesday morning. According to the Toronto Star, the security guard was transported to the hospital where he underwent surgery. No suspects have been named, but law enforcement says security footage captured a suspect’s car leaving the property. It’s not clear if Drake was at home at the time of the shooting and law enforcement have not said whether they think the shooting is linked to Drake and Kendrick’s feud. What does seem to be related to the feud is the vandalizing of Drake’s London OVO store. Someone spraypainted the front window with “they not like us,” possibly a reference to Kendrick’s song. While the rap beef has seemingly spurred some negative actions, it looks like some of their diss tracks could be heading for chart success. Four of the diss tracks have already appeared on the Hot 100 and three more — “Not Like Us,” “FAMILY MATTERS” and “meet the grahams” — which are all widely available 

Keep watching to learn more!

Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Rap Battle Debate: Where Does Drake Go From Here? | Billboard Unfiltered

In the first episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered,’ Billboard staffers Damien Scott, Carl Lamarre and Trevor Anderson discuss the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud that has taken the hip-hop world by storm, J. Cole’s exit from the drama, Tommy Richman’s debut on the Hot 100 and more!

Carl Lamarre:
Hey, hey! What’s going on, guys? Welcome to a fresh episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered.’ Guys, we have a jam-packed episode as we’re gonna dive into arguably one of the greatest hip-hop battles we have seen of all time. Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar. Guys, I mean, I have not seen anything like this.

Damien Scott:
It’s definitely the busiest battle ever.

Trevor Anderson:
Yeah, just the drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop…

Carl Lamarre:
I mean, they got us working overtime.

Damien Scott:
Drake called it. He said drop, drop, drop, drop. That’s what n—as did.

Carl Lamarre:
I’m curious to get your takeaways from the battle. I mean, obviously, we have not seen anything like this. Seven disses in a week, double digits in a month.

Damien Scott:
That’s crazy.

Carl Lamarre:
What are some of your biggest takeaways from this battle? I’ll start with you, Dame.

Damien Scott:
My biggest takeaway is that these are two of our best hitmakers working today. I think people already knew Drake was a hitmaker. He’s our genre’s premiere hitmaker. I think people underestimated how good of a hitmaker Kendrick was just because Kendrick doesn’t drop that often. And when he does drop, you never know what you’re going to get with Kendrick. He can be going in a different, more personal direction, where he’s not really focused on the charts, or he can make an album like ‘DAMN.’ where it’s much more accessible. I think this shows that these two guys, I would say, are the best we got.

Watch the full video above!

2024 Met Gala Recap of Red Carpet, Jennie & Rosé Reunite, Stray Kids Face Racism at Met & More | Billboard News

It’s Tuesday, May 7th, and we have a lot to cover after the Met Gala yesterday. In case you missed the biggest night in fashion, we’ve got you covered. From best looks at the Met Gala, to behind the scenes action on the red carpet, to performances we go through it all. Jennie & Rosé had a reunion in New York, and fans couldn’t have been more excited to see the two together. Stray Kids made history as the first full K-pop group to attend the gala, but everything wasn’t rosie in the “Garden of Time” due to the group facing rude and racist commentary from the paparazzi. BTS’ RM may not have been at the Met, but he did share posters teasing his new song “Come back to me” coming out this Friday. We give you a sneak peek of our interview with ATEEZ at the Grammy Museum. Charli XCX confirms whether or not she was working on songs for Britney Spears, Ava Max stopped by the studio to chat about why her new song, “My Oh My,” is the introduction to her new era and more!

Tetris Kelly: 

From the carpet to inside the Met Gala, we catch up with ATEEZ at the Grammy Museum, half of BLACKPINK hangs out STAYS defend Stray Kids and RM sets his return. Charli XCX clarifies if she’s really worked with Britney and Ava Max stops by our studio. Welcome back to Billboard News if you missed the Met Gala yesterday, well, you weren’t the only one, we’ve got you covered. And if you did see the red carpet, we’ve got some behind the scenes action. Ariana performs, fooled by Katy Perry, can Kim Kardashian breathe? And where is Rihanna? We’re breaking down everything you saw, and didn’t, at the Met Gala. Bad Bunny was one of the events co-chairs and everyone thought the Latin king slayed his look. But the big reveals came from Cardi B whose massive dress needed a whole army and Karol G who hid away until just the right moment. Other talked about looks included Kim Kardashian whose waist was so snatched, people are genuinely wondering if she could even breathe. And Zendaya, the events other chair, who has never missed a look and gave us two. But who wasn’t at the party? Everyone, myself included, was fooled by an AI of Katy Perry at the event. Even Katy’s mom thought it was her, so Katy posted she was in the studio. It was the most liked post online. And People reports the Met Queen, Rihanna, skipped the event after coming down with the flu. Inside the exclusive party, 

Keep watching to learn more!

Ava Max on Why ‘My Oh My’ Is the Start of Her New Era & More | Billboard News

Ava Max shares her creative process behind some of her singles including “My Oh My,” “Whatever” and “Sweet But Psycho.” She dives in-depth about her collaborations with Kygo, David Guetta and Tiësto and why she emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and authenticity in creating her music. She explains her new era, what it was like to make a track for Barbie, how she handles criticism along with her mental health, dream collaborations with Bad Bunny, J Balvin and more!

Ava Max: 

My music heals. That’s my number one, number one goal always. I just really hope my music continues to heal. Hey, I’m Ava Max and you’re watching Billboard News.

Tetris Kelly:

The song is out, “My Oh My.” Tell me why this was the one to establish this new era.

Ava Max:

I wanted to start this era with no heartbreak attached and no man attached to it because this is the beginning, I feel like, of me. It almost feels like my first album coming out.

Tetris Kelly:

That is a heavy statement. And what do you feel like this era, or this new form of music, is going to say about the new you?

Ava Max:

I mean, for the first time, I’m really finding myself honing in on like, healing. I mean, it’s funny we see like healing era all over like TikTok and Instagram. I really feel like this is everyone’s healing era and, and so I just wanted to release a record that made everyone feel incredible and have fun and just feel like they can just go out with their girlfriends or their guys and not think about anything relationship-related and just be their best selves.

Tetris Kelly:

I mean, you heard me already, I had it stuck in my head when you walked in. I’m like, “’90s paparazzi.” Like the lyrics are so fun. So tell me what was the inspiration. Was it a night you went out? Or what? What helped you write those lyrics?

Keep watching to learn more!

Drake Drops ‘The Heart Part 6’ in Ongoing Kendrick Lamar Feud, Dua Lipa & Usher Host Surprise Concerts & More | Billboard News

It’s Monday, May 6th, and the saga between Drake and Kendrick Lamar continued throughout the weekend. Drake released “The Heart Part 6” on Sunday as a response to Kendrick’s “6:16 in LA,” “euphoria,” “meet the grahams” and “not like us,” all released last week. Meanwhile, the Queen of Pop, Madonna, wrapped up her Celebration Tour in Rio de Janeiro breaking the attendance record. After her release of ‘Radical Optimism’ this past Friday, Dua Lipa had a surprise pop-up concert in Times Square. Despite the Lovers & Friends Festival being canceled, Usher still performed a show in Las Vegas with a surprise appearance from Lil Jon. After last week’s success on the Hot 100, will Taylor Swift still manage to hold all top 10 spots? Keep watching to find out! Plus, Billboard gives you All Access to the Project GLOW Festival, where we give you an exclusive look into performances and more.

Tetris Kelly: 

Madonna’s insane crowd, Dua’s pop-up performance and Usher’s surprise. We’re still talking Drake and Kendrick Lamar. We run down the Billboard Hot 100 and take you to Washington D.C. for an EDM festival. Happy Cinco de Seis. Our first story is the story that keeps on giving. If you can keep up, let’s dive in. The Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud is still going strong, with a weekend full of new diss tracks to run through we’ve got you covered. Over the weekend Kendrick and Drake beef continue with Kendrick releasing a one-two punch. On “meet the ghrahams,” he attacks Drake alleging he he’s gotten cosmetic surgery. And on “Not Like Us,” he says this about Drake. Then Drake fired back on “The Heart Part 6.” Responding to Kendrick’s previous track, where he claimed he had people working inside Drake’s company OVO, and Drake says he made up a fake child to see if the rumor would get back to Lamar. That brings us to a total of nine diss tracks in a little over a month. I’m sure this is far from over, so stay locked in to Billboard for the latest. And the guys are giving us beef, while the ladies are giving us life. Plus, an update from Usher. Here are three things to know in music news. Madonna closed out her Celebration World Tour in Brazil, playing a free show in Rio de Janeiro. More than 1.6 million fans flocked to Copacabana beach, making it the most-attended concert of all time.

Keep watching to find out more!

BOYNEXTDOOR’s ‘How?’ Makes Top 10 Debut on Album Sales Chart

BOYNEXTDOOR scores its second top 10, and highest-charting album yet, on Billboard’s Top Album Sales ranking as How? enters at No. 7 on the May 4-dated chart. The set launches with 11,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending April 25, according to Luminate – the act’s best sales week ever. The South Korean pop ensemble previously visited the top 10 with the No. 10-peaking Why in 2023.

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See latest videos, charts and news

Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart: Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department makes a smashing debut at No. 1, Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter bows at No. 2 and Anne Wilson’s Rebel starts at No. 10.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

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Of the 11,000 copies sold of How?, physical sales comprise essentially all of that sum – and all from the CD configuration. The album’s sales were supported by its availability across 17 different collectible CD packages, including exclusive variants for Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart. All editions contained branded paper merchandise, including some randomized items.

At No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department swoops in with a whopping 1.914 million copies sold in its first week. It’s Swift’s 14th No. 1. That volume marks Swift’s best sales week ever, and the third-largest sales week for any album since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991. The set’s sales were bolstered by its availability across 19 different collectible physical editions (nine CDs, six vinyl LPs and four cassettes, some of which were exclusive to Target and Swift’s webstore) and two digital download albums. Some of the physical iterations of the album contained branded merchandise.

Swift has half of the top 10 on new Top Album Sales chart, as Poets is joined by her former No. 1s Lover (rising 8-3 with 14,000; up 79%), 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (10-4 with 13,000; up 100%), Midnights (11-5 with 12,000; up 130%) and Folklore (13-9 with 10,000; up 112%).

Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter debuts at No. 2 with 52,000 copies (with 24,000 on vinyl), marking the 18th top 10-charting effort for the band. Dark Matter’s first-week sales got a boost from its availability across 12 different color vinyl variants.

Beyoncé’s former No. 1 Cowboy Carter falls 1-6 in its fourth week on the list, selling a little over 11,000 copies (down 59%). Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon rises 35-8 with nearly 11,000 sold (up 329%), largely thanks to sales generated by the April 19 release of a collector’s edition of the album on 180-gram crystal clear double vinyl.

Anne Wilson’s new Rebel rounds out the top 10 of Top Album Sales, as the set starts at No. 10 with 10,000 copies sold. It’s the second top 10-charting effort, and best sales week, for the artist. The album’s sales were supported by its availability across four vinyl variants and five CD variants (three of which were signed by the artist).

Nicki Minaj’s Surprise Guests, Britney Spears Settles Divorce, Dua Lipa’s Chart Achievements & More | Billboard News

It’s Thursday, May 2nd, and Nicki Minaj brings out Cyndi Lauper & Kai Cenat at her concert, Selena Gomez turns off her Instagram comments and Britney Spears settles divorce. We sat down with Billboard cover star T-Pain and went down memory lane to find out the stories behind some of his biggest hits including: “Buy U a Drank,” “Bartender,” “I’m Sprung” and more! With Dua Lipa’s ‘Radical Optimism’ being released tomorrow, we cover some of her greatest achievements on Billboard Explains. The TikTok Top 50 Chart is in and Taylor Swift lands in Top 4 while Phoebe Bridgers is in Top 10, but who reigns supreme this week? Keep watching to find out. On today’s Chart Rewind, we have The Cure, who took over the Billboard Alternative Airplay Chart in 1989 with “Fascination Street” and more!

Tetris Kelly
Kai Cent joins the ‘Pink Friday’ tours, Selena Gomez explains her social decisions and Britney is in the news for her ex-husband and sister. We have a brand new Billboard cover star, go in depth with Dua Lipa. See what’s hot on the Tok and rewind our charts. This is Billboard News, let’s hop into our top story. From Drake to the Queen mix girls “Gag City” is proving the place to be in the Brooklyn stuff of the Nicki Minaj ‘Pink Friday 2’ World Tour did not disappoint. Kai Cenat took to the stage to show off his dance moves. Being the most in the best possible way, Selena Gomez stopped by NBC today to talk about mental health and what she does to take care of herself.

Watch the full video above!

Taylor Swift Lands in Top 5, Phoebe Bridgers in Top 10 on TikTok Billboard Top 50 | Billboard News

On this week’s TikTok Billboard Top 50, we have Taylor Swift coming in hot in the top 5, with Phoebe Bridgers and Shaboozey in the top 10, but who’s at No. 1? Watch to find out more!

Tetris Kelly:
Lay Bankz holds strong while three big names debut in the top 10. Lay Bankz’s “Tell Ur Girlfriend” holds on to the top spot on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the chart posting May 2. Elsewhere on the chart, T-Swift’s “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” debuts at No. 4 thanks to a trend of showing off cuteness. Her good friend Phoebe Bridgers lands at six with a slowed-down version of “Scott Street.” Fresh off of Stagecoach, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song” sits at No. 9.

Every Thursday, Billboard will bring you the verified list of the hottest songs on TikTok by monitoring music discovery and engagement on the platform in the United States. To find the TikTok Billboard Top 50. Each week, users can simply go to any sound detail page and tap the top right button to access the charts page.

Dua Lipa’s Radical Chart Achievements | Billboard Explains

With Dua Lipa’s new album Radical Optimism coming out this Friday, we take a look back at her chart accomplishments, including debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 and breaking records with songs such as “Levitating.”

Dua Lipa:
Throughout the whole record, there’s this idea of chaos happening around, and me trying to push through it in a way that feels authentic and honest.

Narrator:
Dua Lipa is gearing up to release her new album, Radical Optimism, so we’re taking a look back at her chart accomplishments. This is Billboard Explains: Dua Lipa’s Radical Charter Achievements.

Dua Lipa made her Billboard Hot 100 debut with “Blow Your Mind (Mwah).” The song peaked at No. 72 in November 2016. Since then, she’s racked up 23 career entries on the Hot 100, including five top 10s; “New Rules,” that reached No. 6; “Don’t Start Now” peaked at No. 2 and “Levitating,” which also hit No. 2, just to name a few.

“Levitating” was a massive success for Dua on the charts. Not only was it the year-end No. 1 Hot 100 Song of 2021, it holds the record as the longest charting song among women in the Billboard Hot 100 history, with 77 weeks total. It also holds the record for the most weeks spent in the top 10 of the Hot 100 in history among women, with 41 weeks.

Over on the Pop Airplay chart, Dua holds 23 career entries with five No. 1 songs, including “Break My Heart” and “Dance the Night.”

Plus, she has three charting albums on the Billboard 200 including one top 10 with Future Nostalgia, that peaked at No. 3.

We’ll have to wait and see where Radical Optimism takes Dua next on the Billboard charts.

T-Pain Shares the Stories Behind ‘Low,’ ‘Buy U a Drank,’ ‘Bartender’ & More | Chart History | Billboard Cover

Billboard cover star singer-songwriter T-Pain shares the stories behind some of his biggest hits “Buy U a Drank,” “Bartender,” “I’m Sprung” and “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper),” to his iconic features with Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — (“Good Life”), Flo Rida (“Low”), DJ Khaled (“All I Do Is Win”), Chris Brown (“Kiss Kiss”) and Lil Wayne (“Got Money”).

T-Pain:
This is the Hot 100, this is everybody. These are the best 100 songs. That was my first time releasing anything at all, you know, on a national level. Oh my god, what a world that opened up to me. You know what I mean? Like, I didn’t know what was going to transpire after that. I didn’t know how to deal with what was coming back or anything like that. I barely knew who I was myself, but I think I was just a kid — just a kid that didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t know where he wanted to go, you know, just wanting one car at that time. I was fine with that. Until they gave me that first check. Holy s–t, that first check was out of control! S–t! Oh, yeah, that one car theory went out the window right away.

But having it break in at 100. I mean, that I was fine. I was good with that. And you know, a lot of people would see that, and they’d say, “Well, it’s nowhere near No. 1.” But at the time, that’s my highest charting record. Like I’m, I’m seen with the best 100 songs in this whole category. This is it. This is the Hot 100. This is everybody all at the same time. This ain’t hip-hop, this ain’t R&B, this ain’t adult contemporary, this ain’t Latin, this ain’t nothing. This is everybody. This ain’t country.

Watch the full video above!