Billboard

03 Dec 2024

Beyoncé Crowned No. 1 on Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century | Billboard News

Beyoncé takes the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and we’re going through her extensive career and accolades that have landed her at No. 1. From nine solo Hot 100 No. 1s to 27 Billboard Music Awards and the most Grammy Awards of any artist in history, we’re breaking it down for you. Which Beyoncé song is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:
With nine solo Hot 100 No. 1s, three more this century with Destiny’s Child, 27 Billboard Music Awards and the most Grammy Awards of any artist in history, Billboard staff’s pick for the No. 1 greatest pop star of the 21st century is none other than the Queen Bey herself – Beyoncé.

Hailing from Houston, Texas, Beyoncé got her start in the popular girl group Destiny’s Child and gave us hits like “Say My Name,” “Independent Women – Part 1” and “Bootylicious” – songs that all topped the Billboard Hot 100. After years of success with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé stepped out on her own as a solo artist in the early 2000s. Her debut album Dangerously in Love was a hit, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and the album’s lead single, “Crazy in Love” with future husband Jay-Z, also topped the Hot 100. She continued to dominate the Billboard 200 with her next albums, including I Am… Sasha Fierce, which featured one of her most notable hits — “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” We all know that iconic dance.

But Beyoncé changed the game when she dropped her album Beyoncé without anyone knowing it was coming. That release popularized the term “surprise drop,” and she paired it with a full visual album with music videos for each song, transforming the way artists market their new releases. The album topped the Billboard 200 and gave us hits like “Drunk in Love.”

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03 Dec 2024

Tyla to Perform at 2024 Billboard Music Awards | Billboard News

Tyla is next up on the list to perform at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, airing on Thursday, Dec. 12. Keep watching for all the details! 

Narrator:
New performer alert! Tyla will perform at this year’s Billboard Music Awards! The South African singer is set to grace the Billboard Music Awards stage on Dec. 12. Tyla is also nominated for eight Billboard Music Awards, including Top R&B Artist, Top Afrobeats Artist, Top R&B Song, Top R&B Album and Top R&B Female Artist awards. On top of all of that, her hits “Water,” “Truth or Dare” and “Jump” are all nominated for the Top Afrobeats Song award. Talk about competing with yourself! So get ready, all you Tygers out there, as Tyla roars on stage with a must-see performance.

The Billboard Music Awards airs on Thursday, Dec. 12, on Fox. For updates on all Billboard Music Award announcements, keep it locked here at Billboard.

03 Dec 2024

XG Talks The First Howl World Tour, Talk New Music In ‘AWE’ & More | Billboard News

XG just finished the North American leg of their The First Howl World Tour and they share their experience throughout touring, how ALPHAZ have continuously shocked the girl group with the outpour of support, what fans can expect from their new album AWE, why outer space is a significant theme for the girls and more! 

Jason Lipshutz:
We’re missing Cocona today, but we have the rest of XG and I’m very happy to have you guys. You guys have had a huge year! You guys have been touring. How has the tour been going so far? How is everything?

XG:
The tour has been going great. We just finished our North American tour, we had so much fun. We met so many of our U.S. ALPHAZ. They were all dressed up with amazing, cool outfits they designed top to bottom. They were singing their hearts out, so that was crazy, and we got so much good energy from them so it was amazing.

Cool. What has it been like performing across the United States, performing for new fans, meeting fans for the first time?

We’ve just finished our Japan, Asia and U.S. tours. The energy that the ALPHAZ fans show us has been incredible. We take that energy to fuel our performances and give more excitement to the stage. So it’s like a give-and-take. In that regard, we’re really excited to do that again in the upcoming European tour. 

In terms of the fans, performing some of these songs for the first time for them, obviously you’ve worked on this music for a long time, some new singles, some new choreography. What has it been like presenting them to the fans for the first time?

During this world tour, we’ve been dropping new songs and albums along the way. We want each performance to be fresh and exciting. Whether they are longtime ALPHAZ or seeing us for the first time.

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03 Dec 2024

Hear Jonathan Groff Sing For The First Time As Bobby Darin: Billboard Exclusive

Jonathan Groff has endeared himself to huge audiences playing some of the most beloved (and different) roles in modern musical theater: breaking hearts as the original Melchior in Spring Awakening; cracking up as King George in Hamilton; and most recently turning in his most complex performance yet as Franklin Shepard in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, for which he won his first Tony award.

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Now, Groff is adding to that diverse resume of roles with perhaps the most unexpected of all. In the new musical Just in Time, he’ll play Bobby Darin, the iconic crooner known for his renditions of songs like “Beyond the Sea,” “Dream Lover” and “Mack the Knife.” Developed and directed by Alex Timbers, the show features Groff anchoring a cast of 16 in one of Broadway‘s most unique and intimate theaters, the Circle in the Square. Previews begin March 28, 2025 in advance of an April 23 opening — but you can hear Groff singing as Darin for the first time here, as Billboard premieres his recordings of “Beyond the Sea,” “Dream Lover” and “Just in Time.”

As Groff tells Billboard, his preparation process for the role began seven years ago, when he was researching the singer while putting together a concert of his music for the 92nd St. Y in New York. “We’ve been developing this musical about his life ever since then,” Groff says. “Bobby Darin was the consummate performer. And he was way ahead of his time. He had this chameleon ability to jump styles and genres way before it became popular for pop artists to do that. Having this opportunity to play him, I get to push myself to places I’ve never gone before as a singer or performer. My heart races just thinking about it.”

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Timbers — who won a Tony for his direction of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and has brought his vision to shows ranging from Here Lies Love to The Pee-wee Herman Show — calls Darin “a singular talent whose music lives on today,” but notes that “what was so memorable to the people who knew him was his connection with an audience.” With Just in Time, “We’re doing everything we can to try to transform our Broadway theater to evoke a 1960s club,” he tells Billboard, “and allow our audience to experience what it was like to be in a room, up close, with one of that generation’s most electric performers.”

Just in Time features a book by Tony-winner Warren Leight (Side Man) and Isaac Oliver (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel); music supervision and arrangements by Andrew Resnick (Parade); choreography by Shannon Lewis; and is based on an original concept by Ted Chapin. Along with Groff, the cast includes Joe Barbara (A Bronx Tale The Musical), Tony-winner Michele Pawk (Wicked), Lance Roberts (The Music Man), Caesar Samayoa (Come From Away), Christine Cornish (Kiss Me, Kate), Julia Grondin (Funny Girl), Valeria Yamin (Moulin Rouge!), John Treacy Egan (My Fair Lady), Tari Kelly (Mr. Saturday Night), Matthew Guy Magnusson, Khori Michelle Petinaud (Lempicka), and Larkin Reilly (Bad Cinderella).  

02 Dec 2024

‘Wicked’ Is More Popular Than Ever: Broadway Cast Album Hits Billboard 200 Top 40 for First Time

The original Broadway cast recording of Wicked reaches the top 40 of the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time, nearly 21 years after its release in December 2003. The set jumps 79-33 on the chart dated Dec. 7, following continued buzz generated by the recently released film adaptation of the long-running stage show.

The Broadway show, which opened in New York in October 2003, launched with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in the lead roles of Glinda and Elphaba (played by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the film).

Wicked is just the seventh musical cast album to reach the top 40 of the Billboard 200 in the last 25 years, following Bruce Springsteen’s solo show Springsteen on Broadway (2018) and the original Broadway cast recordings of Dear Evan Hansen (2017), Hamilton: An American Musical (2015), If/Then (2014), The Book of Mormon (2011) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2008).

Trending on Billboard

The new Wicked film opened in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22 and has earned more than $260 million at the U.S. and Canada box office. Its soundtrack debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, marking the highest debut for a soundtrack of a big-screen adaptation of a stage musical.

In the tracking week ending Nov. 28, as reflected on the Dec. 7-dated Billboard 200 chart, the Wicked Broadway cast recording earned 22,000 equivalent album units (up 60%) while the Wicked film soundtrack starts with 139,000 units.

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 Dec. 7, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The original Broadway cast recording of Wicked had previously peaked at No. 66 on the Billboard 200 in March of 2014. Chenoweth and Menzel starred in the Broadway show from its opening through July 2004 and January 2005, respectively. Wicked has continued to play on Broadway since its premiere in 2003, and with more than 8,100 performances, it is the fourth-longest running show in Broadway history.

The original Broadway cast recording of Wicked also spends a 350th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Cast Albums chart, which ranks the week’s top-selling musical stage show albums. Wicked has the second-most weeks at No. 1 on Cast Albums since the list began in January of 2006. The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical leads the pack with 411 weeks at No. 1.

The Wicked cast album also debuts on the Top Streaming Albums chart at No. 38, where the Wicked movie soundtrack debuts at No. 4.

02 Dec 2024

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ Reaches No. 1 on Billboard 200 | Billboard News

Kendrick Lamar’s surprise drop of his new album, ‘GNX,’ lands him his 5th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. Keep watching for all the details!

Narrator:

Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, ‘GNX,’ debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Kendrick dropped the surprise on November 22nd, much to the delight of his fans.  ‘GNX’ marks the “Not Like Us” rapper’s 5th consecutive chart topping album. Behind 2022’s ‘Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,’ 2017’s ‘DAMN.,’ 2016’s ‘Untitled Unmastered,’ and 2015’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly,’ ‘GNX’ also yields the year’s biggest streaming week for any R&B/hip-hop album. The beauty of ‘GNX’ is that Kung Fu Kenny wasn’t going it alone, it’s a full on West Coast affair. He’s got TDE labelmate SZA, Roddy Ricch, LA rapper Dody6, South Central’s Young Threat, Compton native Siete7x, and last but not least…Mustard! With an album that goes this hard, we can’t wait to see what Kendrick does for the Super Bowl. For more hip hop news, stay tuned here to Billboard.

02 Dec 2024

SEVENTEEN & Teddy Swims to Perform on 2024 Billboard Music Awards | Billboard News

SEVENTEEN and Teddy Swims are set to perform on the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, airing Thursday, December 12th. Keep watching for all the details!

Narrator:

SEVENTEEN and Teddy Swims are set to perform at this year’s Billboard Music Awards! Casting a spell on fans since their formation in 2015, SEVENTEEN has taken the world by storm with their harmonies and spectacular choreography. And this just in: “Bad Dreams” crooner Teddy Swims will also be performing at this year’s Billboard Music Awards! We know he’s going to put on one hell of a show so don’t forget to tune in! The Billboard Music Awards airs on Thursday, December 12th, on Fox. For updates on all Billboard Music Awards announcements, keep it locked here at Billboard.

02 Dec 2024

Corina Smith Plays ‘Finish the Lyrics’

Corina Smith finishes the lyrics of some of her biggest hits, including “x100,” “Roto” and more!

Corina Smith:
How do you look?/ How do you heal?/ How did you look me in the eye?

I made a mistake, didn’t I?

We have already changed the rhythm of our theme/ But for na, na, na, na, na/ If you are still the same.

It’s been two weeks and you’ve already forgotten me/ How did you do it?/ How did you heal?/ How do you look me in the eye?

Don’t give me 50/ If I deserve a hundred percent. 

Forbidden love, they whisper in the streets/ Of course, how to forget.

Asking to excuse her/ That she only did it because her boyfriend was cheating on her/ And like me, you manipulated her/ By telling her what you told me.

02 Dec 2024

Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Countdown for Dec. 7, 2024 | Billboard News

Kendrick Lamar takes over the Hot 100.

Tetris Kelly:
Kendrick Lamar’s surprise drop causes a takeover as Christmas comes early. This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated Dec. 7. Jingling back to the top 10 is “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” From Kendrick Lamar’s album GNX, “Man at the Garden” is at nine and “Reincarnated” is at eight. Gaga and Bruno stay in the mix at seven, as does Shaboozey at six, Kendrick’s “Hey Now” is at five, with “Wacced Out Murals” at four. “Luther” at No. 3, and “TV Off” at No. 2. And Kendrick grabs his third No. 1 this year with “Squabble Up.”

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27 Nov 2024

Taylor Swift Ranks No. 2 on Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century | Billboard News

Taylor Swift takes the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and we’re going through Swift’s various accolades that have earned her her spot. From 14 No.1s on the Billboard 200 to 14 Grammy Awards, we’re breaking it down for you. Which Taylor Swift era is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:

With 12 No.1s on the Hot 100 chart, 14 No.1s on the Billboard 200, and 14 Grammy Awards, Billboard staff has named Taylor Swift as No.2 on our Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st century countdown! Taylor started out making country music inspired by Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, The Chicks, and had a successful start with several top 40 hits like “Our Song,” “Should’ve Said No,” and “Picture to Burn.” Her second album, ‘Fearless,’ became Taylor’s first No.1 on the Billboard 200 & ruled the No.1 spot for 11 weeks! She earned her first top 5 hits during this era with “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story.” ‘Fearless’ won Taylor her first Grammy for Album of the Year! Her third album, ‘Speak Now’ earned her second No.1 album. Her fourth album ‘Red’ produced Taylor’s first No.1 hit on the Hot 100, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and showed that Taylor was ready to experiment with her sound. The album became her third consecutive No.1 on the Billboard 200 and gained a second life when “Taylor’s Version” was released in 2021 propelling the hit “All Too Well -Taylor’s Version-” to No.1. But Taylor Swift’s fifth album ‘1989’ changed everything! Establishing her as the biggest force in pop music. ‘1989’ gave us “Style,” “Wildest Dreams,” and three No.1 hits with “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and her collab with Kendrick Lamar, “Bad Blood.” ‘1989’ earned Taylor her fourth consecutive No.1 album and it topped the chart for 11 weeks.

Keep watching for more!