State Champ Radio genre pop
Page: 144
Two of the most prominent names in New Zealand music have joined forces, with Lorde appearing on “Kāhore He Manu E”, the latest single from Marlon Williams’ first Māori language album.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Set for release on April 4, Williams’ forthcoming album – Te Whare Tīwekaweka – was first announced in January as the follow-up to 2022’s My Boy, his second-consecutive chart-topper in his native country. Most notably, it’s also his first album recorded in te reo Māori. In addition to being the language of New Zealand’s indigenous population, it’s also Williams’ ancestral tongue, and one which he spent much of the past five years developing.
According to Williams, the motivation behind the album came via the Māori whakatauki (proverb) “Ko te reo Māori, he matapihi ki Te Ao Māori,” which translates to English as “The Māori language is a window to the Māori world.”
Trending on Billboard
“Through the process of constructing these songs, I’ve found a means of expressing my joys, sorrows and humour in a way that feels both distinctly new, yet also connects me to my tīpuna (ancestors) and my whenua (land, home),” Williams explained.
Previewing the album with first single “Aua Atu Rā,” Williams has now unveiled a collaboration with New Zealand pop superstar Lorde (also known as Ella Yelich-O’Connor).
The track, titled “Kāhore He Manu E,” also comes paired with a music video which captures the pair working together in the studio. The clip itself is taken from the larger forthcoming documentary Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds, directed by Ursula Grace Williams about the making of the record.
“‘Kāhore He Manu E’ was one of those gentle labours. It played itself out to me, easily and near complete from the first,” Williams said of the collaboration. “It was also obvious who should be singing it; Ella’s voice in a very real sense wrote the song. The distinct and striking characteristics in her voice cornering and demanding of the melody and phrasing what only her voice could.
“Singing with Ella is incredible; the amount of mind she’s able to pour into the vessel,” he added. “We got to know each other through sharing the highs and lows of touring life, and in a real sense this song is an ode to the colourful but grim wormhole of road life, to the friends made and lost in the folds of time, ‘visions lost in the blur.’”
“Over the course of several years I watched Marlon pull at the threads that became Te Whare Tīwekaweka,” added Lorde. “I saw that the further he got into the album, the deeper my friend came to know himself, his whānau (family) and his world at large. Marlon is an undercover perfectionist, and he was never going to embark on this journey without turning over every stone, crafting complex waiata (songs) that speak to the past while also braiding in his characteristic humour and X-ray vision.
“Singing with Marlon is one of my favourite things to do on earth, whether we are tipsy backstage by a pool table or in a luscious studio, and I was honoured he asked me to sing with him on this album. I’m so proud of my friend.”
Williams first found fame as a teenage musician in New Zealand before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 2013 and launching a solo career. His self-titled debut was issued in 2015 and resulted in widespread acclaim, including an appearance on U.S. television the following year when he was invited to perform on Conan with his band the Yarra Benders.
Williams has also dabbled in acting alongside his musician career, arguably becoming best known to U.S. audiences when he appeared in Bradley Cooper’s 2018 A Star is Born as himself, and as Johnny Abbot in the Netflix series Sweet Tooth.
The new single isn’t the first time that Williams and Lorde have collaborated together, either. In 2019, the pair performed at a benefit concert for victims of the Christchurch terror attack, sharing an arresting duet of Simon & Garfunkel’s classic No. 1 hit “The Sound of Silence.” In 2021, Lorde appeared at Williams’ Auckland concert to guest on a cover of Bruce Springsteen‘s “Tougher Than the Rest,” lifted from his 1987 LP Tunnel of Love.
Months after their tribute to The Boss, Lorde herself dabbled with the Māori language when she shared Te Ao Mārama – a five-track companion EP to Solar Power, sung entirely in te reo Māori.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet hits No. 1 for the first time on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, as the six-month-old set jumps 6-1 on the list dated March 1. It vaults to No. 1 following its deluxe reissue on Feb. 14 with five additional bonus tracks on CD, digital download and two vinyl variants.
In the week ending Feb. 20 in the U.S., Short n’ Sweet sold 71,000 copies across all versions – old and new combined – increasing by 616% in sales. It’s the second-largest sales week for the project, following its opening week (Sept. 7, 2024-dated chart), when it launched at No. 2 with 184,000 copies sold.
Short n’ Sweet marks Carpenter’s first No. 1 on Top Album Sales out of seven total entries on the list.
Short n’ Sweet also returns to No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart, for a third nonconsecutive week, as it sold nearly 48,000 copies on vinyl (up 626%). Of Short n’ Sweet’s total overall sales to date, vinyl sales comprise 61% (372,000 of 606,000).
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 (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units. The new March 1, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 25.
Elsewhere on the latest Top Album Sales chart, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX falls 1-2 with 30,000 copies sold (down 74%) while PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U bows at No. 3 with 25,000. The Lumineers’ Automatic arrives at No. 4 with 16,000 while Chappell Roan’s chart-topping The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess rounds out the top five, falling 4-5 with 11,000 sold (down 22%).
The Weeknd’s former No. 1 Hurry Up Tomorrow falls 2-6 (11,000; down 63%), Stray Kids’ chart-topping HOP rises 9-7 (8,000; down less than 1%), Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft slips 7-8 (nearly 8,000; down 21%), the Wicked film soundtrack falls 8-9 (nearly 7,000; down 24%) and Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city is a non-mover at No. 10 (6,000; down 10%).
The BRIT Awards has announced that A.G. Cook is the recipient of this year’s producer of the year award.
The British musician was an executive producer for Charli XCX’s Brat LP, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
Cook has had co-writing and co-producer credits on a number of albums, including Beyoncé’s Renaissance in 2020, but he is best known for his working relationship with Charli XCX. Cook has played executive producer on several of Charli’s projects: 2017 mixtapes Number 1 Angel and Pop 2; 2019 LP Charli; and 2020’s How I’m Feeling Now.
Speaking on the news, Cook said, “As someone who’s always felt like a bit of an outsider, I’m very flattered to be recognized by The BRITs. From the early PC Music days to the Charli mixtapes and beyond, I’ve been lucky to work on so much music that I truly believe in. In particular, I’d like to dedicate this moment to Sophie, whose vision and artistry is still a driving force for producers everywhere.”
The honorary producer of the year prize was first awarded in 1977 to The Beatles producer George Martin, and in recent years has been won by Fred Again.. (2020), Inflo (2022), David Guetta (2023) and Chase & Status (2024). Cook was selected for the prize by a panel of expert judges.
Cook has been a key player in the British and international pop scene for the past decade. In 2013, he established the influential PC Music record label, which is credited with spearheading the hyperpop sound. In 2024, he released his third studio album, Britpop, which appeared on Billboard U.K.’s albums of the year list, with Sophie Williams writing that the LP “felt like a safe, uplifting, candy-striped wonderland where one could hide from growing global anxiety.”
The BRIT Awards ceremony will take place Saturday (March 1) at London’s O2 Arena, and will be hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. Performances on the night will come from Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and more, and the ceremony will be broadcast live on ITV and on streaming service ITV X from 8:15 p.m. GMT.
At the 2025 SAG Awards, Selena Gomez won her first award for Best Ensemble for ‘Only Murders in the Building.’ Keep watching to see her speech! Have you watched ‘Only Murders in the Building?’ Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: Selena Gomez is a winning actress as ‘Wicked’ walks away empty handed. We […]
Beyoncé’s been dominating charts and snagging awards left and right with ‘Cowboy Carter,’ and as we highlight Black and Latin artists, we dive into Beyoncé’s success. Do you like ‘Cowboy Carter?’ Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: She is the moment. And as we take this month to highlight Black and Latin artists, […]
Halsey has yet another trick up their sleeves. The star revealed on Monday (Feb. 24) that she’s releasing a brand new single, titled “Safeword,” on Thursday (Feb. 27).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
To tease the single, Halsey dropped a 13-second preview into the upcoming music video, in which they’re seen rocking black-and-silver studded underwear, a leather jacket and knee-high, stiletto, studded boots. While a guitar-driven beat plays, a man is seen laying on the floor, wearing a leather submission mask. Halsey, the dominatrix, has her foot on his throat before the scene cuts to the singer’s face, exclaiming, “You’re not the boss of me!”
“Safeword” comes just a few months after Halsey dropped their highly anticipated fifth studio album, The Great Impersonator, back in October, featuring singles like “The End,” “Lucky,” “Lonely Is the Muse” and “Ego.”
Trending on Billboard
Additionally, the superstar is set to embark on her Halsey: For My Last Trick tour this spring. The 32-city Live Nation-promoted outing is slated to kick off on May 10 at the Toyota Pavilion at Concord in Concord, CA and criss-cross the country for shows in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, Tampa, Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago and St. Louis, before winding down on July 6 at the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, CA. Del Water Gap, The Warning, Evanescence, Alvvays, Hope Tala, Royel Otis, Sir Chloe, flowerlove, Magdalena Bay and Alemeda are all joining joining on select dates.
See the full list of tour dates here.
Lizzo is on the hunt for authenticity going into her next era, with the hitmaker dropping a new music teaser for a project titled “Love in Real Life” on Monday (Feb. 24). A cinematic clip on Lizzo’s Instagram opens with a bird’s-eye view of the Grammy winner lying on the hood of a vintage white […]
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” felt inescapable in 2024, but none of Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet domination made it onto NBA star Jaylen Brown’s latest playlist. The Boston Celtics wing participated in a pop culture quiz game during a timeout in the team’s face-off against the New York Knicks on Sunday (Feb. 23), and Brown struggled to […]
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” repeats at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. A week earlier, the song rebounded to the top, from No. 15, fueled by his performance of it during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on Feb. 9.
Meanwhile, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” adds a 10th week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.
Trending on Billboard
The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
“Not Like Us” drew 111.7 million streams (down 1%) and sold 21,000 (down 46%) worldwide Feb. 14-20. The Drake diss track — which on Feb. 2 won the Grammy Awards for record and song of the year, among its five victories – logs a fourth week atop the Global 200.
Lamar also ranks in the Global 200’s top 10 with “Luther,” with SZA (up 4-3 for a new high); 2018’s “All the Stars,” also with SZA (10-6 for a new best); and “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay (8-7, after hitting No. 5). All four songs were part of his Super Bowl halftime performance.
“Die With a Smile” holds at No. 2 after nine weeks at No. 1 on the Global 200 starting last September; ROSÉ and Mars’ “APT.” slips 3-4 following 12 weeks on top beginning in October; and Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” lifts 6-5 after three weeks at No. 1 last August.
“Die With a Smile” claims a 10th week atop Global Excl. U.S., with 103.3 million streams (down 4%) and 4,000 sold (down 17%) outside the U.S. Feb. 14-20. The song is the fifth to run up double-digit weeks at No. 1 since the chart began.
“APT.” holds at No. 2 after a record 15 weeks at No. 1 on Global Excl. U.S. beginning in November.
Lamar charts three songs in the Global Excl. U.S. top 10: “Not Like Us” is steady at its No. 3 best; “Luther” bounds 7-4, surpassing its prior No. 6 peak; and “All the Stars” shoots 17-8, becoming Lamar’s fifth top 10 and SZA’s fourth.
Plus, “Birds of a Feather” remains at No. 5, after three weeks on top last August.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated March 1, 2025) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Feb. 25. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X and Instagram.
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.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle it out for No. 1 on the Hot 100. Tetris Kelly:The Drake versus Kendrick feud is back with some debuts and a new No. 1 on the chart. This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated March 1. Starting at 10 is Drake with “Nokia.” “A […]
