Music News

24 Jan 2024

Melanie, Beloved ‘Brand New Key’ Singer, Dies at 76

Melanie, the pop singer behind tracks “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” who performed at Woodstock, has died. She was 76 years old.

The singer’s three children — Leilah, Jeordie, and Beau Jarred — shared a message on Facebook this week, writing: “We are heartbroken, but want to thank each and every one of you for the affection you have for our Mother, and to tell you that she loved all of you so much! She was one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era and every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that. Our world is much dimmer, the colors of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars.”

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No cause of death was given in the post, but the siblings made a request for fans, that on Wednesday (Jan. 24), at 10 p.m. CT, “each of you lights a candle in honor of Melanie. Raise, raise them high, high up again. Illuminate the darkness, and let us all be connected in remembrance of the extraordinary woman who was wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to so very many people.”

Melanie — full name Melanie Safka — was born in Astoria, New York, and had two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart throughout her career, “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).” According to Variety, she was in the studio earlier this month working on her 32nd album, which was a project of cover songs.

24 Jan 2024

Artists With the Most BRITs Nominations in a Single Year: RAYE, Robbie Williams, Dua Lipa & More

01/24/2024

Here’s every artist who has earned at least five BRIT Awards nominations in a single year.

01/24/2024

Just over a year since she earned her very first U.K. No. 1 single with the 070 Shake-assisted “Escapism,” British singer-songwriter RAYE has broken the record for most BRIT Awards nominations in a single year with a whopping seven nods at the 2024 ceremony. Not only does RAYE stand as this year’s most-nominated artist, she is also the first act to earn seven nominations in a single ceremony since the BRITs’ inception in 1977.

“I am completely floored to be recognised seven times this year,” RAYE said of her historic nominations haul in a press release. “I was a BRIT school student and I remember how deeply I dreamed of one day being recognised at the BRITs. I am currently a mess of overwhelming emotions and confusion as to how this even happened to be honest.”

Despite the gravity of the moment, this is not the first time that the BRITs have recognized RAYE and her work. In 2018, “You Don’t Know Me,” her collaboration with Jax Jones reaped a bid in the British single of the year category. She appeared in the lineup for that same category twice more with “Secrets” (with Regard) and “Bed” (with Joel Corry and David Guetta) in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 2022, she also earned her first solo BRIT Awards nomination: best dance act. Although she came up short in those four races, RAYE is well-poised to take home her first BRIT statuette come Mar. 2.

During Bring on The BRITs with Mastercard: The 2024 Nominations, the exclusive live stream revealing the 2024 nominations hosted by Yinka Bokinni, RAYE gushed, “A year and a half ago… as far as the industry was concerned, I was down and out. Never in my wildest dreams would I think like trying again would mean seven BRIT nominations… I’ve had some nominations in the past which I’ve been so grateful… This is a whole different thing. Just thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

In celebration of RAYE’s achievement, here are all of the times a musical act has earned at least five nominations in a single year at the BRIT Awards.

1985 – Frankie Goes to Hollywood (5)

At the 1985 ceremony, Frankie Goes to Hollywood led the field with five nominations. The band’s haul consisted of citations in album of the year (Welcome to the Pleasuredome), single of the year (“Relax” and “Two Tribes”), breakthrough act and British group. By the end of the night they triumphed with “Relax” in single of the year, while also taking home the breakthrough act award.
1994 – Suede (5)

Suede made a major splash at the 1994 BRITs, emerging as the ceremony’s most-nominated act with five nods. The band earned nods for breakthrough act and British group, while their hit single “Animal Nitrate” received bids for single of the year and video of the year. Their self-titled album also appeared in the final line-up for album of the year. Ultimately, the rockers went home empty-handed.
1995 – Blur (5)

At the 2024 BRITs, Blur boasts three nominations, but this is far from their first rodeo. Back in 1995, the rock band scored five nominations, including album of the year (Parklife), video of the year (“Parklife”), single of the year (“Parklife” and “Girls & Boys”) and British group. In the most ideal turn of events, Blur triumphed in every category they were nominated in, taking home a total of four trophies that night.
1996 – Oasis & Blur (5)

Just one year after Blur swept the BRITs, Oasis tried their best to do the same. The rock band reaped five bids at the 1996 BRITs: album of the year ((What’s the Story) Morning Glory?), single of the year (“Wonderwall” and “Roll with It”), video of the year (“Wonderwall”) and British group. They ended up winning each of their races, except for single of the year, where Take That’s “Back for Good” came out on top.

Nonetheless, the near-clean sweep wasn’t completely smooth sailing. Rival Britpop group Blur repeated their success from the previous year, earning five bids at the 1996 ceremony. They directly competed against Oasis in each of their races, and lost every single one.
1997 – Spice Girls (5)

For a third consecutive year, a British group collected five BRITs nominations in a single year — and this time, the ladies had something to say. At the 1997 BRITS, Spice Girls entered the night with five nods, including single of the year (“Wannabe”), video of the year (“Say You’ll Be There” and “Wannabe”), British breakthrough act and British group. The quintet ultimately took home two awards — single of the year and video of the year (“Say You’ll Be There”) — tying with Manic Street Preachers as the night’s biggest winners.
1998 – The Verve (5)

Groups ruled the BRITs in the late ’90s. At the 1998 ceremony, The Verve reigned with five nominations, including album of the year (Urban Hymns), single of the year (“Bitter Sweet Symphony”), producer of the year (with Youth and Chris Potter), video of the year (“Bitter Sweet Symphony”) and British group. The rockers ultimately emerged as the night’s biggest winners, taking home album of the year, producer of the year and British group.
1999 – Robbie Williams (6)

Back in 1999, Robbie Williams made history as the first artist to earn six BRITs nods in a single year. His nominations haul included bids for album of the year (I’ve Been Expecting You), single of the year (“Angels” and “Millenium”), video of the year (“Millenium” and “Let Me Entertain You”) and British male solo artist.

Naturally, the former Take That member was the night’s biggest winner, taking home each category he was nominated in except for album of the year, which he lost to Manic Street Preachers’ This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours.
2001 – Craig David (6)

Just two years after Robbie Williams made history, Craig David matched his feat with six bids at the 2001 BRITs. The R&B maestro earned citations in album of the year (Born to Do It), single of the year (“7 Days”), video of the year (“7 Days”), British breakthrough act, British dance act and British male solo artist.

David lost every last one of his nominations. Coldplay’s Parachutes took home album of the year, Fatboy Slim won British dance act and A1 triumphed in the British breakthrough act category. Robbie Williams, on the other hand, beat out David for British male solo artist and single and video of the year (“Rock DJ”).
2002 – Gorillaz (6)

Another year, more history. At the 2002 BRITs, Gorillaz became the first group to earn six nominations in a single year. They were recognized in album of the year (Gorillaz), single of the year (“Clint Eastwood”), video of the year (“Clint Eastwood”), British dance act, British breakthrough act, and British group.

Like Craig David the year prior, Gorillaz last each of their six bids. Basement Jaxx won British dance act, Travis won British group and Blue won British breakthrough act. The virtual band lost single of the year to S Club 7 (“Don’t Stop Movin’”), video of the year to So Solid Crew (“21 Seconds”) and album of the year to Dido (“No Angel”).
2005 – Franz Ferdinand (5)

Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand entered the 2005 ceremony as the night’s most-nominated act. They earned nods for album of the year (Franz Ferdinand), British group, British breakthrough act, British rock act and British live act.

They ultimately triumphed in British group and British rock act.
2006 – James Blunt & Kaiser Chiefs (5)

For the first time in exactly a decade, two acts earned at five nods each at a single BRITs ceremony.

Singer-songwriter James Blunt reaped bids for album of the year (Back to Bedlam), single of the year (“You’re Beautiful”), British breakthrough act, British male solo artist, and British pop act. He ended up taking home the latter two awards.

Leeds-bred indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs were recognized with nominations for album of the year (Unemployment), British breakthrough act, British group, British rock act and British live act. They walked away as the night’s biggest winners, triumphing in the latter three categories.
2014 – Ellie Goulding (5)

It would take eight years for another artist to earn at least five BRITs nods in a single year. Then again, who can deny Ellie Goulding? The “Lights” singer earned two bids for both video and single of the year (“Burn” and Calvin Harris’ “I Need Your Love”), as well as a nod for British female solo artist. The latter category was Goulding’s only win.

Rudimental and Ella Eyre’s “Waiting All Night” won single of the year, and One Direction’s “Best Song Ever” took home video of the year.
2015 – Sam Smith (5)

Sam Smith followed right in Ellie Goulding’s footsteps. The “Lay Me Down” singer earned five nods at the 2015 BRITs, including album of the year (In the Lonely Hour), single of the year (“Stay with Me”), video of the year (“Stay with Me”), British male solo artist, and British breakthrough act.

The Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper ultimately took home just one competitive award — British breakthrough act. Nonetheless, they were also awarded the Global Success Award that year.
2018 – Dua Lipa (5)

Before she dominated the world with her Future Nostalgia and Barbie smashes, Dua Lipa was the most-nominated artist at the 2018 BRITs. The then-newcomer received nominations for album of the year (Dua Lipa), single of the year (“New Rules”), video of the year (“New Rules”), British female solo artist and British breakthrough act.

By the end of the night, Lipa took home two awards — British female solo artist and British breakthrough act — tying her with Stormzy as the night’s biggest winner.
2024 – RAYE (7)
And then there was RAYE. On Wednesday, Jan. 24, RAYE made history as the artist with most BRIT Awards bids in a single year (7). Here are all of her nominations:
- British album of the year – My 21st Century Blues
- Song of the year – “Prada” (with cassö and D-Block Europe) & “Escapism.” (with 070 Shake)
- British artist of the year
- Best pop act
- Best R&B act
- Best New Artist

24 Jan 2024

Kanye West Hints at Daughter North West’s First Music Video on Instagram

Looks like Miss Westie is getting a music video!

Kanye West took to Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 24) to tease a video for his daughter North West‘s feature on his upcoming Vultures album. “TALKING VIDEO TREATMENT BY YOUR BESTIE MS MS WESTIE,” the rapper captioned the photo, which featured a preliminary music video treatment including photos of cars, Malibu, athletes, religious imagery and, of course, vultures.

In a follow-up video, the 10-year-old — whom Ye shares with ex-wife Kim Kardashian — runs through her idea for the music video. “I’m in my Lamborghini driving over to basketball practice, driving in the front seat just by myself […] I do some basketball practice, and then it’s all my friends in Vultures merch with one vulture flying around,” North begins, as she runs through the lyrics of the song and how they correspond in various scenes dining at Nobu Malibu, fighting off paparazzi and more. See the full video here.

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In December, North dropped by her father’s listening party for his joint Vultures album with Ty Dolla $ign. At the event, she took the stage and lip-synced along to her verse on a track called “You Don’t Want (North Interlude),” according to Genius. “I love it here / We’re gonna take over another year / It’s your bestie Miss, Miss Westie. Don’t try to test me / It’s gonna get messy / Just, just bless me, bless me / It’s your bestie Miss, Miss Westie,” she proclaims on the song.

Vultures is currently slated to arrive on Feb. 9, barring any setbacks or change-of-heart from the star.

24 Jan 2024

All the Reasons Why Eminem & Taylor Swift Have Us Dreaming of a Lions vs. Chiefs Super Bowl

01/24/2024

From Em hyping the crowd during a “Lose Yourself” Ford Field moment to Taylor’s swag surfin’ with Brittany Mahomes, here’s why a Lions vs. Chiefs Super Bowl would be fun on and off the field.

01/24/2024

Taylor Swift celebrates with fans during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The 2024 Super Bowl is just around the corner, with just four teams left competing to go face-to-face for the championship.

With the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Baltimore Ravens and the Detroit Lions playing against the San Fransisco 49ers in the NFC Championship games on Sunday (Jan. 28), it’s a tough race towards the Super Bowl, which will take place at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on February 11.

While the superstar athletes have been bringing it on the field, some musical superstars have been making headlines from the crowd. Taylor Swift has been spending many of her weekends over the past few months supporting her boyfriend, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, during his games, often seen bringing her famous friends along and having fun while celebrating the Chiefs’ wins in the team’s suite alongside Kelce’s family and teammates’ families.

Over in D-town, Eminem has been a longtime supporter of his hometown team. The rapper is often spotted at games with his daughter Hailie Jade or with his friends, hyping up his fellow attendees and actively cheering on the team.

From Em hyping the crowd during a “Lose Yourself” Ford Field moment and Taylor’s swag surfin’ with Brittany Mahomes, to the viral “seemingly ranch” dip, see below for all the reasons why we at Billboard think a Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl would be fun on — and off — the field, thanks to two of music’s biggest stars.

When Eminem Led the Crowd in ‘Lose Yourself’

While Em was watching the Jan. 21 game from the skybox at Ford Field, at one point in the game the big screen flashed a now-legendary tweet from the rapper in which he wrote, “Let’s f–king go!!!! Detroit.” That got fans hyped up as the stadium speakers blasted the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s iconic 8 Mile pump-up anthem, “Lose Yourself.”

When the camera panned to Eminem, the star, who was decked out in Lions gear, jumped up and screamed before pounding his chest and sitting back down.
When Taylor Gave Her Scarf to a Fan

The sweet moment was shared at Arrowhead Stadium between the 34-year-old pop star and Beth Vancil, who both braced freezing temperatures to attend the Chiefs’ playoffs game against the Miami Dolphins. Swift was in her usual box suite seat, and Vancil was in the row in front of her.

The singer noticed Vancil needed a scarf a lot more than she did. So she took the one she was wearing around her own neck and passed it to the St. Louis resident. “During the game, Taylor coined me as her ‘good luck charm,’ noticed my face was bright red and gave me her scarf,” Vancil recalled to People. “The scarf smelled like home.”

Vancil shared a number of photos and videos with Swift to Instagram, including a selfie with Swift and Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany. “We came, we saw, we conquered,” she captioned the post. “We swag surfed with Donna [Kelce], Taylor and Brittany and Taylor gave me her scarf (it was not red and she doesn’t want it back).”
When Eminem Volunteered to Join the Lions’ O-Line

Em got into the spirit of the Lions’ rare post-season progress with a social post directed at coach Dan Campbell. “Yo, Dan, I’m reporting. I’m going to report. Third quarter,” the Rap God says in the clip posted to Instagram. “I’m reporting, offensive line, eligible receiver. I’ll be the quarterback, the entire line, (the) offensive line. And the receiver, I will throw it to myself and score a touchdown. In the third quarter. Just give me a uniform. Or at least just a helmet.”
When Taylor & Brittany Mahomes Swag-Surfed With the Crowd

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes got in on the fun from the Arrowhead Stadium suite when Fast Life Yungstaz’s “Swag Surfin” began blaring through the speakers. The duo were seen doing the song’s viral dance along with the crowd, amping up the energy.

Taylor Swift made Lil Wayne swag surf the highest downloaded song pic.twitter.com/bYjtqF4OIL

— DaHellisDis? (@wayne4_real) January 22, 2024

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The “Seemingly Ranch” Phenomenon

Who would’ve thought a condiment would go viral during this football season? The combination of ketchup and the now-viral “seemingly ranch” became popular after Swift was spotted eating chicken tenders and French fries with the condiments at the Sept. 24 Kansas City Chiefs game amid her rumored romance with the team’s tight end Travis Kelce. Following the game, Heinz made 100 limited-edition bottles of “Ketchup & Seemingly Ranch” (the flavor previously existed within the company as “Kranch,” but got a timely rebrand for the pop star).

When Eminem attended the Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers game with his daughter Hailie Jade, she got in on the fun as well. Hailie shared a series of photos in an Instagram carousel, the first of her posing with the full stadium and the football players as her backdrop, the second a video of the Lions getting a touchdown, and the third of her watching the game with a plate of chicken tenders and french fries, with ketchup and seemingly ranch as her condiments of choice. “Football, family & seemingly ranch,” she captioned the post with a football emoji.

24 Jan 2024

Michael Bibi to Play London’s ‘Biggest Electronic Show Ever’ Amid First Tour After Beating Cancer

Following Michael Bibi’s December announcement that he is officially free from cancer, the British producer is celebrating with a comeback tour titled One Life.

The trek will include a July 6 stop at London’s 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park. In a press release the event’s producers, Cream and Festival Republic, are billing this performance as “the biggest electronic show ever to take place in the capital.” Tickets go on sale Friday (Jan. 26.)

“I’m excited to give something back to my hometown after all the support and love I received during my cancer treatment,” Bibi said in a statement. The full lineup for the event will be announced in the coming months, with the rest of the One Life tour dates also forthcoming.

The One Life tour will support cancer charities including The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which supports the work of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, where Bibi received his treatment. Fans can make a donation to the organization while purchasing tickets.

The July show will happen 13 months after Bibi’s team announced that he had been diagnosed with CNS lymphoma, a rare form of brain cancer. The London native was forced to cancel all his shows while receiving treatment. His first performance after entering treatment was in September, when he played a surprise set at DC-10 in Ibiza as part of the closing party for his Solid Grooves label.

“To every person that sent me the support, energy & strength to fight I thank you from the bottom of my heart & to the staff [at the Royal Marsden hospital in London] for literally saving my life I will forever be in your debt,” Bibi’s wrote upon announcing his remission last month. “Thank you so much.. I’m still very tired, I’m on a lot of meds, my body hurts & my hairs all gone….but I’m excited to get home, process, heal & prepare for the future with you all.”

24 Jan 2024

Jay-Z Designs Moncler x Roc Nation Capsule Collection

Jay-Z is a long way from the days of Rocawear but he’s returned to design an appetizing collection for Moncler in collaboration with Roc Nation.

The Roc Nation x Moncler winter-friendly capsule arrived on the designer’s website on Wednesday (Jan. 24), and finds HOV combining the coziness of streetwear with the lavish garments produced by the fashion house.

The upscale collection contains various items that can be part of people’s everyday wardrobe, such as high-quality T-shirts, cream-colored sweatshirts, fuzzy sweaters, sleek puffer jackets and a furry bucket hat courtesy of the Brooklyn rap icon.

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Prices range from $345 for the standard graphic T-shirt up to well over $2,000 for the signature Moncler jackets, which have become a staple from the outerwear experts who are now headquartered in Milan, Italy.

Accompanying the collection’s release is a video helmed by the McGloughlin brothers, and they tapped SAINt JHN to serve as the narrator for the clip, which is soundtracked by The Book of Clarence‘s “I Want You Forever.”

“We climb mountains over hard paths. From hard places. Climb above the noise to find your voice. Until there’s only sky above you. Genius is everywhere,” the “Trap” artist says while scenes showcase the Marcy Projects Jay once called home.

Roc Nation and Moncler have done business before, as the two parties previously partnered for an interactive event surrounding Moncler’s Genius Platform at London Fashion Week in 2023. Jay had fans band together to record a song that eventually became “The Art of All” experience featuring Mike Dean.

“The Art of All is the journey, it is the everyday, it is waking up and using your voice,” Hov said last year. “Genius is everywhere.”

Check out the collection on the Moncler website.

24 Jan 2024

Billy Joel to Perform on 2024 Grammy Awards

Billy Joel has been added to the lineup of the 2024 Grammy Awards, set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Three days before that, Columbia Records will release Joel’s “Turn the Lights Back On,” the veteran performer’s first new pop song in nearly two decades.

Joel is the seventh performer announced to perform on the Grammy telecast, following Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, Luke Combs and Burna Boy. Joel is the first of the announced performers who isn’t a current Grammy nominee.

Joel is, however, a five-time Grammy winner. He won each of the Big Three awards in a two-year span in 1979-80 – album of the year for 52nd Street and record and song of the year for “Just the Way You Are.” Joel also received a Grammy Legend Award in 1991.

Rodrigo famously name-dropped Joel in her 2022 hit “Déjà Vu” – “I’ll bet that she knows Billy Joel/’Cause you played her ‘Uptown Girl,’” a reference to Joel’s 1983 smash. It is unknown if the Grammy telecast producers will arrange any kind of interaction between the two stars, but it seems too good an opportunity to pass up.

Joel, who has scored 33 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, co-wrote “Turn the Lights Back On” with Freddy Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector. Wexler also produced it. It’s Joel’s first song released with words since 2007’s “All My Life,” a lush ballad Joel wrote for his then wife, Katie Lee.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is on the tail end of his record-breaking 10-year residency at Madison Square Garden. Joel has played the historic New York City arena once a month since January 2014, and will wrap with his 150th show in July. He continues to tour outside of the residency, including a sold-out stadium show in Tokyo on Thursday (Jan. 25).

Additional performers for the Grammy telecast will be announced.

Trevor Noah will host the Grammys for the fourth consecutive year. He, too, is a Grammy nominee. He is up for best comedy album for I Wish You Would. He’s the first Grammy host to be nominated for a Grammy that same year since Queen Latifah in 2005. Noah won a Primetime Emmy last week for outstanding talk series for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.

The 66th annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 4 from 8 to 11:30 p.m. live ET/5 to 8:30 p.m. live PT on CBS, and will stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).

The telecast will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fourth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers.

24 Jan 2024

Singer/Songwriter tuki.’s ‘Bansanka’ Rules Japan Hot 100

tuki.’s “Bansanka” rises 4-1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 24, giving the rising singer-songwriter her first No. 1 on the Japan song chart.

“Bansanka” debuted on the Japan Hot 100 at No. 14 on Oct. 11 and stayed in the top 20 for 16 consecutive weeks. The poignant ballad with a title that means “Supper Song” finally reached the top spot this week after streaming climbed 3-1 with 9,760,960 weekly streams (up 9.7%) and downloads 8-5 with 6,629 units (up 41.8%). Total streams in Japan for this track have passed the 100 million mark. This song was popular online since before the actual recording was digitally released, through covers and other secondary uses that continue to be uploaded in droves. This explains the increase in video views (moving 5-4 with 1,980,614 views, up 19%), and karaoke (7-4).

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Creepy Nuts jump 27-5 with “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” the opener for the anime series MASHLE Season 2, after debuting on the chart last week. The rapper/DJ duo’s latest hit broke into the top 10 in three metrics of the chart’s methodology: downloads (11-3 with 6,976 units), streaming (30-4 with 8,944,345 streams), and radio airplay (37-10). This song has been spreading on TikTok mainly in the U.S. and debuted at No. 8 on the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart released Jan. 18. It’s gaining fans internationally, charting in the top 10 in four countries: U.S., France, U.K., and South Africa.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE charts two songs in the top 10 this week, with “Que Sera Sera” rising 5-4 after streaming increased slightly from the week before. The other track is “Nachtmusik,” which debuts at No. 7 after its digital release Jan. 17. The theme song for the film Silent Love rules downloads with 10,872 units, which is about 28% more than the first-week figures for “Que Sera Sera,” the trio’s previous single. “Nachtmusik” comes in at No. 11 for streaming with 5,480,372 streams, No. 6 for video and No. 14 for radio.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 15 to 21, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

24 Jan 2024

5 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Michael Marcagi, Zach Top, The Ramona Flowers & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at five artists who appear on surveys with initial entries on the Jan. 27, 2024-dated charts:

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Michael Marcagi

The singer-songwriter and Cincinnati native arrives on Billboard’s charts with his breakthrough solo single “Scared to Start.” The song, released Jan. 12 on Warner Records, debuts at No. 13 on Hot Alternative Songs, No. 17 on Hot Rock Songs and No. 21 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs with 2.6 million official U.S. streams and 3,000 downloads sold in its first week of release (Jan. 12-18), according to Luminate. Thanks to its sales sum, it also opens at No. 8 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart.

The track’s impressive start can be attributed in part to hype generated on TikTok. Marcagi first released a snippet of the song on the platform in November. Since then, it has soundtracked over 70,000 TikTok videos to date. Some independent artists have even begun posting their own covers of the song, some of which Marcagi has shared on his profile.

Marcagi has released only one other solo song on streaming services so far: “The Other Side,” on Dec. 11. He was previously in the band The Heavy Hours, which charted two songs on Adult Alternative Airplay: “Don’t Walk Away” (No. 21 peak in 2020) and “Wildfire” (No. 33 in 2021). He’s slated to release his debut EP in February. On Saturday (Jan. 20), he released a snippet of one unreleased track, “In the Light” on TikTok. He’s currently on the road supporting The Moss on a string of U.S. tour dates.

Zach Top

The Sunnyside, Wash., native landed his first Billboard chart entry with his breakthrough single “Sounds Like the Radio.” Released Jan. 8 via Leo33, the cut debuted at No. 56 on the Jan. 20-dated Country Airplay chart, and jumps to No. 46 on the latest, Jan. 27 survey (up 83% to 1.3 million in airplay audience).

The song is slated to appear on Top’s forthcoming debut LP Cold Beer & Country Music, due April 5. “Creating Cold Beer & Country Music has been an incredible journey,” Top recently shared in a press release. “This album is a labor of love, a reflection of my roots and a celebration of the timeless spirit of country music.”

Top is currently on the road touring with Flatland Cavalry. He has a string of tour dates lined up this spring, including a three-show stretch in April supporting Brothers Osborne, followed by a supporting turn on Lainey Wilson’s Country’s Cool Again Tour. He’s also scheduled to perform at several festivals, including Under the Big Sky, St. Pat’s in Five Points and Two Step Inn.

The Ramona Flowers

The U.K.-based group notches its first Billboard chart entry with its breakout hit “Up All Night,” featuring the legendary Nile Rodgers. Released Oct. 22 on Distiller Records, the song debuts at No. 39 on Alternative Airplay (up 20% in plays). The track appears on the new soundtrack to the NBA 2K24 video game, alongside Burna Boy, Ice Spice, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne and more.

The quartet, which began in Bristol, has been recording and releasing music for over a decade, including three LPs: Dismantle and Rebuild (2014), Part Time Spies (2016) and Strangers (2018). The band has also released multiple EPs, most recently the five-track Hey You in May 2023. The Ramona Flowers is comprised of Dave Betts (keys, guitar), Steve Bird (vocals), Sam Dyson (guitar) and Ed Gallimore (drums).

Artemas

The up-and-comer lands his first Billboard chart hit with his viral track “If U Think I’m Pretty.” The song, which he self-released Oct. 24, debuted at No. 24 on the Jan. 20-dated Hot Alternative Songs chart and No. 39 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. On the latest Jan. 27 rankings, it ranks at Nos. 25 and 39, respectively, with 1.8 million streams (up 8%).

The song’s steady gains can be attributed to activity on TikTok, where the song has been used in over 100,000 clips to date. Artemas first released a snippet of the track in an Oct. 13 TikTok, which went viral. Artemas also released a grunge version of the track on Dec. 1, “Prettygrunge.wav,” which has also helped expand the song’s reach.

Artemas self-released his debut album I’m Sorry I’m Like This in 2022. He has released over a dozen songs on streaming services since.

Wilson Fairchild

The duo, comprised of cousins Langdon and Wil Reid, earns its first Billboard chart entry with its new third studio album Statler Made. The set, released Jan. 12 on Gaither Music Group, opens at No. 39 on Top Current Albums with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week. The pair concurrently starts at No. 22 on Emerging Artists.

Notably, Langdon’s father is Don Reid and Wil’s father is Harold Reid, the lead singer and bassist, respectively, of the Statler Brothers. The band has a legendary history on Billboard’s charts, tallying 66 hits on Hot Country Songs, and 39 albums on Top Country Albums. One of its biggest hit singles, “Flowers on the Wall,” reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 in 1966. The Statler Brothers are members of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Before Statler Made, Wilson Fairchild released Country On in 2012 and Songs Our Dads Wrote in 2017. The act originally performed under the name Grandstaff in the 1990s.

24 Jan 2024

Taylor Swift Steps Out With Brittany Mahomes & Cara Delevingne for Dinner in NYC

Taylor Swift had a classic girls’ night out on Tuesday (Jan. 23) alongside her longtime friend Cara Delevingne and Brittany Mahomes, who is married to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

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The trio, all dressed in sleek, muted-colored outfits, enjoyed dinner at Nobu Downtown in New York City, just two days after the Kansas City Chiefs — including Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce — won against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday (Jan. 21).

Cara Delevingne, Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes are seen arriving at Nobu Downtown restaurant on January 23, 2024 in New York City.

DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

At the Bills vs. Chiefs game, Swift met Travis’ older brother, Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce. “Tay said she absolutely loved you,” Travis told his brother during a recent episode of the siblings’ New Heights podcast.

Jason went viral several times during the game for taking off his shirt, guzzling beer, passionately cheering on his brother and jumping out of the suite to join Bills Mafia in the stands. At one point, Jason picked up an 8-year-old Swiftie and held her up to the box so that the “Anti-Hero” singer could see the little girl’s “I <3 T>

“[Your] best first impression is the worst impression ever,” Travis joked to his brother.

“I’m not going to lie, I gave [my wife] Kylie a heads-up,” Jason replied “The moment we get into the suite, I said, ‘I’m taking my shirt off and jumping out of that suite.’ And she said, ‘Jason don’t you dare.’”

“She was already telling me to be on my best behavior ’cause we were meeting Taylor, so she’s like, ‘Do not. Be on your best behavior,’” he added. “I was like, ‘Kylie, the first day I met you I was blackout drunk and fell asleep at the bar. This is part of the charm. This is part of the Jason Kelce charm. I wanna make my best first impression.’”

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