Music News

08 Dec 2023

Madonna’s The Celebration Tour Approaching $100 Million in Grosses

The numbers are in for the first leg of Madonna’s The Celebration Tour. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the European leg grossed $77.5 million and sold 429,000 tickets.

In January, Madonna announced The Celebration Tour, slated to honor the biggest hits of her legendary career. After a medical emergency forced a postponement of the first batch of North American dates, she launched the trek on Oct. 14 at London’s O2 Arena.

Over four shows that week, Madonna earned $14.7 million and sold 60,000 tickets, only to return to the O2 for the leg’s final two shows on Dec. 5-6, which added another $7.5 million and 31,000 tickets. Since returning from the pandemic, only Elton John and Queen + Adam Lambert have amassed bigger totals at the O2, and they did it with nine and 10 shows, respectively. When Madonna last played the O2, it was just two nights in 2015, compared to this year’s six.

In between, Madonna stopped in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and more, for a total of 27 shows across 11 European markets. Four nights at Paris’ Accor Arena provided the tour’s other eight-figure gross, bringing in $10.7 million from 62,000 tickets on Nov. 12-13 and 19-20.

Madonna’s European totals average out to $2.9 million and 15,900 tickets per night on a $180.53 ticket. Compared to the theater-residency run of her last tour, the Madame X Tour (2019-20), she’s up by 312% in nightly earnings and by 518% in average attendance.

On more level footing with the European leg from the Rebel Heart Tour from 2015-16, Madonna’s last arena tour, her 2023 shows are still up – by 9% in attendance, sold out on every show, and by 70% in average gross, thanks in large part to bulked up ticket pricing.

Immediate demand for The Celebration Tour expanded Madonna’s initial routing of 12 shows in Europe to 27. Likewise, the first batch of 26 shows in the U.S. and Canada has swelled to 47. She kicks off the North American leg on Wednesday (Dec. 13) at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. After a handful of shows this month, she’s back for the rest in 2024, playing through April 15 in Austin, plus five shows from April 20-26 at Mexico City’s Foro Sol.

Looking at the relationship between Madonna’s European shows and stateside shows on the Rebel Heart Tour, Billboard expects the U.S. and Canadian leg to earn about $150 million from 650,000 tickets.

With the handful of Mexico shows to follow, the current routing for The Celebration Tour is headed toward a total haul of $240-245 million and 1.1-1.2 million tickets over 79 shows. That would situate it behind stadium runs on the Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008-09; $407.7 million) and The MDMA Tour (2012; $305.2 million), but ahead of arena treks the Confessions Tour (2006; $194.8 million) and the Rebel Heart Tour (2015-16; $169.8 million).

08 Dec 2023

Billboard and Evite Want You to Team Up With Friends for Music Trivia This Holiday Season

Billboard and Evite partnered to launch Billboard Playback – a trivia game celebrating the connection between music, charts, artists, and fans. Playback is an interactive way for fans to showcase their knowledge on pop culture, Billboard charts, and everything in between. Every Wednesday, join Billboard Playback with a squad of the biggest music superfans you know and put your knowledge to the test for a chance to win exclusive prizes.

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The competition will run from December 13, 2023 – February 28, 2024 with a different topic each week. The top 20 teams each week will earn different Billboard Keys ranging from bronze to diamond based on total scores. Rewards are awarded per participating player (max 15 players per team). 

As you accumulate Billboard Keys throughout the season, head over to the Key Store on Billboard Playback where you can exchange them for exclusive prizes like special gift cards, access to VIP events, and tickets for various Billboard events. Check out the schedule below and start building your team via Evite. 

Schedule:

Billboard Trivia Night games will take place every Wednesday from 12/13/23 – 2/28/23 at 11am PST on www.billboardplayback.com. Games end on Thursday at 10:59am PST.

December 13, 2023: Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs

December 20, 2023: Greatest of All Time Holiday Albums

December 27, 2023: Drake’s Biggest Hits

January 3, 2024: Pop Hits of 2010s

January 10, 2024: Movie Soundtracks on the Billboard 200

January 17, 2024: Artists’ First Hot 100 No. 1s

January 24, 2024: Male Latin Icons

January 31, 2024: Finish the Lyrics to Adele’s Hits

February 7, 2024: Taylor Swift’s Top Hits

February 14, 2024: Match the No. 1 Album to the Artist

February 21, 2024: Beyoncé’s Music Videos

February 28, 2024: Dance Pop Collaborations

To experience Playback, head over to billboardplayback.com

08 Dec 2023

Watch Cher Spit Donuts, Oatmeal & More at Jimmy Fallon in Hilarious ‘Tonight Show’ Sketch

You probably didn’t have Cher wearing a fake mustache and spitting pieces of donut at Jimmy Fallon on your 2023 bingo card, but that certainly didn’t stop the Goddess of Pop from hocking a few loogies on Thursday night’s (Dec. 7) Tonight Show.

During her surprise appearance, Cher acted alongside Fallon in the show’s long-running “Point Pleasant Police Department” sketch, where she and the host dressed up like cops and swapped some saliva with one another, among many other solid and liquid substances.

“You guys probably don’t know this, but he and I were actually on a show together,” Cher told the audience, setting up the premise of the gross-out sketch. “This sounds like it’s a joke, but this was very serious. It was a serious show!”

The pair then dressed up in police uniforms, filled their mouths with powdered donuts and began to act out a “dramatic” scene, filled with plosive-“P” words that helped send bits of food flying at the each other’s faces. While Fallon stuck to the script — only letting his detritus fly with every punctuated consonant — Cher opted to simply spit the food directly at Fallon.

At one point early on in the sketch, as the pair attempted to sling oatmeal at one another, Fallon tried to correct the icon’s performance. “No, that’s when you spit,” a laughing Fallon told Cher after she finished her line. The superstar responded by immediately spewing oatmeal on Fallon’s face, proving once again that Cher does what Cher wants, when she wants, how she wants.

Once the pair had sufficiently soaked one another in eggnog, whipped cream and pumpkin pie, Cher declared the sketch a success. “I’m proud of the performance,” she said between laughs.

Check out the full Tonight Show sketch below:

08 Dec 2023

Urban Outfitters Celebrates Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday 2’ With Exclusive T-Shirt: Shop Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Nicki Minaj isn’t just celebrating her birthday this Friday (Dec. 8), she also dropped her long-awaited sequel album Pink Friday 2. Urban Outfitters is commemorating the special day with an exclusive T-shirt that’ll have you saying “Let Me Calm Down” once you get a peek at it.

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Consider this shirt the gift for music lovers (especially if they’re fans of Minaj) as it features a graphic of the rapper on the front inspired by the cover of her new album. The back is designed with the words “Pink Friday 2” in pink script that’ll have you channeling the vibes of her latest music.

To commemorate the highly anticipated LP, the clothing brand rolled out the pink carpet to launch their exclusive merch. In an Instagram video posted on Friday (Dec. 8) from Urban Outfitters, the storefront has been transformed with pink decor and smoke clouds marking the brand’s official drop of the graphic T-shirt and more.

“? Happy Pink Friday, Barbz! ?” the caption says.

Since this top is exclusive to Urban Outfitters that means you can shop it in stores or online. It’s not uncommon for fans of the “Moment 4 Life” singer to sell out her merchandise, so you won’t want to think too long over whether or not to snag one for you or the fellow Barbz in your life. Once it’s sold out there’s not guarantee that it’ll be restocked — and the last thing you want to see is “sold out” messaging under your desired size.

Keep reading to shop the top now.

white t-shirt with graphic of Nicki Minaj

Urban Outfitters

Nicki Minaj “Pink Friday 2” Tee

Channel your inner Minaj with a graphic T-shirt that shows off her latest album cover on a white background. It’s made from a cotton-jersey material with a ribbed crew neckline and regular fit that you can layer under your shackets, teddy coats, oversized leather jackets or just wear on its own tucked into your jeans or joggers.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best denim dresses, corset tops and platform boots.

08 Dec 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Recalls ‘Embarrassing’ Moment She Accidentally Followed Her Ex on Instagram

Olivia Rodrigo‘s no-following rule on Instagram seriously backfired at one point.

Appearing on the Tonight Show Thursday night (Dec. 7), the 20-year-old pop star finally explained why she doesn’t follow anyone else on her account, which has 35 million followers. “I try to follow zero people because it helps me be off of my phone, you know, off of social media,” she told host Jimmy Fallon.

But even the best laid plans can have unintended consequences. “I had this very embarrassing encounter once where I was stalking my ex, as one does,” she confessed. “Sue me, sorry. And I accidentally followed him ’cause I was stalking him. And I was just following one person so it was super obvious that I was following him.”

After one of her friends breathlessly ran in from the other room to inform Olivia of the mistake, things took a turn for the worse. “I went to open the Instagram app, and the second I opened the app, my phone died!” Rodrigo continued, earning stunned laughs from the audience. “I couldn’t find the charger so I was just following my ex for a while.”

The “Vampire” singer’s stop by the Tonight Show comes three nights ahead of her upcoming return to Saturday Night Live, where she’ll serve as musical guest on this weekend’s Adam Driver-hosted episode. She previously sang “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U” on the show in 2021, in one of the first-ever live performances of her career.

And though she didn’t specify which ex was the recipient of her accidental follow, Rodrigo’s fans are convinced it’s her former High School Musical: The Musical: The Series costar Joshua Bassett. Some claim to remember the moment she was solely following the “Lie, Lie, Lie,” singer in July of 2022.

“People were like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s hacked!’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, you guys, be safe! Two-factor authentication, you guys,’” Rodrigo joked to Fallon. “I have a finsta now, so I’m safe.” The singer also talked about her sophomore GUTS album being nominated for six Grammy awards — she said she and her mom used to make their own hand-written ballots for each year’s show when she was a kid — and the time Fallon made her mom’s life when he hugged her at a party.

Fallon also busted out the album cover and a snippet of the adorable Christmas song Rodrigo wrote when she was five (“The Bels”) and a photo of her pop star-themed sixth birthday party, proof, she joked, that she “manifested” her career.

See Olivia Rodrigo on the Tonight Show above.

08 Dec 2023

Miley Cyrus’ ‘Used To Be Young’ Hits No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay Chart

Miley Cyrus’ “Used To Be Young” ascends to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart (dated Dec. 16).

The ballad, on Columbia Records, becomes Cyrus’ second leader on the list, after “Flowers” dominated for 17 weeks beginning in March – the most among songs by women since the survey began in Billboard’s pages in March 1996.

(The Adult Pop Airplay chart reflects plays on over 80 reporting adult top 40-formatted stations. Airplay is monitored by Mediabase and provided to Billboard by Luminate.)

“Used To Be Young” also returns to its No. 4 high on the Pop Airplay chart and holds at its No. 8 best on Adult Contemporary.

In between “Flowers” and “Used To Be Young,” Cyrus hit the Adult Pop Airplay top 10 with “Jaded,” which rose to No. 10 in September. The same month, “Used To Be Young” launched at its No. 8 peak on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, becoming Cyrus’ 12th top 10.

“Flowers,” notably, has topped Adult Contemporary for 34 weeks (through its most recent frame at No. 1 on the Dec. 2-dated chart), the longest command for a song by a woman in the ranking’s history. It also ruled Pop Airplay for 10 weeks. The single’s 61 total weeks atop Adult Contemporary (34), Adult Pop Airplay (17) and Pop Airplay (10) place it in a tie for the longest combined command on the three charts, matching The Weeknd’s run with “Blinding Lights” in 2020-21.

Meanwhile, “Flowers” rules Billboard’s 2023 year-end Radio Songs and Adult Pop Airplay Songs charts.

All charts dated Dec. 16 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Dec. 12.

08 Dec 2023

Top 10 Highest-Grossing Rock Tours of 2023

Last week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts, ranking the top tours, venues, and promoters of 2023. That coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre diverse artists crashing stadium stages, and in turn, our charts. This week, we are breaking down the year’s biggest tours, genre by genre. Today, we continue with rock.

Rock music has been at the center of the touring industry for decades, with legendary acts like The Rolling Stones, U2, and the Eagles controlling stadium calendars and delivering record-breaking grosses. That is still the case, as rock is responsible for more entries in the all-genre top 10, 20, 40 and 100 than any other genre.

But at 32.4% of all top 100 tours’ grosses, rock takes a dramatic hit from last year’s 42.5% figure. Combined with pop, the two central genres have lost a third of their total market share since the pandemic, as pockets of Latin and K-pop acts take up prime Boxscore real estate. And as rock accounts for many of the oldest artists in the top 100, with Latin and K-pop bringing up the chart’s youngest names, the future of rock bands as touring titans is blurrier than it was 5-10 years ago.

But with a new round of legacy tours from ‘90s and ‘00s bands, plus steady arena grosses from 21st century acts like Arctic Monkeys, Greta Van Fleet and Imagine Dragons, there is still plenty of juice for the coming years.

Scroll to check out the top 10 highest-grossing tours by rock artists, with such acts qualifying due to recent performance on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and/or Hot Rock Songs charts. Rankings are determined according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All reported shows worldwide between Nov. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023 are eligible.

08 Dec 2023

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine are Seductive Assassins in Blood-Spattered ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ Series Trailer

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine (PEN15) step into some major shoes in the first trailer for Amazon Prime’s upcoming reboot of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The first look at the upcoming series adaptation of the spy vs. spy 2005 original starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as married assassins after the same target — and eventually each other — finds heroes John and Jane posing as mild-mannered software engineers as they fly around the globe taking out targets.

Dramatically scored by Shirley Bassey’s version of the Love Story theme “Love Story (Where Do I Begin?),” the two-minute trailer introduces us to the couple in a blaze of gunfire as Glover and Erskine meet cute in a restaurant where she asks him, “so have you ever killed anyone?” Glover, unconvincingly, stammers, “no, not really.”

The pair then set off on a global trek, guns in hand, as they pretend to be a happily married couple while the bodies pile up and they take a helicopter ride over the ocean, their faces caked in dried blood. “What do you think happens if we fail,” Mrs. Smith asks near the end of the clip. “Our marriage?,” Mr. Smith responds. “Our mission,” she says ominously.

Not much about the plot of the eight-episode series slated to launch on Prime Video on Feb. 2 has been revealed, other than the log line, “Meet The Smiths: Two strangers, John and Jane, who have given up their lives and identities to be thrown together as partners – both in espionage and in marriage.”

In addition to starring, Glover is also a producer on the series that will boast an all-star supporting cast featuring Paul Dano, Parker Posey, Wagner Moura, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Michaela Coel, Eiza Gonzalez, Alexander Skarsgard, Sharon Horgan and Sarah Paulson.

Watch the Mr. & Mrs. Smith trailer below.

08 Dec 2023

Tate McRae Notches First No. 1 on Pop Airplay Chart With ‘Greedy’

Tate McRae gets “Greedy” to No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart.

The song becomes the first leader on the list (dated Dec. 16) for the Calgary, Alberta-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, who reached a prior No. 2 best with her breakthrough hit, “You Broke Me First.,” in 2021.

(The Pop Airplay chart reflects plays on over 150 reporting mainstream top 40-formatted stations. Airplay is monitored by Mediabase and provided to Billboard by Luminate.)

“Greedy,” on RCA Records, has also become McRae’s first top 10 on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, reaching a No. 7 high to date. It topped the Billboard Global 200 chart for two weeks and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 for one frame each.

McRae wrote “Greedy” with Amy Allen, Jasper Harris and Ryan Tedder, and Harris and Tedder produced it. It’s Tedder’s sixth Pop Airplay No. 1 as a writer and producer and Harris’ second, and Allen’s third as a writer and McRae’s first.

Meanwhile, McRae bookends Pop Airplay as “Greedy” follow-up “Exes” debuts at No. 40. (McRae and Tedder are likewise two of its writers, while Tedder co-produced it.)

“Greedy” and “Exes” are from McRae’s second LP, Think Later, released today (Dec. 8). She recently performed “Greedy” in her first appearances on both NBC’s Saturday Night Live (Nov. 18) and the Billboard Music Awards (Nov. 19). In April 2024, she’s set to kick off her Think Later World Tour in Dublin.

“I think what defines a pop star is how iconic [they are],” McRae mused in her recent first Billboard cover story. “Madonna, Britney [Spears], Christina [Aguilera]; they would put on these shows and blow everybody away and make timeless art. And that’s what I want to do: make timeless art and timeless performances – and strive to keep on doing that.”

All charts dated Dec. 16 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Dec. 12.

08 Dec 2023

Join Priscilla Block Tonight for a Live Q&A With ‘Hooche’ Host Demps Plus Signed Merch

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Priscilla Block is ready to share some signed merch and limited-edition bundles during Day 5 of Billboard Live Shopping Week with talkshoplive, going down tonight (Dec. 7) at 6 p.m. ET right here.

The country singer/songwriter will join Hooche podcast host Demps (Katie Dempsey) for a special conversation about her latest projects and will offer new bundles featuring her Hey Jack T-shirt, a Hooche trucker hat and more. For an extra-special gift for the country fans in your life, a limited quantity of hats will be signed by both Block and Demps.

Billboard Live Shopping Week with talkshoplive has been going down since Monday, with Garth Brooks’ merch drop kicking things off. On Tuesday, Walmart and Netflix teamed up to bring you gifts from fan-favorite Netflix shows and movies, including Stranger Things and Love Is Blind, and on Wednesday, we saw the double-header of Angela Simmons with her Angela’s Cakes mixes and Jordin Sparks with her perfect holiday gift ideas.

Thursday brought another twofer: Akon with some exclusive Superfan Tour merch and Sammy Wilk with exclusive meet-and-greet packages and an autographed hoodie. Finally, Billboard Live Shopping Week concludes on Wednesday (Dec. 13) with a special bonus livestream featuring Jared Leto of Thirty Seconds to Mars. In celebration of his band’s latest album, It’s the End of the World But It’s a Beautiful Day, Leto will offer up exclusive tour merch, a holiday collection, tour tickets and special VIP packages.

talkshoplive is the first live streaming platform for live streaming and home shopping shows with a built-in buying experience that anyone can use.