Music News

17 Nov 2023

Ado’s ‘Show’ Scores Seventh Week at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

Ado’s “Show” holds at No. 1 for the seventh week on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Nov. 15, breaking the singer’s personal record for weeks at No. 1 on the list.

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On its 10th week on the Japan Hot 100, “Show” surpasses the six-week record set by “New Genesis” (as Uta from One Piece Film Red). The USJ Halloween event theme is at No. 1 for streaming and video views, No. 2 for downloads, No. 6 for karaoke, and No. 15 for radio. Among these, points for radio increased by about 2.4 percent from the previous week, indicating that the song is steadily expanding its reach to the general public outside Ado’s core fan base. Overall points totaled 11,812, down by approximately 15 percent, but remains 1.2 times higher than the song at No. 2 this week.

The top 10 is dominated by songs by boy bands this week. IMP.’s “CRUISIN’” leads the pack, bowing at No. 2. This song was released digitally worldwide on Aug. 18 and topped downloads on the chart dated Aug. 30 with 14,259 units on its first week. The physical version of the group’s first single dropped Nov. 8 and sold 98,780 copies, hitting No. 2 for sales. While the digital version has been out for a while now, it was downloaded 3,801 times this week to come in at No. 12 for the metric, and the track also rules radio airplay, collectively powering the track to its No. 2 spot on the Japan Hot 100.

King & Prince’s “Aishi Ikirukoto” bows at No. 3. The title track off the group’s 14th single is the theme song for the legal thriller Houteiyuugi starring member Ren Nagase. After going on sale Nov. 8, the song sold 353,077 CDs in its first week, falling short of the 546,829 first-week sales of the group’s previous single, “Nanimono,” but still hits No. 1 for the metric by a wide margin over its competitors.

THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE’s “Katasumi” rockets 80-5 this week following its physical release, also on Nov. 8. The theme song for the movie MY (K)NIGHT launched with 58,937 copies — not quite on the level of the group’s personal best of 229,498 first-week copies achieved by its previous release “Summer Riot ~Nettaiya~/Everest” — to come in behind IMP. at No. 3 for sales.

The last of this week’s top 10 boy band debuts is BE:FIRST’s “Glorious,” which bows at No. 7. Released digitally Nov. 6, the track will be featured as the anthem for the 102nd All Japan High School Soccer Tournament. The song was downloaded 20,392 times in its first week to hit the top spot for the metric, and also racked up 3,254,749 weekly streams to come in at No. 29 — the highest among the tracks that debuted this week. The song is off to a good start, coming in at No. 6 for video and No. 9 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 Nov. 6 to 12, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

17 Nov 2023

Friday Dance Music Guide: The Week’s Best New Tracks From Daft Punk, The Blessed Madonna, Eliza Rose and Calvin Harris & More

This week in dance music: We broke down the top 25 tracks played at ADE 2023 and caught up with Tiga about the 25 year anniversary of his Turbo Recordings label.

And, as always, here are the best new dance tracks of the week.

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Daft Punk, Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition)

The Label: Columbia Records

The Spiel: A half year’s worth of 10-year anniversary celebrations for Daft Punk’s 2013 Grammy winning masterpiece Random Access Memories culminates today in what is arguably this anniversary’s greatest achievement — a new version of the album stripped of all percussion.

What sounds like a potential gimmick instead gives new life to the LP by allowing greater focus on everything that was always happening, but which one can now hear better without all the drums. Elements that maybe weren’t thoroughly noticed or appreciated on the original — Panda Bear’s gorgeous, glowing acapella on “Doin It Right,” Nile Rodgers’ rhythm guitar on “Lose Yourself To Dance,” the pulsing bass on “Get Lucky” — all get space to breathe and shine on the Drumless Edition, with the project achieving standalone status in the duo’s lauded catalog, rather than just being a footnote to it.

The Blessed Madonna with JOY (Anonymous) & Danielle Ponder, “Carry Me Higher“

The Label: Warner Music

The Spiel: At its essence, house music is and always has been church music, with the latest from The Blessed Madonna, U.K. duo JOY (Anonymous) and singer Danielle Ponder delivering a big dose of spirit with the tremendous “Carry Me Higher.” A simmering, slow build multi-movement production is the base for Ponder’s power-lunged vocals, which insist “carry me higher!” — a task this one achieves in that ecstatic manner the best music dance music is capable of achieving.

The Artist Says: “The day we made this in New York it felt like we cracked a code and we’ve often talked about it in those terms since then,” The Blessed Madonna wrote on Instagram. “It felt like a musical breakthrough then and it still does. It’s finally time for us to give you the code.”

Calvin Harris & Eliza Rose, “Body Moving”

The Label: Ministry of Sound

The Spiel: Calvin Harris and the ever-ascendent Eliza Rose deliver a quick hit of sunshine as the days get darker, with their “Body Moving’ collab — clocking in at two minutes and 34 seconds — amalgamating punchy brass, cooking percussion and Rose’s sinewy, shimmery voice for one last blast of summer as the holiday season gets started.

The Artist Says: “My goal was to create a track that captures the essence of summer while also igniting the dance floors,” says Rose. “The vibe with Calvin has been fabulous. He couldn’t be more down-to-earth. It’s been an honor to work with one of the best producers in the world! It’s something I never thought would be possible. We have created something that I believe has really combined our two identities into something unique and also reflective of our own personal work.” 

Shygirl feat. Cosha, “thicc”

The Label: Because Music

The Spiel: The latest from Shygirl is the stuff peaktime dancefloor bliss is made from, with layers and layers of staccato synths building to an ecstatic climax that’s balanced with pared down moments of kickdrum and vocals from Shygirl and Irish singer Cosha that give the track a sublimely feminine feel.

The Artist Says:  “[This was] originally a song we’d made around the same time as some of the album tracks but I decided to hold this one back. I’ve enjoyed teasing this one at festivals and shows while still in demo mode for over a year already with the idea of somehow infusing the energy of the crowd into this final version of the song – ‘thicc’ is fun and carefree and definitely a tease – all the classic traits of club shy infused into one track.”

Vintage Culture, Tube & Berger, Kyle Pearce, “Come Come”

The Label: Virgin Music

The Spiel: Brazil’s Vintage Culture links with German duo Tube & Berger and vocalist Kyle Pearce for the looming progressive house cut “Come Come,” which demonstrates how the genre, when done right, achieves a balance between human emotion, epic size and machinistic appeal.

17 Nov 2023

Tyla Releases ‘Water’ Remixes With Travis Scott & Marshmello: Stream Them Now

As Tyla‘s “Water” hit keeps getting hotter — and climbing higher on the Billboard Hot 100 — some big names in music are jumping on it: Travis Scott and Marshmello came out with two new remixes on Friday (Nov. 17).

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Scott’s wavy flow feels reminiscent of what he did on the 2017 track “Know No Better” with Major Lazer, Camila Cabello and Quavo, while Marshmello’s mix adds a new level of buoyancy. The Houston rapper’s version of the African smash hit made its live debut Thursday night at GQ‘s Man of the Year party in Los Angeles.

“Water” is currently No. 18 on the Hot 100 and No. 5 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and it’s topped both the U.S. Afrobeats Songs and World Digital Song Sales charts. The song also received a 2024 Grammy nomination for the new best African music performance category.

“This hasn’t happened in so long for a South African artist, born and raised in South Africa, with an African song, with an African dance style. Everything is so authentic, and the fact that all of that managed to translate overseas is crazy,” Tyla told Billboard during her October R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month interview. “I always wanted to be the biggest pop star in general. I didn’t want to be the biggest African pop star. I just want to be the biggest pop star that was born and raised in Africa. And the fact that I’m already getting a good response from the world [means] I’m one step closer to that dream.”

Listen to the “Water” remixes below.



17 Nov 2023

See Tate McRae Pay Tribute to Jason Derulo in ‘SNL’ Teaser With Jason Momoa & Chloe Fineman

This week’s Saturday Night Live musical guest Tate McRae stars alongside host Jason Momoa and cast member Chloe Fineman in a new teaser for their fast-approaching Nov. 18 episode; and while the 20-year-old pop star doesn’t give viewers a taste of what her performance will entail, she does join in for a tribute to another musician who just so happens to share a first name with the Aquaman actor.

Standing side by side with Momoa and Fineman on the famous 30 Rock stage, McRae first helps her two costars appeal to the youth with some Gen Z-speak — “It’s giving thanks” — before correcting Momoa’s assertion that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. “That can’t be right,” she says, stifling a laugh.

Then, Fineman randomly sings “Jason Momoa” to the tune of Jason Derulo‘s famously meme-able musical tagline. When Momoa insists that he’s going to claim the melody for himself, the “Greedy” singer joins him and Fineman in singing the jingle as a trio.

McRae’s performance this weekend will mark her Saturday Night Live debut. It’s proving to be a big week for the Canadian singer-dancer, who became Billboard‘s latest cover star on Thursday (Nov. 16) and released her new Ryan Tedder-produced single “Exes” on Friday (Nov. 17). The day after she takes the stage on SNL, she’ll perform at the Nov. 19 Billboard Music Awards, where she’s also a finalist in the top dance/electronic song category for her single “10:35.” The ceremony can be viewed on BBMAs.watch or via the Billboard and BBMAs social media channels.

Watch McRae’s SNL teaser above.

17 Nov 2023

Danity Kane Members Send Love & Support to Cassie Amid Lawsuit Against Diddy

Danity Kane members Aubrey O’Day and D. Woods have spoken out in support of Cassie amid her devastating lawsuit accusing her ex, Diddy, of rape and abuse.

“I am in full support of Cassie,” O’Day shared in a statement to ET. “It isn’t easy to take on one of the most powerful people in this industry and be honest about your experience with them. I know what her heart is feeling right now, because I have done so as well. May her voice bring all the others to the table, so we can start having more transparent conversations about what is actually happening behind the scenes. There is a lot more to all of our stories!”

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D. Woods echoes the sentiment on Instagram, posting a message on Friday (Nov. 17) that reads, “Self worth, peace of mind and the right to speak your TRUTH. Cassie you are incredibly brave to shine light on what you endured in the dark. I’m sorry you had to go through it alone. I’m praying for your continued strength and I offer my full support to you.”

Danity Kane, which also included Dawn Richard, Aundrea Fimbres and Shannon Bex at various times throughout its existence, was formed back in 2005 on Diddy’s Making the Band. The group was also later signed to his Bad Boy Records label.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court this week, attorneys for Cassie (full name Casandra Ventura) claimed she “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including repeated physical attacks and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” while he masturbated.

According to the complaint, after she attempted to separate from him in 2018 after an on-and-off public relationship for 11 years, Combs “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” See the full details of the lawsuit here.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please call the confidential National Domestic Violence Hotline toll-free at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. 

17 Nov 2023

Kool & the Gang Drummer George Brown Dies at 74

George Brown, the drummer who gave Kool & the Gang its propulsive, infection beats, died Thursday (Nov. 17) after a battle with cancer, a Universal Music Enterprises spokesperson announced. He was 74.

Brown — whose nickname was “Funky” — was one of seven school friends from Jersey City, New Jersey, who came together in 1964 as an instrumental-only jazz and soul group calling itself the Jazziacs. Other members included Robert “Kool” Bell on bass, brother Ronald Bell on keyboards and Charles Smith on guitar.

The band went through several name changes, including the New Dimensions, the Soul Town Band and Kool & the Flames before settling on Kool & the Gang, the name that would become famous worldwide, in 1969. They signed to De-Lite records and released their first LP, the all-instrumental Kool and the Gang, in 1970. By 1973, they incorporated emerging disco trends in its sound, cracking the U.S. Top 10 with “Jungle Boogie” in 1973 and “Hollywood Swinging” in 1974.

After a period of decline, they roared back in 1979 with top-10 hits “Ladies Night” and “Too Hot” and the following year reached No. 1 — their only song to top the chart — with “Celebration.” Other hits include “Get Down on It,” “Fresh,” “Cherish” and “Joanna.”

The band has won two Grammys and seven American Music Awards and registered 31 gold and platinum albums to date. Brown’s signature drumming on the early Kool & the Gang recordings has been heavily sampled by such artists as the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Cypress Hill, P. Diddy and The Killers.

When asked to describe his music, Brown — who released a memoir this year titled Too Hot: Kool & the Gang and Me — always replied, “It’s the sound of happiness.”

Brown is survived by his wife, Hanh, and children Dorian, Jorge, Gregory, Jordan, Clarence and Aaron. Donations can be made in his honor to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America.

This article was written by Seth Abramovitch and originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

17 Nov 2023

Tate McRae Praises Britney Spears’ Choreography & Stage Presence: ‘No One Really Did it Like Her’

Tate McRae has big plans for 2024, so she’s taking cues from one of the world’s biggest pop stars. Shortly after announcing that her new album Think Later will arrive Dec. 8 followed by a world tour next year, the 20-year-old pop prodigy — who’s also Billboard‘s latest cover star — doubled down on her love for Britney Spears‘ performance style in a recent interview with Rolling Stone.

“I mean, obviously I watch Britney’s music videos all the time, because I think no one really did it like her,” McRae told the publication when asked where she finds inspiration for her choreography and stage presence. “She always crushed her music videos and the dancing.”

The “Greedy” singer’s Britney shoutout echos what she previously told Billboard in her newly unveiled Nov. 16 cover story. “When I look at my favorite icons or videos or performances, it’s always the biggest pop stars, so I think that’s always a goal,” she said. “I think what defines a pop star is how iconic [they are]: 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,” added McRae.

With production from Ryan Tedder, Think Later will feature McRae’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-climber “Greedy” as well as her splashy new single “Exes,” which dropped Friday (Nov. 17). The Canadian singer and dancer is a finalist at this year’s BBMAs for top dance/electronic song (“10:35”); she’ll also perform at the Nov. 19 ceremony, which you can watch on BBMAs.watch or via the Billboard and BBMAs social media channels.

17 Nov 2023

Diane Warren Tells Taylor Swift ‘Thanks For Taking Me Along For the Ride’ After ‘Say Don’t Go’ Vault Release

A decade after songwriting legend Diane Warren teamed up to co-write the power ballad “Say Don’t Go” with Taylor Swift for the latter’s iconic 1989 album, Warren is giving thanks for the revival of the track as one of the “From the Vault” extras on the recently released 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

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“I was surprised that that became a news story. I mean, what? That was really nice of her. But that shows, she’s smart, she’s smarter than everybody,” Warren, 67, said of the reboot of the track; Swift also sent Warren flowers in October after the release of her fourth catalog re-record. “That was really beautiful,” Warren told People magazine.

“Look, it was great that the song came out and everybody loves that song, everybody. It’s like her fan’s favorite song,” Warren added. “And the fact that she used it now when she’s bigger than anybody on the planet, it’s like, thanks for taking me along for the ride, Taylor. It’s awesome.”

Swift included a note along with the flowers she sent to Warren, writing, “Diane, It was a dream come true to write with you. I hope you love ‘Say Don’t Go’ as much as I do!! Sending the biggest hug to you! Love, Taylor.”

The song was originally written toward the end of 2013, with a demo of Swift playing it on acoustic guitar tracked on New Year’s Day in 2014. The ballad didn’t end up making the cut on 2014’s 1989, but a new version co-produced by Swift and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff made Warren remember what it was like go line-for-line with Taylor.

“Just the way we wrote together was very interesting,” Warren told People. “I loved the song at the time and then I was kind of surprised that she didn’t use it. And then really surprised in a way better way when I found [out] she was.”

17 Nov 2023

Monaleo Conquers Technical Difficulties, Delivers Electric ‘Monaleo Like Monalisa’ Show: 5 Best Moments

“I hate to stop the show like this again,” Monaleo quipped in frustrated jest. “But I’m bout to go slap the s–t out the sound guy!”

During the sold-out New York stop on her Monaleo Like Monalisa Tour, the 22-year-old Houston rapper conquered severe technical difficulties — she was forced to stop her show and leave the stage three times — to deliver a performance that succinctly showcased what made so many fans fall in love with her boisterous, effervescent energy.

Two years ago, Monaleo’s debut single, “Beating Down Yo Block,” grew into a viral hit thanks to its Yungstar-nodding chorus and blistering, tongue-in-cheek wordplay. On Spotify, the song has collected over 36 million streams — nearly the same total as her follow-up hit, the Flo Milli-assisted “We Not Humping,” which elicited the second-most-fervent crowd response during Thursday night’s set.

This year, the rapper finally unleashed her debut studio album, the unpredictable and delightfully versatile Where the Flowers Don’t Die. Stitching together influences ranging from ’90s East Coast hip-hop and acoustic R&B to gospel and ’00s Southern rap, Where the Flowers Don’t Die presents a kaleidoscopic artist rooted in the sincerity of her own grit and heart. The album arrived just days after Monaleo welcomed her first child, a son with Stunna 4 Vegas, making for an especially immersive and introspective project that revealed new layers with each passing month.

With a bare-bones stage comprised of just herself, her DJ and her hypeman, Monaleo effortlessly displayed her artistic ethos on the Baby’s All Right stage: brazen self-confidence, candid nuggets of wisdom, and a commitment to pursuing the like you know you deserve. Her passion anchored the show — she frequently expressed her gratitude and her commitment to giving NYC the best show possible — and provided the foundation for her to tear through some of her most electrifying cuts (“Body Bag,” “Ridegmont Baby,” etc.) with impressive breath control, pristine delivery, and a rotating door of different tones that added splashes of verve across the setlist.

From a New York female rap bonanza to a heartfelt send-off, here are the five best moments of Monaleo’s Monaleo Like Monalisa Tour.

17 Nov 2023

Snoop Dogg to Celebrate 30th Anniversary of ‘Doggystyle’ With Amazon Music Concert

Though the year is winding down, Amazon Music is still in the Hip-Hop 50 spirit as the online retailer celebrates the 30th anniversary of Snoop Dogg’s debut album, Doggystyle, in Los Angeles Friday (Nov. 17) as part of the final “50 & Forever” City Sessions livestream of 2023. 

In 1993, Snoop’s Doggystyle soared into rap supremacy when the album topped the Billboard 200, debuting with more than 800,000 copies sold during its opening week. It spawned popular tracks “Gin & Juice,” “Who I Am” and “Murder Was the Case,” with the first peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fans can watch the live stream at 6 p.m. PT; DJ Hed will kick off the pre-show on the 1s and 2s. 

On Thursday (Nov. 16), Snoop posted about his decision to “give up the smoke.” “After much consideration and conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke,” he wrote in a short Instagram post. “Please respect my privacy at this time.” There was no additional information on whether he was just giving up smoking cannabis, or if, perhaps, he may trade it in for edibles, tinctures and/or other methods of enjoying marijuana.

Several rappers are already following Snoop’s lead, including Meek Mill and Coi Leray. “Ima go to Dubai and completely stop smoking,” Meek tweeted shortly after Snoop’s announcement. “Ima follow Snoop, my doctor said I got a lil bit emphysema in a chest if I don’t stop smoking it cuts my lifeline in half, I was addicted to the nicotine and this new weed got too many chemicals and too risky to play with my mental!” Later, Coi Leray joined the effort and said on her Instagram Story that she would “quit after Thanksgiving.” 

Fans can watch Snoop’s performance of Doggystyle tonight at 6 p.m. here.