Music News

06 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift’s First-Week Sales on Every ‘Taylor’s Version’ Re-Record (And How They Compare to The Originals)

Few artists will ever reach the sales numbers that Taylor Swift has racked up over the course of her career — and even fewer will ever do it two times over.

What started as a passion project to reclaim her master recordings is now a cultural phenomenon. Supported symbiotically by her blockbuster Eras Tour — which reportedly made the pop star a billionaire in October 2023 — the “Taylor’s Version” re-recording project both caters to the nostalgia of O.G. Swifties while roping in new ones, breathing a second commercial life into albums that were already wildly successful upon their original releases between 2006 and 2017.

Kicking off in April 2021 with the release of Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Swift’s years-long project has raked in millions in sales and billions in streams, while also affecting the value out of the original editions of her first six albums. The undertaking has been so successful, in fact, that major labels are actively working to avoid becoming the next “Big Machine,” with Billboard reporting that outlets like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group have started overhauling contracts for new signees and demanding that artists wait an unprecedented 10, 15 or even 30 years to re-record releases after departing their record companies.

Part of Swift’s secret formula for scoring so big with each Taylor’s Version is her inclusion of “From The Vault” tracks, or songs that she initially wrote for each album but ultimately left off of their final track lists. These previously unreleased time-capsule songs have given the superstar a second chance at topping the charts, as well as more opportunities to collaborate with other artists, be it Phoebe Bridgers on Red (Taylor’s Version)‘s “Nothing New,” Paramore’s Hayley Williams on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)‘s “Castles Crumbling” or a litany of country stars on Fearless.

Keep reading to see the first-week traditional album sales of every “Taylor’s Version” re-record (so far), plus how they compare to their original counterparts below:

06 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Charts All 21 Songs From ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ on the Hot 100

Taylor Swift returns with another massive week on Billboard’s charts (dated Nov. 11), as all 21 songs from the standard edition of her latest re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), land on the latest Billboard Hot 100.

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The set debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, her 13th leader, with 1.653 million equivalent album units earned in its opening week (Oct. 27-Nov. 2), according to Luminate. That’s not only the largest one-week total of 2023, but the biggest week for any album since the opening week of Adele’s 25 in November 2015 (3.482 million). Of the new set’s 1.653 million units, 1.359 million are from album sales, marking Swift’s largest sales week for a title to date.

Of Swift’s 22 total entries on the Hot 100 – all 21 from the new set, plus “Cruel Summer” (which falls to No. 6 after two weeks at No. 1) – 19 debut and two re-enter: “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” and “This Love (Taylor’s Version),” at Nos. 20 and 43, respectively, both new highs. Her re-recorded “Wildest Dreams” charted for one week at No. 37 in October 2021, after it appeared in the trailer for the 2021 DreamWorks Animation film Spirit Untamed, while the new version of “This Love” spent one frame, at No. 50, on the chart in May 2022, after its appearance in the trailer for the Amazon Prime Video series The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Here’s a look at all of Swift’s songs on the Nov. 11-dated Hot 100, all of which are debuts except where noted.

Taylor Swift on the Nov. 11-dated Hot 100:

  • No. 1, “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
  • No. 2, “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
  • No. 3, “Slut! (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
  • No. 5, “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
  • No. 6, “Cruel Summer” (down after two weeks at No. 1)
  • No. 7, “Bad Blood (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 9, “Style (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 10, “Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
  • No. 12, “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 14, “Welcome to New York (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 16, “Out of the Woods (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 19, “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” (re-entry; new peak)
  • No. 20, “All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 28, “Shake It Off (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 29, “New Romantics (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 30, “Clean (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 31, “I Wish You Would (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 36, “I Know Places (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 39, “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 40, “How You Get the Girl (Taylor’s Version)”
  • No. 42, “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” (re-entry; new peak)
  • No. 43, “You Are in Love (Taylor’s Version)”

With 18 debuts, Swift brings her total to 230 Hot 100 hits in her career, the second-most after Drake’s 321. She also ups her counts to 31 top five hits (passing The Beatles, Mariah Carey and Madonna for the second-most after Drake’s 41); 49 top 10s (second after Drake’s 76); 85 top 20 titles (second after Drake’s 132); and 137 top 40 entries (second after Drake’s 199).

Meanwhile, this is just the fourth week in which an artist has tallied at least eight songs in the Hot 100’s top 10 simultaneously. Here’s a look at every such instance.

Most Simultaneous Entries in the Hot 100’s Top 10:

  • 10, Taylor Swift, chart dated Nov. 5, 2022
  • 9, Drake, Sept. 18, 2021
  • 8, Drake, Nov. 19, 2022
  • 8, Taylor Swift, Nov. 11, 2023

As “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” debuts at No. 1, Swift ups her total to 11 career Hot 100 No. 1s, breaking out of a tie with Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder to tie Whitney Houston for the eighth-most of all time (dating to the chart’s 1958 start). The Beatles lead all acts with 20 No. 1s, followed by Mariah Carey (19), Rihanna (14), Drake (13), Michael Jackson (13) and Madonna (12) and The Supremes (12).

06 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Makes History With Top 6 Songs, All From ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version),’ on Billboard Global 200 Chart

Taylor Swift’s “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” soars in at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 songs chart (dated Nov. 11). Swift claims the top six songs on the survey – a first in the chart’s three-year-plus history. She one-ups the prior mark, which she also held, as she swept the top five on the Global 200 dated Nov. 5, 2022, when her album Midnights made its chart start.

The top six songs on the latest Global 200 are from Swift’s newest rerecorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which bounds in atop the Billboard 200 chart, becoming her 13th No. 1 set, extending her mark for the most among women.

Swift also becomes the first artist to score new Global 200 No. 1s in consecutive weeks, as her new leader follows the coronation of her “Cruel Summer” a week earlier.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard 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.

Six-cess: Swift Scores Record on Global 200

“Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” premieres at No. 1 on the Global 200 with 63.7 million streams and 7,000 sold worldwide in its first week (Oct. 27-Nov. 2). Swift earns her fourth No. 1 on the chart, following “Cruel Summer” a week ago and two songs that, like her latest, debuted on top: “Anti-Hero” led for four weeks beginning in November 2022 and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” reigned for a week in November 2021.

Swift breaks out of a tie with Olivia Rodrigo for the most Global 200 No. 1s among women. Overall, she ties Bad Bunny for the most among all soloists; among all acts, their four each trail only BTS’ seven.

As noted above, “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” leads six songs from 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in the Global 200’s top six spots. Here’s a recap of their ranks, and worldwide streaming totals in the tracking week:

  • No. 1: “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault],” 63.7 million streams worldwide
  • No. 2: “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault],” 55.9 million
  • No. 3: “Slut! (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault],” 55 million
  • No. 4: “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault],” 53.4 million
  • No. 5: “Style (Taylor’s Version),” 52 million
  • No. 6: “Bad Blood (Taylor’s Version),” 46.3 million

Swift additionally starts at No. 9 on the Global 200 with “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version),” also from 1989 (Taylor’s Version), led by 45.2 million streams.

With seven new top 10 Global 200 hits, Swift ups her count to 24 top 10s since the chart began. She passes Bad Bunny (19) and ranks behind only Drake (35) for the most.

(Among the onslaught of Swift’s new top 10s, “Cruel Summer” falls to No. 11 on the Global 200.)

Quintero Continues Atop Global Excl. U.S.

Iñigo Quintero’s “Si No Estás” spends a second week at No. 1 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 51.6 million streams (down 5%) and 1,000 sold (down 9%) outside the U.S. Oct. 27-Nov. 2. The piano-pop song is the first entry on the ranking for the Spanish singer-songwriter.

Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto keeps at No. 2 following nine weeks at No. 1 on Global Excl. U.S. beginning in July; Tate McRae’s “Greedy” is steady at its No. 3 high; and Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rebounds 5-4, following two weeks on top starting in September.

Plus, Swift debuts three songs in the Global Excl. U.S. top 10, all from 1989 (Taylor’s Version): “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault],” at No. 5 (32.1 million streams outside the U.S.); “Style (Taylor’s Version),” at No. 7 (30.7 million); and “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault],” at No. 10 (27.9 million).

Swift now boasts 14 Global Excl. U.S. top 10s, moving her closer to Bad Bunny’s record 18 since the chart began.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Nov. 11, 2023) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday (Nov. 7). 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, formerly known as Twitter, 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.

06 Nov 2023

Lainey Wilson Announces Headlining Shows in Australia & Europe for 2024

Wild horses don’t easily slow down, and neither does Lainey Wilson. The country singer-songwriter will expand her headlining shows with Lainey Wilson: LIVE, a string of nearly a dozen shows across Europe and Australia. The trek will launch March 20 in Melbourne, Australia, and will make stops in cities including Sydney, London and Amsterdam before wrapping May 3 in Oslo at Rockefeller.

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Harper O’Neill will open for Wilson on the European dates, while Jackson Dean and Kameron Marlowe will open the Australia shows.

“There’s no better feeling than putting on a show for a group of folks who have supported from afar for so long,” Wilson said in a statement. “I’m so excited to bring the LIVE show overseas next year and perform in some brand-new cities for the first time.”

Following her international shows, she’ll return to North America to headline her Country’s Cool Again Tour. The Country’s Cool Again Tour launches May 31, 2024, with a show in Nashville and runs through mid-November 2024, wrapping with a show in Monroe, La.

Tickets for Lainey Wilson: LIVE will be available starting with the Wild Horses presale beginning Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning Friday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. local time at laineywilson.com.

See below for a full list of Lainey Wilson: Live global tour dates:

  • March 20 – Melbourne, Australia – Margaret Court Arena
  • March 22– Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavilion
  • April 17 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – Ulster Hall
  • April 19– Glasgow, England – O2 Academy Glasgow
  • April 20 – Manchester, England– Manchester Academy
  • April 23 – London, England – O2 Forum Kentish Town
  • April 25 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg Max
  • April 29 – Cologne, DE – Kantine
  • April 30 – Berlin, DE – Columbia Theatre
  • May 2 – Stockholm, SE – Nalen
  • May 3rd – Oslo, NO – Rockefeller Music Hall

06 Nov 2023

Rock Photographer Lynn Goldsmith Beat the Warhol Estate at the Supreme Court, But It Cost Her Millions

The intimate photos of late-’70s Bruce Springsteen on concert stages, train tracks and hotel-room beds, due in an upcoming book that documents his Darkness On the Edge of Town period, are not Lynn Goldsmith‘s most important images of 2023. It turns out that the veteran photographer’s 1981 shot of Prince, which Vanity Fair licensed for $400 but never published, carries far more significance. In May, Goldsmith won an intellectual property case in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled the late Andy Warhol infringed on her copyright with his Prince rendering. 

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From her Nashville home, Goldsmith, 81, recalls how the legal battle ravaged her financially and why she’s putting out Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Darkness On the Edge of Town through Taschen after her 2022 book, Music in the ’80s, was released by a different publisher. “I have that identity, of a quote-unquote rock and roll photographer,” says Goldsmith, who has published 16 photo books — including for KISS, Marky Mark and The Police — and dated Springsteen when she shot the intimate photos included in the Darkness book, available for pre-order here. “I don’t quite get it, but at my age, it sounds very sexy, so I’ll take it.”

In addition to the photos of Springsteen, I notice the intimacy between members of the E Street Band — there’s a striking series of the late organist Danny Federici sort of cuddling up against the late saxophonist Clarence Clemons. How did you capture this camaraderie?

One of the motivating factors for the book was, I felt that most people focus just on Bruce Springsteen. The band itself never got anywhere near the coverage that I felt should be brought to the attention of people. What Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show is that when there is a brotherhood, the power of something increases exponentially. You have a group of individuals, led by someone, who are totally aligned with rock ‘n’ roll being the spiritual vehicle for saving people’s lives, for bringing people together, for celebration as well as for reflection.

Why put out this Springsteen book now?

[Art-book publisher] Taschen asked me if I would do a Bruce book. I’d already done a book on Springsteen, which I made intentionally small. It was when they did the reunion tour [with the band in 1999-2000] and I wanted it to be affordable. It was like 20 bucks. I wanted a real rough paper. It’s not that I wanted it to be cheap. I wanted it to reflect something. All these people who loved that period of time now have kids, and they could go to the show and they could mark it off. And that’s not the kind of book you do with Taschen.

So how did you come to do this book for Taschen? You’d just put out Music in the ’80s in September 2022 with a different publisher. 

Until the surprise success they had with the Bowie book, Taschen was known for books that were architecture, high-end fashion photographers and artists like [Ai] Weiwei. It was unexpected. The sales were so great. Taschen’s looking at, “What else do we want to do?” After I did my Patti Smith book, an editor there asked me if I would do a book on the ’80s, and I said, “Ah, I hate the ’80s, I don’t want to do it.” He said, “Please, Lynn, put something together.” Upon looking closer at my files, the ’80s were probably one of the most amazing decades of music, because so many different kinds of music were popular, from Herbie Hancock to Thomas Dolby to Barry Manilow to Bananarama. So I got really excited. Then the editor at Taschen who had suggested the book in the first place called me and says, “Listen, we decided we’re not going to do any books on general subject matter, we want it on a specific artist.” I told Taschen I would ask Bruce, and if Bruce was on board, then I would do it. Bruce said, “Go ahead.” I sent him PDFs, just to make sure there were not any images he did not want in the book.

So how did you put out Music In the ’80s?

I went back to [publisher] Rizzoli, who would do whatever I wanted to do because of that New Kids [On the Block] book and they said, “Sure, we’ll do it.”

They agreed based on your New Kids book?

In 1980, there weren’t any art-book publishers that would handle rock ‘n’ roll. If they did a celebrity subject, it was only Elvis or Marilyn Monroe — until I got Rizzoli to do New Kids on the Block. I had gone to every art-book publisher on the planet and everyone, including Rizzoli, had turned me down. It wasn’t until Kodak approached me and said, “We would like to do a book with you, whatever book you want to do,” [that] I said, “Well, this is what I want to do.” There were companies that said, “Oh, these little girls, they’ll buy anything.” I felt it was important for somebody to give [New Kids fans] something that would be sacred to them. That book sold 350,000 copies. Art-book publishers then went, “Oh, there’s a market here.”

In 2019, you estimated your defense in a copyright-infringement case against the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts at $2.5 million. Did you get to recoup any of the costs?

No. The costs were well above $2.5 million. I knew from the start that there were not damages in there for me to collect on because I’m beyond the statute of limitations. Also, I didn’t sue them, they sued me. Not only did I want to stand up to the bullying — wealthy individuals as well as companies or foundations can weaponize the legal system to grab rights — but all photographers were just sick of people thinking they could just take things without permission. 

Did your GoFundMe work? Did you make up at least some of the legal fees?

I’m incredibly happy that I lasted through seven years of stress and fear, because if they had won, they could take everything I have. Well, that’s a threat. When you’re my age, are you going to start over? I didn’t have my house or anything in a trust before the lawsuit so they could have taken everything. When I started out as the Joan of Arc of copyright, I did not think my dress was going to be burning all the way up to my waist, you know? At the moment that I won the case, there were only 150 contributors, and there was about $50,000, after seven years. Now there’s about $68,000 in there. That is really a drop in the bucket.

So you’ve taken a huge personal loss. How did you make it up?

We sold our house in Aspen and we moved to Nashville, where it’s far less expensive. I have a beautiful home, but it’s not Colorado. In addition, I made an agreement with my lawyers at a certain point that they would go pro bono.

I live in Denver so I take your point about Colorado.

So you understand what happened there. You can make a lot of money on your sale in Aspen.

Going back to the Springsteen book: In his introduction, he refers to you in the late ’70s as a “lovely New York apparition.” What do you make of that?

Lovely! [Laughs.] I’m glad he didn’t describe me as a pushy, complaining, criticizing girl.

06 Nov 2023

8 Must-Hear New Country Songs: RVSHVD, Leah Turner, Kameron Marlowe & More

This week’s crop of new music features the radio-ready sounds of newcomer RVSHVD, the Latin-threaded collaboration of Leah Turner and Jerrod Niemann, a gorgeously voiced ballad from Lauren Watkins and Carter Faith, a rollicking new song from the dependably excellent Muscadine Bloodline, and the unflinching honesty of singer-songwriter Rett Madison.

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RVSHVD, “Small Town Talk”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=8bixQajHv4A&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Jason Aldean earned plenty of criticism for the lyrics and video for his “Try That in a Small Town” this year. With “Small Town Talk,” RVSHVD — another small-town Georgia native who grew up in Willacooche, Georgia (population 1,200), a mere two hours from Aldean’s Macon hometown — offers a more uplifting take on what life is like in small towns. The song and video pay tribute to the values instilled by not only his family, but his tight-knit community — hard work, ethics and love. Sonically, the song’s rock-fused vibe fits squarely into country radio’s pocket, while RVSHVD’s laid-back vocals exude warmth and earnestness.

Kameron Marlowe, “Tennessee Don’t Mind”

Written by Daniel Tashian and Lady A’s Charles Kelley, Marlowe’s latest embodies the yin-and-yang of life on the road and what happens when a run of touring comes to a close. Far from some ballad lament, this track churns with the propulsive rhythm of a runaway horse, features smoking fiddle work and highlights Marlowe’s standout vocals, especially his upper register.

Leah Turner and Jerrod Niemann, “South of the Border”

A latticework of drums, commanding horns and growling electric guitars guide this sultry Latin-country groove. Mexican-American artist Leah Turner teams with “Lover Lover” hitmaker Niemann, and their harmonies meld stunningly, while the energy in their vocals prove a perfect match on this toggling of English and Spanish lyrics. This song turns up the heat, and hopefully is just the first of more collaborations to come from these two.

Muscadine Bloodline, “How Hangin’ Fruit”

Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton of Alabama duo Muscadine Bloodline have steadily and independently built up their fanbase through consistent new releases and dogged dedication to touring. Though they just released the project Teenage Dixie earlier this year, they’re already working on a new album, and have issued a pair of songs to preview the new project, including this snarling, heartache-driven song that swiftly works its way to breakneck speed as the lyrical angst winds tighter. The particularly acerbic lyric, “There ain’t a spoonful of sugar to help the taste of your own medicine go down,” is laced with extra bite.

Rett Madison, “Jacqueline”

The opening track on Madison’s recently released sophomore EP One For Jackie, “Jacqueline” is filled with raw grief, offering a stark contemplation of emotional wreckage in the aftermath of her mother Jacqueline’s suicide in 2019. The lyrics are exquisite, and unfiltered: “Searched your note a hundrеd times/ For answers and peacе of mind.”

The rest of One For Jackie details the complicated web of emotions that Madison has navigated in her journey toward understanding and healing, from the moments when unexpected events bring back memories (“Flea Market”), musing how a demise doesn’t absolve a complicated relationship (“Death Don’t Make a B*tch an Angel”), to imagining a post-death connection (“Kiki”). It’s a sterling, unflinchingly honest album, one not afraid to highlight grief’s messy margins.

Lauren Watkins feat. Carter Faith, “Cowboys on Music Row”



In this hazy ballad, these two supremely talented singer-songwriters lament the lack of “real cowboys” in Nashville’s commercially-minded Music Row area. Their voices blend gloriously as they sing of seeking out lone rangers, red-headed strangers and rodeo men who “sang what they knew.” By the time they land on the gut-punch lyric, “This place might as well be a ghost town / The soul of 16th Avenue,” it’s clear they’re making a cooly incisive assessment. The song is included on Watkins’ upcoming album Introducing: The Heartbreak, out Nov. 17 on Big Loud Records/Songs & Daughters.

Scotty Hasting, “How Do You Choose”



Hasting is a former Army Infantryman who survived 10 nearly fatal gunshot wounds while serving in Afghanistan. His debut offering for Black River Entertainment finds Hasting pondering the push-and-pull of emotions as he battles survivor’s guilt after years of military service while some of his comrades didn’t make it home. Starting off driven primarily by acoustic guitar and Hasting’s rough-hewn vocals, “How Do You Choose” is escalated with electric guitar, understated fiddle and full-bodied percussion. A promising, impactful debut.

Matt Schuster, “Last Fall”

Singer-songwriter Schuster already made a splash with “Tell Me Tennessee,” and proved his promise as a songwriter, landing a cut on Bailey Zimmerman’s album with “Chase Her.” On his latest, which he wrote with Abram Dean, Emily Falvey and John Newsome, he takes inspiration from John Mayer’s 2006 song “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” offering a moody petition to savor the last moments of a rapidly wilting relationship, if only to ward off the chill of the impending loneliness. His amiable, low-key voice leaves space for slick and slightly soulful instrumentation, giving the song a bittersweet undercurrent.

06 Nov 2023

Diane Warren Earns Her 33rd Hot 100 Top 10 as a Writer Thanks to Taylor Swift’s ‘Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version)’

Renowned songwriter Diane Warren returns to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 as Taylor Swift’s “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” launches at No. 5 on the chart dated Nov. 11. Warren and Swift co-wrote the song in 2013, and, released at last on Swift’s album 1989 (Taylor’s Version), it becomes Warren’s 33rd career top 10, and her first since 2001.

“Everything has its time, you know?” Warren told Rolling Stone about the track. “It took a while to see the light of day, but I’m glad it finally did. It was worth the wait.”

As previously reported, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking her 13th leader.

Warren — who has won a Grammy, a Primetime Emmy and an honorary Oscar, is a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among other honors — first reached the Hot 100’s top 10 as a writer in 1983 thanks to Laura Branigan’s No. 7-peaking single “Solitaire.” (Warren wrote English lyrics to Martine Clémenceau’s song, released in 1981.) She had last sent a composition to the region when Faith Hill’s “There You’ll Be” hit No. 10 in 2001.

Thanks to the debut of “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version),” Warren’s span of appearing in the Hot 100’s top 10 as a writer extends to a milestone 40 years, and six months (May 14, 1983-Nov. 11, 2023).

Among Warren’s top 10s, she has penned nine Hot 100 No. 1s, from Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” in 1987 through Brandy’s “Have You Ever?” in 1999. (As for another of her leaders, after topping the Hot 100 for two weeks, Milli Vanilli’s “Blame It on the Rain” fell from the summit on the chart dated Dec. 9, 1989, the current ranking when Swift was born four days later.)

Swift, meanwhile, notches seven new Hot 100 top 10s, all of which she co-wrote, led by “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” at No. 1, marking her 11th leader. She now claims a landmark 50 career top 10s as a writer.

Here’s an updated recap of Warren’s 33 Hot 100 top 10s.

Diane Warren’s Hot 100 Top 10s as a Writer:

  • “Solitaire,” Laura Branigan / No. 7 peak, May 21, 1983
  • “Rhythm of the Night,” DeBarge / No. 3, April 27, 1985
  • “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” Starship / No. 1 (two weeks), beginning April 4, 1987
  • “Who Will You Run To,” Heart / No. 7, Oct. 3, 1987
  • “I Get Weak,” Belinda Carlisle / No. 2, March 19, 1988
  • “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love,” Chicago / No. 3, Aug. 27, 1988
  • “Look Away,” Chicago / No. 1 (two weeks), beginning Dec. 10, 1988
  • “If I Could Turn Back Time,” Cher / No. 3, Sept. 23, 1989
  • “When I See You Smile,” Bad English / No. 1 (two weeks), beginning Nov. 11, 1989
  • “Blame It on the Rain,” Milli Vanilli / No. 1 (two weeks), beginning Nov. 25, 1989
  • “Just Like Jesse James,” Cher / No. 8, Dec. 23, 1989
  • “Love Will Lead You Back,” Taylor Dayne / No. 1 (one week), April 7, 1990
  • “How Can We Be Lovers?,” Michael Bolton / No. 3, May 5, 1990
  • “I’ll Be Your Shelter,” Taylor Dayne / No. 4, July 14, 1990
  • “When I’m Back on My Feet Again,” Michael Bolton / No. 7, Aug. 4, 1990
  • “Time, Love and Tenderness,” Michael Bolton / No. 7, Sept. 14, 1991
  • “Set the Night to Music,” Roberta Flack with Maxi Priest / No. 6, Nov. 16, 1991
  • “If You Asked Me To,” Celine Dion / No. 4, July 11, 1992
  • “Saving Forever for You,” Shanice / No. 4, Jan. 30, 1993
  • “I’ll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me),” Expose / No. 8, July 17, 1993
  • “Don’t Turn Around,” Ace of Base / No. 4, June 18, 1994
  • “Because You Loved Me,” Celine Dion / No. 1 (six weeks), beginning March 23, 1996
  • “Un-Break My Heart,” Toni Braxton / No. 1 (11 weeks), beginning Dec. 7, 1996
  • “For You I Will,” Monica / No. 4, April 19, 1997
  • “The One I Gave My Heart To,” Aaliyah / No. 9, Nov. 15, 1997
  • “How Do I Live,” LeAnn Rimes / No. 2, Dec. 13, 1997
  • “The Arms of the One Who Loves You,” Xscape / No. 7, May 30, 1998
  • “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing,” Aerosmith / No. 1 (four weeks), beginning Sept. 5, 1998
  • “Have You Ever?,” Brandy / No. 1 (wo weeks), beginning Jan. 16, 1999
  • “Music of My Heart,” *NSYNC & Gloria Estefan / No. 2, Oct. 16, 1999
  • “I Turn to You,” Christina Aguilera / No. 3, July 1, 2000
  • “There You’ll Be,” Faith Hill / No. 10, June 30, 2001
  • “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault],” Taylor Swift / No. 5 (to date), Nov. 11, 2023

06 Nov 2023

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Lucky Daye, Rapsody, Shenseea & Lola Brooke, Doeboy & More

As we await both the fate of Kanye West’s long-teased comeback and Friday’s Grammy nominations announcement, the biggest names and fastest-rising stars across hip-hop and R&B have maintained a steady stream of new music for our listening pleasure. As per usual, last Friday (Nov. 3) flooded DSPs with a host of new tracks — including some fun takes on contemporary holiday music — to usher us into the final two months of the calendar year.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Destin Conrad and Masego’s blistering duet to Azealia Banks’ long-teased drill anthem. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Rapsody, “Asteroids”

“My insecurity is the fear of being rejected / When you this raw they listen with an erection / Niggas pull the Drac’ before they rap about affection / There I go, hard to rap without a message,” Rapsody spits in the first verse of “Asteroids,” her new Hit-Boy-helmed single. With jazzy, percussive production, Hit-Boy provides Rapsody with ample room to lob some “asteroids” at the rest of the rap game. These aren’t direct, petty shots, but astute observations as to where the rap game is in relation to where it could and should be. Rapsody’s flow continues to be virtually peerless; she effortlessly switches between different pockets in the beat without ever making her transitions feel clunky or sloppy. From her slick punchlines to Hit-Boy’s wailing guitar, “Asteroids” is a winner.

UMI, “Why Don’t We Go”

Over a breezy, dream-pop-inflected instrumental, UMI delivers a summery song about escaping into a physical and emotional space of intimacy with her special partner. “Why don’t we go somewhere we only know / Climb into me, into my waterfalls / Up in the clouds, yeah, we’ve been there before,” she croons. She opts for a no-frills vocal delivery, which allows for a greater focus on the heartwarming simplicity of her songwriting and the track’s overarching concept — it doesn’t actually matter where UMI and her lover are going, as long as they’re going together.

Ye Ali feat. RyFy & Dcmbr, “Zodiac”

Joining a long line of horoscope-minded R&B joints, this new link-up between Ye Ali, RyFy and Dcmbr is a worthy addition to the lexicon. Steeped in neo-soul with a dash of alternative rock, “Zodiac” finds the three artists not-so-radically flipping the script on the star sign concept. Instead of whittling down the different signs and eventually landing on one that is inherently incompatible with them — they land on them all. “Virgos in LA, Capricorns make me stay / Leos can’t be tamed, but I like it that way / Taurus what I want, Scorpio’s what I need / Every damn day I need a zodiac freak,” Ye sings over the slinky arrangement, just barely reaching the deepest points of his breathy lower register in the process.

Doeboy, “Ain’t Bout Nun”

For the latest taste of his forthcoming Ignorant EP, Doeboy joins forces with Tay Keith for a blistering warning to all his ops with “Ain’t Bout Nun.” Over skittering snares, Doeboy balances a carefully ambivalent main vocal, with ad-libs that add flashes of character dynamism, for a rap performance that captures every emotional shade of the taunting process. The hook is direct, but it’s that just-shy-of-monotone delivery that makes it feel all the more menacing. “You want war, b–ch, I want duck, it ain’t ’bout none / My ice on, you ain’t gon’ touch, it ain’t ’bout none / If I want her, then I’m f–kin’, ain’t ’bout none / What you want? Ain’t got no budget, ain’t ’bout nothin,’” he spits.

41, Kyle Richh & Jenn Carter, “Stomp Stomp (feat. TaTa & Dee Billz)”

Having already scored some of the year’s defining regional hits in “Bent” and “Jenn Jenn Jenn,” 41 — the fiery Brooklyn drill collective comprised of TaTa, Kyle Richh and Jenn Carter — continue their real-time documentation of hip-hop’s evolution with “Stomp Stomp.” Drawing on elements of Soulja Boy’s eternal “Crank That,” 41 combines the brash, no-holds-barred delivery of DMX with the quick-based bullet point flow of contemporary New York drill stars like Fivio Foreign, for a track that sits at the center of sample drill’s danceability and genuinely impressive bars — an area in which Jenn Carter routinely shines brightest.

Lucky Daye, “That’s You”

The D’Mile Musical Universe just keeps getting more intertwined: “That’s You” — the new single from Grammy-winning R&B star Lucky Daye — finally marks the union of two D’Mile disciples, Daye and Bruno Mars. With the “Leave the Door Open” singer on co-production and co-writing credits, Lucky dives headfirst into ’70s-informed R&B songcraft — a notable departure from the more contemporary stylings of Candydrip, his most recent LP. “I been numb, so numb / Spendin’ every dime to gеt everything I want / Therе’s only one thing missing in life / That’s you,” he croons, positioning himself squarely in the “sing-pleading in the rain” era of male R&B.

Shenseea feat. Lola Brooke, “Beama”

Just as rap is a child of rock-n-roll, it’s also a child of reggae, as Shenseaa reminds us with her new Lola Brooke team-up, “Beama.” It’s a smart collaboration, considering that Brooke already has some West Indian-adjacent inflections in her voice thanks to her hometown of Brooklyn’s position as a major Caribbean immigration hub. With production contributions from London On Da Track, Dready and Philip Cornish, “Beama” finds Shenseea and Brooke getting serious. While both artists have dropped party tracks this year, “Beama” — with its hard-hitting drill-inflected beat — is all about putting the opps on notice. “VVS so cold, straight out of my freezer / Me nuh play, like the dealers, top shottas and squeezes / Me nuh talk to bum bitch bottom feeders / Hot head fever, top model diva,” the Jamaican dancehall artist spits.

06 Nov 2023

Tate McRae Announces Sophomore Album ‘Think Later’ & 2024 World Tour Dates

Don’t get “Greedy,” but fans are about to see a lot more of Tate McRae. The 20-year-old pop star announced on Monday (Nov. 6) that her sophomore album Think Later will be arriving on Dec. 6 via RCA Records.

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“We’re here guys. My sophomore album. This album means sooo much to me and I can’t believe it’s so close to coming out,” she wrote on Instagram alongside the album artwork, which features McRae standing against a black background with the album name written across her hockey leg pads. “Writing this whole thing was one of the most stressful, exciting, nerve racking, and fun things I’ve ever gone through. For the first time in my life I lived this year a little less with my head and a little more with my intuition – and I rlly hope u guys can feel that through the music. Through the biggest highs of my life to the lowest of lows – I feel so happy that it is now gonna be yours <3 Here>

See the full post here.

The album, co-executive produced with Ryan Tedder, will feature McRae’s previously released hit song, “Greedy,” which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

In addition to the Think Later announcement, McRae also revealed that she’ll be embarking on a 53-date 2024 tour in support of the album. The tour kicks off on April 17 in Dublin, Ireland, and will span across continents with shows in London, Amsterdam, Prague, Paris, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Sydney, Melbourne and more before wrapping up in Wellington, New Zealand, on November 21. See the full list of dates here.

Tickets to the North American leg of the tour will be available starting with the American Express presale for card members on Tuesday Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. local time, before general on sale begins on Friday (Nov. 10) at 10 a.m. local time on McRae’s official website here.

06 Nov 2023

New Edition Announces Las Vegas Residency for 2024

Next year, New Edition will take their show on the road again, but this time, they will hit Las Vegas for their forthcoming 2024 residency.

Beginning Feb. 28 through March 9, the iconic R&B group will hold six performances at the Encore Theater at the Wynn Las Vegas. The start time will be 8 p.m., and tickets for all the performances will be on sale starting Friday (Nov. 10) at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets open at $79.95.

“Fulfilling a career-long dream to solidify ourselves with a residency performance in the entertainment capital of the world, we are beyond excited to embark on this fantastical journey at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas,” said the group in a press release. “On behalf of all of us, including Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph & Johnny, it is our extreme purpose to give our fans a show that they cannot witness anywhere else in the world.”

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“We are honored to have Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas serve as the home to New Edition’s first-ever Las Vegas residency,” said Bobby Reynolds, senior vp, AEG Presents Las Vegas. “Encore Theater’s roster is comprised of legendary talents, and it only makes sense to have an iconic music group like New Edition join its ranks. We are thrilled to present a series of sure-to-be unforgettable performances to fans in 2024.”

The group ascended into R&B supremacy after notching four top 10 records on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Cool It Now,” “Hit Me Off,” “If It Isn’t Love” and “I’m Still In Love With You.”

Fans can purchase tickets here.