Music News

18 Oct 2023

5 Things to Know About ‘SNL’ Host Nate Bargatze

Nate Bargatze will make his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 28, alongside musical guests Foo Fighters.

While it’s his first time hosting SNL, the comedian, deemed “The Nicest Man in Stand-Up” by The Atlantic, has been in the game for years. He has five comedy albums and multiple Netflix specials stemming back more than a decade. According to his website, Bargatze has made more than 10 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, has performed for the troops in Kuwait and Iraq, and at festivals including Bonnaroo, SXSW, Oddball Comedy Festival, Sasquatch, Clusterfest, and the JFL Montreal Comedy Festival.

The Nashville native also hosts his own weekly podcast called Nateland, which is available via Audioboom, YouTube and other podcasting platforms.

Ahead of his SNL debut, see below for five things to know about the comedian.

18 Oct 2023

Canadian Artist Mustafa Pens Open Letter to Justin Trudeau Urging Him to Speak for Palestine

Toronto musician Mustafa has posted an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pleading with him to support the people of Palestine and “defy this active genocide and imprisonment that is levelling Gaza.” This comes after Israel declared a state of war against Hamas on Oct. 9.

Mustafa, then going by Mustafa The Poet, met the prime minister at a Black liberation event and eventually served as the Ontario representative in Trudeau’s youth council 10 years ago. Calling Trudeau his “old acquaintance,” Mustafa asks him to fight for the lives of Palestinian civilians, in particular the women and children, affected by Israel’s offensive.

The artist highlights Canada’s own past with colonial oppression. Mustafa asks Trudeau to join past leaders like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu on “the right side of history in the liberation of Palestine.”

Read Mustafa’s full letter below:

Justin Trudeau,

We met a decade ago, to jog your memory we participated in an event for black liberation together before you were the prime minister of Canada.

When you were appointed prime minister, I served on the first ever youth council as your Ontario rep., we travelled this endless country together in search of some semblance of democracy.. You have your flaws in leadership, but in our time together I sensed a heart in you.

I know you have a political & economic responsibility to Israel. I remember our time in Calgary was clipped because you had to immediately fly to Tel Aviv for the funeral of war criminal Ariel Sharon. I knew and you knew there was no say in the matter of your attendance for this man you did not know.

I’m asking you to use the same tongue that defended Israel & condemned Hamas to defy this active genocide and imprisonment that is levelling Gaza, that is burying & disfiguring children and women.

I’m asking you to use our people’s tax dollars that have been exhausted to support the most funded & violent state in the world to also protect the relentlessly tormented people of Palestine.

So much of our time together was about undoing the iniquities that were done to our Indigenous population, a hopeless pursuit for this already stolen land — for the decades and decades of ethnic cleansing that they’re still recovering from, how could we ever undo what can’t be forgiven or rectified?

A century from now, when they contemplate your legacy Prime Minister, will you be recalled as a custodian of this unforgivable genocide, this ethnic cleansing, this stolen land? Your battle here in Canada will have been for nothing.

Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, join these respected leaders on the right side of history in the liberation of Palestine.

Solidarity with the oppressed and the erased,

Mustafa Ahmed,

Regent Park, Toronto

Hours after Mustafa posted his letter on X, an air raid struck a Gaza hospital, killing at least 500 people. This prompted Trudeau to tweet about the tragedy, stating accountability must be held for those responsible.

Mustafa has also released the first song, “Name of God” from of his upcoming full-length album debut. A devout Muslim himself, Mustafa reflects on the loss of his brother and his relationship with God.

In true Mustafa fashion, this single also came with a heartfelt message in his own words:

I never felt like the Nubian prince my father seen in me through his tinted lens. I try their dance, their prayer- I always fall short.

& Gods name wasn’t always related to beauty for me, but to hopelessness, this Islam we share and Allah we call for while witnessing a constant violence that continues to

bind us, I don’t think I ever felt completely Muslim among other Muslims,

All these sub-beliefs like borders. My aunts in all their wisdom and narrowness-one Sufi spinning into remembrance, one refuting the taking of a photograph.

When my big brother was killed in what will always feel like yesterday, knowing the suspected murderer was someone he held as a friend, someone he prayed with- it led me to believe that maybe his love was his end? Maybe where there is no love, parting from love keeps us alive? Maybe ending in love is the only way to actually begin? I don’t know.

The only clear memory from the days of his death were my parents reciting in unison, “oh Allah, we accept his passing, we accept what you ordained.”

I’m desperate to love God like them.

Our faith and our hearts are too often our demise- I know a field of young niggas dreaming that can testify to this. For better or worse we’ll uncover every bone beneath our hollow laughter, our confused affection; maybe its revealed in our final gasp for meaning.

Until then.

Bismillah, In the Name of God, 10.17.23

Mustafa recently made an appearance during the Daniel Caesar Toronto show on Oct.13. Alongside Charlotte Day Wilson and Caesar, Mustafa performed “Old Man’ by Neil Young in an unconventional encore broadcast live from the green room at Scotiabank Arena.

This article was originally published by Billboard Canada.

18 Oct 2023

20 Questions with Yellowcard’s Ryan Key: When We Were Young Fest, New Music & More

After reuniting in September 2022 to end a five-year break, Yellowcard has enjoyed a memorable 2023: the pop-rock veterans released their first new project in seven years, the Childhood Eyes EP, this summer, right around the time they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their beloved 2003 album, Ocean Avenue. That breakthrough full-length included hits like “Ocean Avenue,” “Way Away” and “Only One,” and became the first of their seven albums to reach the top 40 of the Billboard 200.

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Yellowcard will bring their hits to Las Vegas this weekend as part of When We Were Young, the huge pop-punk and emo festival that is back for its second year beginning on Saturday (Oct. 21). Green Day and Blink-182 will be headlining in 2023, and Yellowcard will be sharing a stage that also includes The Offspring, Good Charlotte and 5 Seconds of Summer, among others.

Ahead of When We Were Young — and a 2024 that promises to keep fans of their toes — Yellowcard leader Ryan Key checked in with Billboard about the band’s recent EP, future plans and more, in this edition of 20 Questions:

  1. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Michael Jackson’s Bad on CD.

  1. What was the first concert you attended?

New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men at the Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum.

  1. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was general manager / vice president of a car dealership and my mom was a mom.

  1. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

My mom was a huge source of support for me as a kid and encouraged my creativity, but actually my high school theater teacher, Michael Higgins, made me realize I could be an artist. 

  1. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The very top? To one day sit at the Oscars, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. When I’m not touring with Yellowcard these days, I’m working towards furthering my career in film scoring.  

  1. How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

The most influential part of my upbringing in Jacksonville, Florida was attending Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. I feel like most people don’t look back very fondly on their high school experience but mine transformed my life. 

  1. What’s the last song you listened to?

I just walked downstairs from the studio, and the Imperial March from Star Wars was playing. 

  1. If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

Nirvana.

  1. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

2006 – Brazil. Mix Festival in Sao Paulo, 50,000 people in attendance. The entire place was a giant mosh pit, and in the middle of it, the fans made a human pyramid that was 3 people high and hoisted a Brazilian flag with a Yellowcard logo in the middle of it. It was iconic and I’ll never forget it. 

  1. How did the pandemic affect your creative process?

When I lost the ability to tour, I was pretty scared. At that point I didn’t know that Yellowcard would ever be a part of my life again, so losing the ability to play shows on my own made the future and my income really uncertain. In the end, the pandemic turned out to be a strangely positive experience for me though, because it taught me how to take my professional life online, and I built a community with fans like I’d never had before. 

  1. What was the reception like to Yellowcard’s Childhood Eyes EP upon its July release?

Overwhelmingly positive. We were all amazed by the outpouring of support and love for the new songs.

  1. How did the EP capture where the band might be headed next?

We hoped that, with this EP, we were able to rediscover the core sound of the band while also representing who we are now. I think we found exactly the direction we were looking for, and if we do any more new music, we’ll continue down that path. 

  1. Yellowcard is playing When We Were Young this weekend. What are you most looking forward to about the festival?

Watching Blink-182 and Green Day play two-hour sets each night. 

  1. When We Were Young exploded last year, with some industry members surprised at the demand for a major pop-punk/alternative/emo festival. What do you think the overall reaction to the festival says about where that sound is at?

I think it’s incredibly encouraging for bands like Yellowcard, who are realizing how much life there is left in our careers. 

  1. You’ve toured with a lot of the When We Were Young bands. Have you been able to stay in touch with many of them over the years?

Yes – some of my oldest and closest friends will be in Las Vegas, and I think we are all looking forward to recreating the Warped Tour environment and supporting each other.

  1. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about Yellowcard?

The chorus melody and lyric on “Honest From the Jump” (from our recent Childhood Eyes EP) was taken note for note from one of my solo compositions recorded back in 2020, from a song called “Brighton.” You can hear it on my EP, Everything Except Desire. 

  1. What’s your karaoke go-to?

“Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer. 

  1. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

“Evaporated” by Ben Folds Five.

  1. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get started making electronic music much earlier. 

  1. What can Yellowcard fans look forward to in 2024 and beyond?

Everything is top-secret right now, but we have some amazing plans for next year. Fans can follow us on social media to make sure they don’t miss future announcements.

18 Oct 2023

Warner Music Japan’s Takehito Masui & MIXI Inc. CEO Talk Monster Strike, Future of Sports & Music

Koki Kimura is the man behind the smartphone game Monster Strike, which has gone on to become a popular content brand worldwide, bringing in over $10 billion in revenue. In June 2018 he was appointed president of MIXI Inc., and he has been focusing the company’s efforts on sports business. Takehito Masui of Warner Music Japan talked with Kimura about what led to his turning Monster Strike into more than just a game, expanding it into a full range of entertainment that includes real-world events, music, and anime. Kimura discussed what he has hoped to accomplish by doing so and what he sees as the future of sports and music.

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Takehito Masui: You’re currently the president of MIXI, but originally you were a game producer. Your smartphone game Monster Strike was a huge hit, with one trillion yen in revenue over a six year period. What do you think made it so successful at capturing people’s hearts?

Kimura: I think everyone has a desire to stay in constant contact with their old and trusted friends. In fact, they’re looking for excuses to stay connected. If you’re an adult, you can create opportunities to stay connected by saying, “I’ve got this work, do you want to do it together?” I was thinking that children also needed some sort of pretext to play together. AAA games had satisfied that need in the past, but now people were playing mobile games instead. I think that’s what led to Monster Strike’s explosive popularity.

Masui: Thanks to Monster Strike’s success, MIXI’s market capitalization grew 30-fold, from roughly 20 billion yen to roughly 600 billion yen. At the time, you were still a game creator. The environment around you has changed dramatically, but has your mindset also undergone any changes? 

Kimura: Yes. One of the big changes was that I started paying attention to what was going on overseas. In 2015, Monster Strike had the highest annual sales of any smartphone app in the world, but most of those sales came from Japan. If you do business that exclusively targets the local Japanese market, you’ll quickly reach your limits. However, the whole world needs communication tools, not just Japan. When I started thinking “we might be successful overseas, too,” I started travelling far more often to overseas locations such as the U.S., Korea, and China.

Masui: In around 2018, Monster Strike evolved from being just a game to being an entire entertainment brand. Music became a much bigger part of it.

Kimura: We expanded it from games to a broader range of entertainment with an eye toward using the power of a mix of media to provide people with more opportunities use to extend invitations to others. Our idea was that this would make it possible for people to reach out even to folks who didn’t enjoy gaming.

Masui: Your owned media for sharing Monster Strike news includes an official Monster Strike YouTube channel. Currently (as of September 2023) there are 1.33 million subscribers. Then you launched the Monster Strike Anime TV channel. That has 640,000 subscribers (as of September 2023). The Monster Strike anime generated a lot of buzz, leading to a theatrical anime release.

Kimura: Collaborations were a big factor behind us branching out into anime. Our IP collaborations go all the way back to April 2014 with our Rascal the Raccoon IP collaboration. Then, starting with Evangelion in May 2015, we sold characters within Monster Strike. Of course, there are some people who start Monster Strike expressly for the characters featured in collaborations, but even more than that, it brings people together because they’re saying “hey, I hear Monster Strike’s doing an XYZ tie-up!”

We believed that a story could provide the game with even more added value, so why not make the story ourselves? And that’s what led to us making the anime. Monster Strike itself is a simple action game, so it’s not great at setting up a story and getting people emotionally invested.

Masui: Then you got into music, starting with the Monster Strike Orchestra, right?

Kimura: For our orchestra project, we were inspired by Dragon Quest. The music used in Monster Strike is orchestral, so we thought it would sound great if we had it performed by an orchestra, like Dragon Quest.

Masui: Then there’s the spin-off “Monsoni!” which consists of music played by game characters. The game’s characters have become musical artists, playing their own original music. What were you aiming for with this strategy?

Kimura: My own approach is to make surprising users our highest priority, so every day I thought about what we could do next that would really surprise our users. I thought, “I’m sure they were surprised with the orchestra, so what’s next?” I figured it would be fun if we did a pop music collaboration.

Actually, to let you in a little on my ulterior motives, with pop music, idols, and bands, there are a lot of fans not only of the music but also of the artists that create it. You don’t see that kind of excitement with an orchestra. So I thought if we made the characters of the game into idols, we could not only produce musical excitement, but also make hit characters. Then we could sell those bands and groups in the game. We developed our plans with the twin goals of sharing Monster Strike in a new way, through music, and of developing new products for use within the game.

Masui: The characters in the game have their own personalities, and in the anime they’re voiced. The voice actors from the anime also perform the song vocals, and the music is sold on physical CDs, just like flesh-and-blood artists. The personal qualities of the characters are consistent across all the media they appear in. There have been artists that started out as anime characters, but what makes this interesting is that even before that, these characters were game characters.

In 2016, you started your XFLAG PARK live entertainment shows (now called “DREAMDAZE”). What was your aim with this?

Kimura:  The phrase “content marketing” may sound a little dry, but there’s a certain passion that you just can’t generate with bought media. That kind of passion can only be generated by creating it through content.

Our idea was to reap the returns through the game, so we don’t aim to recoup the full cost through tickets alone. At a recent DREAMDAZE, we revealed the new Lucifer Transcension: Kai. After the event, the character sold exceptionally well. We can recoup the costs that way, so even if events are costly, we want to create new things people have never seen before.

Masui: The 2019 XFLAG PARK attracted 40,000 people and 340,000 people watched the live stream. That scale rivals many famous music festivals. I’d imagine that you did this to broaden the range of opportunities you’re presenting people to extend invitations to their friends. Have you had any difficulties in reaching fans who are normally focused on entirely different genres?

Kimura: I don’t think there’s very much conflict. Monster Strike is, essentially, about getting together with friends or family members, bringing your smartphones to the same place and having fun together. In that sense, it’s not so much an online game as an offline game.

Some people might not like a particular artist at first, but through the process of playing with friends, having a shared experience with them as they take in the artist’s work, many will gain an appreciation for the artists. For example, when people go to karaoke and everyone sings an artist’s songs, the songs become a shared language and everyone has a fun time. That’s why I think Monster Strike is a really good fit for music and artists.

Masui: What are your plans for overseas markets?

Kimura: I want to continue our philosophy of sharing the value of communication with people around the world. Right now, we’re focusing on Asia. Asia’s population is huge. India, in particular, is a population giant, home to 1.4 billion people. 25 million babies are born every year. The population will provide a powerful boost in the future, and I think we might see Asia developing a strong economic sphere that surpasses those of the U.S. and Europe.

Looking at smartphone communications alone, India has a 46% smartphone adoption rate, making it the country with the second highest number of smartphone users, behind China. Also, due to political reasons, Chinese apps such as TikTok are banned in India. I think that, as a country closed off to China, India presents tremendous business opportunities to us as a Japanese company.

—This interview by Yuuka Higaki first appeared on Billboard Japan

18 Oct 2023

Jay-Z Says Working With Hype Williams on ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle’ Felt Like ‘Cinema’

Jay-Z has been a longtime collaborator of music video visionary Hype Williams, and the rapper sat down for a rare interview with Complex honoring the director’s work to share some memories.

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HOV first worked with Williams back in 1996 for the mob-inspired “Can’t Knock the Hustle” music video, which goes off the track’s interpolated Scarface dialogue about getting deeper into the drug game by painting a picture of the high-end, illicit life. “‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ felt like cinema,” Jay told Complex. “We also have to talk about Malik [Haseen Sayeed], the cinematographer Hype worked with. The cinematography was just so beautiful and the way it was shot it just elevated it to another level. We weren’t spending that sort of money then to finish the pyrotechnics. So when the limousine blows up it’s really janky, you know. But the vision and the cinematography was just beautiful and his eye was just different. The combination between Hype and June [Ambrose] elevated our look and feel. I remember people talking about how great a video it was. ”

He further gushed over Williams, adding, “I would say that Hype could take credit for 50 percent of the success of the music at that time. If not 55 percent. We gave people an audio experience that they imagined in their mind and when he put those visuals to it, it took it to a whole new level.” 

Jay continued, “I remember hearing [Busta Rhymes’] ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See’ on Hot 97 and thinking this song is crazy. We played it a thousand times that night. But when I saw the visual, I was like, oh, this is a rock n’ roll record. This is way bigger than a nice club song. This is a cultural moment for us.”

18 Oct 2023

Drake Boosts His Streaming Songs Chart Record With ‘First Person Shooter’

Drake extends his record for the most No. 1s in the history of Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart, as “First Person Shooter,” featuring J. Cole, debuts atop the Oct. 21-dated tally.

The song reigns with 42.2 million official U.S. streams earned in its first week (Oct. 6-12), according to Luminate.

Drake adds his 19th leader, more than three times the amount of the next-closest acts dating to the survey’s 2013 inception; he’s followed by Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, with six apiece. Of Drake’s No. 1s, he has logged 15 in a lead role.

Most No. 1s, Streaming Songs:
19, Drake
6, Justin Bieber
6, Taylor Swift
5, Travis Scott
4, Cardi B
4, Miley Cyrus
4, Ariana Grande
4, Lil Baby

As for featured act J. Cole, “First Person Shooter” is his second Streaming Songs No. 1, following the one-week rule of “Interlude” in May 2021.

Drake now boasts four Streaming Songs rulers in 2023, with his latest preceded by “Search & Rescue” in April, Travis Scott’s “Meltdown” (on which he’s featured) in August and “Slime You Out,” featuring SZA, in September.

Drake first reigned in 2016 as featured on Rihanna’s “Work,” an eight-week No. 1 beginning that March. His first lead No. 1, “One Dance” (featuring WizKid and Kyla), followed that May.

The entire top 11 of Streaming Songs comprises songs from Drake’s new album For All the Dogs, which concurrently premieres atop the Billboard 200. “First Person Shooter” is followed by “IDGAF,” featuring Yeat, at No. 2, with 40.8 million streams.

It’s the third time that a single act has occupied the top 11 or more on Streaming Songs. Drake did so first – claiming the top 14 spots – on the Sept. 18, 2021, ranking with music from his LP Certified Lover Boy. Swift followed on Nov. 5, 2022, taking the top 13 via material from her album Midnights.

Thanks to his latest haul, Drake now boasts 96 Streaming Songs career top 10s, over double the amount of the next-closest act, Swift, with 39.

Most Top 10s, Streaming Songs:
96, Drake
39, Taylor Swift
34, Lil Baby
30, The Weeknd
28, 21 Savage
28, Travis Scott
25, Future
24, J. Cole
24, Kanye West

All 23 tracks on For All the Dogs make Streaming Songs, all the way down to “Screw the World Interlude,” at No. 33, with 11.8 million streams.

As previously reported, “First Person Shooter” also starts atop the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, becoming Drake’s 13th leader – tying him with Michael Jackson for the most leaders among solo men – and J. Cole’s first No. 1.

18 Oct 2023

Offset Says Re-Establishing Trust With Cardi B After Cheating Scandal Included a Lot of ‘Communication’

Through the ups and downs, Offset’s marriage with Cardi B has persevered, and in a new Call Her Daddy episode, the Migos rapper opened up about re-establishing trust with his Grammy-winning wife after he was caught cheating.

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“First off by like respecting her position, right?” Offset told host Alex Cooper of his process of healing his relationship. “We’re both public figures, we’re both in the eyes of people. Stop being selfish. You’re married to this woman, be dedicated to this woman. And also, just like being more communicative about s—. Like, we just talk more and, because, you know, work was getting in the way, sometimes and it was like, [phew] and we would talk all the time but communication is key. If you don’t like some s—, tell me, and if I don’t like some s—, I’ll tell you. We talk and communication is key. Not communicating f—s s— up.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Offset sweetly shared the qualities that drew him to the Bronx rapper in the first place. “I had seen her online, and I just loved the way how raw she was and how confident she was,” he shared. “She didn’t give a f— what nobody thought, nobody think, nothin’. And it’s just like damn, that’s fire. Funny, great personality, from what I could see, you know I’m saying? Like that’s a funny girl, she’s a cool girl, and then I shot my shot and I swished it.”

Listen to the full Call Her Daddy episode here.

Back in 2017, just two months after Offset proposed to Cardi, a video surfaced of what appeared to be Offset with another naked woman in a hotel. The Migos rapper reportedly claimed that his iCloud was hacked. Days later, a model named Celine Powell claimed to be pregnant with Offset’s baby.

A few months later, in April 2018, Cardi opened up about her situation with Offset with Cosmopolitan. “It’s like everybody is coming down my neck like, ‘Why are you not leaving him? You have low self-esteem.’ I don’t have low self-esteem … I know I look good,” Cardi said in the interview. “I know I’m rich, I know I’m talented. I know I could get any man I want — any basketball player, football player. But I want to work out my s–t with my man, and I don’t got to explain why. I’m not your property. This is my life … I’m going to take my time, and I’m going to decide on my decision … it’s not right, what he f–king did — but people don’t know what I did, ’cause I ain’t no angel.” She wrapped up with a hilarious question for her haters: “Since when are all these women dating pastors and deacons?”

18 Oct 2023

Clive Davis Condemns Hamas Attack: ‘I Support Israel’s Right to Eradicate Terrorism’

Legendary music executive Clive Davis has spoken out on the devastating terrorist attack by Hamas militants in Israel earlier this month.

On Tuesday (Oct. 17), the Arista Records founder who had a hand in the careers of Whitney Houston, Patti Smith and Barry Manilow, among many others, posted a message to social media stating, “I wholeheartedly oppose the murderous hate displayed by Hamas on the people of Israel and I support Israel’s right to eradicate terrorism.”

Davis, who is Jewish, calls the violence perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,300 Israelis (including 260 at the Supernova Sukkot dance music festival in Re’im), “very, very personal and tragic for me. I have experienced the extraordinary pain of antisemitism my entire life.”

“We are witnessing a truly dreadful human tragedy unfold before our eyes in the Middle East… Thousands of innocent people were ruthlessly murdered — many at a music festival, many so young — and I fear many more will die in the weeks to come,” Davis continued.

Though Davis does not directly address the Israeli government’s retaliatory siege of Gaza — which has so far killed more than 3,000 Palestinians in air strikes, according to authorities there — he ends his post with a call for “our leaders to seriously consider humanitarian rights and the preservation of innocent life in the days ahead.”

Now 91, Davis was born to Jewish parents in Brooklyn in 1932. He has been a longtime supporter of the nonprofit UJA-Federation, which has a stated mission to “care for Jews everywhere and New Yorkers of all backgrounds, respond to crises close to home and far away, and shape our Jewish future.” The organization honored Davis with its Music Visionary of the Year award in 2007.

Davis currently serves as chief creative officer at Sony Music.

18 Oct 2023

Ado’s ‘Show’ Holds at No. 1 for Fourth Week, INI’s ‘Hana’ Debuts at No. 2 on Japan Hot 100

Ado continues to rule the Billboard Japan Hot 100 on the chart dated Oct. 18, with “Show” holding the top spot for the fourth consecutive week.

Downloads for the theme of Universal Studios Japan’s Halloween event are slightly down 0.9% down from the previous week to 15,394 units, but rises 2-1 for the metric. The “Zombie de Dance” number is also at No. 1 for streaming for the fourth straight week (14,227,857 weekly streams, also down 0.9%) and video for the second week. Meanwhile, “Show” shot up from No. 48 to No. 18 for karaoke, indicating that the song is beginning to reach a wider audience.

Ado also has another song in the top 10 this week, with her SPYxFAMILY Season 2 opener “Kurakura” hitting No. 9 on the Japan Hot 100. After the new season premiered on Oct. 7, the “New Genesis” singer’s brand-new banger is at No. 5 for downloads (8,979 units), No. 19 for streaming (3,971,190 streams), No. 8 for radio, and No. 17 for video. In related news. Vaundy’s “Todome no Ichigeki (feat. Cory Wong),” the groovy ending theme for the same anime, debuts at No. 22 during this chart week.

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INI’s “HANA” debuts at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100 this week, selling 458,698 copies in its first week. The eleven-member boy band’s 5th single rules physical sales, while coming in at No. 4 for downloads (9,623 units). The music video has been viewed over 5.37 million times on YouTube as of publication, landing the song at No. 26 for video.

YOASOBI follows, with “Idol” overtaking “The Brave” this week to come in Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. In addition to the release of the duo’s new album THE BOOK 3, increased media exposure including appearances on TV has reinvigorated “Idol,” the record-holder for most weeks at No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100. Downloads for the track is at No. 8 with 5,539 units (up 0.78 percent) and streaming at No. 2 with 10,620,712 streams (up 0.95 percent), which is about 1.26 times more than the weekly streams for “The Brave.” The long-running hit is also at No. 2 for video, No. 39 for radio, and holds at No. 1 for karaoke for the 21st consecutive week.

“The Brave” is currently at No. 3 for downloads (13,397 units), No. 4 for streaming (8,402,399 streams, up 0.96 percent), No. 19 for radio, and No. 4 for video. The music video on YouTube has racked up over 13.98 million views at the time of publication.

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 Oct. 9 to 15, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

18 Oct 2023

Jack Harlow to Kick Off Las Vegas Grand Prix Weekend With SiriusXM & Pandora Performance

What’s poppin’ in Las Vegas during big race weekend? A major performance from Jack Harlow.

The six-time Grammy nominee will be kicking off the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas this year with an exclusive concert on Nov. 16 for SiriusXM and Pandora inside The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan hotel. SiriusXM and Pandora Present Jack Harlow will be open to SiriusXM subscribers and Pandora listeners, and fans can RSVP to attend the show here.

For those unable to attend in person, the performance will air in its entirety on SiriusXM’s Hip Hop Nation and will be available to stream on the SiriusXM app. Additionally, SiriusXM Hits 1, Pandora NOW and The Heat will air select songs from the performance. 

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It’s been a big year for Harlow, who released his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart with his third studio album, Jackman., which was released back in April. He first appeared on the list with his Sweet Action EP, which peaked at No. 13 in July 2020. His full-length debut, That’s What They All Say, debuted and peaked at No. 2 in December 2020, as did his sophomore LP, Come Home the Kids Miss You, in May 2022.

Last month, the 25-year-old rapper was named songwriter of the year at the 2023 SESAC Music Awards, marking the third year in a row that Harlow has been awarded the honor. “First Class,” which was his first unaccompanied No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, took song of the year.