Music News

23 Aug 2023

Trippie Redd’s ‘Love Letter to You 5’ Debuts in Top 5 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart

Trippie Redd extends his top-10 streak on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, as his A Love Letter to You 5 debuts at No. 3 on the list dated Aug. 26. The mixtape opens with 37,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate.

Of the 37,000 starting sum, 26,000 units derive from streaming, a figure equaling 46.8 million official U.S. audio and video on-demand streams of the project’s tracks. Traditional album sales contribute 11,000 of the remaining units, with a negligible amount of activity from track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

With A Love Letter to You 5, which Trippie Redd stated is the last installment of his popular mixtape series, the rapper-singer banks his eighth consecutive top 10 release on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Here’s a recap of the eight projects’ chart results:

Album Title, Peak Position, Peak Date

  • Life’s a Trip, No. 4, Aug. 25, 2018
  • A Love Letter to You 3, No. 1 (one week), Nov. 24, 2018
  • !, No. 2, Aug. 24, 2019
  • A Love Letter to You 4, No. 1 (one week), Dec. 7, 2019
  • Pegasus, No. 1 (one week), Nov. 14, 2020
  • Trip at Knight, No. 1 (one week), Sept. 4, 2021
  • Mansion Musik, No. 2, Feb. 4, 2023
  • A Love Letter to You 5, No. 3 (to date), Aug. 26, 2023

Of Trippie Redd’s 10 appearances on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, only the first two A Love Letter to You chapters missed the top 10. The first edition peaked at No. 32 in February 2018, while its follow-up reached a No. 19 best in October 2017.

Elsewhere, A Love Letter to You 5 starts at No. 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart and at No. 13 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

As A Love Letter to You 5 launches, three of its tracks debut on Hot R&B Songs: “Take Me Away” with Corbin (No. 16), “Thy Motion” (No. 19) and “How You Alive” (No. 23). The album’s overall arrival helps Trippie Redd score a No. 33 re-entry on the Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption – album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming – to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity. The return gives Trippie Redd his first visit to the list since February, when he raced to No. 23 as Mansion Musik debuted.

23 Aug 2023

RM Takes Fans Behind the Scenes of Colde’s ‘Don’t Ever Say Love Me’ Live Clip: Watch

BTS‘ RM took ARMY behind the scenes of his filming of the live clip for Colde’s “Don’t Ever Say Love Me,” on which he features, in a new video shared to BTS’ YouTube channel on Wednesday (Aug. 23).

Before launching into the days work, RM speaks to the camera and shares the agenda for the day, as well as how he feels about meeting up with Colde for the video. “I’m here to meet Colde today. To tell you how I feel right now … I really want to see him,” he says. “Make sure to listen to ‘Don’t ever say love me (featuring RM of BTS).’”

The pair linked up on a sparse set with nothing but black chairs and a gray background, and joked around, with Colde doing a mock interview with RM before preparing for the visual. RM later revealed that one of the scenes was shot in one take. After filming concluded, RM explains that the live video was made in place of a his cameo for the song’s official music video.

“I couldn’t make it for the MV of ‘Don’t ever say love me (featuring RM of BTS)’ because of a variety of reasons, so we said, ‘Let’s do a video of us singing live.’ But I didn’t know it’d be such a big project,” RM shares. “The scale has gotten a lot bigger — this video is in between a MV and a video of us singing live. I’m happy to be with my friend.”

Despite such an arduous day on set, the BTS star shared that he was thankful for the experience. “It’s been a while since I’ve worked, so I’m happy and it feels so new. It was fun to grab a mic and sing live for the first time in a while. I think it’ll be a good influence on my work as well,” he concludes.

Colde’s “Don’t Ever Say Love Me” was released as a track on his fourth EP, Love Part 2, which arrived on May 4. In the song, RM and Colde reflect on infidelity, and the fall out that ensues after it comes to light.

Watch the behind the scenes video of “Don’t Ever Say Love Me” live clip in the video above.

23 Aug 2023

BLACKPINK Releases New Song ‘The Girls’ & Music Video in ‘The Game’

After months of delay, BLACKPINK is finally able to release its new single “The Girls” as well as a music video, available now for players to watch in the girl band’s mobile app, “The Game.”

Originally teased back in May, the Aug. 23 video for “The Girls” finds animated avatars resembling Rosé, Jisoo, Lisa and Jennie repeating the phrase, “Don’t mess with the girls,” performing cartoon-ified versions of BLACKPINK’s real life trademark group choreography. For now, the visual and song can only be accessed in in “The Game,” however a poster shared by BLACKPINK’s official Twitter reveals that the digital single will arrive Friday (Aug. 25).

The four bandmates celebrated the long-awaited release of “The Girls” with a viewing party hosted on their YouTube channel. Before playing several games as a group, they watched their new music video for the first time together and marveled over how adorable their cartoon replicas are.

“The choreo is super cute,” said Lisa of the animated BLACKPINK’s dance number, according to YouTube’s Korean-to-English translation.

“Can we pull that off in real life?” added Rosé.

“The Game” launched back in May, with “The Girls” originally expected to arrive soon after. The app’s team, however, announced in July that work still wasn’t finished on the animated visual, apologizing to fans on Twitter for the “endless and frustrating” wait. “Our deep desire to present the highest quality of content flawlessly took longer than expected, and therefore our initial plan to release the M/V simultaneously with the game release was delayed significantly,” read their statement.

See BLACKPINK’s announcement for “The Girls” below:

23 Aug 2023

YOASOBI’s ‘Idol’ Logs 19th Week Atop Billboard Japan Hot 100

YOASOBI’s “Idol” scores its 19th consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Aug. 23, extending its all-time record for most weeks atop the chart again.

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The duo headlined Japan’s Summer Sonic music festival over the weekend, closing out the Mountain Stage lineup in both Tokyo and Osaka. The “Monster” pair also entertained fans with its “Traveling Bookstore YOASOBI,” a collaborative endeavor with the mobile bookstore BOOK TRUCK, set up in the food area of the festival grounds.

On this week’s chart tallying the week ending Aug. 20, downloads for “Idol” slips to No. 2 (10,631 units), but the long-running hit continues to dominate streaming (13,100,852 weekly streams), video views, and karaoke. The Oshi no Ko opener also climbed 24-18 for radio, and while gradually losing points overall, the total continues to best the song at No. 2 by about 1.7 times.

Tatsuya Kitani’s “Where Our Blue Is” holds at No. 2 this week. The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 opener continues to improve in karaoke, jumping 62-37, and collected points in a balanced way: holding again at No. 38 for sales, No. 2 for streaming (9,232,884 streams), and No. 6 for video, slipping 3-4 for downloads (7,562 units) and 32-95 for radio.

Bowing at No. 3 is Kazuya Kamenashi’s first solo single in four years called “Cross.” The track launched with 105,544 copies to hit No. 1 for sales, and is off to a good start coming in at No. 22 for downloads and No. 40 for radio.

Gen Hoshino’s “Life” debuts at No. 7. The superstar singer-songwriter curated the Beach Stage at Summer Sonic in Tokyo on Saturday (Aug. 19), highlighting and collaborating with such artists as Jacob Collier, UMI, Camilo, and Sam Gendell. His latest track rules downloads (13,713 units) and radio this week, while hitting No. 38 for video.

Another debut on this week’s Japan Hot 100 is Colorful Diamond’s “Amakyun,” bowing at No. 5 after selling 76,514 CDs in its first week.

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 Aug. 14 to 20, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

23 Aug 2023

Alice Cooper Calls Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Kids a ‘Fad,’ Condemns ‘the Whole Woke Thing’

While he may be best known as one of the gender-bending faces of the shock rock movement, Alice Cooper revealed that he’s not in favor of real gender-affirming care.

In a new interview with Stereogum, the 75-year-old rock star shared his opinions about best-practice medical care for transgender youth, saying that he was “afraid that it’s also a fad.” Using common anti-trans talking points to elaborate, the star said that he felt children were not mature enough to make major decisions about their gender identity.

“I find it wrong when you’ve got a 6-year-old kid who has no idea. He just wants to play, and you’re confusing him telling him, ‘Yeah, you’re a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be,’” he said. “I mean, if you identify as a tree … I’m going, ‘Come on! What are we in, a Kurt Vonnegut novel?’ It’s so absurd, that it’s gone now to the point of absurdity.”

Cooper then took aim at “the whole woke thing” at large, claiming that society has taken progressive language too far. “Who’s making the rules?” he asked. “It’s getting to the point now where it’s laughable. If anybody was trying to make a point on this thing, they turned it into a huge comedy. I don’t know one person that agrees with the woke thing.”

The “School’s Out” singer even shared anti-trans rhetoric about access to public bathrooms, claiming that allowing transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity would lead to violent crimes.  “A guy can walk into a woman’s bathroom at any time and just say, ‘I just feel like I’m a woman today’ and have the time of his life in there,” Cooper said. “He’s just taking advantage of that situation … Somebody’s going to get raped.”

Despite Cooper’s claims, research shows that gender-affirming care significantly reduces rates of depression and suicidality among transgender youth. Meanwhile, medical professionals providing gender-affirming care point out that minors are not able to make these life-altering decisions by themselves, and that the Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health do not recommend gender-affirming surgery for anyone under the age of 18.

“Prior to any gender-affirming medical or surgical intervention, all minors must have an intake with a knowledgeable mental health provider internal to our system,” Dr. Joshua D. Safer told Billboard last year. “Once deemed ready for a medical/surgical intervention, the processes we have for adults are then brought into play.”

The “No More Mr. Nice Guy” singer is far from the first rocker to share anti-trans sentiments over the last year. In May, Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley called gender-affirming care “a sad and dangerous fad,” making similar claims to Cooper about children “playing” with gender rather than understanding their identity. Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider backed up Stanley’s comments, saying “there was a time where I ‘felt pretty’ too. Glad my parents didn’t jump to any rash conclusions.” Both rockers have since walked back their comments.

23 Aug 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: DJ Crazy Times, Men I Trust, Obongjayar, Briscoe & More

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

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

Here’s a look at 10 songs by acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the Aug. 26-dated charts.

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DJ Crazy Times & Biljana Electronica

Alert, alert! Kyle Gordon, Audrey Trullinger and Chrissi Poland are officially Billboard-charting artists. The comedian, influencer and singer-songwriter, respectively, all chart for the first time with their Eurodance parody hit “Planet of the Bass” (released and billed as DJ Crazy Times featuring Biljana Electronica). The song, released officially Aug. 15 on BMG, debuts at No. 46 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 736,000 U.S. streams in the Aug. 11-17 tracking week, according to Luminate. The recording became a viral sensation after Gordon released a 50-second preview titled “Every European Dance Song in the 1990s” on his TikTok and Twitter pages July 28. The Twitter clip has generated more than 110 million views on the platform, while the TikTok one has garnered over 9 million.

The virality of the song — and the subsequent memes it spawned — led to an official release along with a music video, both on Aug. 15. Gordon’s DJ Crazy Times character is an energetic pink-haired DJ with an ambiguous Eastern European accent, while Biljana Electronica (whose vocals are sung by Poland and portrayed in the video by Trullinger) is the blonde pop star. On Aug. 16, the Jonas Brothers invited Gordon and Trullinger to perform the song on stage during the trio’s tour stop at Boston’s TD Garden

Gordon is a Brooklyn-based comedian who has developed a large social following by posting a variety of characters. “Planet of the Bass” is set to appear on his upcoming comedy album Kyle Gordon Is Great, which includes other genre parodies, due Nov. 10. Trullinger is a New York City-based influencer who has also built a robust following, via comedy and dance videos. Poland, from southern Massachusetts, is a singer who has toured with acts including Blood, Sweat & Tears, Marc Cohn and Suzanne Vega. She has released four albums: Bluebirds of Paradise, Songs From the Concrete, Reckless Ones and Waking Hour.

Men I Trust

The Montreal dream pop band arrives on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its new live album, with Khruangbin, Live at RBC Echo Beach. The set, released on vinyl and digitally Aug. 11 via Dead Oceans, debuts at No. 46 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 73 on Top Album Sales with 2,000 copies sold. The collection also sparks the group’s No. 43 start on the Emerging Artists chart. The two bands, who toured together last year, recorded the set during their stop at Toronto’s RBC Echo Beach venue on Aug. 2, 2022. Men I Trust has released four studio albums: Men I Trust (in 2014), Headroom (2015), Oncle Jazz (2019) and Untourable Album (2021). It also released one other live effort, 2020’s Forever Live Sessions. The band comprises Jessy Caron (bass, guitar), Dragos Chiriac (keys) and Emmanuelle Proulx (vocals, guitar) and has a string of U.S. tour dates set for October-November.

Obongjayar

The Nigerian-born, London-based artist (real name Steven Umoh) reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new collaboration with Fred Again.., “Adore U.” The song, released Aug. 11 on Big Beat/Atlantic Records, debuts at No. 16 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 1.8 million streams. It samples Obongjayar’s “I Wish It Was Me,” released last year on Obongjayar’s debut studio album, Some Nights I Dream of Doors. Before releasing his debut LP, he served up four EPs: Home (2016), Bassey (2017), Which Way Is Forward (2020) and Sweetness, with Sarz (2021).

Obongjayar gained new notoriety in 2021 thanks to his featured turn on Little Simz’s “Point and Kill,” from her LP Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The song, which the pair performed together on NPR’s Tiny Desk home concert series in 2021, has generated over 7 million U.S. streams. Just before releasing “Adore U,” Obongjayar performed his own Tiny Desk concert Aug. 2. Outside of Fred Again.. and Little Simz, he has collaborated with Boj, Danny Brown, Giggs and Jeshi.

Briscoe

The Austin, Texas-based Americana/folk-rock duo – comprised of Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton, who attended the University of Texas at Austin together – scores its first Billboard chart appearance with its breakthrough single, “The Well.” Released June 27 on ATO Records, the song debuts at No. 40 on Adult Alternative Airplay (up 13% in plays Aug. 11-17). The song is set to appear on the pair’s debut full-length, West of It All, due Sept. 15. The act released its debut five-track Briscoe EP in 2020. In June, Briscoe kicked off its first headlining U.S. tour, which runs through October. The pair previously opened for Zach Bryan, Caamp, Noah Kahan and Ruston Kelly. Briscoe is also scheduled to open for Dave Matthews Band Sept. 1 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash.

D-Block Europe

The hip-hop collective from Lewisham, England, appears on Billboard’s U.S. charts for the first time with its new collaboration with Cassö and RAYE, “Prada.” The song, released Aug. 11 on Ministry of Sound/Columbia Records, debuts at No. 30 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 889,000 U.S. streams. D-Block Europe is already a seasoned act across the pond, having charted 12 songs on the Official U.K. Singles chart, including three top 10s: “Overseas” with Central Cee (No. 6 peak in 2022); “Rocket Science” (by Clavish featuring D-Block Europe; No. 9, December 2022); and “Pakistan” with Clavish (No. 8, this July). The act has also charted seven top 10 albums on Official U.K. Albums – the most ever among British rap acts, a record the group reached with its latest mixtape, DBE World. The act is comprised of Ricky Earl “Dirtbike LB” Banton and Adam Nathaniel “Young Adz” Williams.

Kita Alexander

The Australian pop singer from Brisbane, Queensland, notches her first career entry on Billboard’s charts, with “Atmosphere,” with Fisher. The song, released Aug. 11 on Catch & Release, debuts at No. 9 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 2.3 million U.S. streams and 1,000 sold. It also begins at No. 1 on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales and No. 19 on Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs. Alexander has released five solo EPs: Lion Hat (2013), Like You Want To (2015), Hotel (2017), The One (2022) and Sunday Arvos (January). In July, she signed with the Australia-based artist management group Lemon Tree Music. Alexander’s catalog “is anthem after anthem, and her new music is no exception,” LTM senior artist manager Elise Naismith said upon the signing. “Off the back of her sold-out debut headline tour earlier this year, I look forward to empowering Kita as she enters her Queen era, here in Australia and beyond.” Outside of Fisher, Alexander has collaborated with Morgan Evans on the song “Date Night.”

Skye Morales

The Atlanta-based R&B singer earns her first Billboard chart hit, thanks to her new collaboration with Trippie Redd, “Took My Breath Away.” The artists, who have been romantically linked, released the song June 16 via 1400 Entertainment/10K Projects; it’s also on Trippie’s new LP, A Lover Letter to You 5 (released Aug. 11). The song debuts at No. 8 on both the Rap Digital Song Sales and R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales charts with 1,000 downloads sold. The album opens at No. 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart and No. 13 on the Billboard 200. Morales has one additional feature on the project, “A Feeling.” Outside of her work with Trippie Redd, Morales has released two solo EPs: the four-track Free in 2018 and the eight-track SKYE – EP in November 2022.

Calacote

The singer-songwriter (real name Luca Newton), who was born in North Carolina and is of Dominican and French descent, hits Billboard’s charts for the first time with his team-up with Big Time Rush and Maffio, “Suave.” The song, released Aug. 16 on Bought the Rights/BMG, debuts at No. 3 on Latin Pop Digital Song Sales, No. 12 on Latin Rhythm Digital Song Sales and No. 21 on the all-Latin-genre Latin Digital Song Sales chart. In 2021, Calacote became the first artist that Maffio signed to his Alkatraks Music Group label. A year later, he signed a global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. “Calacote represents a new sound within the Latin urban community,” Alexandra Lioutikoff, president of U.S. Latin and Latin America at UMPG, said at the time. “UMPG is thrilled to sign a multilingual talent like him with truly global potential as both a songwriter and an artist.”

Rigoberta Bandini

The Spanish band, led by Paula Ribó, enters Billboard’s charts with its song “Canciones de Amor a Ti.” The track, released in 2022 on the group’s debut studio album La Emperatriz, arrives at No. 12 on Latin Pop Digital Song Sales. Outside of the band, Ribó is a playwright and actress. She has dubbed hundreds of popular films, TV shows and video games in Spanish or Catalan, including Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Frozen, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood and the Harry Potter franchise. Along with Ribó, Rigoberta Bandini comprises Belén Barenys, Joan Barenys and Esteban Navarro. Ribó previously performed with Spanish group The Mamzelles.

Oliver Anthony Music

As previously reported, the singer-songwriter makes a historic first-time visit to Billboard’s charts. The artist (born Christopher Anthony Lunsford) debuts two songs on the Hot 100: the viral “Rich Men North of Richmond” at No. 1, and “Aint Gotta Dollar” at No. 82. The Farmville, Va.-based artist is the first act to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 without having previously appeared on a chart in any form. “Richmond,” self-released Aug. 11, soars in with 17.5 million U.S. streams and 147,000 downloads sold. Not being promoted to radio, it also tallied 553,000 radio airplay audience impressions (with 516,000 on country stations). The song concurrently launches at Nos. 1 and 4 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts, respectively, as well as No. 1 on the multimetric Hot Country Songs survey. “Dollar,” self-released in September 2022, debuts with 3.5 million U.S. streams (up 1,222%) and 17,000 sold (up 2,300%). It also enters at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales and No. 21 on Hot Country Songs.

“Richmond” went viral online after the radiowv YouTube account, which spotlights unsigned Americana and country acts in the Virginia/West Virginia region, posted it Aug. 11, along with the song’s arrival on DSPs and at digital retailers. The song, with lyrics detailing inflation, taxes, child trafficking and welfare abuse, has drawn both praise from the right and opposition from the left (and now opposition from the right).

The song’s virality has also increased interest in Anthony’s other releases. He debuts 13 tracks on Digital Song Sales, led by “Richmond” at No. 1. He’s the only living solo male artist to chart as many as 13 songs in the top 50 of the survey. On the 25-position Country Digital Song Sales chart, he also totals 13 titles, including six in the top 10.

Among Anthony’s other chart debuts, he lands three entries on Hot Country Songs (“Richmond” at No. 1, “Dollar” at No. 21 and “Ive Got to Get Sober” at No. 35) and premieres at No. 3 on the Billboard Artist 100.

23 Aug 2023

Ex-MTV Boss Says Christina Aguilera’s Team Asked Him to Re-Edit Her Into Madonna-Britney Spears VMA Triple-Kiss

It’s the most famous triple same-sex kiss in MTV Video Music Awards history. But chances are you only remember two-thirds of it, despite reported efforts from Christina Aguilera‘s team to re-re-write the narrative to correct what they saw as the most egregious cut-away in pop history.

In a new Rolling Stone story looking back at the 2003 MTV VMAs that opened with a surprise appearance from OG MTV star Madonna, former MTV president Van Toffler broke down his decision to kick off the broadcast with a call-back to the “Like a Virgin” singer’s legendary 1984 performance on the first VMAs.

“I don’t have to encourage Madonna to go over-the-top,” Toffler told the magazine on the 20th anniversary of the kiss-heard-’round-the-world. “That’s in her DNA. We were just saying, ‘We’re gonna give you a lot of real estate. It’s a big moment.’ We talked about guest performers.”

And, as usual, Madonna delivered by kissing her pop progeny, Britney Spears and Aguilera, on the mouth in a bit that whipped up a media frenzy at a time before such awards show provocations became commonplace.

But what most people remember is the Britney and Madonna part, and then the camera cutting away to Britney’s ex, Justin Timberlake, who seemed unsettled by the provocative performance piece.

According to RS, behind the scenes, Aguilera’s team was upset with the cutaway, with Toffler saying it “caused a little bit of grief coming my way… It didn’t make life easier that night, but you have to make choices in a live show. Sometimes you’re wrong and sometimes you’re right, but I think the beauty of the VMAs was the combustibility. You wanted to make it fun and semi-chaotic. That’s what we did.”

Former MTV executive vice president Tom Calderone told RS that Aguilera’s team asked MTV to re-edit the performance for future re-broadcasts to include the Aguilera lip lock, a request the network did not comply with. A spokesperson for Aguilera had no comment on the report and RS said the singer declined to respond to their story.

Aguilera — who is no longer represented by anyone from her team at the time of the kiss — said the cut-away was “weird” in a 2018 interview with Andy Cohen. “You know, why they cut away for it… to get Justin’s reaction,” she said, noting that Brit and Justin were exes at the time and calling the edit a “cheap shot.” When Cohen noted that some people might not have realized Xtina was a part of the kiss, she said she definitely saw headlines the next day and her reaction was, “‘Oh well, I guess I got left out of that.’” The RS story does not touch on whether Aguilera was aware at the time that her team had made the re-cut request.

(You can see a rehearsal of the performance, without the Timberlake edit, here.)

The piece also noted that before the broadcast, Toffler and his team originally heard that Madonna had recruited Spears and Missy Elliott — who extended the performance with a run through her song “Work It” — as well as Jennifer Lopez, who was riding high at the time thanks to her hits “Jenny From the Block” and “All I Have.” Lopez, however, had to drop out because she’d committed to shoot the movie Shall We Dance? that summer.

According to the story, Madonna chose Spears and Lopez because of their dancing ability, but subbing in Aguilera added the extra layer of intrigue the VMAs have become notorious for thanks to her media-whipped teen pop rivalry with fellow ex All-New Mickey Mouse Club alum Spears.

Always a cunning narrative mastermind, RS reported that Madonna wanted as few people as possible to know her plans for the performance that would open with “Like a Virgin” and feature Spears and Aguilera standing astride a giant hydraulic wedding cake from which Madonna would later emerge. The plan was to switch to Madge’s then-new single, “Hollywood,” then throw to Elliott and end with a reprise of “Hollywood.”

The limited view of rehearsals that MTV execs got seemed mostly like the global superstar putting her charges through their paces, until two weeks before air when VMAs director Beth McCarthy-Miller called Toffler to let him know what to expect. “’You’re not going to be able to tell anyone, but I think this is going to make you happy,’” Toffler remembered her saying. “‘Madonna kisses Britney and Christina.’” 

Embracing the kind of viral moment that MTV relished long before there was a name for it, the MTV team reportedly broke out in triumphant high-fives at what they knew would be a one-of-a-kind TV segment. With Aguilera and Spears dressed as veiled brides singing “Like a Virgin” and rolling on the ground, Madonna emerged in shiny black coattails and top hat as their “groom,” with producers sprinkling in quick looks at audience members in real time.

There was Beyoncé smiling and clapping, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Osborne looking bored, Madonna’s then-husband director Guy Ritchie giving a standing ovation, as well as shots of Eminem and 50 Cent and the original Queer Eye For the Straight Guy cast freaking out. Most importantly, they made sure to include a shot of Timberlake, who raised a playful eyebrow at the site of the three on stage dancing sensually.

But 30 seconds later, after Madonna took off Aguilera’s garter and locked lips with Spears, associate director Stefani Cohen cut away from Aguilera’s kiss to focus on Timberlake again, who this time had a seemingly annoyed expression on his face. It was a split-second editing decision that the story says was a “no-brainer” considering that Timberlake had cast Britney look-alike in his shade-throwing “Cry Me a River” video a year earlier in the wake of their split

“It’s just quintessential Madonna,” Toffler said of the classic MTV awards show stunt. “You give Madonna the germ of an idea or just the real estate, and she’s going to take it. She had a history of pushing us and pushing culture, and that’s what was great about her and what was great about MTV. We pushed culture in provocative ways.” 

Watch the TV version of the kiss here.

23 Aug 2023

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Break Record for Biggest Jump to No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay Chart

Just three weeks from their last time at the summit, Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice recapture the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart as “Barbie World” with Aqua flies 7-1 to lead the list dated Aug. 26 and rewrite the record for the biggest jump to No. 1 in the chart’s history. The pair previously led with their one-week champ, “Princess Diana,” on the chart dated Aug. 5.

“Barbie World” leaps to No. 1 after a substantial 31% increase in weekly plays that made it the most played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate. The swell secured the song the weekly Greatest Gainer honor, for the largest improvement in plays for the week among the chart’s 40 titles. From the rhythmic chart panel, Summit Media stations WHZT-FM in Greenville, S.C., KPHW-FM (Honolulu, Hawaii) and WKHT-FM (Knoxville, Tenn.) led all reporters for the most “Barbie World” plays in the tracking week.

With a 7-1 flight, “Barbie World” breaks the record for the largest leap to the No. 1 spot on Rhythmic Airplay since the list began in 1992. Previously, two songs managed 6-1 ascents for the prior best: Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” in 1992, and Da Brat’s “Funkdafied” in 1994.

Thanks to “Barbie World,” Ice Spice gains her third Rhythmic Airplay No. 1 – all achieved in 2023. She first led alongside PinkPantheress on the one-week champ “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” in May, and returned with “Princess Diana” earlier this month.

For Minaj, “Barbie World” becomes the 11th Rhythmic Airplay champ of her career. Here’s a fresh look as the collection adds its newest member:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Nicki Minaj), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1

  • “Bottoms Up,” Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, one, Nov. 30, 2010
  • “Super Bass,” one, Aug. 6, 2011
  • “Touchin, Lovin” Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, four, Nov. 22, 2014
  • “Truffle Butter,” featuring Drake & Lil Wayne, one, March 28, 2015
  • “Hey Mama,” David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack, one, July 25, 2015
  • “Rake It Up,” Yo Gotti featuring Nicki Minaj, one, Nov. 4, 2017
  • “Big Bank,” YG featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean & Nicki Minaj, one, Oct. 20, 2018
  • “Hot Girl Summer,” with Megan Thee Stallion & Ty Dolla $ign, one, Oct. 26, 2019
  • “Super Freaky Girl,” four, Oct. 1, 2022
  • “Princess Diana,” with Ice Spice, one, Aug. 5, 2023
  • “Barbie World,” with Ice Spice & Aqua, one (to date), Aug. 26, 2023

Beyond its Rhythmic Airplay coronation, “Barbie World” progresses on other radio charts. It steps 9-7 on Rap Airplay following a 33% rise in weekly audience impressions, bumps 18-16 on Pop Airplay through a 36% rally in weekly plays and shoots 21-13 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart with a 41% increase in weekly audience, to 36.8 million. On the latter two charts, the improvements in plays and audience, respectively, win it the Greatest Gainer tag on each list.

“Barbie World,” which samples Aqua’s 1997 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit (and No. 8 Rhythmic Airplay success) “Barbie Girl,” appears on the soundtrack to Barbie: The Album and plays during the end credits of the accompanying blockbuster film that sits at a $1.2 billion worldwide gross. The soundtrack debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and, in addition to “Barbie World,” has generated hits for Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Billie Eilish (“What Was I Made For?”).

23 Aug 2023

Selena Gomez Recreates ‘Sex and the City’ Scene to Promote ‘Single Soon’ & Kim Cattrall Approves

And just like that, Kim Cattrall is a Selena Gomez fan. The actress put her stamp of approval on the pop star’s simple but perfect way of promoting her upcoming single — by recreating one of Cattrall’s iconic scenes from Sex and the City.

In a Tuesday (Aug. 23) TikTok, Gomez lip-synchs along to a piece of dialogue from the NYC-set series, miming a phone call with her hand. “It’s over, I told my wife!” a man on the other end of the call says, to which the Rare Beauty founder mouths along Cattrall’s in-character response “Who is this?” before shrugging her shoulders and hanging up.

“Single Soon this Friday!” Gomez wrote in her caption, reminding fans of her Aug. 25 release.

The clip is a fan-favorite scene from Cattrall’s SATC character Samantha Jones, who unceremoniously breaks up with a married lover. Upon seeing Gomez’s recreation, Cattrall herself took to Twitter to say, “I approve this message.”

The “Lose You to Love Me” singer first announced “Single Soon” last week, sharing the cover art on Instagram and explaining that since she’s still wrapping up work on her upcoming third album, she “wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that’s perfect for the end of summer.”

Shortly afterward, “Single Soon” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Trending Songs chart, days before its release. It makes sense that fans are excited; Gomez hasn’t released a solo single since last year’s “My Mind & Me,” which accompanied the Only Murders in the Building star’s documentary of the same name. She hasn’t released an album since 2020’s sophomore effort Rare, though she dropped Spanish-language EP Revelacion in 2021.

The day before “Single Soon” arrives, the season two finale of Max’s SATC reboot And Just Like That… will air, featuring Cattrall’s first cameo in the spinoff. It’ll mark her first time playing Samantha in 13 years, as she’s remained absent from the reboot starring her three main SATC costars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis.

See Gomez’s video and Cattrall’s response below:

23 Aug 2023

Every Artist With 100 or More Billboard Hot 100 Chart Hits

Debuting a song on the Billboard Hot 100 is a highlight of any musician’s career. It’s Billboard’s premier songs chart, after all, and the stars often must align in order to stand with the best of the best.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations.

In total, over 8,000 artists have landed a song on the survey, which launched on Aug. 4, 1958. Of those artists, only 15 have charted at least 100 total songs.

Elvis Presley, whose career predates the Hot 100’s launch, became the first artist to tally 100 total hits. He scored his 100th (of an eventual 109 total) in May 1975 with “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.” He held the record for the most overall chart entries until 2011, when the Glee Cast surpassed him, and then nearly doubled his total — reaching 207 entries. That record stood until 2020, when Drake stormed past the TV troupe following his song “Oprah’s Bank Account” reaching the listing.

Drake now leads all artists with a whopping 298 total entries on the chart in his career (through the Hot 100 dated Aug. 26, 2023). He’s one of just three artists to top 200 total songs, along with Taylor Swift (212) and the Glee Cast (207).

Three artists have joined the 100-hits club in 2023 alone, so far. YoungBoy Never Broke Again achieved the milestone in May, and, fittingly, became the youngest artist to ever reach the feat, at age 23. Lil Uzi Vert became the 14th act to join in July, after releasing Pink Tape. Travis Scott then became the most-recent artist to gain entry on Aug. 12, thanks to the release of his new LP Utopia.

As for who might be next in line to join the elite group, The Weeknd is currently at 96 Hot 100-charted songs, followed by Eminem (95), Young Thug (92), James Brown (91), Lil Durk (87), 21 Savage (85), Beyoncé (82), Juice WRLD (79) and Gunna (77).

While it’s rare for artists to chart triple-digit entries on the Hot 100, it’s become a more regular occurrence since the ranking began including streaming figures in 2007. As such, certain artists have been able to chart a high number of songs on the Hot 100 in recent years after releasing high-profile albums. The model contrasts with prior decades, when acts generally promoted one single at a time in the physical-only marketplace and on radio. That shift in consumption helps explain why artists have been able to chart many songs over short spans in recent years.

Here’s an updated look at every act in history to chart 100 or more songs on the Hot 100, as of the Aug. 26, 2023-dated chart.