Music News

Billie Eilish’s ‘Barbie’ Soundtrack Contribution Leads Hot Rock & Alternative Songs

Billie Eilish’s Barbie soundtrack contribution “What Was I Made For?” rises to No. 1 for the first time on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart dated Aug. 12.

“What Was I Made For?” reigns in its fourth week on the survey. It concurrently leads Hot Alternative Songs for a third week in a row.

In the July 28-Aug. 3 tracking week, “What Was I Made For?” earned 17.8 million official U.S. streams, up 9%, according to Luminate. It also pulled 1.5 million radio audience impressions (a 165% boost) and 5,000 downloads, an increase of 9%.

“What Was I Made For?” is Eilish’s third Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ruler, following the reigns of “My Future” in 2020 and “Happier Than Ever” in 2021. The same songs comprise her No. 1s on Hot Alternative Songs.

The previously mentioned streaming and sales counts for “What Was I Made For?” are enough to keep the song atop Alternative Streaming Songs for a third week, and it ranks at No. 2 on Alternative Digital Song Sales.

On the all-format Billboard Hot 100, “What Was I Made For?” appears at No. 22, after peaking so far at No. 18 on the Aug. 5 tally. It’s also the Streaming Songs survey’s greatest gainer, ranking at No. 13.

“What Was I Made For?” is found on Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack to the recently released Barbie film. It ranks at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in its second week on the list, after debuting at No. 2, with 91,000 equivalent album units earned.



SB19 Congratulate A’TIN on Winning Fan Army Face-Off 2023: ‘You Never Fail to Amaze Us’

It’s official! SB19’s beloved fanbase A’TIN have taken the crown for the 2023 Billboard Fan Army Face-Off, and the boys could not be more proud.

“You never fail to amaze us with your dedication,” Josh told A’TIN in a sweet congratulatory video SB19 shared with Billboard on Wednesday (Aug. 9). Pablo then added, “We look forward to conquering more heights with all of you.”

After a final battle between the CARATs and A’TIN, SB19 claimed the crown after a tight battle with SEVENTEEN’s fans. The Filipino boy band’s fans brought in 51.1% of the votes, versus the 48.9% SEVENTEEN’s CARATS generated.

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Billboard’s annual Fan Army showdown had 64 artists’ fan armies kicking off the battle to find out whose fan base was the strongest. It all began on July 5, and throughout multiple rounds, the Elite Eight — made up of the fan armies for Cardi B, EXO, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, SB19, SEVENTEEN, Shakira and TWICE — emerged victorious to compete in the Quarterfinals.

This year’s Semifinals included the fan armies for Cardi B, SB19, SEVENTEEN and Shakira, before SB19 and SEVENTEEN took on the Finals. Last year, the winner of the Billboard Fan Army Face-Off was Stray Kids’ STAY with past Fan Army Face-Off winners including Super Junior’s E.L.F (victorious twice), T-ara’s Queens (victorious three times) and BIGBANG’s VIPs.

Watch SB19’s sweet message to A’TIN below.

The Band’s Biggest Billboard Chart Hits With Robbie Robertson

Robbie Robertson, who died Aug. 9 at age 80, made an impression on Billboard‘s charts as the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of The Band. The group landed multiple songs on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning with “The Weight,” one of the quintessential rock releases of the 1960s, in 1968.

Between 1968-76, The Band (during this time comprising Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel) reached the Hot 100 nine times — eight times on its own and once on the Bob Dylan collaboration “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine).” Though Robertson penned many of the band’s lasting hits, he rarely contributed lead vocals, usually deferring to Helm, Danko or Manuel.

Though the band never rose higher than the chart’s top 25, its influence on its contemporaries in the rock scene — and enduring legacy — spurred lasting careers for its members after The Band’s eventual breakup, including Robertson.

In fact, though Robertson never appeared on the Hot 100 solo, he was a prolific presence on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart during the first decade-plus of its existence, paced by a pair of top 10s in “Showdown at Big Sky” (No. 2, 1987) and “Sweet Fire of Love” (No. 7, 1988).

Robertson also became a frequent collaborator of filmmaker Martin Scorsese, contributing to the soundtracks of The Last Waltz, Raging Bull, The Departed and many more.

His success continued into the 2010s, when Robertson earned his highest-charting entry on the Billboard 200, thanks to the No. 13 debut and peak of 2011’s How to Become Clairvoyant. Most recently, Sinematic — Robertson’s final studio album released before his death — appeared at No. 7 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart in 2019.

Below are the biggest Hot 100 chart hits from The Band during that eight-year span of 1968-76. The Band’s biggest Billboard hits chart is based on actual performance on Billboard’s weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart, through Aug. 12, 2023. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning less. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.

Robbie Robertson, Co-Founder of The Band, Dies at 80

Robbie Robertson, beloved guitarist, songwriter and frontman of The Band, died after an unspecified long illness on Wednesday (Aug. 9). He was 80 years old.

Robertson’s longtime manager, Jared Levine, shared the devastating news in a statement: “Robbie was surrounded by his family at the time of his death, including his wife, Janet, his ex-wife, Dominique, her partner Nicholas, and his children Alexandra, Sebastian, Delphine, and Delphine’s partner Kenny. He is also survived by his grandchildren Angelica, Donovan, Dominic, Gabriel, and Seraphina. Robertson recently completed his fourteenth film music project with frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to support a new Woodland Cultural Centre.”

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The Toronto, Ontario-born artist began playing guitar at age 10, and at just 16 years old he joined drummer Levon Helm in the Hawks, the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins. The Hawks went on to play with Bob Dylan on his legendary Going Electric tours in 1965 and 1966, and recorded the seminal “basement tapes” with the legend before changing their group’s name to The Band. They released their debut Music From Big Pink album in 1968, which featured the Robertson-penned classic, “The Weight,” and the group performed at Woodstock Festival a year later. 

Robertson was the sole writer of The Band’s first four hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — “The Weight” (peaked at No. 63), “Up on Cripple Creek” (No. 25), “Rag Mama Rag” (No. 57), and “Time to Kill” (No. 77). He was also the sole writer of the biggest hit Joan Baez ever had, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” which reached No. 3 in 1971.

After eight years as a band, Robertson ended the group in 1976, culminating in The Band’s legendary farewell concert, The Last Waltz. Dylan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell all joined the group for the performance at San Francisco’s Winterland and a corresponding concert film was directed by Martin Scorsese. The Last Waltz soundtrack was released in 1978 and peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Robertson also delved into the film world, co-writing, producing, appearing in and composing the source music for Carny (1979), starring Gary Busey and Jodie Foster. He went on to create and produce music for Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980), King Of Comedy (1983), and The Color Of Money (1986), which included “It’s In The Way That You Use It,” co-written with Clapton. Robertson scored, consulted for, produced or supervised music for numerous iconic films throughout the years, including American Beauty (1999), Any Given Sunday (1999) Gangs Of New York (2002), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2009), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and Silence (2016).

Robertson made his solo album debut in 1987 with his Grammy nominated self-titled album, featuring guests Peter Gabriel and U2 and the beloved track “Somewhere Down The Crazy River.” His sixth and final solo album, Sinematic, was released in 2019.

The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2008. Robertson never won a Grammy in competition, despite five nods over the years, but he won five Juno Awards in his native Canada, including three in 1989 — album of the year (for his eponymous solo debut album), male vocalist of the year and producer of the year (in tandem with Daniel Lanois).

Additional reporting by Paul Grein.

Offset Drops Quality Control Music Lawsuit: Report

Offset has ended his legal battle with Quality Control Music, the label that helped launch his career as a member of Migos, according to a report by TMZ on Wednesday (Aug. 9).

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The publication notes that while Offset will not join QC moving forward as a solo artist, “all disputes and differences were smoothed over.” Billboard has reached out to Offset’s reps for confirmation and more information.

In August 2022, the rapper  — whose real name is Kiari Cephus — filed paperwork in Los Angeles seeking a declaratory judgement “that Quality Control has no rights, title, or interest in or to Offset’s recordings” since he bought out his deal with the company early last year. He alleged that despite buying the rights to his solo works, QC continued to claim ownership over his recordings.

Offset signed a production agreement with Quality Control in 2013, covering his work in Migos and as a solo artist. According to court documents, as of January 15, 2021, Offset “negotiated a deal in which he reclaimed the rights to his own solo recording and songwriting from Quality Control,” and the new arrangement made the star the “sole owner of all rights, title, and interest in and to his services as a solo recording artist, entertainer, and songwriter.” 

However, Offset claimed that Quality Control was still asserting an ownership interest over his 2022 single, “54321.” The track was credited to his current label Motown Records on streaming platforms.

The rapper’s most recent Motown single is his freshly released collaboration with wife Cardi B, “Jealousy.”

Selena Gomez & Little Sister Gracie Cuddle Up While Dancing to ‘Lover’ at Their Second Eras Tour Show

Selena Gomez and her little sister Gracie were spotted in the audience at Taylor Swift‘s recent concert in L.A., marking the sibling duo’s second time attending an Eras Tour show this summer.

In a video shared by Gomez on Instagram, she and her 10-year-old mini-me cuddle up close while swaying to the beat of “Lover,” one of the first songs Swift performs every night in her three-hour stage show. As Gracie tightly hugs her big sis, the “Lose You to Love Me” pop star sings along with Swift to the lyrics.

Gomez also shared a group photo with friends, taken from their seats on the floor of SoFi Stadium, as well as a post showing off her overflowing collection of friendship bracelets and thanking fans for trading them with her. “Another one..,” she captioned an additional snap of her Eras Tour outfit: a black Eras Tour hoodie, likely purchased at the last Swift concert she and Gracie attended.

The Only Murders in the Building actress first brought Gracie to the Eras Tour in April, with the two arriving to a show in Arlington, Texas in Swift-themed outfits. Gomez wore a Folklore cardigan, while Gracie sported a replica of the purple dress Swift wore on her Speak Now tour back in 2011.

That night, Gracie also got to have a special moment mid-show with her big sister’s best friend. Swift crouched down to gift Gracie with the black costume hat she was wearing while performing “22,” a favor Gracie returned by handing the “Anti-Hero” singer a handmade friendship bracelet.

“Thank you bestie for having me and my sissy transport into your mystical, euphoric and special world,” Gomez wrote on Instagram after the Texas concert. “Proud to know you! love you forever and always.”

Gomez is far from the only star to have turned up to one of Swift’s six straight shows at SoFi Stadium, with everyone from Brie Larson to Mindy Kaling, Lupita Nyong’o, Ashley Tisdale, Kesha, Alicia Keys and more celebs having all been spotted in attendance over the past few days. The first U.S. leg of the Eras Tour will officially conclude Wednesday (Aug. 9) following Swift’s final show at SoFi, after which she’ll take the bestselling trek global.

After stints in Latin America, Asia, Australia and Europe, Swift will return for a second leg in the States — so, who knows? Maybe Selena and Gracie will be spotted in the audience again soon.

Da Brat Shares First Photos of Son True Legend: ‘It Was Only Right’

Da Brat and wife Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named True Legend, on July 6. On Thursday (Aug. 9), the elated couple has shared the first photos of their month-old bundle of joy.

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“It was only right,” wrote Da Brat in a caption of one of the three photosets she posted to Instagram this morning. In the photos, True Legend rests against a red background donning green-gray pants and hat, while holding a miniature microphone in one hand, and a tiny boombox in the other. In another photoset featuring a photoshoot helmed by People, Da Brat and Judy pose tenderly with their baby boy. “Look, this came out of my stomach,” Da Brat told People. “I cry every day. I just look at him and boo-hoo, because I’m so grateful.”

After marrying Harris-Dupart, who serves as the founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Hair Products, in 2022, Da Brat underwent in vitro fertility (IVF) treatments using eggs from Harris-Dupart and sperm from an anonymous donor. Following a devastating miscarriage, the “Funkdafied” rapper became pregnant with True Legend. “I never want to do that again,” Da Brat said, “but for him it was worth it.”

Another photoset, shared to both Da Brat’s official Instagram account and the page the couple created for their new baby, finds the family of three bonding in the hospital room moments after delivery. Da Brat notes that her and Harris-Dupart’s “love playlist” helped her relax during her cesarean section, not Biggie as she originally thought. “Who would ever think this? Da Brat-a-tat-tat from 1994!” she mused. “I’m with a beautiful, successful woman who completes me and inspires me to be better. I’m elated to be a mother. I never thought I would be, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I never need another thing in life.”

Da Brat has earned 13 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top ten hits “Funkdafied” (No. 6) and “Not Tonight” (No. 6, with Lil’ Kim, Left Eye, Missy Elliott & Angie Martinez). The award-winning rapper has landed four titles on the Billboard 200, including 2000’s No. 5-peaking Unrestricted.

Lil Tay Dead: Teen Rapper & Viral Sensation Dies at 14

Teen rapper and viral internet personality Lil Tay, who was born Claire Hope, has died at the age of 14.

The news was announced in a statement posted on Lil Tay’s Instagram account, which described her passing as “sudden and tragic” as well as “entirely unexpected. “It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire’s sudden and tragic passing,” reads the statement posted Wednesday (Aug. 9). “We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock.”

According to the statement, Lil Tay’s brother has also passed away. “Her brother’s passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief,” it continues, not mentioning his name. “During this time of immense sorrow, we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this overwhelming loss, as the circumstances surrounding Claire and her brother’s passing are still under investigation.”

The self-labeled “youngest flexer of the century,” Lil Tay shot to fame in 2017.

The internet star was a shock value-driven meme machine who often went viral online for her brash statements and bold personality. In one video from 2018, for instance, she cussed out her haters and showed her more than 3 million Instagram followers that she, in spite of being too young to have a drivers license, owned a luxury car — kicking a dent in the side of the vehicle to prove that she’d bought it, rather than renting it.

She was also known for her friendship with fellow social media star Woah Vicky, as well as her participation in on-camera feuds with YouTuber RiceGum and another viral sensation-turned-rapper, Bhad Babie.

See the statement announcing Lil Tay and her brother’s deaths below:

YOASOBI’s ‘Idol’ Extends Stay Atop Japan Hot 100 to 17 Consecutive Weeks

YOASOBI’s “Idol” continues to blaze the trail on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, logging an unprecedented 17th consecutive week at No. 1 on the chart dated Aug. 9.

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During this chart week, the male-female duo of Ayase and ikura traveled to Los Angeles for its first performance Stateside at 88rising’s Head in the Clouds LA Music & Arts Festival. The pair took the stage on Sunday (Aug. 6) and was joined by the offbeat J-pop girl group ATARASHII GAKKO! for a delightful live rendition of YOASOBI’s monster hit track.

While overall points for “Idol” continue to decrease, the Oshi no Ko opener continues to dominate, holding the top spots for downloads, streaming, video views, and karaoke this week. It’s also at No. 17 for radio airplay and with a total of 13,350 points, the song is 3,200 points ahead of its competition at No. 2. YOASOBI is set to keep the momentum going as the headliner for the Rock in Japan Festival scheduled for Aug. 13.



Debuting at No. 2 this week is THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE’s “Summer Riot -Nettaiya-,“ the 20th single by the dance and vocal group. Released Aug. 2 as a double A-side single with “Everest,” “Summer Riot” is a collaborative number with Japanese drum performance group DRUM TAO. The song launched with 229,498 copies to hit No. 1 for sales and also comes in at No. 3 for radio. The track didn’t fare too well in the digital realm — No. 35 for downloads with 1,642 units, No. 32 for streaming with 3,195,380 weekly streams, and No. 73 for video — and bowed in its current position on the Japan Hot 100 powered by CD sales.



Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto holds at No. 3. The youngest BTS member appeared as one of the guests at SUGA’s solo show Agust D TOUR “D-DAY” THE FINAL that took place at KSPODOME in Seoul, South Korea Aug. 4. “Seven” falls 10-14 for downloads, holds at No. 2 for streaming, slips 3-2 for video, and stays at No. 9 for radio this week.



Tatsuya Kitani’s “Where Our Blue Is” rises 5-4 after the rising singer-songwriter performed the track live on the long-running TV show Music Station Aug. 4. The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 opener collected points in a balanced way, coming in at No. 3 for downloads and streaming, No. 8 for video, No. 38 for sales, No. 27 for radio, and launching at No. 74 for karaoke.



Hikaru Utada’s “Gold” jumps 40-10 on the Japan Hot 100 this week after the movie the track is featured as the theme — Kingdom 3 starring Kento Yamazaki — hit Japanese theaters July 28. The latest song by the iconic J-pop singer-songwriter rules radio and comes in at No. 6 for downloads and No. 54 for streaming.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE charts four songs in the top 20 this week as the pop-rock band prepares for its first dome shows set for Aug. 12 and 13. In the top 10, “Ao to Natsu” moves 10-8 with increases in downloads and streams, while “Magic” is at No. 9 with downloads continuing to increase since the track’s release.

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 July 31 to Aug. 6, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

Lawyers in Lizzo Sexual Harassment Suit by Former Dancers Say Six More People Have Contacted Them

Lizzo could be facing further legal action on the heels of a lawsuit filed by three tour dancers who claimed in a complaint filed last week in Los Angeles that the “Juice” singer subjected them to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment that included allegations that they were pressured to touch nude dancers during a live sex show.

According to a statement from attorney Ron Zambrano — who is representing dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez — “we have received at least six inquiries from other people with similar stories since we filed the complaint.”

Zambrano added that, “Noelle, Crystal and Arianna have bravely spoken out and shared their experiences, opening the door for others to feel empowered to do the same. Some of the claims we are reviewing involve allegations of a sexually charged environment and failure to pay employees and may be actionable, but it is too soon to say.”

At press time a spokesperson for Lizzo had not returned a request for comment on Zambrano’s statement.

The complaint filed last week on behalf of Davis, Williams and Rodriguez accused Lizzo (born Melissa Jefferson) and her Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. of a wide range of legal wrongdoing, including racial and religious discrimination. Among the allegations in the suit were claims that Lizzo pushed the dancers to attend a sex show in Amsterdam’s famed Red Light District and pressured them to engage with the performers.

The lawsuit also claimed that the captain of Lizzo’s dance team, Shirlene Quigley, forced her religious beliefs on the plaintiffs and took repeated actions that made them uncomfortable, including commenting about their virginity and simulating oral sex on a banana in front of them.

In one of the most notable allegations, the suit claims that Lizzo, who has made body positivity a key aspect of her brand, “called attention” to a dancer’s weight gain after a performance at the South by Southwest festival.

Last Thursday, Lizzo issued her only response to date to the suit, calling the allegations “false” and “sensationalized stories” in a statement on Twitter. “I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days,” Lizzo wrote. “I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not.”

She said that the allegations that she and her company created a hostile work environment that included allegations of religious and racial discrimination were “unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”

Lizzo specifically addressed the allegation that she had “called attention” to a dancer’s weight gain, saying, “There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”

Though Lizzo did not specifically address the individual accusations in the suit in her statement, she called them “sensationalized stories [that] are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”

In a response, Zambrano said Lizzo’s statement “only adds to our clients’ emotional distress”; at press time the names of the alleged six other people reportedly contacted Zambrano after the suit was filed had not been released. Billboard has reached out to one of Lizzo’s lawyers, Marty Singer, for comment on Zambrano’s statement but had not heard back at press time; according to NBC News, Singer had recently called the lawsuit “specious.”

Following the suit and Lizzo’s statement, filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison — who at one point had been attached to direct the singer’s Love, Lizzo documentary — explained on her socials why she left the project. “In 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about 2 weeks. I was treated with such disrespect by her,” Allison wrote.

“I witnessed how arrogant, self-centered, and unkind she is. I was not protected and was thrown into a sh-tty situation with little support,” she added. Allison also said her gut told her to leave the project, and that she is “grateful” that she did, adding that she “felt gaslit and was deeply hurt.” At the time Lizzo’s reps had not returned Billboard‘s requests for comment on Allison’s claims.

Earlier this year, Amazon Studios announced that auditions had begun for the second season of Watch Out for the Big Grrls, a series that chronicled the singer/rapper’s search for her next crew of “BIG GRRRL” dancers to accompany on her 2022 tour; according to NBC, among the six unnamed people Zambrano has talked to, some said they worked on the Amazon series.

In addition, on Tuesday, the Jay-Z-founded Made In America festival, which was to feature headline sets from Lizzo and SZA, announced that it was pulling the plug on this year’s edition due to “severe circumstances outside of production control.” A statement from organizers did not give specific reasons for the cancellation and a spokesperson for promoter Live Nation referred Billboard to the statement without offering additional comment. NBC reported that before the suit against Lizzo was filed, an unnamed source close to the production said that ticket sales for this year’s Made in America fest in Philadelphia were “not good.”