Music News

20 Jun 2023

Beyoncé Honors Juneteenth by Wearing Costumes on Stage Exclusively by Black Designers — Including Herself

Beyoncé is celebrating Juneteenth in style. In honor of the national holiday — which this year marked 158 years since the people enslaved in Texas were told they were free on June 19, 1865 — the 41-year-old superstar showed off a concert wardrobe crafted exclusively by Black designers, including pieces created by Queen Bey herself.

“In honor of Juneteenth, everything I wore for RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR tonight was created exclusively by Black designers,” she revealed on Instagram, one of several posts following her Sunday (June 18) show in Amsterdam.

The designs outfitted Bey in everything from an elegant red gown to metallic leotards with thigh-high boots. One particularly standout look from Olivier Rousteing for Balmain saw the “Break My Soul” singer wearing a textured, snake-skin body suit covering her head to toe in yellow and black scales.

As many of her fans pointed out in the comments, however, Bey didn’t tag the designers in her posts.

In her most recent post on the topic, Bey revealed that some of the looks seen onstage were part of her own brand new Ivy Park collection, which she started designing more than a year prior. “I was so engulfed in all things RENAISSANCE and was inspired by Studio 54, Bob Mackie and the disco era,” she wrote of the collection, which featured reflective hot-pink bodysuits and fringe jackets worn by Bey and her dancers.

“I wanted to do a modern twist using the signature IVY PARK neon and bring disco to the beach in this swim collection,” she continued. “I’m so happy to share this with you and even more proud to launch it for the first time on the RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR. I’m proud to be among the very talented Black designers featured in last night’s show to celebrate Juneteenth.”

20 Jun 2023

Teresa Taylor, Butthole Surfers Drummer Dies at 60

Teresa Taylor, a former drummer for Texas psychedelic noise merchants Butthole Surfers died of complications from lung disease on Monday at age 60. The group announced the news in a post in which they wrote, “Teresa Taylor passed away peacefully this weekend after a long battle with lung disease. She will live in our hearts forever. RIP, dear friend.”

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The news was also confirmed by Taylor’s partner, Cheryl Curtice, who wrote, “Teresa passed away clean and sober, peacefully in her sleep, this weekend. She was so brave, even in the face of her horrible disease. We were all fortunate to have her beautiful, strong spirit in our lives. She will be forever missed. We will have a memorial service sometime in the future. I love you, beloved Teresa.”

Taylor was also well known for appearing on the poster for director Richard Linklater’s breakthrough 1990 film Slacker, in which she was famously depicted standing with her hands in her front pockets, staring into the distance while wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses. She also appeared in the film, playing a character named “Pap Smear Pusher” who enthusiastically tries to sell a jar she claims contains Madonna’s pap smear.

The percussionist — who also went by the stage name Teresa Nervosa — was born in Arlington, TX in 1962 and met future bandmate and fellow Surfers drummer King Coffey when they both played in a high school marching band. She later joined the San Antonio-bred punk band fronted by Gibby Haynes with the name not safe for mainstream TV and radio whose sonic attack blasted fans with waves of chaotic noise, disturbing surgery videos and strobe lights.

Taylor played drums alongside Coffey from 1983-1985 and then again from 1986-1989, taking a leave after suffering from seizures she said were caused by a brain aneurysm; she underwent brain surgery in 1993 and came back for a brief period to play live with the Surfers in 2009. For a band known for confounding audiences with their pummeling, sometimes disorienting visual and audio assault, the sight of the two percussionists playing their respective stand-up kits next to each other became a vital part of their stagecraft, as did their long-running fib that they were actually siblings and not just bandmates.

She joined the band in the studio for a run of their beloved early albums, including 1984 full-length debut, Psychic… Powerless… Another Man’s Sac, as well as 1986’s Rembrandt Pussyhorse, 1987’s Locust Abortion Technician and 1988’s Hairway to Steven, among others.

In Nov. 2021, Taylor revealed that she had been diagnosed with end-stage lung disease in a Facebook post.

See the Surfers’ and Curtice’s posts, and Taylor’s Slacker scene, below.

20 Jun 2023

Shaquille O’Neal Announces Shaq’s Bass All-Stars Festival Happening This Fall in Texas: See the Lineup

Since debuting as DJ Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal has become one of the dance world’s (literally) biggest advocates for bass music. Now, he’s taking this passion to the championship level with the debut of his own bass music festival, Shaq’s Bass All-Stars Festival.

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Happening this Sept. 16 in Fort Worth, Texas, the event will feature 14 artists across two stages. The lineup, curated by O’Neal, features Alison Wonderland, Kai Wachi, Sullivan King, Crankdat, Jantsen, Layz, Emorfik, Hairitage, Leotrix, Charlitz Web, Soltan, Ruvlo b2b Celo and, of course, DJ Diesel himself.

“I am building this festival for all my headbangers out there,” O’Neal tells Billboard. “I’m bringing together my favorite acts and am excited for this to be a home for bass music fans throughout Texas that we can create a community around. I’ve got a big platform, and I love to support up-and-coming acts as well … Some of these little guys on the lineup are just as good as the headliners, and that’s what Shaq’s Bass All-Stars is all about … It doesn’t matter who is performing if we are all together having a great time and headbanging.”

Hosted at Fort Worth’s Panther Island Pavilion, the festival anticipates hosting approximately 10,000 fans and will also feature a food truck village, games, activations and more. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 23, at 12 p.m. CT. Ticket prices begin at $49, with O’Neal intending to keeps costs low to make the event as inclusive as possible.

“I don’t DJ for the money,” he says. “I DJ to replace the Game 7 energy that I can’t seem to replicate anywhere else besides at music festivals. For me, Shaq’s Bass All-Stars festival is about inviting the whole state of Texas out for a good time, and it’s important to me for this to be a community-driven event that all sorts of people can afford.”

The festival is an evolution of the ongoing Shaq’s Bass All-Stars concerts, which have happened across the U.S since their inception. “I DJ tons of concerts, clubs, and festivals,” O’Neal says, “but taking ownership of my own bass festival is something I am so passionate about. I just bought a house in Texas, the music scene there is awesome and was the perfect place to launch it.”

The festival is produced by Medium Rare and the Texas-based Disco Donnie Presents. O’Neal notes the event is likely to be a traveling one, saying that “we are excited to bring the concept on the road.”

O’Neal has a busy summer leading up the Texas show, with DJ Diesel on the lineups for Chicago’s Lollapalooza, Los Angeles’ HARD Summer, Belgium’s Tomorrowland, this weekend’s Electric Forest in Michigan, along with other festival and club dates.

See the lineup for Shaq’s Bass All-Stars Festival below:

Shaq's Bass All-Stars Festival poster

Courtesy of Medium Rare

20 Jun 2023

Bebe Rexha Phone Thrower Told Police He Tossed His Cell at Singer Because He Thought ‘It Would Be Funny’

There was nothing funny about what happened to Bebe Rexha during her show at New York’s The Rooftop at Pier 17 over the weekend. The singer ended up getting stitches after a fan hurled a cell phone on stage that hit Rexha above the eye, requiring a hospital visit.

According to Rolling Stone, the NYPD’s preliminary investigation found that 27-year-old New Jersey native Nicolas Malvagna “intentionally threw a cell phone” at the 33-year-old “I’m a Mess” star, who was taken to a local hospital after the incident for treatment. The site reported that Malvagna was taken into custody and arraigned on Monday evening, when he was charged with two counts of assault in the third degree, as well as one count of harassment in the second degree, one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree and a count of attempted assault in the third degree.

RS reported that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said in addition to confessing to the phone toss, Malvagna told them, “I was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be funny.”

It was, however, no laughing matter, as widely shared footage of the scary incident showed the singer falling to her knees after the flying cell struck her about the eye near the end of the show. Rexha took it in stride, posting a pic of her bruised face on Monday morning with the caption, “I’m good.”

Rexha’s next scheduled tour stop is on Tuesday night (June 20) at the Fillmore in Philadelphia as part of her Best F’n Night of My Life Tour.

20 Jun 2023

Capitol Brings Back Storied Label Tamla Records: Exclusive

Tamla Records, the precursor to the legendary Motown Records, is being relaunched by Capitol Music Group (CMG) and Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG) as a mainstream imprint specializing in positive R&B and hip-hop music. Supervising the imprint’s roster and staff will be Nashville-based EJ Gaines, current senior vp of marketing for Capitol CMG. 

The first partner to sign with the new Tamla is Thomas “Tillie” Mann and his label Encouragement Music. Mann is Quality Control’s longtime mix engineer and collaborator who has worked with Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Drake and Migos.

CMG chair/CEO Michelle Jubelirer said in a statement, “The relaunch of Tamla broadens our company’s commitment to hip-hop and R&B music, as well as to the artists, label partners and creative executives who have joined Capitol Music Group over the past 18 months. The artists EJ and his team will bring to Tamla will complement the incredible talent across our label group and will have everyone’s support throughout the wider company.”

It was 65 years ago that Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamla Records in June 1958. The label’s first release was the 1959 single “Come to Me” by gospel singer-turned-R&B artist Marv Johnson. Later renamed Motown, Tamla was also the home of icons Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.

“We want to honor the iconic history of the label founded by Mr. Gordy,” commented Capitol CMG co-presidents Brad O’Donnell and Hudson Plachy in the Capitol press release. “And Tillie Mann and Encouragement Music are exactly the kind of partners that we want to work with. EJ is a seasoned executive who we know will guide Tamla along with the support of our overall Capitol CMG staff.”

“Tamla has always been home to incredible music that has shifted culture,” added Gaines. “I’m excited to continue its rich legacy with groundbreaking, mainstream music that is faith-formed and culture-forward. I’m grateful to Hudson, Brad and Michelle for trusting me with this honor.”

In an interview with Billboard, Gaines shared additional insights about the new Tamla and fostering what he calls “the positive sound of the generation.”

Why is now the right time to relaunch this legacy label?

As a Black man in America, a former Wall Street attorney and artist manager, I’ve seen virtually every aspect of the music industry. And it’s very incumbent upon me to use my experience and  influence in a way that is going to help the music industry as a whole — but with a focus on helping underserved Black communities. I have two sons, six and three years old, and they need to know that their dad contributed to helping make this world better for them in every way. Music is such a powerful tool and that’s significant to me, especially with this being Black Music Month. 

I also love the through-line of how Tamla started with Marv Johnson, a gospel singer who released his first song on the label before doing R&B. That’s something I’ve been trying to communicate ever since I got to Capitol CMG: that gospel music is part of Black music. It’s not separate faith music; it’s not exclusive. It’s part of what we do culturally. And Tamla was just sitting there, acknowledged for its value but not really being used to continue the legacy. So that’s where we’re picking up.

How do you describe the new Tamla?

We have great, tried and true artists on Capitol CMG like Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Ricky Dillard and Brian Courtney Wilson. But what I’ve also started to identify is a bunch of creatives — songwriters, producers and artists — that aren’t doing gospel or faith music that way. They want their music to be competitive with what they listen to outside of the [gospel] genre. 

But increasingly, mainstream music has not been a place where Christian creatives can find themselves very easily. That’s because the lines have been drawn so distinctly that in order to go mainstream, these creators feel like they have to compromise their values, messaging and lyricism. They’re finding themselves without a space to live in. They want to find their own positive, non-explicit but not corny lane. Over the past seven years, that lane has become more open and ready. You see playlists on all the DSPs that lean toward very progressive R&B and hip-hop; what they used to call urban gospel. And now with TikTok and Instagram, there are opportunities for these artists to engage their fans without gatekeepers blocking them. But we need to be able to serve these creatives; to make the connection between them and the audiences that are sitting there waiting. 

I call it “The positive sound of the generation.” It’s of right now; not dated and very relevant. It’s something that would be acknowledged by the mainstream as legitimate lyrically, sonically and production-wise. It’s not watered down. So what we’re doing is trying to identify significant mainstream partners making music who just happen to be Christians. But they don’t want to be referred to as gospel or inspirational. They’re just artists making music; young, hungry, aggressive and very open-minded as to what music can be. And they want desperately to have a voice to engage with their audiences. And Tamla will be the place where their creativity will be fueled to soar.

Who is the label’s target demo?

It’s the 13-25 age range, but people older will also enjoy the music. But I’m really going back to the young market, the market that’s dictating music consumption. 

What’s been the reaction of artists that you’ve approached thus far?

When we tell them what we’re launching, they say it’s the supplemental support that they’ve been looking for … that they thought they would have to be independent. But we’re not going to work to cross these artists over. We’re going to place them there first [in R&B and hip-hop] and legitimize them in that space with the support of Capitol and the Universal Music Group. And programmers have said they’ve been looking for content that was positive but that didn’t compromise on the quality of the music. I’m being very intentional about legitimizing this movement so that people don’t see this as a warmed-over version of what they’ve already seen and heard before. 

20 Jun 2023

Shawn Mendes Joined Ed Sheeran on Stage For First Show Since His Mental Health Hiatus: ‘What a Reaction!’

Shawn Mendes surprised the crowd at Ed Sheeran‘s concert at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday night when the Ontario-bred singer performed live for an audience for the first time since announcing a break from performance last year to focus on his mental health.

In his first live performance in a year and a half, Mendes strolled out as Sheeran performed his 2011 single “Lego House,” and after collaborating on Ed’s song, the two men enthusiastically strummed their acoustic guitars for a run through Mendes’ 2017 hit “There’s Nothin’ Holding Me Back.” In a fan video of the moment, Sheeran said that he and Mendes were messaging last week and Shawn asked if he could attend the show. “And I was like, ‘you can’t just come to the show, you gotta come up a sing a song,’” Sheeran said he told Mendes.

“And he said, ‘can we sing ‘Lego House?’ And I said, ‘we’ll only sing ‘Lego House’ if we can sing one of yours.’”

“What a moment. Me and @shawnmendes on stage in his home town,” Sheeran wrote in a caption to a clip of the special moment, which ended with the two men enjoying a long on-stage hug. “Wish I could bottle the feeling and keep opening it to feel that buzz again, so much fun. Thank you for singing with me man, so good to have you back.”

In an accompanying clip the two men are seen hanging out backstage and Mendes reflects on the moment, saying, “I started shaking, I was like what the… I feel a bit speechless about it to be honest right now.” The video also contained footage of Sheeran asking Mendes how it will feel to be on stage for the first time in more than a year during the pre-show rehearsals.

“Dude I feel insane, I feel crazy,” a smiling Mendes said as Sheeran promised, “It’s gonna explode.” After some footage of the performance, Sheeran shared the wild response to the viral moment while chilling backstage afterwards.

“What a reaction!” he said. “I’ve had that three times in my life at gigs: Paolo Nutini in Glasgow, Stormzy in London and now Shawn Mendes.”

Mendes cut his planned 2022 Wonder: The World Tour outing short after seven dates last year after sharing that he needed a mental health break. The singer has mostly avoided the spotlight since, but dropped the new single “What the Hell Are We Dying For?” earlier this month.

Watch Sheeran’s video of the performance below.

20 Jun 2023

Doja Cat, Ed Sheeran, Jack Harlow & More Earn iHeartRadio Titanium Awards for 1 Billion Spins

These six radio mainstays have all earned iHeartRadio Titanium Awards for their songs that reached 1 billion spins across iHeart stations in 2022, Billboard can exclusively reveal.

iHeartMedia revealed the Titanium Award-winning songs on Tuesday (June 20), including  Doja Cat‘s “Woman,” Ed Sheeran‘s “Shivers,” Jack Harlow‘s “First Class,” Latto‘s “Big Energy” and Wizkid and Tems‘ “Essence.”

Sheeran was honored with his award while visiting iHeartRadio in New York recently. “Wowzas,” the 32-year-old crooner said while opening the box containing his trophy. “That is really, really, really cool. … You always wonder every album whether you’re going to lose the kids, because I constantly have young people coming to my gigs. With ‘Shivers,’ all these kids keep coming up to me saying they like ‘Shivers,’ and I’m like, ‘Alrl ight, I still got them.’”

Latto was equally over the moon while receiving her trophy at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards. “One billion total,” she exclaimed while letting out a scream. “Thank you to my fans, thank you to everyone who is part of this record — Mariah Carey! I love you, girl.”

Total audience spins for the iHeartRadio Titanium Awards are based on Mediabase airplay and are multiplied by the number of persons listening to the radio at the time of those plays, delivering total audience impressions, which is the broadcast equivalent of the number of streams on a streaming service.

Artists who received Titanium Awards in 2022 included Olivia Rodrigo for “good 4 u,” The Weeknd for “Save Your Tears,” Lil Nas X for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” and The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber for “Stay.”

20 Jun 2023

Adele Says Excessive Sweating During Vegas Shows Sent Her to Doctor For a Problem She ‘Never Knew’ Existed

Adele is legendarily an open book when she chooses to share the details of her life. But on Saturday night the singer got way honest with the crowd at her “Weekends With Adele” show in Las Vegas when she shared a recent diagnosis that sent her to the doctor for a problem she didn’t even know was a thing.

“My face is sweating… my t–s are sweating… I sweat a lot and it doesn’t go anywhere, so I basically am just sitting in my own sweat,” the singer told the crowd at her show in a video shared by fans. “So my doctor gave me [a diagnosis of] jock itch,” she added about her unexpected fungal friend.

Adele seemed as surprised as you might be, before going into even more detail about her condition. “Do you guys know what that is? Jock itch? That sounds like I’m a big Nuggets fans there, doesn’t it?,” said the singer about the recently crowned first-time NBA champions whose team was led by star Nikola Jokic (whose name she appeared to be employing in a pun) ; Adele is dating sports agent Rich Paul.

“Do you know what my doctor gave me? It is a bit crude, but I never knew it existed,” Adele said. “Obviously when I do my shows I wear Spanx to keep it all in and make it all fit me… So my doctor gave me jock itch [cream].”

The common fungal skin infection — often found among athletes who sweat profusely — is an infection that “causes an itchy rash in warm, moist areas” of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

And, Adele being Adele, she took it yet a step further. “I have to squirt it on myself,” she shared. “I don’t know why the f–k I just told you that!” The singer’s Weekends with Adele residency at The Colosseum in Vegas is slated to run through Nov. 4.

Watch the fan video of the moment below.

19 Jun 2023

Niall Horan Earns Third No. 1 on Top Album Sales Chart With ‘The Show’

Niall Horan earns his third straight No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated June 24) – the entirety of his solo studio releases – as The Show debuts atop the tally. The set bows with just over 68,000 copies sold in the United States in the week ending June 15, according to Luminate.

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Horan’s first two albums, Heartbreak Weather (in 2020) and Flicker (in 2018) both debuted at No. 1.

The Show was released on June 9 via Neon Haze/Capitol Records.

Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Noah Kahan, P1Harmony, Janelle Monae and Extreme all make waves with their latest releases.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new June 24, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 21, one day later than usual, owed to the Juneteenth holiday in the United States on June 19.  For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of The Show’s 68,000 copies sold in its first week, physical sales comprise 62,000 (33,700 on vinyl; 22,900 on CD and 500 on cassette) and digital album sales comprise 6,000. That nearly-34,000 sum on vinyl represents Horan’s biggest week on wax, and the largest sales week for any vinyl album released by Capitol Records in the modern era (since Luminate began tracking data in 1991). Unsurprisingly, The Show debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart – Horan’s first No. 1 on the list.

The Show’s sturdy sales start was bolstered by an array of available physical editions: eight deluxe boxed sets containing a CD and branded merch, a signed CD sold through Horan’s webstore, a Target-exclusive CD with an alternative cover and a poster packaged inside, a zine CD package sold through his webstore, six vinyl variants (including color variants for Target, Spotify, Urban Outfitters and his webstore) and a cassette.

Notably, Horan equals the No. 1 count of his One Direction bandmate Harry Styles, who also saw his first three solo studio efforts all debut at No. 1 on Top Album Sales (his self-titled release in 2017, Fine Line in 2019 and Harry’s House in 2022). One further member of One Direction has topped the tally: Zayn, with his debut set Mind of Mine in 2016. (One Direction itself notched four No. 1s on Top Album Sales.)

Stray Kids’ 5-STAR falls to No. 2 in its second week on Top Album Sales, with 46,000 copies sold (down 81%).

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s latest release, Weathervanes, bows at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 28,000 sold. It’s the sixth top 10-charting title for Isbell on the tally.

Noah Kahan’s Stick Season re-enters Top Album Sales at No. 3 following its deluxe reissue with seven bonus tracks, and its first pressing on vinyl, on June 9. The set sold 23,000 copies in the week ending June 15 – up 3,080%. The album originally debuted and peaked at No. 57 on the list dated Oct. 29, 2022. Vinyl comprises most of Stick Season’s sales for the week – 20,500. It bows at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart. It had a relatively slim vinyl release – just three vinyl variants were issued for the set.

Korean pop group P1Harmony makes its debut on Top Album Sales with Harmony: All In, 6th Mini Album, bowing at No. 5 with 20,500 sold. Effectively all of that figure is CD album sales, thanks to the six-track set’s availability across 21 different collectible versions of the album, including some that were signed by the act. All of the iterations contain a standard set of branded merchandise items, along with randomized merch (photo cards and post cards).

ENHYPEN’s Dark Blood falls 2-6 on Top Album Sales in its second week on the list, selling 19,000 (down 78%).

Janelle Monae returns to the top 10 of Top Album Sales for the first time in over five years, as her new studio release The Age of Pleasure premieres at No. 7. The album sold 19,000 copies. She last debuted on the chart in May of 2018 with Dirty Computer, which bowed and peaked at No. 3. In total, Pleasure is her third top 10-charting set on Top Album Sales.

Taylor Swift’s chart-topping Midnights dips 6-8 on Top Album Sales with 17,000 sold (down 29%) while Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are falls 4-9 in its second week with 13,000 (down 77%).

Closing out the top 10 on Top Album Sales is a band that’s been absent from the top 10 for over 30 years – Extreme. The rock group’s new album Six bows at No. 10 with 12,500 copies sold. The set marks the band’s first studio album since 2008. The act was last in the top 10 with III Sides to Every Story, which debuted and peaked at No. 10 on the Oct. 10, 1992-dated chart.  

In the week ending June 15, there were 1.924 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 8.5% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.587 million (down 8.4%) and digital albums comprised 337,000 (down 8.9%).

There were 711,000 CD albums sold in the week ending June 15 (down 25.9% week-over-week) and 865,000 vinyl albums sold (up 13.5%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 16.192 million (up 4.5% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 21.963 million (up 24.5%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 46.956 million (up 9.2% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 38.403 million (up 15.1%) and digital album sales total 8.553 million (down 11.1%).

19 Jun 2023

Toosii on ‘Favorite Song’ Reaching Hot 100 Top 5, Working With Future on the Remix & More | Billboard News

Toosii talks about his hit song ‘Favorite Song’ getting onto the Hot 100, the difference between working with Future and Khalid on the remixes, his love and how he’s been influenced by pop and country music, and more.

Toosii:
So I like to call myself Arnold Palmer. I’m like a mix of sweet tea and lemonade. Yeah.

Rania Aniftos:
A little bit of lemonade, a little bit of sweet tea.

Toosii:
Yo, what’s going on? It’s Toosii and you’re watching Billboard News.

Rania Aniftos:
Hi everybody. Its Rania Aniftos with Billboard News and we’re here with the hottest rapper of 2023, Toosii.

Rania Aniftos:
We have to talk about, of course, the hot 100. And you broke into the top five for the first time. How does it feel?

Toosii:
It’s a good feeling. It’s a blessing. It’s something that I’ve prayed for something that I’ve been working for. So just to be here, it’s crazy.

Rania Aniftos:
It must be crazy to see how ‘Favorite Song’ took off in general it has what 280 million global streams

Toosii:
Just to see the overall interaction you just from everyone and the support you know it’s been crazy. So you know, I appreciate everybody

Rania Aniftos:
When you wrote that song. Did you have that feeling? You knew you knew it was gonna be the one

Toosii:
It’s kind of hard to like sit here and be like, Nah, I didn’t know I just put it out there. Now those was like it was like one of those ones where like I knew.

Watch the full video above!