Music News

12 May 2023

Forever ‘Young’: Kimberly Perry’s Solo Debut Hits Country Airplay Chart

Kimberly Perry’s first single as a solo artist, “If I Die Young Pt. 2,” bounds onto Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, dated May 20, at No. 31.

The song, on RECORDS/Columbia/RECORDS Nashville, drew 4 million in audience from May 5, its release day, through May 11, according to Luminate. While it did not receive a standard premiere from any of the large radio chains, RECORDS Nashville executive vice president of promotion and commercial strategy Josh Easler notes that select focus stations played the single multiple times its first day.

“Pt. 2” is the sequel to “If I Die Young,” The Band Perry’s first of four Country Airplay No. 1s, which led for a week in 2010. The original also crossed over, spending three weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

The trio consisted of Perry siblings Kimberly, Neil and Reid. In March, the act announced its separation, with the members set to concentrate on individual projects.

“Pt. 2” is the first single from Perry’s five-song EP BLOOM, due June 9. She co-penned it – updating the original’s lyrics with the benefit of more than a decade’s hindsight – with Nicolle Galyon and Jimmy Robbins. Perry also co-wrote the other four tracks on BLOOM. She recently signed with RECORDS Nashville.

“The moment I heard ‘If I Die Young Pt. 2,’ I knew we wanted to be part of Kimberly’s solo project,” Easler tells Billboard. “She’s a true artist, a phenomenal songwriter, and her voice has been missing from country music. It’s been amazing to see the excitement from our partners at radio, DSPs and others. This is just the beginning.”

‘Last’ Still First

Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” tops Country Airplay for a second week, up 13% to 33.4 million in audience. The song is the fifth of his nine No. 1s to reign for multiple weeks.

As previously reported, the track became the first to top Country Airplay and the multi-metric all-genre Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously.

12 May 2023

Jamie Foxx’s Daughter Says Actor Has Been Out of Hospital ‘For Weeks’ & Played Pickleball Recently

It’s been a month since Jamie Foxx‘s daughter revealed that the 55-year-old actor/singer had been hospitalized for an undisclosed “medical complication,” and on Friday (May 12), Corinne Fox gave fans a positive update.

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In response to reports that Jamie’s family is “preparing for the worst,” Corinne took to her Instagram Stories to deny the rumors. “Update from the family: Sad to see how the media runs wild,” the 29-year-old media personality wrote. “My Dad has been out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating. In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone’s prayers and support!”

She added that they have “an exciting work announcement” coming in the next week. See her Stories before they disappear here.

At press time there was still no additional information available about what the undisclosed “medical complication” was that sent Foxx to the hospital in April, or what treatment he received and a spokesperson had not returned requests for comment. Foxx has been filming Back in Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta and a source told CNN that the medical incident didn’t take place on the set and Foxx was not transported to the hospital by EMS. It was unknown at press time if Foxx had wrapped his portion of the shoot before the incident.

12 May 2023

Dolly Parton, Ed Sheeran & More: Which Was Your Favorite 2023 ACM Awards Performance? Vote!

The 2023 ACM Awards featured some of the biggest stars in country descending upon the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday (May 11) to honor achievements in the genre and showcasing talent in a series of performances.

Dolly Parton played a large part in the night’s success, as she co-hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards with Garth Brooks, and took to the stage for a debut performance of “World on Fire.” Serving as the first taste of her forthcoming rock n’ roll album Rockstar — which is set to be released in November — Parton took to the stage in a billowing skirt with a map of the world on it, and was later joined by dancers who performed high-energy choreography in front of controlled flames.

Ed Sheeran, fresh off the release of his fifth studio album Subtract, also gave a stunning performance of of “Life Goes On” consisting of just him with his acoustic guitar — that is, until Luke Combs provided a surprise assist for the second verse of the track. (Combs performed “Love You Anyway” solo earlier in the night).

Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll teamed up to perform “Save Me,” while Cody Johnson, joined by his band, gave a twangy performance of “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” and Jason Aldean took to the ACM stage for his song “Tough Crowd,” which, contrary to its title, won over the audience.

Revisit some of performances at the 2023 ACM awards and vote for your favorite in the poll below.

The ACM Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard. 

12 May 2023

Rob Bisel Hits No. 1 on R&B Producers Chart Thanks to SZA Hits

Rob Bisel rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Producers chart (dated May 13), ruling for the first time thanks to four production credits on the Hot R&B Songs chart (dated May 13), all by SZA.

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Leading the charge is SZA’s smash single “Kill Bill,” which adds a 20th week at No. 1 on Hot R&B Songs. It ties Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like,” The Weeknd’s “Starboy” featuring Daft Punk, and Drake’s “One Dance” featuring WizKid and Kyla for the second-longest reign in the chart’s history, after The Weeknd’s 48-week leader “Blinding Lights.”

“Kill Bill,” which became SZA’s first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 two weeks earlier, drew 81.7 million radio airplay audience impressions and 21.3 million official streams and sold 1,000 in the U.S. April 28-May 4, according to Luminate.

Bisel co-produced “Kill Bill” with Carter Lang, who dips to No. 2 on R&B Producers after spending 20 weeks at No. 1, the fourth-longest command in the chart’s four-year history.

Here’s a look at all four of Bisel’s production credits on the latest Hot R&B songs chart, with co-producers listed in parentheses.

Rank, Artist Billing, Title (co-producers in addition to Bisel):

  • No. 1, SZA, “Kill Bill” (Carter Lang)
  • No. 13, SZA feat. Travis Scott, “Open Arms” (Michael Uzowuru, Teo Halm)
  • No. 21, SZA, “Blind” (Carter Lang, Yuli, Will Miller)
  • No. 24, SZA feat. Phoebe Bridgers, “Ghost in the Machine” (Carter Lang)

All four tracks are on SZA’s latest album, SOS, which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and 21 weeks and counting at No. 1 on Top R&B Albums (encompassing every week since the set’s release).

Bisel also spends a 21st consecutive week at No. 2 on the R&B Songwriters chart, behind SZA herself, who claims a 32nd week on top.

Elsewhere, Bisel ranks at No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Producers, No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriters, No. 7 on Hot 100 Producers and No. 16 on Hot 100 Songwriters.

Billboard launched the Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts, as well as genre-specific rankings for country, rock & alternative, R&B/hip-hop, R&B, rap, Latin, Christian, gospel and dance/electronic, in June 2019. (Alternative and hard rock joined in 2020, along with seasonal holiday rankings in 2022.) The charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on the Hot 100. The genre-based songwriter and producer charts follow the same methodology based on corresponding “Hot”-named genre charts. As with Billboard’s yearly recaps, multiple writers or producers split points for each song equally (and the dividing of points will lead to occasional ties on rankings).

The full Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts and full genre rankings can be found on Billboard.com.

12 May 2023

Trisha Yearwood Reacts to Dolly Parton’s ACM Awards Joke About Threesome With Garth Brooks

There are probably very few women in the world who could get away with joking about a threesome with another woman’s husband, but it’s no surprise that Dolly Parton is one of them. After the beloved country queen quipped about having a ménage à trois with her ACM Awards co-host Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood during the ceremony’s opening monologue on Thursday (May 11), the latter artist responded with lots of love for Parton.

“Everybody loves Dolly,” Yearwood told Entertainment Tonight, following her performance with Carly Pearce at the awards show.

“Actually, people think this is Dolce and Gabbana but it’s Dolly and Garth,” she added, referencing the designers of her red-carpet outfit. “Everybody loves Dolly. We love Dolly so much.”

The joke in question happened toward the beginning of the program, with first-time host Brooks praising Parton, an ACM Awards veteran, for being country music’s GOAT, which, of course, stands for “greatest of all time.” To really hit it home, Parton then brought a literal goat on stage with her, before leaving the audience at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, breathless by joking, “I know why you are doing that GOAT thing … I think that stands for ‘Garth Organizes a Threesome.’”

Parton had also noted that both Brooks and Yearwood, who’ve been married since 2005, have said that the “9 to 5” singer is their shared “hall pass.”

“I thought I couldn’t love you any more,” a blushing Brooks replied.

That wasn’t Dolly’s only PG-13 joke of the night, though. She also squeezed in a jab at her voluptuousness while complimenting Brooks. “I’ll never forget when Garth came on the scene and just changed the game of country music forever. Like, in a flash, Garth became one of the biggest stars of all time,” she shared. “I remember when I came along, people were saying that I’m two of the biggest stars in music — I’m still milking it.”

12 May 2023

Keith Urban to Return to ‘American Idol’ as Season 21 Finale Mentor: Exclusive

Keith Urban is heading back to American Idol. The country superstar, who served as an Idol judge from seasons 12 to 15, is returning to the singing competition show as a mentor for the season finale on Sunday (May 21).

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The “Blue Ain’t Your Color” singer will guide the top three contestants through their performances, leading up to one of them getting the American Idol crown. Urban will also perform his 2022 hit “Wild Hearts” on the Idol stage during the three-hour finale, with other performers to be announced soon.

At the time of publication, 18-year-old Hawaii native Iam Tongi, 20-year-old Georgia native Megan Danielle, 18-year-old Mississippi native Colin Stough, 24-year-old New Yorker Wé Ani and 19-year-old Mississippian Zachariah Smith are in the top five. On Sunday night’s (May 14) episode, the top three will be revealed.

“If you come on the show, you’re part of the American Idol alumni. You are part of our history. This show has changed lives in so many different ways,” executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick recently told Billboard. “I think American Idol is now like the NFL, where people train their [whole] lives to come on the show. It’s now bigger than a TV show. It’s something you can aspire to be a part of — young singers are born every day.”

Catch the American Idol finale, featuring celebrity mentor Keith Urban, on Sunday (May 21) at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.

12 May 2023

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Jonas Brothers, Lil Durk & J. Cole, Shakira and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, Jonas Brothers are back for more summer fun, Lil Durk and J. Cole turn contemplative, and Shakira tries to continue her hot streak. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Jonas Brothers, The Album 

Happiness Begins was, for all intents and purposes, Jonas Brothers’ comeback album, a wildly successful return in 2019 after a 10-year gap between full-lengths that brought the trio to the top of the Hot 100 for the first time and launched a long-running, mega-selling arena tour. Four years later, The Album smartly does not try to recapture lightning in a bottle: instead of trying to manufacture another “Sucker,” the project moves briskly across shared ideas and throwback musical interests, as songs like “Waffle House,” “Summer Baby” and “Montana Sky” function like retro FM radio offerings stuffed with warm harmonies. The JoBros have little to prove at this point in their careers, and the looseness of The Album seems to telegraph: this is where the real fun begins.

Lil Durk feat. J. Cole, “All My Life” 

“All my life, they been trying to keep me down,” a choir of children sings on the new Lil Durk/J. Cole team-up “All My Life,” a nod to the doubt that both rappers faced from hip-hop gatekeepers as they evolved their careers over the past decade-plus. Instead of a straightforward proved-the-haters-wrong anthem, Durk and Cole wisely expand their shared focus on the track, with Durk lamenting the systemic issues that forced him to turn to rap as a form of survival, and Cole sounding haunted by the violence that too often pervades his world.

Shakira, “Acróstico” 

Casual fans might regard “Acróstico,” the tender new single from Shakira, as a heat check from the Colombian superstar, considering the monumental success she’s already achieved this year with her Bizarrap collaboration “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and Karol G duet “TQG” both hitting the top 10 of the Hot 100. Yet Shakira has spent her entire mastering this sort of piano ballad as powerhouse vocal display: “Acróstico” shimmers with restrained production and technically dazzling emotion, as Shakira follows a pair of ostentatious team-ups with a gorgeously stripped-down solo showcase.

Bailey Zimmerman, Religiously. The Album 

Bailey Zimmerman’s Leave the Light On EP, featuring his smash hit “Rock and a Hard Place,” is barely six months old at this point, but considering the commercial breakthrough that the country singer-songwriter has experienced since its release, it’s little surprise that his debut album has promptly arrived in time for summer streaming. Fortunately, Religiously. The Album finds cohesion in Zimmerman’s songwriting: the Illinois native supplements his husky drawl with phrases that cut right to the listener’s core, whether he’s asking rhetorical questions (“Fix’n To Break”), setting a dimly lit scene (“You Don’t Want That Smoke”), or asserting the “broken roads that I’m tryin’ to mend” (“Where It Ends”).

BTS, “The Planet” 

A soundtrack single from the action-adventure animated film Bastions, “The Planet” marks a welcome check-in from BTS as the world-conquering K-pop group continues its break from group activities. And while it remains to be seen how much the BTS members can actively promote the new track, “The Planet” sounds like a hit regardless of the marketing plan: a snappy electro-pop track with a pogoing beat and playful vocal performances from all of the members, the song contains the hooks and tempo to highlight several summer playlists.

Lauren Daigle, Lauren Daigle

Nearly five years have elapsed between Lauren Daigle’s 2018 album Look Up Child, which turned the singer-songwriter into one of the most successful artists in contemporary Christian music in recent memory, and this year’s self-titled follow-up, during which Daigle signed a new label deal with Atlantic Records, teamed up with veteran producer Mike Elizondo and generally pushed her artistry into several exciting new directions. Instead of doubling down on the stately balladry of her breakthrough hits, Daigle explores ‘60s pop, folk, jazz and R&B on the project, creating a fantasia of inspiration powered by her mammoth vocal takes.

12 May 2023

Achtung! U2 Adds More Dates Again to Las Vegas Residency

Get ready to rattle and hum if the previously announced run of U2 Las Vegas residency dates didn’t work for you, because the band has added eight more shows to U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, which was originally announced in a Super Bowl commercial.

Citing “unprecedented demand,” the band — who have nearly two dozen Grammys under its belt — announced the new batch of residency concerts at The Venetian on Friday (May 12), with the press release noting that there have been more than one million ticket requests to date. The eight addition concerts brings the show total to 25, with the newly added dates happening Dec. 1-16.

This is the second time U2 has extended its residency. The band added seven dates in late April, also citing demand for tickets in its decision to tack on more shows.

Tickets start at $140, which includes taxes and fees. According to the announcement, U2.com paid subscribers may submit a presale ticket request for the newly added shows even if they already have tickets for previous concerts, with presale happening now through 7 a.m. ET on Monday, May 15. General onsale begins May 19 at noon ET via Ticketmaster.

“U2 hasn’t played live since December 2019 and we need to get back on stage and see the faces of our fans again,” Bono, The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton said in a previous statement announcing the Las Vegas residency at the new, state-of-the art theater at The Venetian. “And what a unique stage they’re building for us out there in the desert. We’re the right band, Achtung Baby the right album, and Sphere the right venue to take the live experience of music to the next level. That’s what U2’s been trying to do all along with our satellite stages and video installations, most memorably on the ZOO TV Tour, which ended in Tokyo 30 years ago this fall. Sphere is more than just a venue, it’s a gallery and U2’s music is going to be all over the walls.”

See U2’s newly added dates to its residency:

  • Friday, Dec. 1
  • Saturday, Dec. 2
  • Wednesday, Dec. 6
  • Friday, Dec. 8
  • Saturday, Dec. 9
  • Wednesday, Dec. 13
  • Friday, Dec. 15
  • Saturday, Dec. 16

12 May 2023

Every Song Ranked on The Jonas Brothers’ New Record ‘The Album’

Jonas Brothers fans had to wait four long years for a new album — although, that’s nothing compared to the ten-year gap between 2009’s Lines, Vines and Trying Times and the band’s 2019 comeback record Happiness Begins. Nevertheless, Friday (May 12) certainly gives major cause for celebration, the trio’s long-awaited sixth studio record The Album finally arrives, with 12 new tracks made with 80 degree weather and clear skies in mind.

Inspired by such legends soul and pop legends as Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire and the Bee Gees, The Album is saturated with bright synths and unabashed joy, as Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas profess their love for their ladies, their kids and their carefree lifestyle, making for a final product that’s poised for many hours of summer playback. It comes after months of buildup — as well as one long COVID-19 pandemic — with the guys having tested out many of the songs over the course of coast-to-coast residencies and a sold-out run at Yankee Stadium. This August, they’ll go on a proper North American tour in support of projects new and old, promising to play music from all five of their internationally-released albums.

“I hope people feel like they’re part of our journey for a moment in time,” Nick says of the band’s new era in a statement. “One of the things I always say about Jonas fans, which I think is the greatest honor ever, is that I think they’ve really allowed us to be a part of their journey. We’ve stayed true to ourselves, most
importantly, and who we are as artists, what we want to say, and what is authentic to us. I hope
people feel a part of our journey and know we’re honored to be a part of theirs.”

“Just go for it,” adds Joe, addressing first-time listeners of The Album. “Sit down with it and listen to it from start to finish. Please don’t skip any songs.”

With that, keep reading to see Billboard‘s ranking of those 12 songs from The Album below:

11 May 2023

SEVENTEEN Scores Fifth Straight No. 1 on Top Album Sales Chart

SEVENTEEN keeps up its perfect track record on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated May 13) as the act’s SEVENTEEN 10th Mini Album: FML debuts atop the list – the 13-member Korean pop ensemble’s fifth consecutive No. 1, of five total entries. All have also bowed at No. 1. The title sold 132,000 copies in the United States in the week ending May 4, according to Luminate – the fourth-largest sales week for an album in 2023 and SEVENTEEN’s best sales week yet.

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Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of FML was issued in collectible CD packages (14 total, including exclusives for Barnes & Noble, Target and the Weverse webstore), each containing a standard set of items and randomized elements (postcards, mini posters, bookmarks and stickers).

FML was also available as a standard digital download album, as well as via 17 digital download variants that were sold exclusively through the act’s official webstore, each with alternate cover art. Four of them have two bonus tracks – one instrumental track and a voice memo from certain group members – that are different on each album. The remaining 13 alternate digital albums all have the album’s standard tracklist, just with a different cover (one for each of the group members). Of FML’s first-week album sales, 98% were CDs, while the remaining 2% were digital album downloads. The set was not available in any other retail format (such as vinyl or cassette).

Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, The National, Grateful Dead and ILLENIUM arrive 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. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Agust D’s D-Day falls to No. 2 (25,000; down 79%) after debuting at No. 1 a week ago.

The National’s First Two Pages of Frankenstein starts at No. 3 with a little over 24,000 copies sold (with a little more than 15,000 of that sum powered by vinyl sales). It’s the fifth top 10-charting effort for the act.

Grateful Dead’s Dave’s Picks, Volume 46: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA – 9/9/72 bows at No. 4 with 21,000 sold. It’s the latest in the group’s long-running archival concert series.

A trio of former No. 1s is next on Top Album Sales, as Metallica’s 72 Seasons falls 3-5 (13,000; down 49%), Taylor Swift’s Midnights dips 5-6 (11,000; down 30%) and Melanie Martinez’s Portals shifts 6-7 (just over 7,000; down 47%).

ILLENIUM’s self-titled album debuts at No. 8 with 7,000 sold, largely from vinyl sales (nearly 6,000). It’s the second top 10 for the dance/electronic act.

Rounding out the top 10 on the new Top Album Sales chart is TWICE’s former leader Ready to Be: 12th Mini Album (rising 22-9 with nearly 7,000; down 10%) and Swift’s Folklore (14-10 with 6,500; down 26%).

In the week ending May 4, there were 1.827 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 37.5% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.482 million (down 42.6%) and digital albums comprised 344,000 (down 1.6%).

There were 712,000 CD albums sold in the week ending May 4 (down 6.3% week-over-week) and 762,000 vinyl albums sold (down 57.9%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 11.936 million (up 5% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 17.058 million (up 27.3%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 35.534 million (up 10.3% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 29.181 million (up 17%) and digital album sales total 6.353 million (down 12.7%).