Music News

20 Apr 2023

Usher & Roberta Flack to Receive Honorary Doctorates From Berklee College

Usher and Roberta Flack are upgrading to doctors. As announced Thursday (April 20), Berklee College of Music will award the the artists with honorary doctorate degrees at this year’s commencement ceremony.

The ceremony will take place the morning of May 13 at Boston University’s Agganis Arena, where multi-instrumentalist Sona Jorbarteh will also receive an honorary degree. All three of the honorees will have the chance to address the 2023 class of graduates at the ceremony, and each will be further celebrated with a reception and concert on the eve of commencement, featuring more than 200 student vocalists, musicians, dancers, arrangers and producers from the graduating class performing a musical tribute to their work.

Usher and Flack join an impressive and diverse list of musicians who’ve received honorary degrees from Berklee in years past, including Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Celine Dion, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Esperanza Spalding, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Ringo Starr, Gloria Estefan and John Legend. An eight-time Grammy winner and nine-time Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper, the “Yeah!” singer is being recognized for his accomplishments in music, film and activism.

“No. 1 is always going to mean a lot to everybody. But it doesn’t, and shouldn’t, change your passion,” he told Billboard in 2021. “It hasn’t changed mine, whether I put out a record that hit No. 1 instantly or took time to get there. I have a record company that’s willing to fight for it and get it heard, to connect with my audience and prospective new fans. I’ve tried a lot of stuff. There’s a way to play in R&B where you can be as creative as you want. Don’t cut yourself off — don’t feel you need to be tied so authentically to one thing.” 

Four-time Grammy winner Flack has topped the Hot 100 three times: “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” in 1972, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” in 1973 and “Feel Like Makin’ Love” in 1974.

20 Apr 2023

The Revivalists Crown Adult Alternative Airplay Chart With ‘Kid’

The Revivalists reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart for a third time with “Kid,” which jumps to the top of the April 22-dated survey.

The song is the band’s first leader since “All My Friends,” which ruled for three weeks in 2018.

Previously, the band led with “Wish I Knew You” for two weeks in 2016.

In between “Friends” and “Kid,” The Revivalists appeared on the chart twice, paced by the No. 2-peaking “Change,” the other of its four top 10s, in 2019.

Concurrently, “Kid” bullets at its No. 3 high on Alternative Airplay. There, it’s the band’s top-charting song since “Wish” ruled for a week in 2017; in between those hits, the group notched its other of three top 10s, “Friends,” which rose to No. 7.

On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, “Kid” rises 5-4 with 4.1 million audience impressions, a 10% boost, according to Luminate. The band’s best is “Wish” which peaked at No. 2.

The Revivalists’ new Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1 follows the solo sojourn of lead singer David Shaw, who released an eponymous album in May 2021. “Shaken,” a song from the set, hit No. 21 on the chart that January. He told Billboard ahead of the project’s release, “From the beginning, this album was all about self-exploration and the joys that come from finding strength and confidence in places that might not have been accessible before.”

“Kid” is the lead single from Pour It Out Into the Night, The Revivalists’ upcoming fifth studio album and first since 2018’s Take Good Care. The new LP is due June 2.

20 Apr 2023

Michelle Obama Says She’s ‘Fangirled Out’ Over These 2 Iconic Musicians: Watch

During Michelle Obama‘s time as the first lady of the United States, she was one of the most famous — and identifiable — people, but that didn’t stop her from becoming a superfan after meeting some of her favorite musicians. Obama appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (April 19) and revealed that she, too, has been a fangirl in her day.

The topic came up when Fallon inquired whether the former first later ever gets starstruck by people anymore, to which she replied, “Absolutely I do.”

“Just imagine the people that we met,” she continued. “Stevie? You know, when I first met Stevie Wonder? I was just like ‘Stevie!’ I fangirled out. Prince? I mean … Prince played at the White House months before he passed, actually. I fangirl out.”

Later in the program, The Light We Carry author dished on her Netflix special with Oprah Winfrey about the book, and shared that Oprah has been nothing but a generous friend to her and husband Barack Obama.

“Oprah was one of the very open supporters before Barack was even thinking about running. She spotted him when he was a U.S. senator,” the 59-year-old revealed. “Oprah is that person who never asks for anything, but is always there with her generosity, her love and support. There isn’t anything you can’t ask her to do if you’re a friend that she won’t try to do. She is who she appears to be, and I’m lucky to call her a friend.”

Watch Obama talk about fangirling over Stevie Wonder and Prince in the video above, and her friendship with Oprah in the clip below.

20 Apr 2023

Killer Mike Announces First Solo Album in 10 Years, Releases New Single ‘Don’t Let the Devil’: Listen

Killer Mike is hopping back on the saddle as a solo artist for this forthcoming album, Michael. Announced Wednesday (April 19), the Run the Jewels rhymer also dished out a new record with his partner El-P titled “Don’t Let the Devil” and revealed the project’s June 16 release date. 

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“[Run the Jewels] is the X-Men. This is my Logan,” Mike told Rolling Stone. “It’s our 10-year anniversary, and Michael is an origin story, so I wanted to start with El.”

“Don’t Let the Devil” is co-produced by El-P, No I.D. and Little Shalimar, with Thankugoodsir relegated to hook duties. The soulful tune finds Mike in his element, boasting about the potency of Run the Jewels as a duo, rhyming, “The jewels runners, the product of many cruel summers/ And the description was fittin’, they say it’s two gunners.” 

In a post on Instagram, Mike spoke about his high hopes of making his 12-year-old self happy with his latest collaboration with El-P. “I want to time travel and tell 12-year-old #MICHAEL that he dropped a ? song with his rap potna El-P and had some dope Nike SB collabs on his born-day, plus he had a party,” he wrote. “Life is great, kid. Stay focused and Don’t Let The Devil coerce ya! 

Michael will serve as Mike’s first solo album in 10 years following the release of 2012’s R.A.P. Music. He previously released solo tracks, including “Run” with Young Thug and Dave Chappelle, and “Talk’n That Shit!”

Run the Jewels will also embark on a 10th-anniversary tour in select cities. 

Listen to “Don’t Let the Devil” below. 

20 Apr 2023

Fall Out Boy, Motley Crue, Thundercat Headlining 2023 NFL Draft Concert Series

Are you ready for some… emo?! The NFL announced on Wednesday (April 19) that Fall Out Boy will join metal legends Mötley Crüe and bass thumper Thundercat at next week’s NFL Draft Concert Series. The series of shows will take place next week at the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City from April 27-29.

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FOB will be first on the field, hitting the stage after the conclusion of the opening round of the draft on April 27, followed by the Crüe, who will headline after round 3 on April 28. Day three will feature bassist/singer Thundercat, during which the NFL said he will curate a special performance that will “pay tribute to the rich music history and the legacy of jazz in Kansas City.”

All the performances will take place at the Draft Theater in front of the city’s iconic Union Station. General admission fan viewing will be on a standing-room-only, first-come, first-served basis on the North Lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial; the lawn will stay open during the draft and for general fan viewing of the Draft Concert Series, which is free with registration.

The performances will be streamed in full here and live on the NFL Facebook and YouTube pages each night. Parts of the performances will also be televised on the NFL Network and ESPN.

Grammy-nominated singer and KC native Oleta Adams will perform the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and country singer Brittney Spencer will sing the National Anthem live from downtown during the opening festivities. KC-based party band Lost Wax will be the house and at the Draft Theater and perform between draft selections each day.

20 Apr 2023

NF’s ‘Hope’ Springs to No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart

NF reasserts his rule on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as his newest album, Hope, starts at the summit of the chart dated April 22. The set begins with 123,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending April 13, according to Luminate.

With Hope, the rapper achieves his third No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. His first two entries, 2017’s Perception and 2019’s The Search, both debuted at No. 1 and held the rank for one week, while 2021’s Clouds (The Mixtape), entered and peaked at No. 2.

In addition to its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums coronation, Hope likewise opens at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart and at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.

Eighty-one thousand units of Hope’s debut sum come from traditional album sales, bolstered by the album’s availability in an autographed CD edition in his webstore, a Target-exclusive CD with a poster packaged inside, four deluxe CD/merch boxed sets, and a both a white vinyl and a standard black vinyl edition. The figure makes Hope the top-selling album of the week across all genres and debuts at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart.

Of the outstanding balance, 42,000 units derive from the streaming sector, equal to 56.8 million official on-demand streams of Hope’s songs. The remaining 1,000 units are from track-equivalent 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.)

As Hope arrives, five of the album’s tracks debut on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “Careful,” with Cordae, enters the highest, at No. 29, followed by “Pandemonium” (No. 41), “Mama” (No. 46), “Suffice” (No. 47), “Bullet” (No. 48). Plus, two previous Hope releases return to the 50-position list: The title track re-enters at No. 33 after having reached a prior No. 16 peak, while “Motto” comes back at No. 40 after a No. 29 best.

A huge week for NF’s Hope album and its songs prompt the rapper’s re-entry at No. 3 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart, which measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption — album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming — to provide a weekly multidimensional ranking of artist popularity. By earning the bronze medal on this week’s recap, NF earns his highest Artist 100 rank since he claimed a week at No. 1 in August 2019.

20 Apr 2023

Drake Extends Streaming Songs No. 1 Record With ‘Search & Rescue’

Drake widens his lead for the most No. 1s in the history of Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart as “Search & Rescue” debuts atop the tally dated April 22.

In its first week (April 7-13), the track earned 33.8 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.

The song’s sum of raw streams marks the week’s second highest, after Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night”; “Search,” however, tops the chart due to the application of weighting to all titles’ paid/subscription and ad-supported on-demand streams and programmed/radio streams.

“Search” is Drake’s leading 16th No. 1 on Streaming Songs – 10 more than the next-closest acts, dating to the ranking’s 2013 inception. Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift are tied for the second most with six apiece.

Most No. 1s, Streaming Songs:

  • 16, Drake
  • 6, Justin Bieber
  • 6, Taylor Swift
  • 4, Cardi B
  • 4, Miley Cyrus
  • 4, Ariana Grande
  • 4, Lil Baby
  • 4, Travis Scott

Drake achieves his first Streaming Songs No. 1 of 2023. He last reigned with the three-week leader “Rich Flex,” with 21 Savage, beginning with its debut atop the Nov. 19, 2022, list.

On R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs, “Search” is Drake’s 19th ruler (over The Weeknd, his closest competitor, with eight). On Rap Streaming Songs, he notches his 16th (ahead of runner-up Lil Baby with eight).

Concurrently, as previously reported, “Search” bows at No. 2 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100, where it’s Drake’s record-extending 68th top 10. It launches at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where Drake claims his record-furthering 27th leader.

“Search” is currently a stand-alone single. Drake’s last full-length, the 21 Savage collaboration Her Loss, was released in November, after his dance detour, Honestly, Nevermind, arrived in June.

20 Apr 2023

Here’s Why Fans Think Camila Cabello’s New Song Is About Making Up With Shawn Mendes

Camila Cabello hasn’t addressed the recent rumors she’s getting back together with Shawn Mendes … or has she? Days after she was spotted kissing her former flame at Coachella, the 26-year-old pop star dropped a teaser for new song “June Gloom” with lyrics that fans think are definitely about reconciling with the “Mercy” musician.

“How come you’re just so much better?” she sings through layers of harmony and reverb on the clip posted to her Instagram Wednesday (April 19). “Is this going to end ever?/ I guess I’ll f–k around and find out.”

But if that’s not enough to convince listeners that “Shawmila” has been rekindled, take a look at what she sings next: “Are you coming to Coachella?/ If you don’t it’s whatever/ If you do honey, it’ll be all I think about.”

Mendes, of course, definitely did come to Coachella, and spent time at festival at the “Bam Bam” singer’s side. The two were spotted smooching Friday night (April 14), and curiously, Cabello captioned her new song teaser with the date “4.12.”

Neither of the two stars have publicly addressed rumors they’re getting back together more than a year after breaking off their two-year romance in November 2021. But as far as fans are concerned, they don’t have to. “Only couple I really think deserves second chance cause your love is pure and real,” commented one person on Cabello’s post. 

“NOT THE COACHELLA REFERENCE… OH THIS IS FRESH FRESH,” wrote another fan.

Others left replies such as “Are you coming to Coachella….he did & you did & it’s EVERYTHING” and “Shawn bro this bout u buddyy.” One very stressed fan commented, “OH GAWD GET BACK TOGETHER ALREADY IM BREAKING A SWEAT.”

“Seems like she wrote this cuz she still thinks bout Shawn and wasn’t fully over him/ comparing him to her other relationship,” speculated another fan. “And she posted this specific part now cause she saw him at Coachella and something may have re kindled and she’s feeling all lovey lmaoo and throwing little subs bout it.”

Listen to Camila Cabello’s “June Gloom” teaser below:

20 Apr 2023

Meek Mill Honors Victims of Holocaust By Joining ‘March of the Living’ in Poland

Meek Mill joined the annual pilgrimage to honor the victims of the Holocaust this week when he traveled to Poland for the March of the Living. The rapper posted a picture from Tuesday (April 18) from the meaningful mission in which he was seen walking with longtime friend and fellow activist New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft and Warner Bros. Discovery president/CEO David Zaslav in an Instagram post captioned “VERY IMPACTFUL DAY !!!!”

The program that draws hundreds of people from around the world for the educational program about the history of the Holocaust has attendees marching down the same 3-kilometer (1.8 mile) path from the Auschwitz death camp to the Birkenau camp on Holocaust Remembrance Day (also known as Yom Hashoah in Hebrew) as a tribute to the six million Jews slaughtered by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.

According to the organization, the goal of the March is to help ” inspire our participants to fight indifference, racism and injustice by witnessing the atrocities of the Holocaust. Our hope is that the program will help strengthen Jewish identity, connections to Israel and build a community of future Jewish leaders.”

More than 1.1 million people died at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi concentration camps — one million of them Jews — from 1940-1942.

Meek and Kraft have worked closely together since 2019, when the Patriots owner joined the rapper and Jay-Z in the ongoing REFORM Alliance campaign for criminal justice/sentencing reform. Last month, Kraft enlisted Meek (born Robert Rihmeek Williams) and former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in a new multi-million dollar effort to combat the unprecedented wave of antisemitism in America.

The 81-year-old billionaire has pledged to invest $25 million in a multi-level campaign to fight antisemitism through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS), which has been promoting stories about efforts to combat anti-Jewish hate on it social feeds.

See Meek’s post below.

20 Apr 2023

Coldplay Earns $65.4 Million From 11 Shows to Rule March Boxscore Report

Following a four-month hiatus, Coldplay returned to the stage in March to extremely efficient effect. Despite playing just three Brazilian markets, the band still compiled numbers large enough to secure honors as the top-grossing live act of the month. According to figures reported to Blilboard Boxscore, the British act earned $65.4 million and sold 736,000 tickets between March 10 and March 28.

That eye-popping total was amassed from $40.1 million over six shows in Sao Paulo, $8.1 million from two shows in Curitiba and $17.2 million across three dates in Rio de Janeiro.

The slate of stadium concerts in Sao Paulo marks the seventh-largest engagement in Boxscore history, both in terms of gross and paid attendance. Further, that run helps Coldplay become the third consecutive act to simultaneously lead Top Tours and Top Boxscores, following fellow Brits Elton John in January and Ed Sheeran in February.

Boxscore, Top Tours

The Brazil shows averaged $5.9 million and 67,000 tickets per show, in step with previous legs in the U.S. ($5.7 million; 53,200 tickets) and Europe ($6.4 million; 66,400 tickets). But it’s a boost from previous plays in Latin America.

Coldplay opened the tour with shows March and April 2022 in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, pacing $4.1 million and 52,600 tickets. The band returned last September for concerts in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, running $4.6 million and 58,900 tickets per show. The Brazil run marks a 30% bump from the previous South American lap.

March is Coldplay’s second month at No. 1 on Top Tours. The band’s first trip to the top was last July with almost identical totals, when they grossed $66.7 million and sold 730,000 tickets. The 736,000 haul this month is the second-biggest monthly attendance count, only behind Sheeran’s 750,000 in June 2022.

Boxscore, Top 30

In total, the Music of the Spheres Tour has grossed $407.7 million and sold more than 4.5 million tickets since launching in March 2022, approaching the all-time top 10 in both metrics. The band’s previous tour, the A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016-17), sits at No. 7 on the historical ranking, with $523.3 million and sold 5.4 million tickets.

The Music of the Spheres Tour resumes in May in Europe before returning to North America in September. With close to 40 scheduled shows left to play, the entire run could be heading toward the all-time top five with more than $600 million in the bank and six million tickets sold.

Sheeran backs off from No. 1 in February to No. 2 in March, adding $43.1 million and 409,000 tickets for The Mathematics Tour. He is followed by Harry Styles at No. 3, enjoying his seventh consecutive month in the top five.

Boxscore, Top Venues 15,001+

Boxscore, Top Venues 10,001-15k

It’s the fifth month with an all-British top three since Billboard launched the monthly rankings in February 2019. All five of those occurrences have featured at least one of this month’s leaders, with Sheeran participating in four of those sweeps.

SZA is No. 4 with $23.2 million and more than 150,000 tickets on the SOS Tour. Matching Carrie Underwood last month and Karol G in October, it’s the highest rank for a female artist in more than a year based on reported figures. The only women to reach higher since returning from the pandemic were Billie Eilish, Reba McEntire and Alanis Morissette, each hitting No. 3 in February 2022, January 2022, and September 2021, respectively.

Much ado was made of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ double-duty in February, appearing twice in Top Tours’ top 10 – once by themselves and once with co-headliner Post Malone. A version of that phenomenon happens on March’s Top Boxscores ranking, as Billy Joel hits No. 27 on Top Boxscores with his latest Madison Square Garden concert, but also No. 6 with co-headliner Stevie Nicks. The first date of their brief collaborative tour earned $10.9 million at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Both acts have further scheduled dates separately and together.

Boxscores, Top Venues 5,001-10,000

Boxscore, Top Venues 5,000 or Less

Coldplay’s dominance extends to the venue charts. Sao Paulo’s Estadio do Morumbi, home of their mammoth six-show run, is the top-grossing venue of the month, No. 1 on the ranking for venues with a capacity of 15,001 or more, but out-grossing every venue on the other capacity-specific charts as well. Estadio Nilton Santos, the band’s Rio de Janeiro stadium, follows on the 15,001+ ranking at No. 7.

T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas) and Madison Square Garden (New York) follow at Nos. 2-3, leading the month for arenas. Las Vegas scores No. 1 rankings on the 10,001-15k chart with MGM Grand Garden ($6.8 million) and 5,001-10k list with Dolby Live ($13.5 million).

The tally for venues with a capacity of 5,000 or less is led by Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Fla., earning $6.7 million from 26 shows during March. Vegas’ Resorts World Theatre follows at No. 2 ($5.2 million), giving Sin City a top two rank on all four venue charts.

Boxscore, Top Promoters