Music News

15 Dec 2022

For King & Country Notches 20th Top 10 on Christian Airplay With ‘Joy to the World’

For King & Country, the sibling duo of Luke and Joel Smallbone, achieves its 20th top 10 on Billboard‘s Christian Airplay chart (dated Dec. 17). In the week ending Dec. 11, the pair’s rendition of “Joy to the World” rises 11-7, up 13% to 1.7 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.

Of For King & Country’s 20 Christian Airplay top 10s, 11 have hit No. 1. The act earned its first top 10 in its first appearance, as “Busted Heart (Hold On to Me)” hit No. 3 in 2012, and first led with “Fix My Eyes” in 2014. The act reigned most recently with “For God Is With Us” for three weeks in July.

Concurrently, the twosome’s current non-holiday single “Love Me Like I Am,” with Jordin Sparks, holds at its No. 6 Christian Airplay high (1.7 million). The song became Sparks’ second entry and first top 10.

For King & Country ties Big Daddy Weave for the seventh-most Christian Airplay top 10s, and the third-most among duos or groups. Chris Tomlin leads all acts with 31, followed by Casting Crowns, MercyMe (29 each), Jeremy Camp, tobyMac (26 each) and Matthew West (24).

For King & Country also claims its first top 10 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary airplay survey as “Do You Hear What I Hear?” climbs 13-10 (up 47% in plays). The act previously peaked at a No. 13 AC best, among eight entries, with “Amen” in August 2021.

‘Call’ Gets Patched Into No. 1

Jor’dan Armstrong and Erica Campbell’s “Call” rises to No. 1 on Gospel Airplay, up 6% in plays. Co-written by Armstrong, the song becomes his second leader, following “My God,” which ruled for two frames beginning in December 2021.

Campbell – who is half of duo Mary Mary with sister Trecina – also adds her second Gospel Airplay No. 1 as a soloist, after “Positive” for three weeks in August.

Mary Mary boasts three Gospel Airplay No. 1s, among nine top 10s. Its initial entry, “Heaven,” dominated for 15 frames beginning in June 2005. The pair led again with “God in Me,” featuring Kierra “Kiki” Sheard (seven weeks, beginning in June 2009), and as featured, with Le’Andria Johnson, on PJ Morton’s “All in His Plan” (one week, September 2020).

15 Dec 2022

The Weeknd Unveils ‘Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)’ Off ‘Avatar’ Soundtrack

Avatar: The Way of Water is finally hitting theaters on Friday (Dec. 16), and a day before the release, The Weeknd dropped his cinematic contribution to the soundtrack, “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).”

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“I thought I could protect you from paying for my sins/ You give me strength/ I would do either way/ Nothing’s lost/ No more pain, just you,” he sings on the Swedish House Mafia-produced track, which was released on Thursday (Dec. 15).

“Nothing Is Lost” was previously teased in the Avatar: The Way of the Water trailer which dropped on Dec. 7, in which the singer’s soft vocals are heard throughout the 45-second clip.

It’s been an exciting week for The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), who was recently named the 2022 recipient of the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award in honor of the singer’s impressive commitment to charitable causes. Tesfaye is the first musician to receive both the organization’s Humanitarian Spirit Award and the Allan Slaight Impact Award, with the latter presented the star during his 2014 Canadian Walk of Fame ceremony.

“That this is a Canadian award sits deep with me. Allan and The Slaight Family Foundation are known across the country for their generous philanthropy, and it means a lot to be acknowledged, and is an honor to be recognized along with the legendary Canadian artists who received this award before me,” Tesfaye said in a press statement following the honor.

Listen to “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” below.

15 Dec 2022

Beyoncé Reached Out to Meghan Markle After 2021 Oprah Interview

Amid the negativity, Beyoncé brought some positivity into Meghan Markle’s life.

In Netflix’s second volume of Harry & Meghan released on Thursday (Dec. 15), the Duchess of Sussex receives a text message from the “Break My Soul” superstar in March 2021, a day after her groundbreaking interview alongside husband Prince Harry with Oprah Winfrey.

“Beyoncé just texted,” Markle says, as she’s sitting next to the Duke of Sussex in their home office in Montecito, Calif. “Just checking in,” the former actress reads the message with a smile. “I still can’t believe she knows who I am!”

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“Go and call her,” Harry said, to which Markle declined. “[Bey] said she wants me to feel safe and protected,” she continued. “She admires and respects my bravery and vulnerability and thinks I was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed.”

In response to the touching message, Harry replied, “That’s well said.”

After the Oprah interview, Beyoncé also took to her website to extend support to Markle, who opened up during the interview about just how challenging her time in the royal spotlight was. “Thank you Meghan for your courage and leadership,” Beyoncé wrote next to a photo of the pair meeting for the first time — alongside their famous husbands — at the London premiere of The Lion King in the summer of 2019. “We are all strengthened and inspired by you.”

In the prime time interview, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex unleashed a string of allegations against the royal family, including that Markle had asked the Palace for help because of suicidal thoughts and was turned away and that an unnamed member of the royal family had expressed concern to Harry about how dark the couple’s first-born child’s skin might be.

15 Dec 2022

SEVENTEEN’s Vernon Is Releasing a Debut Solo Mixtape: Here’s When ‘Black Eye’ Arrives

Vernon is the next member of SEVENTEEN who’s gearing up to go solo. On Thursday (Dec. 15), the rapper announced that he will be releasing a debut solo mixtape titled Black Eye, making him the third of the 13-member group to drop a solo project.

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The news was shared to SEVENTEEN’s social media accounts along with the official cover art, which is a faux poster that features the title of the project written in bold red graffiti lettering and a photo of Vernon standing atop a smoking monster truck. Flames and stark lighting also decorate the poster, as well an order to “turn up the radio!” for the project’s release date — Dec. 23.

Vernon’s solo mixtape comes after the release of Hoshi’s Spider mixtape, which arrived in April 2021, and Woozi’s Ruby mixtape, released in January.

Vernon’s most recent release was his February collaboration with Charli XCX for the remix of the pop star’s single “Beg for You” featuring Rina Sawayama.

The remixed version of the song, which included production from producer A.G. Cook, features the K-pop idol thinking hard about a future with his lover. “All the endless conversations about us been going on in our head/ In the night, we dream a future together and I feel bad in your bed/ I beg for you, please stay, I can’t go a day without/ No, I can’t go a day without you,” Vernon sang on his verse.

See the announcement and art for Vernon’s mixtape below.

15 Dec 2022

Nick Jonas Surprises Haley Lu Richardson on ‘Corden’: ‘Is This a Pre-Recorded Video?’

Nick Jonas called into The Late Late Show with James Corden on Wednesday night (Dec. 14) to surprise Haley Lu Richardson during her interview.

The White Lotus star admitted in her chat with James Corden that she grew up as a Jonas Brothers superfan, and naturally, the host even whipped out a photo of Richardson posing with the boy band as a giddy, brace-faced teen. “Honestly, in therapy I will bring up this picture of myself…Like this is the picture I talk to of my inner child,” she said. “But yeah, she was in love with the Jonas Brothers, she waited for probably three or four hours in line at a meet and greet line with her mother to meet Nick and Joe and Kevin.

Richardson also shared that Nick was her favorite of the three brothers, and she even tried to give him a handmade tie during the photo-op, but said that all gifts were taken away by security. “I think he’s got the tie, I’m almost certain he wore it on his wedding day,” Corden joked.

After a commercial break, the host pulled off the big surprise, pulling his phone out of his desk to reveal the youngest JoBro member on the line via FaceTime. Letting loose a stream of expletives, Richardson could hardly look at the camera at first, falling over herself and even asking, “Is this a pre-recorded video?”

“No, I promise you…I just finished White Lotus last night, you were fantastic,” Nick responded, leading Richardson to practically burst into tears. Finally, Corden brought up the missing tie, which the actress insisted was from “like fifteen years ago,” but Nick happily went along with the story, confirming, “Yes, I still have the tie. Of course! I may or may not have the time. But it’s great to meet you again.”

Richardson then let her inner child fully out, telling the pop star, “You’re a huge part of my childhood and, therefore, life forever. All of my Converse, as I said earlier, in grade school and middle school have your name on them. And I’m so proud of you, and going to your guys’ concerts now, like, recently as adults, I feel so proud of the three of you. And I’m so happy for your lives and your creative endeavors and your families. And I love you.”

“That means the world. This is such a lovely surprise,” Jonas replied. “And next time you want to come to a show, bring another tie and I will make sure it gets to me.”

Watch Jonas’ sweet surprise for Richardson below.

15 Dec 2022

Jennifer Lopez Honors Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss in Tribute Post: ‘Such a Light & a Beautiful Soul’

Jennifer Lopez is joining a vast group of entertainers whose lives were touched by Stephen “tWitch” Boss in honoring the dancer-turned-DJ following his death on Wednesday (Dec. 14). Shortly after the news broke that her former World of Dance costar had passed away by suicide, the Marry Me actress took to Instagram to share her devastation.

“Twitch was such a light and a beautiful soul…” she wrote, captioning a carousel of photos of her, tWitch and their other World of Dance costars, Derek Hough and Ne-Yo.

“Shocked and deeply saddened,” she continued. “My heart breaks for @sir_twitch_alot, his wife and children … Sending you love and strength.”

The former Ellen DJ’s passing was first confirmed by his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss, in a statement given to People. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” she shared with the publication. “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.”

Later, it was confirmed by authorities that tWitch’s cause of death had been suicide. He was 40-years-old and leaves behind three children: Zaia, 3, Maddox, 6, and Weslie, 14.

Lopez is just one of many to pay tribute to the So You Think You Can Dance alum, with Justin Timberlake having penned a series of tweets honoring tWitch. “It’s heartbreaking to hear that someone who brought so much joy to a room, was hurting so much behind closed doors,” the “Can’t Stop the Feeling” singer wrote. “I’ve known Twitch for over 20 years through the dance community – he always lit everything up. You just never know what someone is really going through.”

Ellen DeGeneres also shared that she was “heartbroken” over the news, tweeting a photo of her hugging tWitch. “tWitch was pure love and light,” she wrote. “He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.

15 Dec 2022

Mariah Carey Is ‘Grateful’ for ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Hitting No. 1 for the Fourth Year in a Row

Mariah Carey has nothing but love and gratitude when it comes to the continued chart domination of “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

On Thursday (Dec. 15), the living legend posted a photo on Twitter with Billboard‘s own Silvio Pietroluongo, senior vice president of charts and data development, who presented her with a plaque commemorating the holiday smash’s fourth annual trip to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. “Grateful,” she simply captioned the post, using a red heart and lamb emoji, and giving Billboard‘s social handle a shout-out.

“All I Want for Christmas is You” returned to the No. 1 spot on the all-genre tally — as well as both of Billboard‘s global charts — on the tally dated Dec. 17, ending Taylor Swift’s six-week run at the summit with “Anti-Hero.” The 1994 single from Carey’s first Christmas album, Merry Christmas, became her 19th career No. 1 back in 2019, a full 25 years after it was first released.

On Tuesday (Dec. 13), Mimi brought the song — as well as the rest of her festivities — to Madison Square Garden for the first of her two planned Merry Christmas to All! holiday concerts at the iconic New York City venue. Ahead of the show, she gave one South American fan the ultimate Christmas gift by upgrading the woman’s seat to the front row after the fan tweeted about flying more than 5,000 miles from Uruguay just to see the Queen of Christmas live.

Check out Mariah celebrating her latest chart triumph with Pietroluongo below.

15 Dec 2022

Cardi B Celebrates Offset With a Sweet Birthday Tribute: ‘I Love You 4Ever & Beyond’

Offset turned 31 years old on Wednesday (Dec. 14), and Cardi B went all out to celebrate her favorite birthday boy. The “WAP” rapper posted a touching tribute to her husband of five years on Instagram, and shared lots of videos of how the couple commemorated his day by hitting the beach and partying in Jamaica.

“Happy birthday my love,” Cardi wrote, posting a reel of sweet photos of the Migos rapper. “I pray silently and I pray loudly on this post that God bless you & protect you.”

“Thank you for your love to me,” she added. “I love your 4ever & beyond.”

On Instagram Stories, the “I Like It” artist treated followers to an inside glimpse at her Jamaican vacation with Offset, with whom she shares 4-year-old daughter Kulture and 1-year-old son Wave. The two kayaked across beautiful blue waters, hung out beachside and checked out a rocky waterfall.

“Happy birthday sexy maaaaan,” Cardi said while filming her husband on the beach. “It’s your birthday!”

Cardi also shared videos of their couple’s bedroom suite, which she’d had decked out with trails of rose petals and red balloons as a surprise for the “Stir Fry” rapper. “My baby daddy, you deserve it!” she told Offset, filming his reaction to the room.

And finally, the pair closed out the occasion by partying the night away with friends and lots of dancing. Their evening didn’t end until around 6 a.m. — at least, that’s the time stamp on one of Cardi’s final posts on her Story, a video of the sun rising on their waterside vacation home.

The festivities come just a month and a half after Takeoff, Offset’s cousin and former Migos bandmate, was shot and killed Nov. 1 at a bowling alley in the Houston area. Offset was present alongside Quavo, the third member of the Migos trio and Takeoff’s uncle, at Takeoff’s celebration of life ceremony on Nov. 11.

Offset also shared a tribute to his late cousin in a Nov. 15 Instagram post, writing, “I wish I could hug you one last time.”

Cardi has also spoken out about how difficult things have been since the tragedy occurred, saying in a since-deleted Twitter voice note that she feels “so hopeless trying to make my husband happy.”

“Trying to make him crack a smile, f—in’ seeing him randomly cry,” she said at the time. “See him trying to distract his mind completely, f–kin’ schedules been changing, trying to keep up with work after everything that he’s been going through these past couple of weeks. We not in the mood to be f–kin’ playin’ around with y’all.”

15 Dec 2022

‘Something to Talk About’ Songwriter Shirley Eikhard Dies at 67

Shirley Eikhard, songwriter of Bonnie Raitt‘s 1991 hit “Something to Talk About,” has died at 67, her publicist announced on Thursday (Dec. 15). The musician passed away at the Orangeville Hospital in Ontario, Canada, surrounded by family.

The New Brunswick born singer-songwriter first rose to prominence during the ’70s. At age 15, Eikhard’s song “It Takes Time” was recorded by country singer Anne Murray in 1971, and later became a hit in her native Canada. Eikhard released her self-titled debut album the following year in 1972.

Several songs of Eikhard’s would go on to be covered by popular musicians, most notably Bonnie Raitt and Cher. The singer-songwriter struck gold after penning “Something to Talk About” in the ’80s.

Raitt released the song as the first single from her 1991 album, Luck of the Draw. The track was a hit and spent a total of 20 weeks on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 5 on the tally. The tune would ultimately win Raitt the best pop vocal performance, female award at the 1991 Grammy Awards, and was also nominated in the record of the year category.

For Cher, Eikhard’s track “Born With the Hunger” would be rerecorded and released for the singer’s 2000 album Not Commercial. Eikhard also wrote “Lovers Forever” with Cher for the 1994 film Interview With the Vampire; the track is featured on Cher’s 2013 studio album Closer to the Truth.

Eikhard’s songwriting ability earned her two JUNO Awards for best country female artist in 1973 and 1974. “Something to Talk About” led to her induction into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in October 2020.

15 Dec 2022

10 Best Box Sets of 2022

Back catalogs are big business in this music industry. It seems as though every couple of months you read about another artist selling their music to an outside source, like Neil Young going to U.K. investment firm Hipgnosis Songs Fund (run by music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis) with 50% of his song catalog or Bob Dylan selling the masters of his works to longtime label Sony Music.

But when you consider how busy the catalog divisions of such revered companies as Sony, Universal and BMG are, it’s gauging out to be a symbiotic relationship where the fan wins out in the end. Especially when it comes to emptying out the vaults.

This year, in particular, seemed to teem with catalog-based titles from some of the biggest names in the industry. And not just rote ‘Greatest Hits’ collections, but immersive experiences that allow fans to explore inside the creation of favorite LP with audio rarities and visual ephemera. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be a fave, but rather an album so deep in an artist’s discography you forgot how much you dug it in the first place.

It wasn’t easy choosing just 10 box sets to include in this roundup. There was so much that came out this year from which to pick, given the grand carousel of Complete Recordings, Super Deluxe Editions and Bootleg Series-styled lost treasures on display. This carefully curated selection, however, will hopefully give you a good idea of the wealth of product available in 2022.