Music News

10 Nov 2022

Lizzo, Kane Brown & More Are Releasing Holiday Songs for Amazon Music

Christmas is right around the corner, and Amazon Music is helping fans get into the spirit early. On Thursday (Nov. 10), the music streaming service announced that Lizzo, Kane Brown, Givēon and Lauren Spencer Smith are among the artists who are covering beloved holiday songs exclusively for Amazon Music leading up to the most wonderful time of year.

Lizzo will be taking on Stevie Wonder’s “Someday at Christmas,” while Brown will take a crack at the Elvis Presley classic “Blue Christmas.” Givēon will tackle “The First Noel,” while Smith will do a special version of Wham!’s signature holiday hit “Last Christmas.”

“I chose to cover ‘Someday at Christmas’ not just because it’s a classic, but because it’s a reminder to us that almost 60 years later, we are still fighting for peace, compassion, and equality,” Lizzo said in a statement. “A friendly reminder to spread love and kindness this holiday season.”

Of his choice to cover Presley, Brown said, “We have Christmas music playing at our house all throughout the season, and this year I’m excited that my daughters will get to hear my voice on one of the most timeless classics made famous by the legendary Elvis Presley. I hope my version puts everyone in the holiday spirit.”

Additional artists who are part of this year’s Amazon Music holiday covers include Stormzy, dvsn, Maisie Peters and more. While some of the covers are currently available to stream on Amazon music, more will be rolled out through the holiday season. See the full list of original holiday tracks from Amazon Music below.

Amazon Original Holiday Tracklist

  • “Someday at Christmas” by Lizzo
  • “Blue Christmas” by Kane Brown
  • “The First Noel” by GIVĒON
  • “Last Christmas” by Lauren Spencer Smith
  • “Firebabe” (Orchestral Version) by Stormzy
  • “Amazing Grace” by DVSN
  • “All I Want (For Christmas)” by Zoe Wees
  • “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Alexis Ffrench
  • “Together This Christmas” by Maisie Peters
  • “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Manuel Turizo
  • “Christmas Lights” by Amy Shark
  • “En lo Alto Gloria” by Majo y Dan and Alex Zurdo
  • “Mon Beau Sapin” by Kendji Girac
  • “Jingle Bells” by Sam Ryder
  • “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Priya Ragu
  • “Pastello Bianco” by Pinguini Tattici Nucleari
  • “Gozo y Paz” by Blanca and Alex Campos
  • “La Marimorena” by Demarco Flamenco
  • “Who Would Imagine a King” by Budjerah
  • “Dime Navidad” by Edurne
  • “El Hijo Ausente” by Rafa Pérez

10 Nov 2022

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Drops Trailer for 2022 Induction Ceremony, Featuring Dolly Parton, Eminem, Carly Simon & More

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is gearing up to celebrate its class of 2022 with the public on Nov. 19, and on Thursday (Nov. 10), a trailer for the upcoming special was released.

In the nearly two-minute clip, snippets from the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony earlier this month flash across the screen. Rock hitmakers Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, new wave chart-toppers Duran Duran, hip-hop heavyweight Eminem, synth-pop duo Eurythmics, country legend Dolly Parton, R&B hitmaker Lionel Richie and pop singer-songwriter Carly Simon are all seen accepting their prestigious honor, along with introductions from star-studded attendees. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis also joined the Rock Hall with the “award for musical excellence.”

“Rock and roll is not a color,” Richie is seen saying in the teaser. “It’s a vibe!”

Artists are eligible for Rock Hall nomination 25 years after their first commercial recording came out. Of this class, Eminem, Duran Duran, Richie, Simon and Parton see induction after appearing on the ballot just once. This is also Eminem’s first year of eligibility; 2022 marked the second nomination for Eurythmics and Benatar.

The 2022 ceremony also marked the first time in the Hall’s 37-year history that six female acts — Benatar, Parton, Simon, Cotten, Robinson and Annie Lennox (who comprised Eurythmics with her partner Dave Stewart) — were inducted in one class.

Watch the trailer below, and be sure to catch the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, streaming November 19 on HBO Max, which you can sign up for here.

10 Nov 2022

Prince Royce, Nicky Jam & Jay Wheeler Hit Top 10 on Latin Airplay Chart With ‘Si Te Preguntan’

It’s a profitable partnership between Prince Royce, Nicky Jam and Jay Wheeler as “Si Te Preguntan” rallies 18-3 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated Nov. 12).

“Si Te Preguntan” earns the highest weekly jump to the upper region thanks to its robust 74% gain in audience impressions, to 7.9 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 6, according to Luminate.

“Si Te Preguntan” debuted on the radio ranking at No. 35 and nearly missed its top 10 visit end of September, lifting 14-11 (chart dated Sept. 24), where it remained for two weeks. It reaches the top 10 in its 15th week amid renewed radio reception, climbing 15 positions. It’s one of eight songs to jump at least 15 positions in a single week into the top 10 in 2022:

Biggest Jumps to Top 10 on Latin Airplay in 2022, Title, Artist, Chart

  • 49-1 (48), “Te Felicito,” Shakira & Rauw Alejandro, May 7, 2022
  • 43-5 (38), “Sigue,” J Balvin & Ed Sheeran, April 9, 2022
  • 36-1 (35), “Forever My Love,” J Balvin & Ed Sheeran, April 9, 2022
  • 18-1 (17), “Llorar y Llorar,” Mau y Ricky & Carin Leon, Oct. 1, 2022
  • 25-9 (16), “Cuéntame,” Los Rieleros del Norte, Sept. 24, 2022
  • 18-3 (15), “Si Te Preguntan…,” Prince Royce, Nicky Jam & Jay Wheeler, Nov. 12, 2022
  • 23-8 (15), “Con Un Botecito A Pecho,” Adriel Favela & Carin Leon, May 28, 2022
  • 16-1 (15), “Buenos Dias,” Wisin & Camilo, July 23, 2022

With “Si Te Preguntan’s” top 10 trek, Royce collects his 22nd top 10 (including 15 No. 1s). Meanwhile, Nicky Jam claims his 23rd, while Wheeler nabs his third.

Over on Tropical Airplay, the track pushes closer to the summit with a 5-2 jump, a new peak. It previously reached a No. 3 high on the Aug. 30-dated list, and has been in the top five for the last 14 consecutive weeks. Further, for Jam, it’s the closest he’s been to the top since the eight-week ruler “Cásate Conmigo,” with Silvestre Dangond, in 2018. As for Wheeler — it’s his first hit on Tropical Airplay, while Prince Royce has previously notched 22 No. 1s.

Goyo Visits Tropical Airplay’s Top 10 With India Collab

Elsewhere on Tropical Airplay, ChocQuibTown’s Goyo crosses off a new milestone earning her first visit and top 10 with “Nubes Negras,” with India. The track rises 14-10 with 1 million in audience impressions, up 10%.

It’s Goyo’s first entry as a lead act, unaccompanied by her band, ChocQuibTown, which last scored an entry through its featured role in Arthur Hanlon’s “No Tuve La Culpa” (No. 11 high in 2018).

Meanwhile, India collects her 26th top 10 after she took over atop Tropical Airplay for one week with “Víctimas Las Dos,” with Victor Manuelle, in May 2021. India holds her second-most top 10s among female acts on the ranking, trailing only Olga Tañon’s 27 top 10s.

10 Nov 2022

Tems‘ ’Free Mind’ Completes Near-Record Climb to No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart

Slow and steady wins the race for Tems, whose “Free Mind” reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The single tops the tally, rising 2-1, dated Nov. 12 in its 33rd week on the list, the second-longest climb to the summit in the chart’s 30-year history.

“Mind” rolls to its coronation with 19.2 million in audience in the week ending Nov. 6, according to Luminate.

As “Mind” reigns for the first time in its 33rd week on the list, it shuffles the leaderboard for the longest wait for a song to reach No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay list. “Mind” is now second in that count, behind only the 35-week journey for R. Kelly’s “Step in the Name of Love,” which completed its trek in December 2003. Among women, Tems takes the mark from Rihanna’s “Needed Me” and its 25-week travel to the top.

Here’s an updated look at the songs with the most weeks needed to reach No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay:

Weeks to No. 1, Song Title, Artist, Date Reached No. 1

  • 35, “Step in the Name of Love,” R. Kelly, Dec. 6, 2003
  • 33, “Free Mind,” Tems, Nov. 12, 2022
  • 31, “You,” Lloyd featuring Lil Wayne, Feb. 17, 2007
  • 29, “I Wanna Know,” Joe, April 1, 2000
  • 29, “Snap Yo Fingers,” Lil Jon featuring E-40 & Sean Paul of The YoungbloodZ, July 29, 2006
  • 29, “There Goes My Baby,” Usher, Aug. 14, 2010
  • 25, “Needed Me,” Rihanna

“Free Mind,” from Tems’ 2020 EP For Broken Ears, debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charted dated April 2, amid the Nigerian singer-songwriter’s increasing prominence in the U.S. In 2021, she featured on a pair of top 40 hits on the all-genre multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 – Wizkid’s “Essence,” which earned a boost after a Justin Bieber remix helped the song reach No. 9 that August, and on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy cut “Fountains,” which reached No. 26.

Her profile kept progressing thanks to a supporting turn alongside Drake on Future’s “Wait for U,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in April 2022. As fans’ turned to more of her catalog, “Free Mind” emerged as a favorite, sparking its official radio promotion to R&B/hip-hop and rhythmic formats. On Rhythmic Airplay, the song reached a No. 10 peak last month and slides 12-19 on the newest list.

10 Nov 2022

Pentatonix Rings in Ninth Top 10 on Holiday Albums Chart

Pentatonix celebrates its ninth top 10-charting effort on Billboard’s Top Holiday Albums chart as the vocal group’s latest release, Holidays Around the World, debuts at No. 6 on the Nov. 12-dated list. The act has been very successful on the tally through the years, having debuted a new album on the list nearly every year from 2012 onwards (missing only in 2013 and 2015).

All nine of Pentatonix’s chart entries have reached the top 10, with four hitting No. 1: That’s Christmas to Me (2014), A Pentatonix Christmas (2016), Christmas Is Here! (2018) and The Best of Pentatonix Christmas (2019).

Holidays Around the World starts with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 3, according to Luminate. Of that sum, traditional album sales comprise 3,500, while the remaining 500 units were generated largely by streaming activity of the set’s 12 songs.

Also debuting on Top Holiday Albums: Neil Diamond’s new compilation A Neil Diamond Christmas (No. 13), Anne Wilson’s The Manger (No. 45) and Louis Armstrong and Friends’ The Best of Louis Armstrong: 20th Century Masters The Christmas Collection (No. 47).

Meanwhile, the soundtrack to Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas continues at No. 1 for a 14th nonconsecutive week on top. The set earned 17,000 equivalent album units in the Oct. 28 – Nov. 3 tracking frame (up 89%) thanks to the album’s usual surge in popularity around Halloween (as the set is a hybrid Halloween and Christmas effort).

The Top Holiday Albums chart ranks the 50 most popular seasonal albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each units equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. The seasonal Top Holiday Albums returned for another festive season with the Oct. 22-dated list and will continue as part of Billboard’s weekly chart menu until it dashes away in January 2023.

10 Nov 2022

Billy Porter Will Immortalize His Iconic 2020 Grammys Look With a Madame Tussauds Wax Figure

The category is Madame Tussauds wax figure realness, and Billy Porter is scoring 10s across the board!

On Thursday (Nov. 10), Madame Tussauds and Porter announced on Instagram that the Pose star’s likeness would be the next addition to the chain’s long-running Times Square location. “Madame Tussauds New York is in the process of making a brand new wax figure, and it just might be the most fabulous one yet,” the company wrote. “Coming in 2023, the category is: BILLY PORTER!”

In the photos, fans can see the “Children” singer standing on a pedestal and posing while a group of artists take his measurements. Fans of Porter will quickly recognize the turquoise jumpsuit he’s wearing — the look famously first appeared at the 2020 Grammy Awards, where Porter paired it with wide-brimmed hat that had a motorized curtain of crystalline fringe to cover his face.

In a statement released with the photos, Porter expressed his excitement at being all dolled-up in perpetuity. “I am humbly honored to be receiving my very own wax figure at Madame Tussauds,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure to work with the artists to make this dream come true and I can’t wait to see my twin in New York!”

Tussauds said that they decided to announce Porter’s figure ahead of World Kindness Day on Nov. 13 as a means of honoring Porter’s “vulnerability and supportive nature to all communities.”

2022 saw plenty of other accomplishments for Porter. Along with returning to his music career with the release of his latest single “Stranger Things,” the star spent much of the year promoting his directorial debut Anything’s Possible, a film following a young woman as she navigates her life as a trans high-schooler.

Check out announcement of Porter’s new wax figure below:

10 Nov 2022

Fred Again.., for the First Time: ‘Actual Life 3’ Debuts on Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart

Fred ​Again.. bows at No. 3 on Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart (dated Nov. 12) with Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022). The first entry for the London-based producer/singer/DJ (real name Fred Gibson) earned 7,000 equivalent album units in its first tracking week (Oct. 28-Nov. 3), according to Luminate.

The set also starts at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, marking Fred Again..’s first leader on any Billboard list.

Additionally, Fred Again.. scores the top debut, at No. 18, on Billboard‘s multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with “Clara (The Night Is Dark),” which drew 1 million U.S. streams. It’s the fifth, and highest charting, Actual Life 3 track to make the tally so far, joining “Delilah (Pull Me Out of This)” (25-23 this week); “Bleu (Better With Time)” (50-33, nearing matching its No. 30 high on Oct. 1); “Kammy (Like I Do)” (48-45); and “Danielle (Smile on My Face)” (No. 45, Oct. 8).

In total, Fred Again.. has notched 11 Hot Dance/Electronic Songs entries, beginning with “Don’t Judge Me,” with FKA Twigs and Headie One (No. 23, February 2021). His collab with Swedish House Mafia, “Turn on the Lights Again..,” featuring Future, is his top-charting hit (No. 16, this August).

Tipper traipses onto Top Dance/Electronic Albums with Marble Hunting (No. 19). The set opens with 2,000 equivalent album units earned, nearly all from physical sales. It’s Tipper’s third trip to the chart and first in close to six years, after EP Flunked (No. 15, January 2017) and Forward Escape (N​o. 20, May 2014).

Returning to Hot​ Dance/Electronic Songs, Becky Hill and David Guetta return at No. 8 with “Remember,” sparked by new viral activity, the release of Hill’s solo versions and the rerelease of the original and Guetta’s VIP remix. It marks a new peak for the track, which previously reached No. 14 in July 2021 (ahead of Hill’s Only Honest on the Weekend album, released that August; it hit a No. 4 best on Top Dance/Electronic Albums the previous two weeks and ranks at No. 6 this week).

On Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, “Remember” becomes Hill’s second top 10 and Guetta’s 19th, the fourth-most among all acts dating to the chart’s January 2013 inception, after only Kygo (24), The Chainsmokers (22) and Calvin Harris (20)​.​

Shifting to the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, Audien earns his fifth top 10 with “Drifting Away,” featuring Joe Jury, who (the verdict is in) gets his first (13-8). “Drifting” is drawing core-dance airplay on Music Choice’s Dance/EDM channel, WZFL (Revolution 93.5) Miami and iHeartRadio’s Evolution Network, among other supporters.

Plus, OneRepublic adds its sixth Dance/Mix Show Airplay top 10 with “I Ain’t Worried” (16-10). (The Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart measures radio airplay on a select group of full-time dance stations, along with plays during mix shows on around 70 top 40-formatted reporters.)

10 Nov 2022

‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Judge David Walliams Accused of Making ‘Sexually Explicit’ Remarks About Contestants

Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams has been accused of making “derogatory and sexually explicit remarks” about contestants on the talent show.

According to an exposé in The Guardian, Walliams — one of the U.K.’s best-known TV personalities and a hugely successful children’s author — was heard in a recording of one episode of the show repeatedly calling one contestant the C-word and saying that another “thinks you want to f— her.”

According to the report, the comments were made during an audition show filmed at the London Palladium in January 2020 and had been picked up by microphones used to record conversations between the judges, for which the paper then saw the transcript.

Lawyers for Walliams and Thames TV, which produces Britain’s Got Talent, told The Guardian that the comments were part of a private conversation never intended for broadcast.

In one incident, the transcript claimed that Walliams described an older performer — after he had failed an audition and made a joke about the judge — as “a c—” three times. In another, after a female contestant walked offstage, Walliams described her as being “like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f— them, but you don’t,” according to the transcript.

In a statement, Walliams said: “I would like to apologize to the people I made disrespectful comments about during breaks in filming for Britain’s Got Talent in 2020. These were private conversations and — like most conversations with friends — were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry.”

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

10 Nov 2022

XXXTentacion’s ‘Moonlight’ Video Joins the Billion Views Club

It’s been four years since the death of Jahseh Onfroy, better known as XXXTentacion. But even after his unexpected passing following a shooting in Deerfield Beach, Fla., on June 18, 2018, at age 20, the rapper’s art is still reaching milestones.

YouTube announced on Thursday (Nov. 10) that XXXTentacion’s video for his single “Moonlight” has reached a billion views. While the visual — which arrived in October 2018 — was directed by JMP, it was written and creative directed by X himself.

The video show the rapper wearing headphones under the moonlight in the middle of an outdoor party with some friends. In certain scenes, X is walking through the gathering — which is set in the wilderness — flashing a smile. At the end of the video, a message memorializing the artist comes on the screen: “Energy Never Dies. He is Amongst Us. Long Live Jah!”

“Moonlight” topped out at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s also not the only song of the rapper to reach a billion views on YouTube. His smash hit “Sad!” had also reached the milestone mark on the video platform, and was his only single to top the Hot 100.

Music sales for the MC increased by 1,603% in the U.S. following his death. X is the first soloist in a lead role to posthumously reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” featuring Diddy and Mase in 1997.

Check out the “Moonlight” music video above.

10 Nov 2022

Taylor Swift Dropped 2 More Dance Floor-Ready ‘Anti-Hero’ Remixes

Taylor Swift is allowing fans to dance through their sorrows by unveiling not one, but two more remixes of her Midnights track, “Anti-Hero.”

“Take your self loathing to the dancefloor,” Swift tweeted on Thursday (Nov. 10) to announce the new spins on the song by DJs Kungs and Jayda G.

The song is currently only available as a digital single for purchase on Swift’s website. However, the previously released Bleachers collaborative version of the track was made available on streaming services the day after release.

Just a day before releasing the two new remixes, Swift unveiled Roosevelt’s breezy take on the track, posting it along with a clip from the “Anti-Hero” music video, in which her future children and daughter-in-law battle it out while laying the Grammy winning superstar to rest.

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The vulnerable “Anti-Hero” is continuing its groundbreaking success as it spends a second week this week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. A week earlier, it debuted at the summit, as Swift made history as the first artist to claim the survey’s entire top 10 in a single frame.

The single also posts a second week atop the Streaming Songs chart; jumps 9-4 on Digital Song Sales; and dips 13-14 on Radio Songs. (As previously reported, this week’s Billboard airplay charts are the first using Mediabase-monitored data; this week’s Radio Songs chart incorporates data from former monitoring service BDS for Oct. 28-30 and from Mediabase for Oct. 31-Nov. 3, with Mediabase data to power the survey going forward).