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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Jan. 8.
The Oblivion Battery opener gained in most metrics of the chart’s methodology from the week before: streams are up to 126%, radio airplay 172%, video views 126%, and karaoke 119%. The notable increase is most likely due to the group winning the Grand Prix at the 66th Japan Record Awards 2024 on Dec. 30 with this track (the threesome received this coveted award last year as well, with “Que Sera Sera”) and appearing on the prestigious live music show NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen on New Year’s Eve, and downloads have more than tripled from 4,794 units 15,585 units week-over-week. Also, the tracks the band performed on CDTV Live! Live! 2024→2025 — “I’m Invincible,” “Columbus,” and ”StaRt”— also climbed the chart, with “StaRt” reaching a new peak at No. 45.
Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT” slips a notch to No. 2. The global hit decreased in streaming, video and karaoke, but increased slightly in downloads and radio this week.
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6 of the tracks listed on the top 10 this week were performed on Kohaku. Creepy Nuts’ massive rap smash “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” rose 6-3 and Kocchinokento’s breakout hit “Hai Yorokonde” more than doubled in downloads, rising 10-5. Omoinotake’s “IKUOKUKONEN” also gained in downloads more than twofold, rising a notch to No. 7, while tuki.’s “Bansanka” quadrupled in downloads, rising 17-9. Da-iCE’s “I wonder” tripled in downloads and returned to the top 10 for the first time in about 5 months.
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Other Kohaku performers who graced this week’s chart include Kenshi Yonezu, whose “Sayonara Mata Itsuka!” saw a six-fold increase in downloads to shoot to No. 17 from No. 40, and Fujii Kaze, whose “Michi Teyu Ku” returned to the Japan Hot 100 for the first time in about three months, hitting No. 27. Veteran rock duo B’z also return with two classic J-rock anthems, “ultra soul” and “LOVE PHANTOM.” The former re-enters the chart for the first time in about 7 years and 4 months at No. 49, fueled by radio and download points, while the latter comes in at No. 57, powered by gains in downloads and streams.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 30, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Chris Stapleton is extending his All-American Road Show through summer 2025, and the burly-voiced Kentucky native is using the trek to not only play some iconic U.S. venues such as New York’s Madison Square Garden, but also to highlight the talents of an array of artists who will be opening shows on the tour. Explore […]
The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter featured a number of reverent tributes to the nation’s 39th commander-in-chief. But one of the most touching moments during Thursday morning’s (Jan. 9) event came when country couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performed a moving cover of John Lennon’s 1971 homage to peace, “Imagine.”
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Brooks played the song’s iconic melody on an acoustic guitar, singing, “Imagine there’s no heaven/ It’s easy if you try/ No hell below us/ Above us, only sky,” his voice echoing through the majestic 188-year-old Washington National Cathedral, which has hosted the funeral and memorial services for almost all of the 21 Presidents who’ve died since Congress approved its charter in 1893.
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The deliberate pace of the performance — and the addition of a piano accompaniment — appeared to move many of the dignitaries on hand, which included all the former living Presidents. Soon-to-be-ex-President Joe Biden bowed his head at one point as his successor, former President Donald Trump seemed to close his eyes briefly during the performance.
“You may say I’m a dreamer/ But I’m not the only one,” Brooks sang as wife Yearwood joined in, matching his vocals on the lines, “I hope someday you’ll join us/ And the world will live as one.” That final line was delivered as the couple looked into each other’s eyes and held the moment for a beat, with Brooks leaning in to give Yearwood a kiss on the cheek.
The choice of the song — which was one of three-time Grammy winner Carter’s favorites — was an interesting one, given the late 39th President’s deep faith. Carter taught Sunday school in his native Plains, GA nearly every weekend after leaving the White House in 1981 and often spoke of the importance of religion in his life. In contrast, Lennon’s song features the lines “Imagine there’s no countries/ It isn’t hard to do/ Nothing to kill or die for/ And no religion, too.”
The song’s messages of peace, unity and “no need for greed or hunger,” and the dream of a “brotherhood of man,” however, more closely mirror Carter’s humanitarian post-White House efforts, which included building houses with Habitat for Humanity, and a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights around the world.
The performance was one of the first public appearances by Brooks and Yearwood — who often joined Carter on his Habitat For Humanity efforts — since an anonymous woman filed sexual assault charges against Brooks in October, accusing him of sexual battery, assault and battery; Brooks has adamantly denied the claims.
Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at age 100, was the longest-lived President in U.S. history and the first to live to the century mark. In addition to Biden and Trump — as well as their wives, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Melania Trump — the funeral was attended by former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and George W. and Laura Bush, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff; CNN reported that former First Lady Michelle Obama was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict.
In addition to the Brooks/Yearwood performance and a number of other moving tributes from Carter’s family, the funeral included a eulogy by Biden, who is less than two weeks away from the end of his term, after which he will be replaced by twice-impeached former President Trump.
The President repeatedly hailed Carter’s deep faith and strong moral outlook, noting that he was likely the first Senator to endorse Carter’s long-shot 1976 candidacy, “based on what I believe is Jimmy Carter’s enduring attribute: character, character, character.” Biden added, “Jimmy Carter’s friendship taught me, and through his life, taught me, that strength of character is more than title or the power we hold. It’s the strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity, respect, that everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves an even shot.”
After the funeral, Carter’s body will be flown back to Georgia for a private family funeral before he is buried on the grounds of his home in Plains next to his late wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.
Watch footage of the “Imagine” performance below.
Lily Allen just gave fans another update on her mental health, shutting down rumors that she’s been using drugs.
On the latest episode of her Miss Me? podcast posted Thursday (Jan. 9), the 39-year-old singer told co-host Miquita Oliver that she’s “really not in a good place” lately. “I know I’ve been talking about it for months, but I’ve been spiraling and spiraling and spiraling and it’s got out of control,” she continued.
Noting that she’s having trouble feeling “interested in anything,” Allen detailed how panic attacks have forced her to leave events and hangouts with friends early. “I just can’t concentrate on anything except the pain that I’m going through,” she added.
That said, the “Smile” singer revealed that she’ll be taking an extended break from the podcast — but not for any other reason that might be gleaned from the “vicious rumors” Allen said she’s seen about herself in recent weeks. “I do want to reassure people, because there will be speculation … I’ve not relapsed,” she told listeners.
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Allen has been open in the past about her struggles with addiction. She got sober in 2019 and, the following year, married her husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour.
And despite what might be circulating online, Allen affirmed that she still hasn’t looked back since. “I know there’s been some horrible blind items on the internet about me being found by my husband in a crack den being surrounded by men,” Allen said on Miss Me? as Oliver laughed in disbelief. “I don’t know who’s spreading these vicious rumors, but that’s not true.”
Allen’s latest update comes a few weeks after she said on a December episode of the podcast that she’d been “going through a tough time over the last few months” as her eating had “become a real issue.” The English singer-songwriter has also previously opened up about being diagnosed with ADHD in 2023 and struggling with PTSD after delivering a stillborn son named George in 2010.
The podcaster is also Mom to daughters Ethel and Marnie, whom she shares with ex-husband Sam Cooper. On the latest episode, she also touched on how she’s been leaning on her family unit during her difficult period, telling Oliver, “We are a support network for each other and encourage each other to talk about our feelings, but I think the main thing is telling them we’re going to get through it and be fine.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or substance abuse disorders, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration‘s national helpline 24/7 at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for confidential treatment referrals and information. If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder, you can contact the ANAD helpline at 1 (888) 375-7767 or the National Alliance for Eating Disorders at 1 (866) 662-1235.
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Devastating wildfires have ravaged thousands of acres in and around Los Angeles over the past few days, burning homes and businesses and devastating communities including Pacific Palisades, Pasadena and Altadena. The wildfires also claimed a home in Pacific Palisades that at one time belonged to country singer Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley. […]
The U.K. inquest into the cause of death for Liam Payne has concluded that the former One Direction singer and solo star died of “polytrauma” after his fall from a third-story hotel balcony in Argentina on Oct. 16. According to BBC News, the Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court was told at the hearing held on Dec. 17 that it could take “some time” to establish the cause of death for the 31-year-old star.
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Polytrauma refers to multiple traumatic injuries to a person’s body and organs. The U.K. inquest’s findings mirror those of Argentinian officials, who said in November that Payne’s death was caused by “multiple trauma” and “internal and external hemorrhage,” as a result of the fall.
The U.K. inquest also heard that after being flown back to England for his funeral, Payne’s body was identified with the “assistance of the funeral director in Buckinghamshire.” During the hearing, the BBC reported that Senior Coroner Crispin Butler, said, “Whilst there are ongoing investigations in Argentina into the circumstances of Liam’s death, over which I have no legal jurisdiction, it is anticipated that procuring the relevant information to address particularly how Liam came by his death may take some time through the formal channel of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.”
To date, five people have been charged in Payne’s death, including the arrest last week of Braian Piaz, one of two men accused of supplying drugs to the singer. The others charged to date include CasaSur Palermo Hotel manager Gilda Martin, receptionist Esteban Grassi and Payne’s friend Roger Nores, all of whom are facing manslaughter charges; hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra has also been charged with supplying drugs to the singer.
The final autopsy report from Argentinian’s authorities attributed Payne’s death to multiple traumas and hemorrhages he suffered from the fall, with a toxicology report noting the presence of alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system at the time of death. Before the fall, the head receptionist at the hotel made two emergency calls requesting medical services — the first of which reported that a guest was “trashing the entire room,” with the second expressing a concern that the guest “may be in danger.”
Payne was laid to rest in November in his native U.K. at a funeral attended by his former 1D bandmates, his girlfriend Katie Cassidy and ex-partner Cheryl Cole, with whom he shared a son, Bear.
iHeartRadio has canceled 2025’s ALTer EGO show — which Cage the Elephant, Glass Animals and more had been set to headline — amid the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. In an announcement posted on Instagram Thursday (Jan. 9), organizers wrote, “It is with heavy hearts that we report that we will be canceling our ALTer […]
The first trailer for Investigation Discovery’s upcoming four-part docuseries, The Fall of Diddy, dropped on Thursday morning (Jan. 9), with a preview of its effort to unpack disgraced mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ rise to global stardom and precipitous plunge amid dozens of allegations of sexual abuse, rape and assault.
“Spanning Combs’ decades-long impact on music and popular culture, from his early days as a talented creative to his 2024 arrest, the docuseries uncovers the insidious and terrifying allegations of sexual assault, abusive behavior, violence, and other disturbing claims that lay beneath his success,” reads a release about the series from Maxine Productions (Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV) with original reporting from Rolling Stone Films.
The series will air on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28 (from 9 to 11 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery, later streaming on Max), promising to tell the story of Combs’ life from the perspective of those who, “saw his alleged violence and temper during his college days at Howard University and the onset of his career with Bad Boy Records, to those who knew him at the height of his influence and power in recent years.”
The 90-second trailer features a series of interviews from a number of music industry peers and artists attesting to the dark side of the Bad Boy Records founder, with many of the subjects revealing their previous long-held fears of speaking out about the once-powerful music impresario. “I’ve been quiet for 18 years,” says an unseen woman in voiceover at the top of the trailer. “I am absolutely nervous sharing what I’ve seen,” she adds, as a man says, “I can no long just remain silent.” Former VIBE editor-in-Chief Danyel Smith — speaking for the first time on camera about Diddy’s alleged violent behavior toward her — adds, “This is where I’m supposed to be.”
The first glimpse intercuts scenes from Diddy’s glory years in the 1990s with somber shots of the many Combs insiders and industry figures interviewed in the series, which will include former Danity Kane singer D. Woods, as well as Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who has accused Diddy of sexual harassment. In addition, the doc will include comments from journalist Cheyenne Roundtree, former bodyguard Roger Bonds, former personal chef Jourdan Cha-Taun and former driver Wardel Fenderson (who speaks for the first time and testified about Combs’ attempt to bribe him), in addition to Thalia Graves, a woman who has alleged that Combs violently raped her in 2001 and threatened her into silence.
“Through these interviews combined with a vast collection of archival footage, The Fall of Diddy paints a holistic picture of a mogul who is alleged to have wielded his extensive power and influence to obscure, for decades, a pattern of abuse and violence that left an unprecedented amount of pain and suffering in his wake,” reads the statement.
In a particularly harrowing soundbite, Jones recalls Diddy allegedly saying, “I’m Puff Daddy, I’ll eat your face off!”
The trailer includes the now-infamous 2016 footage of Diddy running down a hotel hallway in just a towel in pursuit of longtime ex-girlfriend singer Cassie before he appears to assault her in an incident caught on surveillance footage. Cassie sued Combs in November 2023 over allegations that he repeatedly physically abused her over a decade during their relationship, including claims he raped her and forced her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” as he masturbated; the lawsuit was settled a day after it was filed, with the terms kept secret.
Last July, in an emotional New York Times personal essay, Smith opened up for the first time about Diddy’s alleged harassment and intimidation of her in the late 1990s. It included a scene from a 2015 party — six months before the assault in the hotel video — where Cassie shakily asked her “How are you doing it?” Smith, who said she’d also been a victim of sexual assault, said she replied, “doing what?,” to which Cassie added, “like, how are you managing?”
“We each wanted to say something. It seemed that neither of us could find the words,” Smith wrote.
Combs, 55, is currently in federal custody after being denied bail three times as he awaits trial on counts of sex trafficking and racketeering in a federal case that is slated to begin on May 5; he has pleaded not guilty to the charges that could land him a life sentence if he’s convicted. He is also facing more than two dozen lawsuits from people accusing him of drugging, raping, assaulting and intimidating victims, with attorneys for some of the victims saying they are representing at least 120 other alleged victims; Combs had denied all the allegations.
“We did not realize the extent of the darkness,” says one of the interview subjects in the trailer. Another Diddy doc, the 90-minute Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, will debut on Peacock on Jan. 14.
Watch The Fall of Diddy trailer below.
Whether they’re physically together or not, the women of BLACKPINK will always be in each other’s area at heart. While speaking to Billboard‘s Lyndsey Havens for the K-pop star’s January cover story published Thursday (Jan. 9), JENNIE opened up about how she and bandmates LISA, ROSÉ and JISOO have stayed close despite taking time over the past year or so to focus on their own respective solo projects.
“We are all so caught up with life,” the “Mantra” singer begins, revealing that the girls talk in a group chat labeled under a sweet family-of-four emoji. “Obviously, we can’t be calling each other every day.”
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“Even though we know we can’t see each other so much, it doesn’t really feel any different than all the other years because we know we’re here for each other,” JENNIE continues. “They’re literally a phone call away. And at this point, we respect each other’s space so much. So if there’s anything to be happy for, to celebrate, we’re all in it together.”
BLACKPINK last dropped an album in September 2022, with Born Pink debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. After an expansive global tour in support of the LP, the four girls dispersed to realize their solo dreams; so far, LISA has dropped a string of singles, including “Rockstar,” and taken an acting role in the upcoming third season of HBO’s White Lotus, while ROSÉ released her debut solo album, rosie, in December.
Meanwhile, JENNIE starred in The Weeknd’s HBO show The Idol and is now finishing up her own debut album. “I’ve missed the girls,” the “SPOT!” singer adds to Billboard. “I’ve missed doing tours with them. I miss our silly moments … You know, everyone took their own journey [during] this time, and I’m excited to share that with the girls.”
Full-band activities are expected to pick back up at some point in 2025 for BLACKPINK, although fans can’t be sure yet what the reunion will look like. YG Entertainment promised in 2024 that a tour was part of the plan, but in LISA’s November Billboard cover story, she seemed skeptical.
“That’s what they say?” the “New Woman” artist said at the time, appearing unconvinced.
Even so, LISA added that she “can’t wait” to get back in the BLACKPINK groove. “We know each other so well and know how much energy we have to put into every single project,” she said. “They’re like family.”
Flavor Flav and Guy Fieri‘s Flavortown are a match made in heaven. The Public Enemy rapper is set to perform at Fieri’s third annual Flavortown Tailgate ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, La., on Feb. 9 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. The event is free for all fans of […]
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