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Asake and Travis Scott’s “Active” jumps 8-1 to rule the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart dated Aug. 24. The coronation on the streaming and sales-based charts follows a surge in both metrics, tied to the release of the song’s parent album, Asake’s Lungu Boy, and yields both artists’ first champ on the two-year-old chart.
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In the tracking week of Aug. 9-15, “Active” registered 2.9 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, up 198% from 980,000 in the prior week. In addition to the parent album’s release, “Active” enjoyed prominent, top-spot placement on several Afrobeats and African-music focused playlists, including Apple Music’s “Afrobeats Hits” and “New in Afrobeats” offerings. The single also sold 1,500 downloads in the same period, far above a negligible number in the prior week.
Before “Active” unlocked the penthouse, Asake, a Nigerian-based singer and rapper, had previously topped out at a No. 6 best on U.S. Afrobeats Songs with two different tracks. “Palazzo,” a collaboration with Spinall, debuted and peaked at the rank in May 2022 as did his solo track “Terminator” just over three months later.
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Texas-raised rapper Travis Scott, meanwhile, achieves his first No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs through his first appearance on the list.
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“Active” also shakes up the top spot on U.S. Afrobeats Songs for the first time in nearly a year, as the new champ dethrones Tyla’s “Water,” which had dominated for 44 consecutive frames. At the time of its coronation, “Water,” too, did what almost seemed impossible, closing a 58-week stretch at No. 1 for Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down.” Thanks largely to monopolies for “Water” and “Calm Down” – both top 10 successes on the Billboard Hot 100 – only four songs have reached No. 1 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs in the last two years: the aforementioned trio and Burna Boy’s “Last Last,” an eight-week champ in July-September 2022.
“Active” leads a parade of Asake titles on U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart from his new album, Lungu Boy, released on Aug. 9. Nine songs debut on the list, while previous single “Wave,” with Central Cee, drives 16-11, nearing its No. 8 peak. Here’s a review of the Lungu Boy track placements on this week’s chart:
No. 1, “Active,” with Travis Scott
No. 7, “MMS,” with Wizkid
No. 11, “Wave,” with Central Cee
No. 12, “Mood”
No. 14, “Fuji Vibe”
No. 16, “Suru,” featuring Stormzy
No. 18, “Worldwide”
No. 20, “Mentally”
No. 22, “Skating”
No. 25, “I Swear”
No. 28, “Ligali”
When Maren Morris sang that “the more that you come closer, want you to push me over,” she really wasn’t kidding.
In a new video interview with Cosmopolitan, in which Morris has to decide whether to answer a question or take a shot of alcohol, Morris revealed which celebrity she would like to “push over” (aka hook up with). After taking a moment to think about it and saying that she didn’t want to “put her on the spot,” the singer revealed her celebrity crush.
“Phoebe Bridgers,” she said, bashfully. “I feel like most people would say that. So, that’s not even controversial. She’s just beloved and very hot and amazingly talented. Also, we’ve only met once. So sorry, Phoebe.”
The reference to being pushed over comes from Morris’ bisexual anthem “Push Me Over,” which she recently told Billboard was inspired by figuring out the dynamics of queer dating. “I remember I had been on a date with this girl, and the date went amazing, but I had so many questions for [co-writers] MUNA the next day,” she said. “I truly felt like a student and I was with, like, the Professors of Gay.”
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Elsewhere in the clip, Morris revealed that as she’s gotten back into the dating scene, she had one encounter with an unnamed celebrity on Raya that did not go particularly well.
“I don’t want to name the person because, they weren’t an a–hole, but they were like, really love-bomby,” she said. “I went on two dates with them, and it was just not fun. I [felt] like I’m talking to, like, my mother or something, like, ‘Why don’t you text me back?’ I was like, ‘Because I’ve been on two dates with you, and I’m on tour. I’m working.’”
Check out Morris’ full interview above.
He may be the son of a sinner, but Jelly Roll‘s relationship with Bunnie XO is surprisingly pure — even when it comes to keeping things “spicy” between them. On the latest episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast posted Thursday (Aug. 22), the influencer addressed a question about how she and her country star maintain […]
Halle Bailey is not mincing words in a preview of her upcoming single, “Because I Love You.” The Grammy-nominated Chloe x Halle singer, solo star and The Color Purple actress posted a 13-second preview of the song on Instagram on Wednesday (August 21) and the message is perfectly simple, the meaning transparently clear.
“And it’s all because I love you, babe/ Love you babe, love you babe/ I love you babe, love you babe,” she sings breathily in the sneak peek that appeared to be delivered from the back seat of a moving car. As if to put a finer point on it, she adds, “I motherf–king love you babe/ Love you babe, love you babe/ Love you babe/ And it’s all because…”
Bailey said in the caption — which included a bandaged heart emoji — that the single is out August 30.
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The post was the first taste of new music since Bailey, 24, and partner rapper DDG shared the first picture of son Halo last month while the couple were on a European vacation with their six-month-old bundle of joy. She shared another series of too-cute snaps a week ago, when she twinned with Halo in Canadian tuxedos as she prepared for baby’s first concert experience: a Bruno Mars show.
The new mother has been keeping her musical chops sharp lately, including in a smoldering acoustic guitar cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 summer smash “Please Please Please,” adding in some killer vocal runs, as well as an equally intense cover of Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower.”
“Because I Love You” is the follow-up to “In Your Hands,” a ballad released in March that was accompanied by a video that ends with the singer cradling baby Halo in her arms and sweetly rocking him. “In Your Hands” was the second non-soundtrack solo release of Bailey’s career, follow on the heels of 2023’s “Angel,” which hit No. 6 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart.
Halle’s name also showed up on the 16-song track list for sister Chlöe‘s upcoming sophomore album, Trouble in Paradise, where the siblings will team up on the song “Want Me” alongside Chlöe’s collabs with Ty Dolla $ign, Anderson .Paak, YG Marley and Jeremih.
Watch the “Because I Love You” preview below.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention has had its fair share of flashy moments – from Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What” cameo during roll call to Patti LaBelle’s gorgeous rendition of “You Are My Friend” — but the primetime show isn’t the only thing happening in Chicago this week (Aug. 19-22).
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In addition to the main event, which takes place in Chi-Town’s United Center arena, the morning and afternoons are filled with different council and caucus meetings that fire voters up, educate them on grassroots campaign strategies and break down the party’s 2024 platform. Billboard was able to sit in on Tuesday afternoon’s youth council meeting (Aug. 20), where Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Harris’ running mate, made an appearance to remind young voters of their power and responsibility for their own futures now that Dems are seemingly passing the baton along to a new generation.
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Before Walz took the podium, Texas Rep. Greg Casar addressed the room, and by the end of his remarks, nearly every delegate in the room was on their feet. “It is going to be your energy and your work that is necessary to deliver the transformational change that the vast majority of this country wants,” he proclaimed. “Too often we confuse the political center with the moral center!” Casar, who currently represents Texas’ 35th district and was formerly endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, was connecting — and he was connecting with the country’s newest and youngest voters.
Though he only joined Congress about two years ago, Casar has certainly made his progressive presence felt – from leading a nine-hour thirst strike in 2023 to urging President Biden not to recognize the coalition claiming victory in the 2024 Pakistani general election.
Billboard caught up with Rep. Casar after the youth council to talk about some key pieces of music legislation currently floating in Congress, his understanding of “brat summer,” and his love for Grupo Frontera and Peso Pluma.
What are your thoughts on the RAP Act? Can you commit to supporting it in the House?
I’m a supporter of the bill. Before being in Congress, I was on the Austin City Council and led on a lot of music issues in what is the live music capital of the world. I really came to understand during the pandemic that supporting both recording artists and live music is important not just for those industries and not just for music lovers but [also] for building community and joy, and making expensive cities worth living in in the first place, you know.
I think Leader Jeffries and Vice President Harris have embraced pop music, and hip-hop in particular, as part of their events, and as a part of their shared identity with so many of our communities. I hope that we can remind them of that as we prioritize bills like the RAP Act, because it’s not only a clear civil rights bill, but we [also] want people to be able to express themselves without being worried that it’s going to be used in a court case against them. I think that Speaker Jeffries and [Vice] President Harris would be supportive, not only because they understand the importance of hip-hop to American culture, but also because they’re civil rights-first elected officials.
In light of the DOJ suing Live Nation-Ticketmaster, where do you stand on the Fans First Act?
I’m trying to remember the details of Fans First versus all the different ideas on how to crack down on monopolies in the ticketing industry, [but] I’m just generally supportive of whatever it is that we can get done to make it easier to buy tickets, and for more of that money to actually get to the people that make the music and do the tour.
I find that people in places like Austin are actually increasingly happy to pay a decent cover if they know that it’s going to the artist then. So whatever it is that we can do to take on monopolies in the music industry I think is really important. It’s the same problem we have with meat; only four companies control nearly 90% of the meat in the country. The same issues we have in tech we have in music as well.
In that vein, what was the last concert you went to?
I always make sure that when I’m back home in Austin, I go see some shows. Last night, [I got to see] my friend Gina Chavez, who’s a Latin Grammy nominee, play live here. The weekend before that, we had Hot Summer Nights in Austin where a bunch of our clubs on Red River were opened up for free shows, so it was awesome to see a bunch of acts play there.
I just missed seeing Grupo Frontera in Austin because I was over here. I’m a big fan of Grupo Frontera and Peso Pluma. It’s just been awesome to see them really break out. Peso Pluma actually went to middle school in my district in San Antonio for a little while; he was between Mexico and San Antonio. A bigger arena show that I’ve been to recently was Burna Boy. For my birthday, we saw Chicano Batman. They played the 9:30 Club. People catch me at the $25 shows! Also, Thundercat! I’ve seen Thundercat twice in D.C.
What do you think of the Harris-Walz campaign’s embrace of pop music? Do you think it ever veers on the side of pandering, or do you think that they have their finger on their pulse in a smart and balanced way?
I think that you just got to have fun with it, man. If a politician likes that song, good for them! I think that the more we can be our real selves and realize that we’re just normal people, that’s gonna speak for itself. If I’m at your house, put on your playlist, don’t put on the playlist you think I’m going to like. Put on your stuff!
You get that feeling from this campaign? That they’re putting on their playlists?
I think they’re putting on what they like, and I would encourage them to really get relaxed with that. I think people are looking for authenticity.
How do you understand “brat summer?”
[Laughs.] I feel like its meaning has been contorted and twisted, you know? It started out [with] Charli XCX having a good time, then it turned into everybody having a good time. And now Kamala Harris might be president!
What is your personal song of the summer of 2024?
There’s this Karol G song, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” it’s a great one. I’ve been on some long drives this summer, and it’s one of the ones that I [replayed] a decent amount. It’s hot in Texas, like 105° today, so it’s a good “rolling down the windows” and “chilling on the lawn” song.
A$AP Rocky is still adjusting to life as a dad. Rocky and Rihanna welcomed baby No. 2, RZA’s little brother, Riot, in August 2023, and life has never been more different for the Harlem rapper. Rocky — born Rakim Mayers — serves as the latest cover star for Billboard, which finds him touching on all […]
The Chicks are set to perform the national anthem at this year’s Democratic National Convention Thursday (Aug. 22), as originally reported by CNN and confirmed by Billboard. In support of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s 2024 White House bid, the country trio will take the stage at Chicago’s United Center on the final day of […]
Jordan Adetunji’s “Kehlani” becomes the first song to remain at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart for more than one week since July, reigning for a second straight frame on the Aug. 24-dated tally.
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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity from Aug. 12 to 18. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
“Kehlani” is the first song to reign for more than one week since Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” led between the May 18 and July 20 surveys. Since then, three tunes – Blood Orange’s “Champagne Coast,” Clairo’s “Juna” and Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar and Yseult’s “Alibi” – ruled for one week each prior to the rise of “Kehlani.”
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Chiefly, major uploads using “Kehlani” on TikTok adhere to its dance trend, with Kehlani herself (who was added to a remix of the song on June 20, followed by a music video on Aug. 2) participating in many of the highest profile videos.
“Kehlani” concurrently hits a new peak of No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 24, lifting 26-25 thanks to 13.1 million official U.S. streams, 9.7 million radio audience impressions and 1,000 downloads sold in the week ending Aug. 15, according to Luminate.
The aforementioned “Alibi” holds at No. 2 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 while Hanumankind and Kalmi’s “Big Dawgs,” following its first time in the top 10 on the Aug. 17-dated ranking, zooms to No. 3.
Many of the top uploads using “Big Dawgs” on TikTok feature emulations of Hanumankind’s stepping dance moves in its music video or reactions to the video itself, as well as soundtracking other general viral content uploads.
For the second week in a row, “Big Dawgs” is the greatest gainer in streaming on the Hot 100, jumping 31-23 via 14.2 million streams, up 18%.
One other song hits the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top five for the first time: DJ Drama and Gucci Mane’s “Photo Shoot,” which leaps 16-5 in its third week on the list.
“Photo Shoot” was originally released in 2009. Though it’s had occasional blips of activity on TikTok in recent months, its latest rise largely stems from picture-based uploads, highlighting Gucci Mane’s “Come and take a camera flash” lyric.
The song jumps 45% to 324,000 streams in the week ending Aug. 15.
Project Pat’s “Life We Live” and Surf Curse’s “Disco” follow “Photo Shoot” at Nos. 6 and 7, respectively. “Life We Live” debuted at No. 46 on the Aug. 17 tally, while “Disco” is the Aug. 24 list’s top debut.
“Life We Live,” which features Namond Lumpkin and Edgar Fletcher, is the third song from Project Pat to hit the top 10 of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 since the chart’s September 2023 inception, following “Choose U” and “Good Googly Moogly,” both in January. Like that pair of songs, “Life We Live” is an older release, having come out in 2001.
The TikTok trend for the song features its “Gotta take the good with the bad, smile with the sad/ Love what you got and remember what you had” lyric that kicks off its third verse. Creators give a thumbs up or down and smile or frown in conjunction with the corresponding lyrics.
It’s the first time “Life We Live” has ever reached a chart. Its parent album, 2001’s Mista Don’t Play: Everythangs Workin, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 that March.
As for “Disco,” the rockers’ 2019 track is their first to make the TikTok Billboard Top 50, though Surf Curse had a previous TikTok-fueled resurgence in 2021 via “Freaks,” which peaked at No. 10 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ranking that September.
“Disco” also benefits from a dance trend, generally done between two people while facing each other.
“Disco” sports a 47% bump in streams to 933,000 in the week ending Aug. 15.
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
Ariana Grande is giving her fans everything in honor of her sophomore album’s 10-year anniversary.
On Thursday (Aug. 22), the pop star commemorated a decade of My Everything by sharing new vinyl and digital deluxe editions of her 2014 era, a year that found her dominating the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 with hits such as “Break Free,” “Love Me Harder” with The Weeknd and “Problem” featuring Iggy Azalea. The pink-tinted vinyl, which is available for preorder on Grande’s website, features the original set’s track list plus songs that were previously never made available in the format: “Bang Bang,” “Only 1,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Cadillac Song” and “Too Close.”
The Grammy winner also unveiled a brand new digital deluxe edition of My Everything including “Too Close” and “Cadillac Song,” marking the first time those bonus tracks have ever been available for streaming. The celebration continues next week, with Grande planning to release a limited 7″ vinyl bundle featuring “Problem,” “Break Free,” “Love Me Harder” and “One Last Time” on Monday (Aug. 26), followed by a digital bundle with a capella and instrumental versions of those same singles as well as “Bang Bang” on Tuesday (Aug. 27).
Plus, the star released a new line of anniversary merch on her website, complete with pastel pink, lavendar and black shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants.
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By the time Grande released My Everything in 2014, opening at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, she was already a full-fledged pop superstar thanks to her debut record, Yours Truly. The latter LP celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, which the Florida native commemorated by releasing filmed live performances of “Honeymoon Avenue,” “Daydreamin,’” “Baby I,” “Tattooed Heart” and “Right There.” She also engaged with fans through Q&As on social media, as well as dropped an extended anniversary edition of the album.
Eleven years ago, Yours Truly also debuted at No. 1 on the albums chart, but Grande told Billboard in 2014 that she allowed herself to celebrate for only about an hour before immediately getting back to work on the project that would become My Everything. “I’m a workaholic, and a perfectionist,” she said at the time. “I never thought I’d be able to say this, but I love this [album] five times as much as I love Yours Truly. They’re different, but I love this one so much more.”
Stream the 10th anniversary edition of My Everything below:
Mr. David Washington stands on the grounds that he has tended for decades, amid the Georgia Pines that flood much of the property, as the early-morning June heat creeps across the lawns. Now in his 70s, he’s quick to laugh and does so often, each one punctuating his thick, Southern drawl as he tells the […]
