Music

23 Jul 2024

YoungBoy Never Broke Again Fans Virtually Invade Court Hearing & Yell ‘Free YB’: Watch

YoungBoy Never Broke Again — born Kentrell Gaulden — remains behind bars for charges stemming from a prescription drug ring case in Utah.

According to Law & Crime Network — which was founded by Dan Abrams, ABC News’ chief legal affairs correspondent — a handful of fans were able to infiltrate the July 22 Zoom hearing and appear in the WebEx livestream where they dissed the judge handling the Cache County case, and demanded YoungBoy’s freedom.

“Free YB, man, free YB,” a fan said. Another went after Judge Spencer Walsh. “Shut yo b—h a– up, man, free YB,” they spewed.

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Judge Walsh played it cool amid the disruptions and asked the viewers to mute their microphones while he attempted to conduct the hearing.

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The Baton Rouge rapper’s attorney, John Williams, joined the hearing virtually late due to a doctor’s appointment and got caught up to speed. The next court date for YoungBoy Never Broke Again is set for Aug. 19, where Williams will once again appear via WebEx.

Billboard has reached out to the First District Court in Cache County for comment.

YoungBoy had been on house arrest in Utah for two years awaiting trial in a separate federal gun case, but was arrested at his Huntsville estate back in April for allegedly orchestrating a fraudulent prescription drug ring in Utah.

He’s facing 63 felonies and misdemeanors related to he case, including identity fraud, obtaining a prescription under false pretenses, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, forgery and possession of a controlled substance.

At least 15 pharmacies are said to be involved. Per the Associated Press, three other individuals implicated allegedly traveled to different pharmacies to fill out orders made by fake doctors.

The 24-year-old rhymer was hit with additional charges later into April connected to the same prescription case. He’s facing a second-degree felony count for possession of a dangerous weapon and two more misdemeanor counts of distributing a controlled substance.

On the music side, YoungBoy is yet to release a full-length project in 2024, but he teamed up with T.I. for “LLOGCLAY” in May.

23 Jul 2024

Selena Gomez Calls Benny Blanco the ‘Love of My Life’ After Birthday Celebration

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco have moved past the “ily” stage of their relationship to “loml.” Following a day of birthday festivities, the newly 32-year-old pop star shared a sweet photo with the producer, proudly telling followers that he’s the great love of her life.

In the adorable snap, which she shared on Instagram Stories Monday (July 22), Gomez hugs Blanco around his torso as he cups her head in his hands, planting a kiss on her face. “Love of my life,” the Rare Beauty founder captioned the moment.

The post followed several other birthday photos shared on the platform by Gomez, who appeared to spend her big day by the beach with Blanco and some friends. In one, she modeled a yellow babydoll dress while posing in front of the ocean, palm trees and a “Happy birthday Selena” balloon arrangement. In another, she showed off a silver charm necklace boasting her boyfriend’s initial, with Blanco commenting, “i got the hottest chick in the game wearing my chain.”

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The couple has been dating for about a year now, with Gomez announcing their relationship in December and revealing that they’d been dating for six months at that point. Before upgrading to her necklace, the Only Murders in the Building star often wore a letter “B” ring on her finger.

Before they got together, Blanco and Gomez were friends and collaborators. In 2019, they teamed up with Tainy and J Balvin for the song “I Can’t Get Enough” — as referenced in the producer’s adorable birthday post for his girlfriend this year — and Blanco worked on the pop star’s 2023 hit “Single Soon.”

“It’s crazy how your partner could just be sitting there the whole time, right in front of your eyes, and you don’t even notice,” Blanco marveled to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year. “And then you have that Clueless moment where you’re like, ‘Wait, I’m in love.’”

23 Jul 2024

Jelly Roll Welcomes Surprise Guest Anne Wilson to Perform ‘Save Me’ at Faster Horses Festival

During his set at the Faster Horses Festival on Friday (July 19), Jelly Roll welcomed country and CCM singer-songwriter Anne Wilson to the stage as a surprise, last-minute guest to join him in singing the collaboration “Save Me.” Together, they infused the gospel-tinged song with an extra shot of urgency and fervor.

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“Save Me,” of course, is Jelly Roll’s Grammy-nominated duet another Wilson — reigning CMA and ACM entertainer of the year, and Jelly Roll’s labelmate, Lainey Wilson.

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“Lainey Wilson could not be here tonight, but I would like to welcome to the stage one of the greatest people I’ve ever met and her name is Miss Anne Wilson,” Jelly Roll told the audience as Anne began singing the lead on “Save Me,” eliciting cheers from the packed festival audience.

Wilson, who recently earned her latest top five Billboard Christian Airplay hit with “Strong,” shared a video clip of the experience on TikTok, captioning it, “When Jelly Roll asks you last minute to sing with him and you say YES!”

Lainey Wilson also chimed in on TikTok to give her blessing to Anne’s rendition of her portions in the song, writing, “My Wilson girl. Love you. Keep on shining that LIGHT like you do.”

Anne Wilson first broke through in 2021 with her song “My Jesus,” which spent six weeks atop Billboard‘s Christian Airplay chart. The two Wilsons also have their own recent collaboration, “Praying Woman,” which was included in Anne Wilson’s most recent album, Rebel, which blends both country and Contemporary Christian Music. Rebel debuted at No. 10 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart, and spent three weeks at the pinnacle of the Top Christian Albums chart.

The Faster Horses Festival was held July 19-21 in Brooklyn, Mich. The lineup also included Lainey Wilson (who headlined Saturday’s lineup), Hardy, Cody Johnson, Old Dominion, Riley Green, Ernest and more.

See Wilson’s TikTok clip of the performance with Jelly Roll below.

23 Jul 2024

Billie Eilish Hits Soundtrack Supernatural’s Latest VR Fitness Workouts

Supernatural, the subscription-based VR fitness app, has launched a pair of new workouts featuring the music of Billie Eilish, adding to the platform’s catalog of superstars featured in their Artist Series.

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Songs like “Bad Guy,” “Lunch” and the Sofi Tukker remix of “Copycat” are highlighted in Supernatural’s new boxing workout, while the “Flow” routine features current hit “Birds of a Feather” as well as “Bellyache” and “Oxytocin,” among others. Supernatural allows users to partake in choreographed cardio workouts with headsets strapped on, and a 2021 deal with Universal Music Publishing Group opened up a large selection of songs for in-app programming, including for the SN Artist Series, which launched in 2022.

“When it comes to selecting songs for our Artist Series, we prioritize showcasing an artist’s full catalog of work while striking a balance between song selections that appeal to both new listeners and dedicated fans, promoting the artist’s new work, and using songs that are best suited for our movement modalities and application,” says Jess Zobler, Supernatural senior producer. “For example, Boxing classes in Supernatural use more traditional, fitness-forward music, while the Flow modality uses visual cues such as targets, triangles, and tails to cue movements that are choreographed to embody the song’s feeling and rhythm.”

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The routines soundtracked by Eilish’s music launched on Monday (July 22), and join Supernatural’s 26 previous Artist Series workouts, which includes spotlights on artists like Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Queen and Nicki Minaj.

“Billie Eilish’s catalog is very sonically diverse: Hard-hitting, trap-like instrumentation in the chorus of ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’ allows for boxing flurries and cross-body uppercuts, while ‘Bury a Friend’ features choreographed punches on even beats that match the rhythm of the bass, making it feel like the user’s punches are controlling the drums and snares,” Zobler adds. “Long bob and weave movements play with some of the sinister sound effects in the song, creating the feeling of dodging the evil monster lurking under Billie’s mattress.

“In the Flow modality,” Zobler continues, “songs like ‘Bellyache’ with a minimalist beat and ethereal quality inform the quality of movement to be more open and sweeping, using ‘tail’ targets to move the user in sync with some of the song’s dream-like qualities.”

With the launch of the workouts, Supernatural has also unveiled two playlists with the Eilish songs featured in each routine. Both workouts include tracks from Eilish’s third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which was released in May.

23 Jul 2024

Brittany Aldean Says Maren Morris’ ‘Pro-Woman’ Stance Is ‘Bulls–t’ Following Transphobia Spat

Brittany Aldean is speaking out about her feud with Maren Morris, whose feminism the influencer called “bulls–t” on a new episode of Try That In a Small Town posted Monday (July 22).

On the podcast, which is hosted by the cowriters of Jason Aldean‘s controversial song of the same name, Brittany reflected on butting heads with the “The Middle” singer-songwriter in 2022 over gender-affirming healthcare discourse. To recap, the former NBA dancer thanked her parents for allowing her to go through her “tomboy” phase without “changing [her] gender” in a post on Instagram, after which she proceeded to double down on her stance and spread misinformation about what she called “the genital mutilation of children.” Meanwhile, Morris tweeted in response to her claims, saying, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”

“She’s got a group of friends here in Nashville that, they just have it out for me for whatever reason,” Brittany said on the pod, while seated next to her country star husband. “Which, to be so pro-woman and all the bulls–t … you’re not, because I’ve never said a word to you and you come for me. Why? Because I’m an easy target? Because I’m a wife, and I don’t have a stage as a platform, but I have social media? For some reason I offend them.”

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“She started to make fun of my business, which at the time was hair extensions,” she continued of Morris. “But to me it’s, like, once again, going back to the feminist movement. Aren’t you supposed to be all peace, love and all inclusivity and all the things? Why are you coming for me like that about my business?”

Brittany went on to triple down on her post that started it all. “I’m thankful that my parents didn’t say, ‘Oh, Brit. You love sports, you love Babe Ruth, do you want to be a boy?’ That’s crazy!”

But while the Aldeans and the podcast’s hosts — Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace and Neil Thrasher — all agreed that parents surgically changing the sex of their underage kids is “so common these days,” experts maintain that it’s exceedingly rare. Most kids who receive gender-affirming care are treated with impermanent courses of action such as speech therapy, puberty blockers or hormone treatments.

“Young people don’t do too much that is irreversible. Prior to puberty, there is no medical intervention,” Dr. Joshua D. Safer, MD, executive director of the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, previously Billboard. “Even puberty blockers are reversible. In later teenage years, well-established patients may begin hormone treatment.”

In spite of her beliefs, Brittany said she still takes issue with “headlines” labeling her “transphobic,” but one thing she doesn’t have a problem with anymore is Morris’ nickname for her. “They called me Insurrection Barbie,” she said on the podcast, laughing as Jason chimed in, “It’s kind of hot.”

23 Jul 2024

Ricardo Montaner Re-Records His First 6 Albums: ‘I Need My Legacy to Pass Into the Hands of My Children’

Last week Ricardo Montaner released Ricardo Montaner 2 (Versión Montaner), a re-recording of his 1988 album that included classics like “Tan Enamorados” and “A Dónde Va el Amor.” The new set comes less than a month after Ricardo Montaner (Versión Montaner), and is part of a broader project in which the acclaimed Latin pop singer-songwriter aims to give his old music a more contemporary sound.

“I think it has a lot to do with responsibility,” Montaner tells Billboard Español about this initial six-album project, all under his own independent label Hecho a Mano. “The sound of my music from that era does not match the technical advances available today. […] I want fans from that time to enjoy my music today and to do so under exactly the same conditions as the music people make today.”

But that is not the only motivation for the Argentine-Venezuelan musician. A contract he signed at the beginning of his career with Love Records, part of then-Venezuelan record company Sono-Rodven, did not include rights to his masters, which he says are now in the hands of Universal Music Group. (In 1995, Sono-Rodven transferred its operations to PolyGram, which was later acquired by the multinational).

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“I need my artistic legacy to pass into the hands of my children,” Montaner explains. “I never earned a penny in royalties from any of my first six albums. To this day, with more than 40 years of career, I have not received a single penny from the sales of ‘Yo Que Te Amé,’ ‘Tan Enamorados,’ ‘La Cima del Cielo,’ the album Los Hijos del Sol, the album En El Último Lugar del Mundo.“

“The contracts at that time were predatory and totally disadvantageous for the artist, so that is a very, very strong motivation. If I didn’t earn a single penny for my music at the beginning of my career and at the time when I was most successful, today I am looking to record independently so that my children will have, at least from now on, the peace of mind that the music of their father — especially the most important, the most emblematic or iconic music of his career — will pass into their hands,” he continues. “I am also complaining to the people who have the original masters, the first masters of my career, considering they have been recorded already 40 years ago. I am asking that they return them to me.”

Neither Montaner nor his team has specified whether there is a formal complaint or lawsuit, “beyond the fact that Ricardo is trying to get his masters back,” a person from his team told Billboard Español. Universal Music Latin had not replied a request for comment sent on Monday (July 22) by the time of publication.

Montaner’s re-recording of his albums — something reminiscent of Taylor Swift‘s successful “Taylor’s Version” series — is a meticulous project with “exactly the same” musical arrangements as the originals, and the art cover from the era reproduced with great detail (from set design and wardrobe to the pose of the singer) in a fun and exciting nostalgia trip.

Montaner’s voice remains practically entirely intact. The only change, besides the better sound quality, is in the freedom that comes with age and maturity.

“I recognize that today I sing ‘Me Va a Extrañar,’ ‘Tan Enamorados’, ‘La Cima del Cielo’ or ‘Yo Que Te Amé’ differently than I sang them at that time,” he admits. “But today, sitting from another angle of my life, seeing that I have nothing else to prove in the sense that these songs do not have a risk as they did at that time […] it gives me a lot more freedom to sing them.”

The next releases from the project will arrive Sept. 6 with the album Un Toque de Misterio (Versión Montaner) and the single “La Cima del Cielo (Montaner Version),” followed by En El Último Lugar del Mundo (Versión Montaner), with “Será (Versión Montaner)” as the focus single, on Nov. 1. The re-recordings of Los Hijos del Sol and Una Mañana Y Un Camino would arrive by early 2025.

After these, three more versions of later albums in Montaner’s career will come, this time only for pure pleasure: “I felt like repeating the albums Con La London Metropolitan Orchestra, which were two unforgettable projects for me,” he says excitedly, without revealing what the third one would be. “We already have Abbey Road studios booked for the beginning of November of this year to record the three versions in a single session.”

Retired from the stage at least for a while, Montaner is now enjoying going in and out of the studio while making the most of his time with his family, which includes his wife Marlene, his children Alejandro, Héctor, Mau y Ricky, and Evaluna (all musicians), as well as six grandchildren who will soon become seven with the imminent arrival of Evaluna and Camilo‘s second baby.

“I want to have time to live this,” Montaner says from Medellín, Colombia, where his wife was releasing a new book, El Libro del Corazón. He also traveled recently to Spain and to Argentina to watch his children perform. For many years, he “missed many things of Marlene and my loved ones, because I was doing my own thing, so […] I don’t want it to be once in a while and because time allowed it. Today I want to own my time and be everywhere with them.”

23 Jul 2024

Another Double Shot of ‘Espresso’: Sabrina Carpenter Tops Both Billboard Global Charts

Sabrina Carpenter boasts the top song in the world, as “Espresso” rebounds for a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and brews up an eighth week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey.

Notably, “Espresso” ties for the longest command on Global Excl. U.S. this year, matching the No. 1 run of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things.”

Meanwhile, Eminem’s “Houdini” reappears in the top 10 of both tallies as his new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), launches at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200.

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The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

“Espresso” tops the Global 200 with 80.9 million streams (down 7%) and 8,000 sold (up 3%) worldwide July 12-18.

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” drops to No. 2 after two weeks atop the Global 200; Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” holds at No. 3, following two weeks at No. 1 in June; Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” rises 5-4, after hitting No. 3; and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” descends 4-5, off its No. 3 best.

Also in the Global 200’s top 10, Eminem’s “Houdini” bounds 16-8 with 53.9 million streams (up 38%) and 9,000 sold (up 11%) worldwide. It led the list in its debut week in June.

Carpenter’s “Espresso” rules Global Excl. U.S. with 58.1 million streams (down 7%) and 3,000 sold (down 4%) outside the U.S. July 12-18.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Global Excl. U.S. in 2024:

  • 8, “Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter
  • 8, “Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone
  • 4, “Greedy,” Tate McRae
  • 2, “Fortnight,” Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
  • 2, “Yes, And?,” Ariana Grande

Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” is steady at its No. 2 Global Excl. U.S. high; Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” keeps at No. 3, four weeks after it led; and FloyyMenor and Cris Mj’s “Gata Only” holds at No. 4 after reaching No. 3.

Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” rises 7-5 on Global Excl. U.S., up 10% to 53.9 million streams worldwide. Her seventh top 10 becomes her sixth to reach the top five.

Plus, Eminem’s “Houdini” unlocks a 14-8 move on Global Excl. U.S. with 33.4 million streams (up 24%) outside the U.S. As on the Global 200, it topped Global Excl. U.S. in its first week in June.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated July 27, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, July 23. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

23 Jul 2024

Rita Ora Talks ‘Ask & You Shall Receive,’ Feeling ‘Super Inspired Creatively’ on Upcoming Album & More

Rita Ora is fresh off the release of her latest single, “Ask & You Shall Receive,” and to celebrate, the pop star sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to discuss her next musical era.

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“The song I got it sent to me in my email from RAYE, who was a great friend of mine,” she explained. “She’s also another British pop sensation, and I love her. I’ve known her for a very long time as a songwriter and as an artist, and she came on tour with me back in 2017 sent me the song, and I loved it. Sometimes it’s not that deep. My third record, You & I was very deep and emotional. It was about my personal life changing, I got married and really wanted to share a story with the world. Well, with this one, I was like, you know what? Let’s just put out great things that feel good, you know? The sun is out. I’m always about the sunshine. Everything with my music has been super positive. If you’ve followed me for a decade-plus, I’ve always tried to integrate a community and my fan base, and everyone comes the show and just has a good time.”

She continued, “This record is really just about my girls, my vibes, everyone feeling good. So, with the music video and all the visuals, I really wanted to create a world that felt a bit sort of uncomfortably comfortable. […] I just wanted to try and challenge myself and do things a bit more experimental with the music and the beats and everything.”

Ora continued that “Ask & You Shall Receive” is indicative of an album that she’s currently working on. “This album is something I’m actually really excited about,” she shared. “I’m spending the rest of the year making it. I’m feeling super, super inspired creatively, just having that essence of feeling a bit like not everything is perfect, which was kind of my motive with this. Everything’s just a bit left like that. Sonically, feeling a bit darker, a bit more spicy, a bit more aggressive, just getting in my like, uncomfortable era.”

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Rita Ora above.

23 Jul 2024

Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ Rebounds for Second Week at No. 1 on Hot 100

Shaboozey is “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is top shelf on the Billboard Hot 100 again, rebounding from the runner-up spot for a second week at No. 1. Two weeks earlier, the single became his first leader on the chart.

The song by the Virgina native (born Collins Obinna Chibueze) is from his LP Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, which debuted at its No. 5 high on the Billboard 200 in June. It has spent two weeks at No. 1 on Americana/Folk Albums and reached No. 2 on Top Country Albums.

Of his breakthrough this year, Shaboozey, who has been releasing music for a decade, recently told Billboard, “We were pretty prepared for this moment.”

Plus, Eminem’s “Houdini” returns to the Hot 100’s top 10, wriggling 18-10, as his new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), soars in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated July 27, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, July 23. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy),” on American Dogwood/EMPIRE (with country radio promotion by Magnolia Music), rules the Hot 100 with 77.2 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 11%, good for top Airplay Gainer honors for a third week), 39 million official streams (down 6%) and 16,000 sold (down 24%) in the United States July 12-18.

The track keeps at its No. 2 high on Radio Songs; holds at No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart, following a week at No. 1; and dips to No. 2 after nine weeks atop Digital Song Sales.

Reflecting its mass appeal, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 hip-hop classic “Tipsy,” became the first song ever to go top 10 on all four of the following Billboard radio charts, where it continues to gain: It pushes 4-3 on Country Airplay and 7-5 on Pop Airplay; repeats at its No. 5 high on Rhythmic Airplay; and is steady at its No. 6 best on Adult Pop Airplay.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” concurrently crowns the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart for a sixth week.

Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, rebounds 3-2 on the Hot 100 following six nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in May. It tops Radio Songs for a fourth week (84.8 million, up 5%) and the multimetric Songs of the Summer chart for an eighth frame.

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” drops to No. 3 on the Hot 100, a week after it returned to the summit for a second week on top. It commands the multimetric Hot Rap Songs chart for a 10th week and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for an eighth week.

Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” holds at No. 4 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 2, as it leads the multimetric Hot R&B Songs chart for a 12th week.

Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” keeps at No. 5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3, and her “Please Please Please” repeats at No. 6, four weeks after it became her first No. 1. She claims a sixth week with multiple songs in the top 10, the most of any artist this year.

Hozier’s “Too Sweet” lifts 8-7 on the Hot 100, following a week at No. 1 in April. It rules the multimetric Hot Rock Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a 16th week each and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs for a 15th week.

Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” which led for a week in March, rises 10-8 on the Hot 100 and Benson Boone’s No. 2-peaking “Beautiful Things” is stationary at No. 9.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Eminem’s “Houdini” escapes from below the tier, bounding 18-10 as the top Streaming Gainer award winner (21.6 million, up 64%); it’s also up 11% to 24.6 million in airplay audience. The lead single from his new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 upon its debut in June, becoming his 23rd top 10.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

23 Jul 2024

Will The Rolling Stones Win a Grammy for ‘Hackney Diamonds’?

The Rolling Stones have been known as the world’s greatest rock and roll band for six decades, but Grammy voters were shamefully late in getting on board. The Stones weren’t nominated in any category until the 1979 ceremony, when Some Girls was nominated for album of the year.

How could that be? How could such classic albums as Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. have been completely ignored – not to mention such landmark singles as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Honky Tonk Women” and “Brown Sugar”?

One reason is that Grammy voters in ’60s and ’70s were resistant to rock, favoring pop and what we now call traditional pop. (Nowadays, Grammy voters love rock and have been slow to embrace hip-hop. Resistance to the new and different is often a byproduct of institutional voting.)

The Beatles landed five consecutive album of the year nominations in the ’60s, but The Beatles were more in line with Grammy tastes. They were more often on the pop side of pop/rock, and Lennon/McCartney’s songwriting was more rooted in traditional songcraft.

Another reason The Stones were left out for so long was the Grammys didn’t have performance categories dedicated to rock until 1990 – and didn’t have a best rock album category until 1995. (Fittingly, The Stones were the first winner of the latter award.)

Since Grammy voters belatedly discovered The Stones, the band has fared pretty well in the nominations. They won a Grammy (best traditional blues album) for their previous studio album, High & Lonesome. Their three studio albums before that were each nominated for best rock album.

The band’s 2023 album Hackney Diamonds, which was mostly produced by Andrew Watt, has an excellent chance of landing a best rock album nod and an outside chance of landing an album of the year nod. “Angry,” the album’s opening track and lead single, was nominated for best rock song at the ceremony in February. The 2025 nominations will be announced on Nov. 8. The awards will be presented on Feb. 2, 2025.

Watt (profiled here) has his own following in Grammyland – he won producer of the year, non-classical in 2021, which makes him the most recent producer not named Jack Antonoff to win that award. Watt, who is just 33, wasn’t even born when The Stones’ Steel Wheels album was released in 1989.

Look and see how The Stones have fared in the Grammy nominations since 1979, the year Grammy voters first invited them to the party. The year show is the year of the Grammy ceremony.