Music

20 Jun 2024

Rema Returns With New ‘Benin Boys’ Banger: Stream It Now

After scoring one of the biggest Afrobeats crossover hits in U.S. history with his Selena Gomez-assisted “Calm Down,” Nigerian superstar Rema is gearing up to enter a new era.

On Thursday (June 20), the Billboard Music Award winner unleashed his first musical release of the year — a new collaboration with Shallipopi titled “Benin Boys.”

Across heavy drums and stirring background strings, Rema and Shallipopi trade verses that flex their “big money” and exalt their status as two of the world’s hottest young stars. The new collaboration arrives alongside a DK-helmed music video that finds the two stars decked out in their freshest fits in a series of scenes, including a neon-drenched night club, a private jet and on top of what appears to be a church.

On Tuesday (June 18), Rema earned a pair of ASCAP London Music Awards: song of the year and top streaming song, both for “Calm Down.” Last year, “Calm Down” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a record-setting 58 weeks atop U.S. Afrobeats Songs. The infectious Afrobeats track also reached No. 1 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, making history for a song by an African lead artist. “Calm Down” served as the second single from Rave & Roses, Rema’s debut studio album, which reached No. 81 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on World Albums.

Trending on Billboard

Outside of a few solo tracks on the deluxe version of Rave & Roses, including “Charm” and “Reason You,” Rema’s recent releases have largely been collaborative. Among those collaborations are tracks with Feid (“Bubalu”), Ice Spice (“Pretty Girl”) and, of course, the “Soweto” remix (with Victony, Tempoe and Don Toliver), which reached No. 65 on the Hot 100. Fans last heard Rema on his own tracks via last October’s Ravage EP, which include the fan-favorite “DND.”

“Benin Boys” marks the first official release for Rema as a newly-minted Interscope Records artist through the label’s UMG-assisted partnership with Mavin Global.

Stream “Benin Boys” now.

20 Jun 2024

Remy Ma’s Son Arrested on Murder Charges

Remy Ma’s son, Jayson Scott, has been arrested on first-degree murder charges for a June 2021 shooting in Queens, New York.

According to the New York Police Department, Scott, 23, was arrested on June 18 on charges of murder in the first and second degree, two counts of criminal weapon possession and reckless endangerment.

Twenty-two-year-old Richard Swygert is also being charged as an accomplice in the same murder of 47-year-old Darius Guillebeaux, who was shot following a dispute on June 7, 2021. Swygert faces one murder charge in the first degree in addition to criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Guillebeaux suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest. He was transferred to a local Queens hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Per ABC7, Guillebeaux was indicted eight months before his death as part of “Operation Heat Wave,” which apprehended 54 people accused of drug trafficking.

Trending on Billboard

A statement from reps for Remy Ma claimed her son’s innocence and she’s fully supporting him throughout this process.

“Remy Ma wished to address this situation personally, but has been strongly advised by our office not to say anything publicly — as most people in this situation are, as the case is still active,” a rep said in a statement relayed to NBC. “To be clear, Jayson Scott is innocent and Remy Ma is committed to proving his innocence and fully supporting her child during this time.”

Remy — born Reminisce Smith — is yet to publicly address the charges levied against her son. On the music side, the Bronx native has laid low and has yet to release a single in 2024.

Scott is reportedly yet to be arraigned in court. Billboard has reached out to reps for Remy Ma and the NYPD for comment.

20 Jun 2024

Kendrick Channeled 2Pac as He Assumed the Throne at His Pop Out Concert

We witnessed a coronation last night. 

Kendrick Lamar is now unequivocally the King of Rap, and has officially entered god status on the West Coast. 

He walked on stage dressed in a red hoodie with a white tee underneath and an iced-out crucifix draped over it, blue jeans, white, silver and red Nike Shox, and a red baseball hat. Why is this significant? The outfit was eerily similar to the one 2Pac wore during the 1994 Source Awards when he performed “Out on Bail” with his rap group Thug Life. 

Pac, who at the time was dealing with a bunch of legal issues in his personal life, hijacked the Source stage while A Tribe Called Quest were accepting their award for Rap Group of the Year. As the story goes, this performance wasn’t planned: Members of Pac’s entourage pressed the person in charge of sound and made him play the track. The rapper and the rest of Thug Life then went on stage, snatched the microphone from Q-Tip and started performing the song, which caused a brief rift between 2Pac and Tribe. Whether the outfit was intentional or not, we quickly understood the message Kendrick was trying to send.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The Compton emcee rose up from underneath the stage draped in red light and started his set with “Euphoria” — a song some said held little replay value. However, the lie detector determined that untrue, because the crowd at the Forum knew every single word and went bar-for-bar for the entire six-minute song. And, to circle back to the outfit he was wearing on stage, Kendrick added a new line to the song’s last verse: “Give me Tupac ring back and I might give you a little respect.” As if to say, “Hey, man, we can start to resolve this situation if you just return this West Coast artifact” — like a plot to an Indiana Jones movie. He also snuck in the first verse of “6:16 in LA”, and performed his “Like That” verse, adding insult to injury. 

However, the highlight of the night wasn’t Black Hippy reuniting onstage or Dr. Dre whispering “I see dead people” after performing “California Love.” It was when Kendrick performed “Not Like Us” not once, not twice, but six times in a row. He held the crowd in the palm of his hand, like only a true MC could. They hung onto every word, even doing the rapping for him and finishing his verses at times.

Trending on Billboard

A crowd of people screaming “OV-Hoe” and calling you a “certified pedophile” already can’t be a good thing. But every time you thought things couldn’t get worse for Drake last night, they did. 

When Dot and Mustard were in the middle of the third or fourth replay of the song, and NBA stars (and fellow L.A. legends) DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook went onstage and started doing their dance, that’s when I realized just how bad things have gotten for Drake. Every artist, celebrity and friend of Kendrick’s in attendance danced on the Toronto rapper’s proverbial grave in the name of West Coast solidarity. It seemed as if a big chunk of the culture chose a side. 

I think some are underestimating the impact this can have on Drake’s overall appeal within the hip-hop community. I’m not talking about some kid in some suburban cul-de-sac, I’m talking about the kids in the streets. They’re the real tastemakers, and a lot of them who hold influence in Los Angeles were on that stage last night.

After the back-and-forth ended and Kendrick was crowned the de facto winner of the battle, many wondered how this would affect both artists’ careers. Would Drake still have the golden touch that he’s enjoyed for the past decade or so? Would he shake off this loss, much like he did with the Pusha T beef, and drop an undeniable hit like “God’s Plan?” Would he still be the top guy in rap? Would Kendrick take the W, but refuse the crown, and retreat back into his fortress of solitude until it was time to drop his next album? 

Well, now we seem to have some answers: It’s too early to tell if The Drake Effect is truly a thing of the past, but his collaboration with Sexyy Red debuting at No. 44 on the Hot 100 and sliding from there is not a great look. Neither was the parody redo of “Hey There Delilah” that he hopped on for some reason. 

Meanwhile, Kendrick has continued to do the opposite of what everyone, including Drake, thought he would do: Instead of vanishing, he stayed put and threw one of L.A.’s biggest rap shows in recent memory. Dot’s appeal in the hip-hop community was always A1, but after last night, it’s safe to say he’s now occupying the top spot in rap. Kendrick is the king. And he’s not the king because some critics and talking heads or kids tweeting from a suburban cul-de-sac said he’s the king. He’s the king because last night everyone — the streets, the music industry, the fans, the athletes — showed us that he is. They all popped out for their friend, their peer, their idol, their king. 

“F—k that, this s—t making me emotional, man. F—k that, we been f—d up since Nipsey died, hold up. We’ve been f—d up since Kobe died, hold up,” he told the crowd as he wrangled everybody for a family picture. “Let the world see this. You ain’t seen this many sections on one stage keeping it together and having peace, hold up.” 

Drake will be fine mainstream-wise, but he’s always wanted to be accepted by hip-hop, and right now he’s on the outside looking in. Last night proved Kendrick has more respect and cultural cachet than Drake can ever imagine having, and the must sting to an artist as massive and influential as Drake is.

Meanwhile, there’s not another artist in his generation that would be able to pull off what Kendrick pulled off last night. He had rival gangs on stage for L.A., for California, for Hip-Hop. Kendrick was running around like he was Pac fresh out on bail last night, and showed the rest of the rap game that no region is quite like the West. 

20 Jun 2024

Travis Scott Releases T-Shirt Using Mug Shot From His Miami Arrest

Travis Scott is looking to turn his charges into cash. The Cactus Jack boss — born Jacques Webster — was arrested early Thursday (June 20) on disorderly intoxication and trespassing charges.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Scott posted bond hours later and he’s already unleashed merchandise capitalizing on the Miami Beach arrest.

La Flame has released a T-shirt commemorating his arrest emblazoned with a graphic featuring an edited photo of his mug shot on the tee. The “Butterfly Effect” rapper is selling the shirt on his website for a limited time with a retail price of $35.

Trending on Billboard

It’s a Cactus Jack plain dark brown tee with a small image of the mug shot, which has been edited to give Scott his signature smile compared to the original empty stare into the camera. “It’s Miami” is written underneath the image to sum up Trav’s reaction to the police interaction.

“The defendant later admitted that he had been drinking alcohol and stated, ‘It’s Miami,’” according to the arrest affidavit obtained by Billboard.

The “Free the Rage #2” tee highlighting Scott’s mug shot will be shipped out in a week and a portion of the proceeds generated from the sales of the shirt will go toward the Cactus Jack Foundation.

It’s not the first time Travis Scott has attempted to capitalize on an arrest. He previously sold a white t-shirt for 24 hours containing the mug shot from his 2017 arrest in Arkansas where he was charged with inciting a riot at his concert. He ended up pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in 2018.

As for his most recent run-in with the law, Scott was booked into Miami-Dade County Jail after being arrested at 1:17 a.m. in Miami Beach early Thursday. He’s facing trespassing of property charges along with disorderly intoxication.

A source familiar with the situation tells Billboard that Scott is already home after posting bond and there was no physical altercation at what was described as a party.

The 33-year-old Scott posted his mug shot in an Instagram Story post where he added a pair of white headphones and brown shades to the photo.

Find a photo of the t-shirt along with Scott’s mug shot below.

Travis Scott

Travis Scott

Miami-Dade PD

20 Jun 2024

Cole Swindell on How ‘Forever to Me’ Recounts His Engagement as He Steps Into Marriage: ‘I’m Literally in This Season of My Life’

Cole Swindell taps into his history on his new single, “Forever to Me.”

It’s the second time he’s sung about Carolina in the chorus of a song he issued to radio, following his 2022 release “She Had Me At Heads Carolina.” And a line in the bridge, “I wish you coulda met my daddy,” references the loss of his father, a life event that formed the backbone of his 2015 ballad “You Should Be Here.”

But “Forever to Me” also uses history to anticipate the future, recounting the 2023 engagement that led to his June 12 marriage in California to former NBA dancer Courtney Little. “Forever to Me” represents the start of the next phase in his personal life, now unfolding in a way he doubted it would.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“I always wondered if I’d ever get married – you can’t really have a song like that if you don’t,” he says. “So for all this to happen within a year, man, and to have [the song] out there and finally be playing it live, it’s really cool.”

Trending on Billboard

“Forever to Me” is actually more than three years in the making. Swindell had met Little at a NASCAR event, and they struck up a friendship. But when his video team needed a love interest for his intricate 2021 video “Some Habits,” Swindell thought it’d work better to shoot it with Little than with an unfamiliar model. Working on that particular song on a Tennessee backroad created a spark, and the two began dating.

“The whole feeling on that day, I just felt like there was something,” he reflects. “I don’t know that I thought we’d be getting married, but I definitely knew that’s what I was missing.”

In May 2023, Swindell planned to pop the question in Texas in conjunction with the Academy of Country Music Awards, but just days before that event, he called an audible and arranged to take Little on a surprise detour to that same “Some Habits” backroad. He knelt on a soggy field, she said “yes,” and as he worked on his next album, he periodically attempted to write about the relationship for their first dance. Oddly enough, “Forever” arrived in tandem with a football game.

Swindell was to headline a swanky private party in Houston on Jan. 7, the eve of the National College Football Championship, and at the last minute, he asked Greylan James (“Next Thing You Know,” “Happy Does”) to join him and to suggest a third writer. James picked Rocky Block (“Cowgirls,” “Man Made a Bar”). They wrote a couple songs on the way to Houston, and after the concert, they stayed up late on the bus talking – so late that they saw the sun come up. They asked Swindell to describe his relationship, and he replied that Little is “forever to me.” That, his co-writers agreed, was the song they would write – after they slept.

When they awoke, James and Block worked on it a bit before Swindell was ready. James developed an opening acoustic guitar riff that Swindell compared to a Keith Whitley vibe.

“It was a really purposeful part,” James says.

They came up with the chorus’ opening line, “She gave 18 summers to Carolina” – not quite the correct number of years, but definitely the right state. “That was a little bit poetic license, but it got the point across,” Block notes. “We were just trying to say she grew up somewhere.”

Block controlled the melody at the close of that chorus, including the all-important set-up line, “I might’ve gave her the diamond/But she gave forever to me.” “I would have never sang that off the bat,” James says. “That’s just a Rocky Block special.”

The word “gave” became an important device – “She gave 18 years…,” “I gave her a diamond…,” “She gave forever…” Swindell’s co-writers were very specific about it. “We kind of went in on what else she gave [in] other places in that chorus,” Block says.

Swindell didn’t quite realize it was happening. “It is a lot of ‘gaves,’” he says. “I didn’t even notice that we had done it. It just kind of felt right.”

One of the “gaves” – “I gave a grass stain to my knee” – is the kind of detail that specifically personalizes “Forever.” Originally, they started writing the verses with a line that referenced Dallas, since that’s where he intended to propose. Along with the references to Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, the geography felt cluttered, but they kept it. Eventually, that became the second verse as he spent the first recounting how they met.

The song’s powerhouse moment comes with the bridge. It sews in a cultural reference, “She said ‘yes to the dress’ with her mama,” as the writers specifically included Little’s mother in the lyric. It’s there that Swindell sings “I wish you coulda met my daddy,” tying in his own personal note. And they included a mention of Jesus, suggesting divinity is involved in the relationship. It was only after writing the bridge that Swindell came up with the opening line, “You ever seen a prayer in person?,” tying the front and back of the song together.

They had champagne on hand for the game, but they broke it out early for an emotional toast. “We’re holding cups of champagne, hugging each other, and tears coming down — because we felt every line in that in that bridge,” James recalls.

They barely got to the stadium suite in time for the game, a Michigan blowout over Washington. Numerous celebrities wandered in and out, but the three writers kept going back to a corner and playing a work tape of “Forever.” James paid extra attention to the demo when he got back to Nashville, since the song was likely to be important to Swindell’s fiancée. The story made it one of Swindell’s most challenging vocals.

“It was a different kind of feeling — like, ‘Man, I can’t believe I’m singing this. I can’t believe I wrote this song,’” Swindell remembers. “I felt a lot of pressure to get it right.”

Little and the in-laws loved it, though another song eventually supported their ceremonial first dance. Meanwhile, Swindell struggled to record a final version of it. They made several attempts with different groups of musicians, but none of the results captured the song’s emotion the way the demo did. Ultimately, Swindell contacted producer Jordan M. Schmidt (Tyler Hubbard, Mitchell Tenpenny), who used much of Swindell’s vocal and some of James’ drum programming from the demo. Schmidt hired drummer Nir Z to mesh light human drum work into the synthetic percussion, and he had Jonny Fung redo the guitar parts.

Swindell still needed to rewrite the Dallas line, though, and he had a long phone call with Block and James to change the lyric. They turned the lines into “There ain’t no dancin’ around it/ When your whole world’s standin’ there.” It might be the only part of the song that Swindell re-sang during one last vocal session, held under more pressure, since the label had picked “Forever” as a single, and deadlines were imminent.

Schmidt “was a huge reason we were able to release it,” Swindell says.

Warner Music Nashville issued “Forever” to country radio via PlayMPE on April 12. It ranks No. 46 on the Country Airplay chart dated June 22, documenting his recent history as he steps into newlywed status.

“I’m literally in this season of my life,” he says. “I will never talk about it any more than I will now and this kind of goes along with what I’m going through. It just kind of fit.”

20 Jun 2024

‘The Outsiders’ & ‘Stereophonic’ Cast Albums Get Streaming Bumps After Big Wins at Tonys

Welcome to Billboard Pro‘s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

This week: Big winners at the Tonys see streaming bumps — as does perhaps the show’s biggest performer — while a couple TikTok-bumped artists go two-for-two and a Spotify exec talks Songs of the Summer predictions.

Tony Awards Spur Streaming Gains for Outsiders, Stereophonic & Jay-Z 


https://youtube.com/watch?v=XgFge6fFWJY&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Last Sunday (June 16), Oscar winner Ariana DeBose hosted the Tony Awards for a third consecutive year as the Great White Way celebrated the best of the 2023-2024 theater season. Stereophonic – which features musical compositions written by former Arcade Fire member Will Butler – reigned as the night’s biggest winner with five awards, including best play, while the LaChanze and Angelina Jolie-produced Outsiders won best musical. 

Trending on Billboard

In the two days following Stereophonic’s victory (June 17-18), the cast recording pulled 92,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, posting a whopping 152% increase from just 36,000 streams the Monday-Tuesday prior (June 10-11). Similarly, The Outsiders’ cast recording earned over 546,000 streams during the period of June 17-18, ballooning 90% from around 288,000 streams during the period of June 10-11. 

While Jay-Z has yet to add a Tony to his seemingly endless collection of awards and accolades, the hip-hop legend made a surprise appearance at Sunday night’s telecast to perform “Empire State of Mind” alongside Alicia Keys, whose Hell’s Kitchen musical tied Stereophonic as the night’s most-nominated production (13), ultimately taking home two trophies. “Empire State of Mind” collected over 310,000 streams the day following the Tonys performance (June 17), an 8% boost from the 286,000 streams it earned the Monday prior (June 10). 

Although he’s not outside as often as he used to be, the Tony telecast isn’t the only place the Brooklyn icon has surprised with a performance. Last Wednesday (June 12), Jay popped up for a surprise rendition of “Public Service Announcement” to open up Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In the three days immediately following the performance (June 13-15), the 2003 classic pulled in over 225,000 streams, marking a 65% increase from the 137,000 streams it earned the three days prior (June 10-12). – KYLE DENIS

No “Lie,” Tommy Richman Is About to Score Another Chart Hit



Following up an out-of-nowhere smash is always a tall order — especially one as singular and immediately catchy as “Million Dollar Baby,” the falsetto-heavy rhythmic pop single from Virginia singer-rapper Tommy Richman. “Baby” crashed the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 following its April release, thanks in part to snippets of the song going viral on social media; as it stands, the song is the longest-running continuous No. 1 hit on the Billboard TikTok Top 50 chart, where it spends a fifth week in the top spot. “Baby” spends a seventh straight frame in the top 10 of the Hot 100 this week, falling two spots to No. 5 — but before “Baby” even turns two months old, Richman has already released its follow-up, and likely secured himself another Hot 100 entry.

“Devil Is a Lie,” a similarly funk-infused single unveiled last Friday (June 14), has been earning seven-figure streams each day: Over its first four days of release, the track scored 5.37 million U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate, as its daily streaming total has consistently notched a little over 1 million plays and is still growing as of Tuesday (June 18). That total is still a far cry from the red-hot start of “Baby” — which earned a whopping 16.6 million streams in its first four days of release. However, “Lie” should accrue enough chart points to notch a respectable Hot 100 debut next week, and quickly remove Richman from any one-hit-wonder chatter as “Baby” continues its top 10 run. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

310babii Nets Second Dance Hit With “Rock Your Hips” 



Mere months after securing his very first Hot 100 hit with “Soak City (Do It)” (No. 53), Inglewood rapper and recent high school graduate 310babii is eyeing another smash. Once again bolstered by an infectious dance trend, 310babii’s latest hit – which was released in early May, and features OhGeesy and BlueBucksClan — has steadily increased in streams for the past three weeks. 

According to Luminate, “Rock Your Hips” earned over 1.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the week of June 6-13, marking a 29% increase from the 860,000 streams it collected the week prior (May 31-June 6). Just three weeks ago (May 17-23), “Rock Your Hips” was pulling just over 610,000 streams. 

TikTok has been the biggest source of traction for the song, with the track’s official sound pulling over 54,600 posts – most of which are pegged to a CapCut template that lets users use AI to replicate the dance trend created by user @adoree_stook. On YouTube, the official lyric video has garnered over 300,000 views in less than a month. Between its steady rise and new boost of momentum thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s West Coast-glorifying Pop Out concert – which 310babii performed at — “Rock Your Hips” could end up following Crime Mob’s 2007 hit “Rock Yo Hips” onto the Hot 100 a couple decades later. – KD

Summer “Nights”: Kid LAROI Deep Cut Is Heating Up on Streaming



While The Kid LAROI’s 2023 official debut album The First Time failed to match the chart impact of his breakout 2020 mixtape F*ck Love – peaking at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and not spawning any singles the size of that set’s “Without You” or “Stay” – the album might not be done on the charts just yet. Deep cut “Nights Like This,” which at 1:27 feels closer to an interlude than a lead single, has been taking off on TikTok recently for its immersive cloud-rap production and hazy vocals, with many users deeming the song an unexpected sound for the singer-rapper. 

In any event, listeners have clearly been falling under the spell of “Nights,” as the song has been rising rapidly on streaming the past month. For the tracking week ending May 23, the song pulled just under 425,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate, but by the week ending June 13, it was up to over 3 million – a three-week gain of 617%. LAROI himself has gotten in on the TikTok fun, captioning a post of him looking stunned at the camera with the tongue-in-cheek caption “I can’t believe Kid Laroi made this song” – though he commented more sincerely underneath the clip, “grateful this song is being discovered genuinely one of my favs #thanks love you all.” – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Q&A: Talia Kraines, Senior Editor, US Pop at Spotify, on What’s Trending Up in Her World

Spotify recently unveiled its Songs of Summer predictions for 2024. How did that list of songs come together?

Our Songs of Summer predictions were built by our global music editors from many different genres all over the Northern Hemisphere. Our editors identify the songs we feel will excel in the warm, sunny weather, and we also analyze data that shows us our listeners are already loving these songs, and they have potential to grow even more. We also noticed that sounds beyond the Northern Hemisphere, including Afropop and amapiano, continue to make their way up and expand on a larger global scale for our summer, and we’re so excited to see the continued global growth of Tems and Tyla. Few things are more electrifying to a Spotify editor than loving a song and seeing the audience also love that song – that’s why you’ll find both big, obvious songs on the list, as well as some smaller artists that our editors are taking an early bet on.

A small group of editors then finalized the list down to the top 30 – we’ll be tracking throughout the summer and can’t wait to find out what song will win the crown!

What do you think is the most unexpected entry in this year’s shortlist?

I’m personally thrilled to include CYRIL’s “Stumblin’ In” in the list this year. It’s always fascinating when we see songs cross borders at different times and have an extensive lifespan; it’s such a great, holistic example of how editorial at Spotify works. CYRIL is Australian and made a new dance version of Suzi Quatro’s 1978 US & UK hit of the same name, which he released in November 2023. Our dance editors across the world loved the song and included it on local dance lists at the time, but I never would have guessed this song (or the music of Suzi Quatro!) would make this year’s Songs of Summer shortlist.

At the start of 2024, “Stumblin’ In” began to expand beyond Australia and experience global success, especially in Germany, France and the Netherlands. Our European dance editors brought the song back to the attention of the US & global dance team at the end of February, and we began to move the song on our global lists out of just dance, and into pop / hits spaces. Even though it really wasn’t on the radar of US listeners at all, we began testing it in US lists in March, and after seeing success on our platform, it’s grown into a huge hit, been signed to a US label and is now in Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits. It’s a great example of a song that’s had a whole life in Europe, and only now when the summer weather begins to orient US listening more towards dance music, it’s having its US adventure and is a hit all over the world. Definitely an unexpected song of Summer 2024!

Post Malone & Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” is the front-runner on Billboard’s own Song of the Summer chart, spending five weeks atop the Hot 100 to date. Why do you think that song has resonated so well at the beginning of summer?

When two huge superstars like Post Malone and Morgan Wallen come together, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to have a massive hit. We always see country music surging on Spotify in the summer, so Posty chose the perfect time for his pivot to country, and did it with a song that sounds warm, breezy and is the perfect soundtrack to rowdy summer nights around a bonfire or out on the town. Post Malone recently performed the song at Spotify House during CMA Fest, and let me tell you, the rest of the weekend was spent with everyone shouting the fun, backing vocal “help!” every two minutes. Utterly catchy and sounds good in almost any summertime situation, no wonder it’s a huge hit. 

An extra element to this story is how it’s really cemented the global growth of country music outside of the U.S. While Australia, Canada and the UK have dipped their toes into country over the last few years, Post Malone, as well as fellow Songs of Summer nominees Shaboozey and Dasha, have seen unprecedented success in our Hot Hits flagships all over the world, including Norway, Italy and Brazil to name a few. Even the UK, often touted as an emerging country export market, has never really had country break through in a way it has this year. 

Fill in the blank: the song featured on Spotify’s predictions list, that you think is going to be much bigger by the end of the summer than it is now, is _______.

“Nasty” by Tinashe – is the summer gonna match her freak? – JL

Season’s Gainings: Watch (and Listen to) the Thrones



At long last, House of the Dragon has returned to HBO. For those of us who got hooked on the Game of Thrones-verse back in the early 2010s, a new season of the show’s prequel series (whose first season came and went a long two years ago) is cause for celebration – and perhaps some commemorative streaming. Composer Ramin Djawadi’s theme to the original Thrones series – which has also been used by Dragon for each of its first two seasons – racked up nearly 51,000 official on-demand U.S. streams combined over this Monday and Tuesday following Sunday’s season premiere, a gain of over 50% from the same period the week before, according to Luminate. Now, let the debates over the show’s revamped credits sequence begin. – AU

20 Jun 2024

Taylor Swift Shouts Out Cardiff Eras Tour Crowd for Being ‘Truly Out of Control in the Best Way’

Taylor Swift is having a blast on the European leg of her Eras tour, and the superstar took to Instagram on Thursday (June 20) to shout out the energy of the crowd in Cardiff, Wales.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Cardiff!! My first time playing in Wales and that was truly out of control in the best way – looking out into that massive, bouncing, dancing sea of people… I’ll never forget it,” she captioned a series of photos from the show, in many of which Swift is seen smiling ear to ear. “I’m absolutely living for these UK crowds. Next up: our weekend at Wembley!! See you tomorrow London!”

See the post here.

Trending on Billboard

During the Cardiff show, Swift’s surprise song set, which is the acoustic section of the show, featured the live debut of The Anthology edition of Tortured Poets‘ “I Hate It Here” paired in a melancholy piano mashup with Folklore bonus track “The Lakes” at Principality Stadium.

Before her piano number, Swift played an acoustic mashup of Lover‘s “I Forgot That You Existed” with Reputation‘s “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” complete with audience-amplified laughter as she tried to sing, “And here’s to you, ’cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do,” topping it off with “I can’t even say it with a straight face.” (Fans pointed out the timing of Swift’s song choice falling on June 18, which happens to be Scooter Braun’s birthday.)

The Eras Tour next visits Wembley Stadium in London for three consecutive nights, from June 21-23.

20 Jun 2024

Maren Morris Is Taking an ‘Intermission’ With New 5-Song Project Coming Soon

“Every good show needs an intermission,” Maren Morris told fans on social media on June 20.

To that end, Morris revealed an upcoming five-song project, titled Intermission, set for Aug. 2. The first song from the album is a collaboration with Julia Michaels titled “Cut!,” which releases on Friday (June 21). Earlier this week, Morris revealed the upcoming Michaels collaboration on social media, with a photo featuring Morris and Michaels in a kitchen, with Michaels seated at a table and Morris standing atop the table and wielding a chainsaw.

“Can’t wait to cathartically scream f–k at the top of our lungs together,” Morris captioned the photo. In revealing Intermission, Morris also shared the track listing for the project, with songs including “Cut!,” “I Hope I Never Fall in Love,” “Push Me Over,” “Because, Of Course,” and “This is How a Woman Leaves.”

Last year, the Grammy winner released a pair of songs entitled “The Tree” and “Get the Hell Out of Here.” The new five-song set follows her 2022 album Humble Quest and her 2019 CMA album of the year-winning project GIRL.

Trending on Billboard

Earlier this month, Morris publicly came out as bisexual. “Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+,” she wrote on Instagram. “Happy pride ?.” The caption was accompanied by a carousel of photos, including one shot of Morris holding a Pride flag. Morris filed for divorce from her husband of five years, Ryan Hurd, last October (the divorce was finalized earlier this year). Morris and Hurd welcomed their son Hayes in March 2020.

20 Jun 2024

Kendrick Lamar Performs Drake Diss Track ‘Not Like Us’ 5 Times Back-to-Back at Pop Out Concert

Kendrick Lamar unified the West Coast with his epic Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert celebrating Juneteenth on Wednesday night (June 19), which was one for the hip-hop history books with K. Dot performing his Drake diss track “Not Like Us” five times in a row to close out the show.

After performing the live debut of his nuclear guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” K. Dot welcomed his mentor and iconic West Coast rapper Dr. Dre to the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., as he rose from underneath the stage for one of the biggest surprises of the night. “I see dead people,” Dre whispered as Mustard’s signature Cali bounce on “Not Like Us” blared through the speakers.

In a red hoodie with jeans and a pair of Nike Shox (an outfit some fans compared to 2Pac‘s at the 1994 Source Awards), Kendrick had the 18,000-plus in attendance and rap world watching via Amazon Music at home in the palm of his hand.

Trending on Billboard

The raucous crowd sang along to every last word of the “Not Like Us” live debut. They held the “A-minor” Drake punchline for what seemed like an eternity while Lamar basked in what he curated. 

But that wasn’t all. Kendrick ran the Drake kill shot back a second time and spun the block for a third round of “Not Like Us.” The fourth edition was the most special, as K. Dot proved West Coast unity about 15 miles northwest of where the Compton native grew up, while bringing various L.A. luminaries such as NBA stars DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook on stage, who essentially danced on Drake’s figurative grave.

Mustard, G Perico, Hit-Boy, Blxst, Steve Lacy, Big Boy, Westside Boogie and Lamar’s Black Hippy running mates joined the party alongside other gang members repping different sets across Los Angeles. Each took a turn dapping up Kenny on stage as he kept his breath control intact amid the distractions.

“This s–t making me emotional,” Lamar admitted while gathering the blended crew for a group photo moment that he wished could last forever “We been f—ked up since Nipsey died. We been f—ked up since Kobe [Bryant] died,” he poignantly declared. “This is unity at it’s finest.”

“Not Like Us” wasn’t the only Drake diss performed by Lamar for the first time as part of his explosive set. He kicked things off with the bristling “Euphoria,” which found him tweaking a lyric directed at the 6 God. “Give me 2Pac’s ring back and I might give you a little respect,” he spewed. Lamar also brought out Ab-Soul to perform his verse on “6:16 in L.A.” mixed into his run of greatest hits. 

“Not Like Us” gave Kendrick his fourth Hot 100 leader as it debuted atop the all-genre chart on May 13 with over 70 million streams in the first week. The West Coast anthem sits at No. 6 in its sixth week on the Hot 100 while “Euphoria” holds at No. 47.

While gang violence and street politics have cut lives way too short, Kendrick Lamar united a city for one night where territory allegiances and banging sets didn’t matter in the name of hip-hop. “It ain’t got nothing to do with no back-and-forth records,” Kendrick said, dismissing his Drake feud. “It’s got everything to do with this moment right here. That’s what this s–t was about. To bring all of us together.”

Find more highlights from Kendrick’s memorable “Not Like Us” performance below.

20 Jun 2024

No, Sabrina Carpenter Didn’t Warn Barry Keoghan About Her ‘Saltburn’ Themed ‘Nonsense’ Outro at Coachella

Sure, Sabrina Carpenter talks a lot of “Nonsense” in the outros of her popular Emails I Can’t Send track, and she had fans buzzing during her Coachella performance, when she made a subtle shoutout to her boyfriend, Barry Keoghan.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Made his knees so weak, he had to spread mine / He’s drinkin’ my bathwater like it’s red wine,” she told the cheering crowd, in reference to a headline-making scene performed by Keoghan in the 2023 film, Saltburn.

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Carpenter revealed that she did not warn her boyfriend of the outro before she performed it. “Oh my gosh, no,” she said. “Maybe I should do that. I guess it’s a little too late now.”

Keoghan and the Girl Meets World alum first sparked dating rumors at the beginning of this year. At a recent Taylor Swift concert in Singapore, fans spotted Carpenter running into the actor’s arms after finishing her opening set, wrapping him in a tight hug.

Trending on Billboard

In March, Carpenter and Keoghan made their public debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty. While the duo didn’t pose side-by-side on the red carpet, they did walk it at the same time, occasionally sneaking looks at each other. At one point during the party, the pair snapped a photo together off the carpet, covering the bottoms of their faces with their hands.

Most recently, Keoghan starred in Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” music video as the duo portray a Bonnie and Clyde-type couple navigating their love through crime and jail stints. Following the release of the clip, the pop star became the only person the actor follows on Instagram.