Music

10 Apr 2024

Los Ángeles Azules & Alejandro Fernández Bring ‘La Cumbia Triste’ to No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay

“La Cumbia Triste” is a cause for celebration for Los Ángeles Azules and Alejandro Fernández, who each bank a new No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, as their first collaboration ascends 3-1 to rule the April 13-dated list.

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“La Cumbia Triste” rolls to No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay boosted by a 13% gain in audience impressions, to 7 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending April 4, according to Luminate. The song sends Christian Nodal and Peso Pluma’s “La Intención” to No. 5, after two weeks in charge, with a 41% decrease in impressions, to 4.6 million.

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As “La Cumbia Triste” seizes the throne on Regional Mexican Airplay, Los Ángeles Azules adds their fourth career No. 1. Further, they extend its span of hits to 24 years, dating to the the cumbia sonidera group’s first week at No. 1 on Feb. 3, 2004, when “El Listón De Tu Pelo” commenced a seven-week reign. As Los Ángeles Azules collection of champs grows, here are their Regional Mexican Airplay chart-toppers:

Peak Date, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1
Feb. 5, 2000, “El Listón De Tu Pelo,” seven
Jan. 26, 2019, “Nunca Es Suficiente,” featuring Natalia Lafourcade, three
May 20, 2023, “Tú Y Tú,”with Cazzu & Santa Fe Klan, one
April 13, 2024, “La Cumbia Triste,” with Alejandro Fernández, one

Fernández, meanwhile, collects his eighth No. 1, and first through a collaboration in almost two years, since “Nunca Dudes en Llamarme,” with La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho, ruled for one week in Sept. 2022. In between, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” and “Difícil Tu Caso” led for one week each last August and November, respectively.

In total, two other co-billed songs from Fernández have topped Regional Mexican Airplay: “Decepciones,” with Calibre 50 (one week, Oct. 2020) and “Duele,” with Christian Nodal (one week, April 2021).

“La Cumbia Triste” will appear on Los Ángeles Azules’ forthcoming 30th studio album, Se Agradece, to be released April 12. Two other top 10-charting songs previewed the project: “Tú y Tú,” with Cazzu and Sant Fe Klan, an equal Regional Mexican Airplay winner, for one week in charge (May 2023) and “El Amor de Mi Vida,” with Maria Becerra, which nearly missed the penthouse, reaching No. 2 last October.

The news arrives in midst of Los Ángeles Azules’ 31-date El Amor De Mi Vida tour which kicked off in Nashville, TN. on Feb. 13 and will take the Mejía Avante family to a double booking on Napa County, CA on June 1-2.

Beyond its Regional Mexican Airplay coronation, “La Cumbia Triste” rebounds to its No. 5 high on the overall Latin Airplay chart (lifts 9-5) thanks to a 12% gain, to 8 million.

09 Apr 2024

Conan Gray Reveals What Made Him Realize ‘I Have to Live My Life’

Last week, pop star Conan Gray released his vibrant third album Found Heaven — and soon before, he stopped by Billboard News to discuss everything from falling in love for the first time to working with Max Martin to bring that feeling to life.

“It very much affected how I made the music,” says Gray, who also shares that “this whole album is highs and lows.”

He says he started the ideation process during his Superache Tour nearly two years ago. As he recalls, after each performance he would retreat to the basement “because there’s always a piano in the basement of these theaters I was playing… that’s when I would notice these different themes I was writing about.”

He later tapped the MXM songwriting and production crew of Max Martin, ILYA and Oscar Holter to help flesh those various themes out, saying they “really opened up my eyes and wings to all of the different sides of myself that I could try out. … They wanted to push me to do something that was the whole array of me.”

And while Found Heaven does boast power-pop hits like “Never Ending Song” and “Lonely Dancers,” the album also features more intimate songs like “Forever With Me,” album closer “Winner” and standout track “Alley Rose.” As Gray says, “When I first recorded [‘Alley Rose’], I recorded it in the same voice as the rest of the album, a bit more energetically. And then I was like, ‘Wait, I need to not do that. I need to sing it as calm and tender as possible — each song requires a different part of me. … I feel lucky that people give me the space to do both.”

Gray also opened up about the love that inspired much of this album — and the heartbreak he had to process soon after. As he tells it, after flying to London for their scheduled meet-up, he landed to a text ultimately ending the relationship. And yet, he wouldn’t change a thing about his experiences surrounding Found Heaven — and his necklace of a star cutout inside a teardrop is a reminder of exactly that.

“In all the things that make you cry, the happiest moments of your life and the saddest moments of your life, there is a magic in the fact that you even got to experience it at all,” says Gray. “I’ve spent so many years of my life hiding in my room and not doing anything and being so afraid of ever getting hurt or rejected or feeling bad, that I ended up living no life. I kept this on my neck the whole time I was making this album [as a reminder] that I have to live my life.”

To hear what else Gray said of his latest album, watch the full interview above.

09 Apr 2024

Jessica Simpson Shares Tropical Photo Dump From ‘Epic’ Spring Break Vacation

Jessica Simpson enjoyed a relaxing beach vacation with her family in Los Cabos, Mexico, and the star took to Instagram on Monday (April 8) to share a photo dump from the trip.

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“2024 Spring Breakin’ with the fam was EPIC! Thank you @tinasimpsonofficial for giving these kiddos memorable moments in Cabo that they will hold close to their precious hearts and cherish for a lifetime,” she captioned the snaps, which included glowing selfies, fishing trips on a luxurious boat and overall family fun.

Simpson shares daughters Maxi, 11, and Birdie, 5, as well as son Ace, 10 with husband Eric Johnson, whom she’s been married to since 2014.

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It’s looking to be an exciting upcoming 2024 for Simpson, who is in the process of preparing both an album and tour. Speaking with Footwear News, Simpson shared that she’s been working on new material in Nashville after temporarily relocating her family there from Los Angeles last summer. “It’s like a retreat for me,” she told the outlet. “I get to just crawl up inside my head and embrace my heart. I feel so enlightened there. Writing music has become a beautiful therapeutic thing for me that I didn’t know was so natural, but it’s because I haven’t done it in so long. It’s just nice to know that I’m meeting myself back in this place, as a woman, and after going through everything that I’ve been through in my life. There’s a sense of freedom and empowerment.”

The Dukes of Hazzard star’s next album would mark her first in more than 13 years. Her last release, Happy Christmas, was released on Nov. 22, 2010. 

09 Apr 2024

Benga Drops Out of Coachella Due to Visa Issues

Ahead of his Coachella performance alongside his musical collaborator Skream, Benga took to Instagram on Tuesday (April 9) to reveal that he has to pull out of the festival as well as a series of upcoming tour dates.

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“I’ve got some tough news to share—I won’t be able to make it to the upcoming Skream & Benga tour dates in the USA. The visa process hit a snag at the very end and they are requesting additional information,” The British DJ and producer (Adegbenga Adejumo) wrote in his caption. “I am absolutely gutted, my team and I have worked tirelessly on making this happen. But hey, I’m respecting the process and staying positive.”

He continued, “I am doing well and have had the best two years health wise and I am ready to get back out there. The journey hasn’t been easy, but getting the chance to tour again with Skream has been amazing. I really appreciate all the love and support you’ve shown me since I’ve been back. I am truly sorry for all of the inconvenience and disappointment this causes, and I promise to keep you updated on what’s happening.”

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The dubstep pioneer assured fans that Skream will put on a great show solo “like a don” during the upcoming tour dates, and “have called on some of the OG’s to step up in my place.” For Coachella, Benga shared that he and Skream will be returning in 2025.

See his full post here.

In October, Skream and Benga took the stage together for the first time in a decade at London’s Skreamizm Weekender, after teasing their upcoming tour and new music earlier in the spring of 2023.

09 Apr 2024

No Doubt’s Biggest Billboard Hits

Alternative went mainstream in the mid-1990s, and No Doubt was at the forefront of pop radio’s segue to playing more modern rock.

The group, fronted by lead singer Gwen Stefani, first appeared on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart dated March 23, 1996, with “Just a Girl.” The wry empowerment song — which builds from Stefani’s “little old me” coo to its exasperated closing shriek, “I’ve had it up to he-re!” — became the band’s first of three hits on the chart that year, reaching No. 24 in April.

The ska-infused “Spiderwebs” hit No. 11 on Pop Airplay that October. As that song peaked, programmers were already intrigued by the band’s ballad “Don’t Speak,” a more down-the-middle choice for the format. The song went on to rule the ranking for 10 weeks in 1996-97. (Only 4% of all No. 1s in the chart’s 31-year history have led for double-digit weeks.)

All three hits were released on No Doubt’s third album, Tragic Kingdom, which dominated the Billboard 200 chart for nine weeks beginning in December 1996. To date, the set has earned 9.4 million equivalent album units in the United States, according to Luminate. In addition to their pop radio success, the three tracks all reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.

The band remained a chart force into the 2000s and beyond, upping its count to five Pop Airplay top 10s, including two more No. 1s in 2002: “Hey Baby,” featuring Bounty Killer, and “Underneath It All,” featuring Lady Saw. The group most recently reached the list with the top 20 entry “Settle Down” in 2012.

Ahead of No Doubt playing Coachella on April 13, count down the band’s top-charting songs on the Pop Airplay survey below.

“I already know what it’s going to feel like because we’re just so in sync when we’re onstage,” Stefani recently told Nylon of No Doubt’s Coachella appearance. “It’s going to feel like riding a bike again. We’re going to be laughing, and we’re going to look at each other and go, ‘Oh my gosh – there you are.’ ”

No Doubt’s Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on Billboard’s weekly Pop Airplay chart through April 13, 2024. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 40 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.

09 Apr 2024

Sabrina Carpenter Announces New Single ‘Espresso’ Ahead of Coachella 2024: Here’s When It Arrives

Sabrina Carpenter is giving fans a bit of an energy boost. Just days ahead of her upcoming set at Coachella 2024, the rising pop star announced that her next single “Espresso” is on track to arrive later this week, sharing its release date and cover on social media Monday (April 8).

The song’s retro-looking artwork finds Carpenter posing in front of a baby-blue backdrop with one arm draped behind her head, her long, blond waves cascading down her other shoulder. The song’s title aptly appears in dark brown lettering in the left corner.

“just wanted to put out a little song before Coachella,” she captioned the portrait on Instagram along with a brown heart. “Espresso 4/11 8pm EST.”

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The Girl Meets World alum is one of several artists slated to perform at both weekends of this year’s festival, which will be headlined by Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator as well as feature a reunion concert from No Doubt. Also on the lineup are Peso Pluma, Lil Uzi Vert, J Balvin, Blur, Ice Spice and more, with performances kicking off Friday (April 12).

Carpenter last released music in November 2023, dropping a six-track holiday EP titled Fruitcake. Before that came the deluxe edition of her 2022 album Emails I Can’t Send, which recently led the singer to her first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Feather” peaking at No. 26 last month.

The Work It star is also fresh off her stint as an opener on Taylor Swift’s global Eras Tour, which she joined for the trek’s legs in Latin America, Asia and Australia. “It almost feels like a Broadway show because everything is so synchronized, but at the same time feels so in the moment,” she said of the show in a recent interview. “I feel so lucky that I get to watch Taylor perform every time. It makes me want to tour the world again, which is a good feeling.”

See Carpenter’s announcement below.

09 Apr 2024

Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, New Orleans R&B Singer Behind ‘Ain’t Got No Home,’ Dies at 87

Clarence “Frogman” Henry, who was one of New Orleans’ best known old-time R&B singers and scored a hit at age 19 with “Ain’t Got No Home,” has died. He was 87.

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Henry died Sunday night, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation said on social media. It didn’t give the cause of death.

Henry, who had been scheduled to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival later this month, imitated the voice of a frog in “Ain’t Got No Home.” It was a hit in 1956 and later brought Henry renewed fame when it was featured on the “Forrest Gump” and “Mickey Blue Eyes” soundtracks.

He credited disc jockey Poppa Stoppa, whose real name was Clarence Hayman, as coming up with the nickname the “Frogman,” which mimicked Fats Domino’s moniker the “Fatman.”

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By 1958, Henry’s popularity waned and he took to playing nightclubs on Bourbon Street.

“I thought the sun would shine. I thought my record would always stay out there and stay on the top, but in 1958, the rain came and bring me back to New Orleans,” Henry told The Associated Press in 2003.

But in 1960, a new song, “I Don’t Know Why But I Do” by Cajun songwriter Bobby Charles and arranged by Allen Toussaint, brought Henry renewed success.

With the Bill Black Combo and the Jive Five he opened for the Beatles for 18 dates in 1964 during their first U.S. trip and toured extensively, from Scotland to New Zealand.

In Louisiana, Henry remained popular. He also was one of the few black New Orleans musicians to cross over into Cajun musical circles.

Henry, who was born in New Orleans on March 19, 1937, started playing the piano at 8, taking up lessons his sister had disliked. He worked for his father until he was 15, often for no money.

He played the trombone and piano in his high school band and later joined The Toppers, traveling around southern Louisiana before making it big.

“When I was going to school, I wanted to be Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, and I would wear a wig with two plaits and call myself Professor Longhair,” Henry told the AP. “I like the Fats Domino rhythm, but I play my own chords and my own style.”

Henry’s national fame faded but he remained popular in Louisiana. He was a Bourbon Street fixture until 1981, when he retired from the grueling club circuit. But he never gave up music, and continued to be an annual crowd pleaser at the Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murray Henderson Funeral Home.

09 Apr 2024

Christian Nodal Wipes Away All His Face Tattoos: See the Photos

Christian Nodal has caused a whirlwind on social media after sharing new photos of himself without his face tattoos on Tuesday (April 9).

On his Instagram account, the Mexican superstar is flaunting a brand-new look: mushroom haircut, black suit and, shockingly, a tat-free face. The heart, the number 11, the spiderweb and other tats — all gone. “If someone tells you that I became a jerk… tell them a jerk and a half,” he captioned the post in Spanish.

Meanwhile, on his Instagram broadcast channel, he also announced that he would be filming a new music video today and updated fans on his upcoming album. “I’ve been dedicating all my time to the album and the tour, planning everything […] and it’s coming out beautifully: the documentary, the music, the show. I’m doing everything possible so that next month we have new music […] this album is my work of art,” he said in a video message on the group chat.

Nodal — who hasn’t confirmed if he’s only wearing makeup for his new video or in reality wiped away his face ink — previously opened up to Billboard about his relationship with tattoos. “I have invested a lot of time in my life into tattooing, either getting a tattoo or thinking about opening a tattoo shop. My goal is to learn to be a good tattoo artist,” he said. “And right now I’m removing some of them from my face and it’s a painful but satisfying process.”

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“I remember when I started with tattoos or that I started to wear a different style of clothing, that my [music] videos were not the typical soap opera style, when I changed all that, doors opened for new talents and that’s pretty awesome,” he expressed.

See the photos of Nodal without his face tattoos below:

09 Apr 2024

Spanish Rapper Morad Begins 6-Month Prison Sentence for Traffic Offenses

Catalan rapper Morad began a six-month jail sentence Monday (April 9) for reckless driving offenses committed in 2022. According to multiple Spanish news outlets, the artist known for viral tracks such as “Se Grita” (2023), “Sigue” (2022) and “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 47” (2021) voluntarily entered the Brians 2 penitentiary center near Barcelona.

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Billboard Español has sent a request for a statement to Morad’s management team.

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Morad’s sentence is due to his repeated failure to respond to court summons for traffic violations and driving without a license, according to the Spanish press. This is not the first time the 25-year-old artist (real name: Morad El Khattouti El Horami) has had run-ins with the law; he also has a case pending in which he is accused of inciting public disorder and aggravated assault.

In this open case, the prosecutor’s office requested a six-year prison sentence for Morad. The charges stemmed from an incident in July 2021, during the pandemic, in which Morad allegedly attacked and intimidated several Catalan police officers (Mossos d’Esquadra) with a Taser after violating a nighttime lockdown in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona.

In February, Morad and his legal team negotiated a two-year sentence on these charges. As part of the agreement, Morad offered to compensate the Mosso d’Esquadra agent with 10,000 euros (more than $10,850).

The conditions for the reduced sentence included Morad not appealing the conviction and covering the costs associated with the damage caused to six police cars, a total of 2,400 euros (about $2,600), caused during the 2021 incident. Under the agreement, Morad will face additional penalties if he commits any offenses within two years.

In December 2021, his Bizarrap collaboration with “Vol. 47” topped the PROMUSICAE singles chart for two weeks.

09 Apr 2024

Eurovision Organizers Condemn ‘Harassment’ of Contestants Over Israel’s Inclusion

Just two weeks after Olly Alexander rejected calls for him to withdraw from and boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion, the European Broadcast Union has issued a statement denouncing the “harassment” of Eurovision artists for the same reason.

The statement, which was delivered by Jean Philip De Tender, deputy director general of the EBU, began with an acknowledgment of “the depth of feeling and the strong opinions that this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – set against the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East – has provoked.”

De Tender then turns his attention to the “targeted social media campaigns” launched against certain Eurovision artists, saying, “The decision to include any broadcaster, including the Israeli broadcaster Kan, in the Eurovision Song Contest is the sole responsibility of the EBU’s governing bodies and not that of the individual artists. These artists come to Eurovision to share their music, culture, and the universal message of unity through the language of music.”

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Earlier this year (Jan. 30), several Swedish artists signed an open letter calling for Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision, writing, “Allowing Israel’s participation undermines not only the spirit of the competition but the entire public service mission. It also sends the signal that governments can commit war crimes without consequences.”

That same month (Jan. 11), more than 14,000 Finnish artists joined Icelandic artists in signing a petition calling for Israel to be banned from the competition. “It is not in accordance with our values that a country that commits war crimes and continues a military occupation is given a public stage to polish its image in the name of music,” read the petition, which all threatened the absence of a Finnish delegation at this year’s Eurovision should the EBU not weigh in on the matter.

Directly addressing the controversy, the EBU’s statement reads, “While we strongly support freedom of speech and the right to express opinions in a democratic society, we firmly oppose any form of online abuse, hate speech, or harassment directed at our artists or any individuals associated with the contest. This is unacceptable and totally unfair, given the artists have no role in this decision.”

The EBU has explanations for the reasoning for the inclusion of Kan, Israel’s eligibility and their response to potential protests available on their website.

“The EBU is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for all participants, staff, and fans of the Eurovision Song Contest,” the statement continued. “We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to promote the values of respect, inclusivity, and understanding, both online and offline. We urge everyone to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue and support the artists who are working tirelessly – on what is a music and entertainment show – to share their music with the world.”

The 2024 edition of Eurovision is slated to take place in Malmö, Sweden between May 7-11. Last year’s victor was Sweden’s Loreen, who sang her way to the winners’ circle with “Tattoo,” which hit No. 2 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart.

Click here to read the EBU’s full statement.