Music

26 Feb 2024

Sony’s Sweat-Proof Wireless Earbuds Are Marked Down to $68

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Sony is one of the most-trusted names when it comes to audio gear, but it’s not always easy to find deals or discounts on Sony products. That’s why you’ll want to take advantage of this surprise Amazon sale, which gets you a pair of Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless In-Ear Bluetooth Earbuds for just $78 — their lowest price this year.

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Regularly $99.99+, this Sony earbuds deal brings the price of the WF-C500s down to just $78 — a $22 discount. This is the lowest price for Sony earbuds online and one of the best deals overall for wireless earbuds on Amazon.

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Best Sony Wireless Earbuds Deal 2024: $78 Amazon Sale, 22% Discount

EARBUDS DEAL

Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

The Sony WF-C500 Wireless Earbuds are equipped with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology, which seemingly “floats” sound all around you, for a wider, more immersive soundscape. This is the same 360 Audio technology found in large Sony speakers, only paired down to fit the shape and confines of these tiny buds.

Speaking of size, Sony says these earbuds are 45% smaller than previous earbuds, making them more comfortable in your ears, even while wearing for long periods of time. They’re less likely to fall out too, and in our experience, don’t take a lot of wiggling or adjusting to find a great fit. Sony says that’s thanks to the earbuds’ “Ergonomic Surface Design,” which helps the buds better conform to your ear shape.

With an IPX4-rating, the Sony WF-C500 earbuds are splash-proof and sweat-proof, making them great for taking on a run or workout. Get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge and 20 hours with the included charging case.

These earbuds have a built-in mic, so you can use them at work for taking or making calls too.

Sony earbuds rarely go on sale so you’ll want to take advantage of this Amazon deal while it’s live. As with all Amazon sales, this discount could go away at any time. Regularly $99.99+, get the Sony WF-C500 Wireless Earbuds for just $78 here.

26 Feb 2024

The Killers, Beck and Jane’s Addiction Primed for a Rock-Steady Evolution Festival in STL

St. Louis, Missouri’s emerging Evolution Festival will mark its second year this fall with a killer lineup — literally. Alt-rock anthem makers The Killers will join anti-folk funk-soul rocker Beck as headliners of the event, which returns to Mound City’s leafy Forest Park on Sept. 28-29 following a successful debut in 2023.

Joining the veteran headliners will be fellow seminal acts Jane’s Addiction, Blondie and Nile Rodgers & Chic. The rest of Evolution’s stacked lineup includes recent Grammy winner Killer Mike, Americana singer Elle King, studio wizard Todd Rundgren and singer-songwriter Pete Yorn, along with Robert Finley, S.G. Goodman, His Lordship, Beachwood Sparks, The Mysterines, Lola Kirke, 95 Bulls, Tre Burt, The Asteroid No. 4 and more.

Like other area festivals, namely Music at the Intersection, Evolution co-producers Contemporary Presentations and The Just Listen Company make sure to weave in local acts as well. This year, the honors go to alt-country statesmen Son Volt and a group simply called Nadine. The former helped popularize the genre following the collapse of frontman Jay Farrar’s earlier band, Uncle Tupelo; the latter produced a series of beloved indie albums that evolved from straight-on roots to more atmospheric territory during a brief run in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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Organizers hope to build on the momentum of Evolution’s inaugural event, which attracted over 25,000 attendees last August for a lineup that included Brandi Carlile, The Black Keys, Ice Cube and Sugarhill Gang, plus a curated program of local culinary offerings and craft-y spirits.

“We are thrilled to bring Evolution Festival back to Forest Park for its second year,” said festival producers Steve Schankman and Joe Litvag. “Building upon the success of our inaugural year, we are committed to creating a dynamic and inclusive experience that celebrates music, food, and community. We look forward to welcoming fans to what promises to be an unforgettable weekend.”

Attendees can choose from two general admission tiers, starting at $129.50, or spring for one of three VIP or ‘Platinum’-level packages that provide special seating, access to lounge areas and special food offerings. All options will be available for purchase on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 10:00 a.m. CST.

26 Feb 2024

Rod Stewart And Jools Holland Eye U.K. No. 1 With ‘Swing Fever’

Swing Fever is gripping the U.K.

When the calendar flips over to March, expect to see Rod Stewart and Jools Holland at No. 1 on the U.K. chart with Swing Fever (via Rhino), a covers collection gathering songs from the big band era.

Swing Fever leads the midweek chart, and is set to become Stewart’s 11th No. 1 album, and first since You’re In My Heart led the tally back in December 2019. Holland has never nabbed top spot on the Official U.K. Chart.

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Should it stay on target, Swing Fever would see Stewart move up to 10th on the U.K.’s list of artists with the most career No. 1s, and into equal fifth among solo acts with the most leaders.

Meanwhile, Scottish rock act the Snuts slot in at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update with Millennials (Happy Artist), their third album. Millennials should give the Snuts a third consecutive top three debut, following 2021 chart leader W.L. and 2022’s Burn The Empire, which peaked at No. 3.

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Liverpool’s Red Rum Club could be raising a glass this Friday. The alternative sextet’s new album Western Approaches (Modern Sky) is set to enter the national tally at No. 3, for what would be the group’s first top 10 appearance. The band previously cracked the top 40 with 2021’s How To Steal The World, which hit No. 34.

Completing an all-new top four on the chart blast is Barking, England rapper Potter Payper with Thanks For Hating (36TL), new at No. 4. The homegrown hip-hop artist has two previous top 10 appearances, with 2020’s Training Day 3 (No. 3 peak) and 2021’s Thanks For Waiting (No. 8).

Further down the list, Tyneside, England singer and songwriter Nadine Shah is on the brink of her first top 10 appearance with Filthy Underneath (EMI North), her fifth album. It’s new at No. 8 on the chart update. Filthy Underneath should comfortably set a new career best for Shah, besting the No. 29 peak for 2020’s Kitchen Sink.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, March 1.

26 Feb 2024

Taylor Swift’s Father Scott Accused of Assaulting a Photographer in Sydney, Her Rep Responds

After Australian news reports stated that Taylor Swift‘s father, Scott Swift, had been accused of assaulting a photographer in Sydney, a rep for the pop star is telling her side of events.

Sky News first reported that Swift’s 71-year-old dad was involved in an altercation with a photographer early Tuesday morning following Taylor’s final concert in Sydney on Monday night. In a statement sent to Billboard, a rep for Taylor Swift said of the incident: “Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water.”

Police confirmed they were investigating an “alleged assault after a 71-year-old man allegedly assaulted a 51-year-old man at Neutral Bay Wharf” around 2:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday in a statement sent to People, but did not confirm Scott Swift’s or the photographer’s identity. “The younger man reported the incident and inquiries are now underway by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command,” the police statement continued. “The man did not require medical treatment.”

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Monday night’s show was Taylor Swift’s final of four Sydney stops on The Eras Tour. She arrived in Australia last weekend for three concerts in Melbourne after kicking off her 2024 tour dates with four shows in Tokyo.

The Sydney Eras Tour stops have been star-studded, with Katy Perry and Rita Ora attending Friday night’s first show together (and Perry going viral for singing along with “Bad Blood,” the song she allegedly inspired) alongside Swift’s Super Bowl-winning boyfriend Travis Kelce and Australian film director Baz Luhrmann. Two-thirds of Blink-182 popped by too, with Mark Hoppus attending night 1 and Tom DeLonge spotted taking photos with Australian actress Rebel Wilson on night 2.

Swift picks her tour back up Saturday in Singapore.

26 Feb 2024

Jennifer Lopez’s ‘This Is Me… Now’ Bows at No. 1 on Top Album Sales Chart

Jennifer Lopez achieves her third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated March 2), as her new studio album This Is Me… Now opens atop the tally. Lopez was last at No. 1 more than 20 years ago, when J to Tha L-O! The Remixes spent two weeks atop the chart in February and March of 2002. She scored her first No. 1 on the list with J.Lo in 2001.

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In total, This Is Me… Now marks Lopez’s ninth top 10 on Top Album Sales and 13th chart entry overall. The new release is a sister project to Lopez’s third album, This Is Me… Then, which was released 2002 and peaked at No. 2 on the chart.

Also debuting in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Yeat’s 2093, Blackberry Smoke’s Be Right Here and IDLES’ TANGK.

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Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new March 2-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 27. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

In the tracking week ending Feb. 22, This Is Me… Now sold 14,000 copies in the U.S. Of that sum, physical sales comprise 11,000 (6,000 on CD and 5,000 on vinyl) and digital download sales comprise 3,000. The album was available in four CD variants (including one that had a signed insert), nine vinyl editions (all were color variants, including one with a signed insert) and three digital album variations (a standard version, a deluxe edition with two bonus tracks and a commentary edition sold via Lopez’s official webstore).

This Is Me… Now also debuts at No. 1 on Top Current Album Sales, No. 1 on Tastemaker Albums, No. 7 on Vinyl Albums, No. 7 on Independent Albums and No. 38 on the Billboard 200. Top Current Album Sales ranks the week’s top-selling new/current albums (non-catalog/older titles). Vinyl Album tallies the week’s top-selling vinyl releases. Tastemaker Albums measures the top-selling titles at independent and small chain record stores. Independent Albums ranks the most popular independently released albums of the week, by units.

On the Billboard 200, This Is Me… Now marks Lopez’s 13th total chart entry and 11th top 40-charting effort. It’s her first studio album in nearly a decade, and her first release outside the major label system, as the new set was issued via Nuyorican/BMG.

“This is the first step of an immediate strategy with a long-term goal as the incredible content to support the album continues to roll out,” says Cyndi Lynott, SVP marketing at BMG, “including the This Is Me…Now: A Love Story Amazon Original, a documentary entitled The Greatest Love Story Never Told, and of course her massive summer tour.”

Meanwhile, Yeat debuts at No. 2 with 2093 – his second entry on Top Album Sales and first to reach the top 40. The set sold 12,000 copies, all from digital downloads, as the album was not available to purchase in any physical configurations. The set’s digital sales were boosted by its availability across three variations. 2093 was released initially as a 22-song standard album on Feb. 16, boasting features from Future and Lil Wayne. A day later, the album was reissued in a deluxe edition, dubbed 2093 P2, with two bonus tracks, including one featuring Drake. Then, on Feb. 21, the album saw another reissue, termed 2093 P3, with four bonus tracks. This version of the album was only available as a digital download via the artist’s official webstore (and the four bonus tracks were only available as part of the full album purchase).

Taylor Swift’s chart-topping 1989 (Taylor’s Version) rises 4-3 with 11,000 sold (though down 25%) and Swift’s former leader Lover climbs 6-4 with 9,000 (down 24%). Toby Keith’s chart-topper 35 Biggest Hits rises 9-5 with nearly 9,000 sold (up 28%).

Blackberry Smoke clocks its fourth top 10-charting set on Top Album Sales as Be Right Here arrives at No. 6 with 8,500 sold.

Taylor Swift’s former No. 1s Midnights and Folklore are up next, non-movers at Nos. 7 and 8, with nearly 7,500 (down 32%) and 7,000 (down 17%), respectively.

P1Harmony’s Killin’ It falls 2-9 in its second week with 7,000 sold (down 60%).

IDLES’ TANGK starts at No. 10, marking the second top 10 for the act. The set starts with 7,000 sold.

In the week ending Feb. 22, there were 1.166 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 7.3% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 858,000 (down 5.3%) and digital albums comprised 308,000 (down 12.6%).

There were 408,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Feb. 22 (down 6.1% week-over-week) and 446,000 vinyl albums sold (down 4.6%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 3.342 million (down 32.1% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 3.759 million (down 47.1%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 9.507 million (down 35.8% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 7.137 million (down 41%) and digital album sales total 2.37 million (down 12.7%).

26 Feb 2024

How Gotopo & Don Elektron’s ‘Sacúdete’ Became the MLS’ Latest Soccer Anthem

There are certain qualities that turn a song into a soccer anthem. First, its sense of euphoria to match the game’s twists, turns and rollercoaster of emotions. Second, the song’s ability to get everyone on their feet. So, it makes sense that “Sacúdete” became the Major League Soccer’s (MLS) pick to soundtrack its latest Our Soccer Is Calling campaign spot.

The hypnotic electrónica track by Afro-Indigenous-Venezuelan producer and songwriter Gotopo alongside producer Don Elektron (of Mexican group Kinky) was an unlikely choice given that the song was released last year and Gotopo is a relatively newer artist. However, it was the song that caught the attention of the MLS.

“We fell in love with the energy of the song,” says Jesse Perl, MLS’ VP of brand marketing, who worked with indie label Waxploitation Records to license the track for the campaign. “We think it’s great to use our platform to work not only with an established superstar producer like Don Elektron, but also emerging artists like Gotopo. This year, we wanted to make sure that our commitment to Latin culture came to life through sound, it’s something we really wanted to be intentional about.”

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It’s not the first time that the MLS works with Latin acts for campaigns, Prince Royce and Miguel have been tapped in previous years, but this latest song and campaign captures the zeitgeist of the fútbol movement and excitement with the arrival of Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi to the league.

“Something really interesting is starting to happen, like it did back with hip-hop and the NBA in the 90s,” explains Perl. “There’s this marrying of Latin music and soccer in such an organic way. Peso Pluma is coming to games with Dr. Dre. Then you have Bizarrap is going to games in Miami. There’s all these people who are fans of the sport and now our league.”

It’s also a direct reflection of the league’s fans. According to data provided by the MLS, the league has the youngest and most diverse fans among the major sports leagues in North America with 30% of the MLS’ fanbase being Hispanic and 69% of the league’s fans are Gen-Z and millennial.

“Our soccer is calling is this idea of it being an invitation to bring people who are curious to discover, and we’re fortunate that there’s more curiosity about our league than ever before.”

Watch the “Our Soccer is Calling” spot, soundtracked by “Sacúdete,” below.

26 Feb 2024

Zac Efron Is Loving the Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce ‘High School Musical’ Comparisons

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are currently living out a grown-up, real-life version of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez’s love story in High School Musical, and Zac Efron is officially here for it.

In a recent interview published Monday (Feb. 26), the Iron Claw star was asked for his take on fan comparisons between Tayvis and HSM. “Wow, I didn’t think about that,” Efron, who starred in the Disney Channel franchise as basketball star Troy, told E! News while promoting his new Prime Video film Ricky Stanicky. “That’s really cool. Shout out to all the High School Musical fans.”

“I love the whole Travis, Taylor thing,” he continued. “Man, I’m so happy for them. They’re two of the best people in the world. How can you not be stoked?”

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Fans have been pointing out similarities between the sports-meets-music romance in HSM and Swift’s relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end since the couple first went public in September. For example, one Swiftie tweeted in January, “the chiefs game and the golden globes being within hours of each other reminds me [of] when Troy and Gabriella had the basketball game and the academic decathlon at the same time as the audition for the school musical.”

Shortly afterward, Vanessa Hudgens — who starred as Efron’s love interest in HSM — said on Instagram that the tweet was “hilarious.”

Way back when, Efron and Swift co-starred in The Lorax. While promoting the animated film on The Ellen Show, the pair teamed up for a hilarious musical skit poking fun at dating rumors surrounding their friendship set to the tune of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.”

Swift and Kelce were last seen together at the pop star’s Feb. 23 Eras Tour show in Australia, where the football player danced along to his superstar girlfriend’s set alongside Katy Perry and Rita Ora and passed out guitar picks to fans. The day prior, the couple went on a date to the Sydney Zoo.

26 Feb 2024

Alejandro Sanz Opens 2024 Viña del Mar Festival, Receives Golden & Silver Gaviota Awards

Eight years after his last performance at Viña del Mar, Alejandro Sanz has once again won over the “monster” of Quinta Vergara on Sunday night, when he opened the 63rd edition of Viña’s International Song Festival.

The Spanish singer/songwriter delighted the event’s 15,000 attendees by performing live hits including “No Es Lo Mismo,” “Lo Que Fui Es Lo Que Soy” and “Deja Que Te Bese,” to name a few.

The set began with a video of Sanz, on the large screens at the back of the stage, narrating the beginning of his autobiographical song “Bio” before appearing live — dressed in black, with white sneakers and dark glasses — accompanied by a band that included about a dozen musicians among instrumentalists and backup singers. “Viña roars!” he yelled before starting singing.

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Sanz later greeted the audience in the Chilean coastal city: “How good to see you!” he said to the “monster,” as the festival’s audience at the Quinta Vergara is known as. “What a joy to return to this stage after a few years. This is a very special night for all of us here; I hope it is for you too. We are going to do absolutely everything to make it so.”

And they did not disappoint. For almost an hour and a half, Sanz and his band delivered hit after hit.

One of the most emotional moments came from “Looking for Paradise,” originally recorded with Alicia Keys, which Sanz performed this time with one of his backup singers. The artist dedicated the uplifting bilingual song to the volunteers working to help the victims of the fires that left 120 people dead and more than 15,000 homes affected earlier this month in Viña del Mar. “I want to dedicate it to them with all the love in the world and thank them. It is from those people that we, as humanity, can really nourish ourselves, because they are people who selflessly give everything,” he said. “So this is for you. ¡Viva Chile!”

Some of the songs that inspired a sing-along among the fans were “La Fuerza del Corazón”, “Cuando Nadie Me Ve,” “Quisiera Ser”, “Mi Soledad y Yo”, “Y, ¿Si Fuera Ella?” and, of course, “Corazón Partío,” which the audience belted with Sanz wholeheartedly. Later, they awarded his art and his solidarity with a Silver and Golden Gaviota Awards, the highest honor awarded to the guest artists, as per the intensity of the audience’s ovation.

But Sanz wasn’t the only international star who performed on the opening night of the event. Colombian singer Manuel Turizo followed him with his Viña debut, performing an eclectic, colorful set that included ballads, urbano and tropical music, with songs from “Desconocidos” and “Déjala Que Vuelva” to “Vagabundo” and his biggest hits, “La Bachata” and “El Merengue,” which undoubtedly lit up the crowd. Turizo also received a strong ovation from the “monster,” and went home with his first Silver Gaviota Award.

Manuel Turizo

Manuel Turizo performs during the 63th Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Viña del Mar, Chile on Feb. 26, 2024.

JAVIER TORRES/AFP via Getty Images

The Viña del Mar Festival 2024 takes place all week at the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater and can be seen outside of Chile on the Star+ streaming platform and the festival’s YouTube channel.

The celebration continues Monday (Feb. 26) night with performances by Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli, plus Miranda! as the second act. Maná and Men at Work on Feb. 27; Mora and Anitta on Feb. 29; a night devoted to Chilean artists with Los Bunkers and Young Cister on March 1; and for the finale on Feb. 2, Maria Becerra, who took the place of Peso Pluma after the Mexican artist canceled his Latin American tour last week. Trueno will be the second artist of the night.

If you missed Sunday’s performances by Alejandro Sanz and Manuel Turizo, or want to relive them, you can watch them here below:



26 Feb 2024

Watch TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Taehyun & HueningKai Dance to ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’: ‘Beyonce Collab When?’

They may be K-pop stars, but that doesn’t mean the boys of TOMORROW X TOGETHER can’t bust out a country move. In a video posted to the band’s TikTok, members Taehyun and HueningKai put their own spin on a viral dance trend set to Beyoncé‘s newest hit “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

The clip finds the “Sugar Rush Ride” singers tipping their cowboy hats — one real and one imagined — at each other before launching into the popular hoedown-inspired choreography that’s been sweeping the app since Bey released “Texas Hold ‘Em” earlier this month. After going through the motions of stomping their cowboy boots and spinning invisible lassos, the pair ended with a big high five.

“where did the hat go,” the band captioned the video, alongside two smiley-face emojis rocking cowboy hats.

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Fans in the comments were all for the crossover, with one person writing, “taehyun is my fav cowboy.”

Another person wrote, “Beyoncé collab when??”

This week, “Texas Hold ‘Em” rises to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after first debuting at No. 2. Bey released the song alongside “16 Carriages” Feb. 11, mere moments after teasing her new music in a Verizon commercial that aired during the 2024 Super Bowl. On the same day, she also confirmed that her new album Act II will drop at some point this year.

TXT is fresh off its Sweet Mirage international tour, which closed out 2023 as the fourth highest-grossing K-pop trek of the year (following only behind BLACKPINK, Suga and TWICE’s runs). The boy band’s February EP The Name Chapter: Temptation debuted atop the Billboard 200, and its October project The Name Chapter: Freefall peaked at No. 3 on the chart.

Watch Taehyun and HueningKai dance along to Bey’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” below.

26 Feb 2024

Nicki Minaj’s 20 Biggest Billboard Hits, From ‘Super Bass’ to ‘Super Freaky Girl’

The Queen of Rap. Roman. Nicki Lewinski, Nicki the Ninja, Nicki the Boss, Nicki The Harajuku Barbie. The list of nicknames Nicki Minaj has accumulated over the course of her career goes on and on, and so does her list of Billboard hits — may as well add Nicki the Chart-Topper to the heap.

The Trinidad-born, Queens-raised artist got her big break in 2009 when Lil Wayne invited her to become the first woman on his Young Money Entertainment imprint — after which she soon solidified herself as an icon with her game-changing debut album Pink Friday in 2010. Since then, she’s topped the Hot Rap Songs chart a whopping 10 times. But it wasn’t until 15 years into her career that she earned her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with a 2020 feature on Doja Cat’s viral TikTok smash “Say So.” (Her first unaccompanied hit to rule the ranking came two years later, with her Rick James-sampling, Hammer-honoring “Super Freaky Girl” ascending to the top in August 2022.)

That’s not to say Minaj wasn’t an absolute force on the Hot 100 in the decade-plus leading up to “Say So,” though. In fact, she’ll forever hold the title of the first woman to notch 100 entries on the chart — a number she’s since exceeded dozens of times over — thanks to her immaculate catalog of colorful boss b–ch anthems, cutthroat diss tracks and trailblazing assertions of female power and sexuality.

From her “Barbie” necklace-wearing days to now, keep reading to see Nicki Minaj’s biggest Hot 100 hits below.