Music

22 Feb 2024

Roni Stoneman, ‘Hee Haw’ Star & Stoneman Family Musician, Dies at 85

Veronica Loretta “Roni” Stoneman, banjo player, comedian and cast member on the long-running television show Hee Haw, died Thursday (Feb. 22) at age 85.

Stoneman, known as “The First Lady of Banjo,” was born May 5, 1938, as the second-youngest of 23 children born to Hattie Stoneman and pioneering bluegrass musician Ernest V. “Pop” Stoneman, known for his 1925 recording of “The Sinking of the Titanic.” According to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ernest’s recordings later led executive Ralph Peer to set studio dates in Bristol, Tennessee to record Stoneman and other artists in 1927 — which would include the landmark first recording sessions for The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.

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Roni Stoneman was also part of the family band The Stoneman Family, which evolved from the band The Bluegrass Champs, which included family members Scott Stoneman and Donna Stoneman. The group won a competition as part of Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts in 1956. By the 1960s, Roni had joined the group on banjo. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the group recorded two projects for Starday Records in 1962 and 1963, and then recorded for MGM and World-Pacific. She also performed as part of the group on their syndicated 1960s television show Those Stonemans.

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In the 1960s, The Stoneman Family earned Billboard Hot Country Singles chart hits including “Tupelo County Jail” and “The Five Little Johnson Girls.”

In 1967, the first year the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards were held, the Stoneman Family was named vocal group of the year. Roni departed the group in 1971, and soon joined the cast of Hee Haw, working on the country variety progtam for two decades as a comedian and banjo player, and known for portraying Ida-Lee Nagger, the “Ironing Board Lady.” There, she worked alongside artists and comedians including Minnie Pearl, Buck Owens and Roy Clark. In 2007, Stoneman recounted her life story in the book Pressing On.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young called Stoneman “a great talent and a strong woman,” commending her legacy in the genre. “For Roni Stoneman, known as ‘The First Lady of the Banjo,’ country music was a birthright and her life’s work,” he wrote. “The second youngest of 23 children born to Hattie and Ernest ‘Pop’ Stoneman, Roni was an integral part of a bedrock country music family, who were longtime fixtures in the country music scene of Washington, DC. For 18 years on ‘Hee Haw,’ she stole scenes as both a skillful banjo player and as a comical, gap-toothed country character.”

22 Feb 2024

30 Women Musicians Who Are Also Entrepreneurs: Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Beyoncé & More

Female artists are making strides in beauty, fashion, food and more.

Rihanna, Beyonce and Selena Gomez

Rihanna, Beyonce and Selena Gomez

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty by Rihanna; Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood; Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Rare Beauty

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Who says you can’t have it all? For women musicians who also run their own businesses — such as multi-hyphenates Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Beyoncé and more — the title of “CEO” is just as important as “pop star.”

The past few years have seen a boom in woman-led businesses, within the music industry and beyond. Nowadays, it’s both common and celebrated for a chart-topping female artist to helm an enterprise on top of their music careers, be it in beauty, health, food, fashion or — in the case of a certain ambitious country legend — theme parks.

These junctures give artists an added outlet for the creativity and hard work that made them stars in the first place. And, when successful, they provide a more long-lasting way for musicians to ensure that their legacies continue on for generations to come.

In honor of Billboard‘s annual Women in Music celebrations — which this year culminate in a March 6 ceremony presented by Marriott Bonvoy, where Karol G, Charli XCX, Ice Spice and more women artists will receive awards — we’re rounding up some of the world’s biggest women musician-turned-moguls. The ladies on this list have developed trusted brand names, overseen global campaigns and sat at the heads of many a conference table, with several of them raking in millions in the process. In some cases, you may even realize that you’ve already picked up one of their products without knowing that a celebrity was behind it.

Prepare to be in awe of the hard work these women have put in. And, without further ado, keep reading to see 30 women musicians who hold down their own businesses below.

22 Feb 2024

After Italy’s Sanremo Song Contest, 7 Contenders Enter Billboard Global Charts

It was already understood that the songs of Sanremo 2024 were a success in streaming — in Italy and globally. In the days following its release, the “Sanremo 2024” Spotify playlist was the most listened-to playlist in the world, and seven of the top 10 tracks on the platform’s Debut Global chart came from the song contest.

Now that Billboard has updated its Global 200 and the Global Excl. US charts, the picture is even more complete. In the charts dated Feb. 24, four and seven songs from Sanremo 2024 appear, respectively.

The Global 200 includes Mahmood’s “Tuta Gold” (No. 52), Geolier’s “I p’ me, tu p’ te” (No. 91), Annalisa’s “Sinceramente” (No. 95) and winner Angelina Mango’s “La Noia” (No. 110).

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In the Global Excl. US chart, these same songs appear higher up (at Nos. 19, 33, 36 and 51, respectively), followed by three other songs of Sanremo 2024: Ghali’s “Casa Mia” (No. 87), Irama’s “Tu No” (No. 100) and The Kolors’ “Un ragazzo una ragazza” (No. 179).

Data provided by Luminate allows a more analytical look. The company traced the global streaming trends (audio and video) of Sanremo songs during the festival in the 50 most relevant markets worldwide (Italy and the United States included).

From Feb. 7-10 (the festival started Feb. 6 and crowned a winner Feb. 10), the first three positions were constantly dominated — in various orders — by Geolier, Mahmood and Annalisa. Only on Feb. 11 does winner Angelina Mango make her appearance.

Below are the top three positions day by day.

  • Feb. 7: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.4 million global audio and video streams), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (2.6 million)
  • Feb. 8: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.4 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.2 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (2.9 million)
  • Feb. 9: “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.7 million), “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.5 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3.1 million)
  • Feb. 10: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.85 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.78 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3.3 million)
  • Feb. 11: “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (4.1 million), “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (4.07 million), “La Noia” by Angelina Mango (3.9 million). These are also the highest figures on a daily basis

Since Billboard launched the two global charts in 2020, the most successful songs of Sanremo have regularly appeared. It has been a constant phenomenon since the 2021 edition, the first in which the Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts were active.

Last year, Lazza’s “Cenere” (No. 68), winner Marco Mengoni’s “Due Vite” (No. 80) and Mr.Rain’s “Supereroi” (No. 97) entered the Global 200. In the Global Excl. US, these songs appeared at Nos. 29, 32 and 42, followed by Madame’s “Il Bene nel Male” (No. 104) and Tananai’s “Tango” (No. 195).

In 2022, “Brividi” by Mahmood and Blanco (who won that edition) came close to the top 10, in 15th position. It was followed at a distance by Irama’s “Ovunque Sarai” (No. 118) and La Rappresentante di Lista’s “Ciao Ciao” (No. 158). On the Global Excl. US chart, those songs reached Nos. 7, 56, and 112, followed by Sangiovanni’s “Farfalle” (n. 112), Dargen D’Amico’s “Dove Si Balla” (n. 126) and Rkomi’s “Insuperabile” (n. 149).

22 Feb 2024

Daft Punk to Livestream Its 2003 Film ‘Interstella 5555’ in Honor of Daft Punk Day

Three years ago today, on Feb. 22, 2021, Daft Punk rattled the world with the announcement the duo was breaking up after 28 years together. The French icons have since marked the anniversary of this occasion by releasing a trinket from the vast Daft Punk vault on Feb. 22 in the two years since.

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And that date has come around again. To celebrate their unparalleled legacy, the French duo is screening its 2003 film, Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, on its Twitch channel today. The screening begins precisely at 5:22 p.m. ET.

Overseen by Japanese animation legend Leiji Matsumoto and written and scored by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo and Thomas Bangalter, Interstella 5555 is an hour-long “space opera” completing the story begun by the videos of singles “One More Time,” “Aerodynamic,” “Digital Love” and “Harder Better Faster Stronger,” all from the duo’s era-defining 2001 album, Discovery.

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In those videos, an evil impresario kidnaps and brainwashes an extra-terrestrial rock group, transforms them into prefabricated pop stars, brings them back to Earth and manipulates them to the top of the charts. Each “movement” of this silent film is accompanied by a track from Discovery.

“The project was born in 2000, when we flew out to Tokyo with an hour of music and our own script,” Bangalter said upon the film’s release in 2003. “Leiji gave us a warm reception, and after listening to the music, he came on board immediately. Three years later, our dream has come true.”

In terms of comeback rumblings, the French duo was said to be playing the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, a rumor that was quickly shot down by their team last fall. The pair did kinda sorta satiate the ongoing public demand for fresh Daft Punk material by releasing the “drumless” edition of 2013 classic Random Access Memories in November, in conjunction with the album’s 10-year anniversary.

22 Feb 2024

Could ‘Cruel Summer’ Become Taylor Swift’s Biggest Chart Hit?

While the top 10 of this week’s Hot 100 chart includes new entries from Beyoncé and Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign — along with Noah Kahan collecting his first top 10 hit — one years-old smash is still going strong amidst the shakeups: “Cruel Summer” dips two spots to No. 6 this week in its 41st week on the chart.

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The viral resurgence of the synth-pop gem from Swift’s Lover, which was not released as a single during the 2019 album run, began in 2023 to coincide with the launch of her Eras Tour, eventually brought the song to the top of the Hot 100 last October, and has continued through the start of 2024 with no end in sight.

As the song spends another week in the upper reaches of the Hot 100, its unlikely run has prompted another improbable question: Could “Cruel Summer” become the biggest chart hit of Swift’s career?

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At this moment, “Summer” has climbed to No. 3 on the list of Swift’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits, behind her 2014 smash “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero,” the longest-running No. 1 of her career. See here the top 10 of Swift’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits, which is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (through Feb. 24, 2024), with further analysis below — and click here for the full top 50:

  1. “Shake It Off”
  2. “Anti-Hero”
  3. “Cruel Summer”
  4. “You Belong With Me”
  5. “Blank Space”
  6. “Love Story”
  7. “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
  8. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
  9. “Bad Blood”
  10. “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)”

Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.

Part of the reason why “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero” still outrank “Summer” is longevity: “Anti-Hero” spent 53 weeks on the Hot 100 and “Shake It Off” hung around for 50 weeks, while, as of now, “Summer” hasn’t cracked Swift’s top 5 longest-running Hot 100 hits. Here are Swift’s top 10 songs by weeks on the Hot 100:

  1. “Anti-Hero” (53 weeks)
  2. “Shake It Off” (50 weeks)
  3. “You Belong With Me” (50 weeks)
  4. “Love Story” (49 weeks)
  5. “Teardrops On My Guitar” (48 weeks)
  6. “Cruel Summer” (41 weeks)
  7. “Blank Space” (38 weeks)
  8. “I Knew You Were Trouble.” (36 weeks)
  9. “Our Song” (36 weeks)
  10. “Delicate” (35 weeks)

Meanwhile, “Summer” has logged four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 — the same number of weeks at “Shake It Off.” “Anti-Hero” became Swift’s longest-running No. 1 hit last year when it notched eight weeks atop the chart, while “Blank Space” had Swift’s second-longest run in the top spot, with seven weeks.

So how has “Summer” become Swift’s third-biggest chart hit, if other songs have spent more weeks at No. 1 or more time on the chart itself? By remaining a top 10 stalwart for months on end.

This week marks “Summer’s” 30th week in the top 10 of the Hot 100 — the most of any Swift song. “Anti-Hero” ranks second in frames spent in the top 10, at 28 weeks. “Summer” first reached the top 10 way back on the Hot 100 chart dated July 15, 2023, and became her longest-running top 10 hit earlier this month.

It’s impossible to say whether or not “Summer” will keep climbing up her personal list and become Swift’s biggest (or second-biggest) chart hit, or precisely the number of weeks and/or chart placements it will take to get there. And while the song dips two spots in the top 10 of the Hot 100, “Summer” still remains in the top 5 of Adult Pop Airplay, top 10 of Pop Airplay and top 20 of Streaming Songs, as well as No. 1 at Adult Contemporary for a fourth week.

“Summer” is still going strong as it climbs Swift’s all-time list of hits, adding another layer to the unlikely chart success of a song that was never supposed to be a chart hit. Who knows? Maybe “Summer” earns the top spot just as actual summer approaches.

22 Feb 2024

Los Dos Carnales’ ‘Gracias a Ti’ Rules Regional Mexican Airplay Chart

Los Dos Carnales achieved its fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Gracias a Ti” climbs from No. 6 to rule the list dated Feb. 24.

“Gracias A Ti” advances with a 47% gain in audience impressions, to 7.9 million, earned in the U.S. during the Feb. 9-15 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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The Poncho Quezada-composed track dethrones Gerardo Ortiz’s “Ahí No Era,” which falls 1-3 with a 12% decline in impressions, to 6.6 million, after one week in charge. (Los Dos Carnales is led by Poncho and his brother Imanol.)

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Cementing the strength of both songs at radio, “Gracias” and “Ahí” hold a spot in the top 10 on the overall Latin Airplay chart. While the former rallies 17-3 — Los Dos Carnales’ highest rank since “Se Me Soltó El Hocico” peaked at No. 2 in April 2023 — the latter dips 4-7. It’s still a strong performance for Ortiz in the 50-deep tally.

Back on Regional Mexican Airplay, with “Gracias a Ti,” the Quezada brothers log their fourth No. 1 there. They first reigned with “El Envidioso” for one week in charge in September 2020. The norteño act notched its second and third champs through “Yo Soy Rico” (Nov. 2021) and “Se Me Soltó El Hocico” (April 2023), like their predecessor, both for one week atop.

22 Feb 2024

Miley Cyrus’ 20 Biggest Chart Hits, From ‘Wrecking Ball’ to ‘Flowers’

It feels like Miley Cyrus has lived a thousand lives since she first found global fame as a pre-teen.

Undoubtedly one of the Disney Channel machine’s most successful alums, she’s consistently written off the world’s expectations for her life and career, reinventing herself again and again while remaining the fierce, ever-hilarious star her fans have loved from the beginning. The versatile singer-songwriter has clocked dozens of entries on the Billboard Hot 100, and is one of a rare few to enter the ranking multiple times under two different aliases: herself, as well as the fictional Disney Channel pop star she got her big break playing, Hannah Montana.

The Tennessee native scored her first-ever No. 1 during one of the most controversial eras of her career, with “Wrecking Ball” shooting up 22 slots on the Hot 100 in 2013 right after she released her then-shocking music video for the song. (Though people would hardly flinch now at the iconic visual, which has since accumulated over a billion views on YouTube, Cyrus swinging naked from a demolition ball was cause for many dropped jaws back in the day.)

A decade later, she would once again reign on the chart with “Flowers,” which spent a whopping eight weeks at No. 1 in 2023. The empowering track went on to earn Cyrus her very first Grammy at the 2024 awards — best pop solo performance — followed shortly afterward by her second, with the star taking home record of the year later that night.

From her blonde-wig days to her later forays into pop rock, the star has maintained a steady presence on the Billboard charts. Keep reading to see Miley Cyrus’ 20 biggest Hot 100 hits — so far, at least — below.

Miley Cyrus’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 through the charts dated Feb. 24, 2024. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.

22 Feb 2024

Dolly Parton Brings ‘Tenderness’ to ‘Midnight Blue’ Duet with Melissa Manchester: Video Premiere

For 50 years, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester has been making timeless music that has resonated with fans. 

On her 25th album, RE:VIEW, out tomorrow (Feb. 23), Manchester celebrates the golden anniversary by reinterprets some of her biggest hits, with an assist from some special friends. Dolly Parton joins her on majestic ballad “Midnight Blue,” which Manchester took to No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1975. Kenny Loggins collaborates with her on “Whenever I Call You Friend,” which the two wrote in the mid-‘70s and Loggins and Stevie Nicks had an enduring hit with in 1978. 

The album includes remakes of several of her hits, including “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” for which she won a Grammy for best pop vocal performance, female, in 1983, as well as “Through the Eyes of Love,” “Don’t Cry Out Loud” and “Come in From the Rain.”

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Manchester, who got her start as a member of the Harlettes, Bette Midler’s raucous back-up singers — and created the role of Maddy, Blossom’s mom on the hit ‘90s NBC sitcom, Blossom — is now playing Mrs. Brice in the North American touring company of Funny Girl.

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In an email interview with Billboard, she discussed what it was like to work with Parton, whom she calls “instantly charming and intimate,” why she re-recorded her part on “Midnight Blue” and how happy she was to finally record “Whenever I Call You Friend” with Loggins. 

When “Midnight Blue” first came out in 1975, it was about a romantic relationship. You and Dolly reinterpret it as a song about a longtime platonic friendship. Why did you make the switch? 

When Carole Bayer Sager and I wrote “Midnight Blue,” it was addressing our young marriages, our young husbands and our much younger selves, and how to navigate through some stormy waters. When Dolly asked me to find us something we could sing together, it occurred to me that re-framing the inner world of “Midnight Blue” as a song between two longtime friends might expand the heart of the song. I think it did.

How did Dolly get involved? 

I had reached out to Dolly [and] told her that Kenny Loggins, Dave Koz and Gerald Albright would be on the album, so she’d be in very good company. She agreed. 

What does she bring to the song? 

Dolly brought an almost indescribable tenderness to the song. Her singing is haunting and beautiful. It touched me so much that when I first heard her performance, I was moved to go back into the studio to re-sing my part so as to match her intimate and tender quality.

You first met Dolly when she came to see you decades ago at Universal Amphitheater. What do you remember about that meeting?

Dolly came with Lily Tomlin to see a concert of mine. They came backstage — we exchanged some pleasantries, I’m sure — but truthfully, after a performance I’m a bit out of it for a while. I’m just happy someone took photos of that moment. I must say we were a fine-looking trio.

You’ve said that collaborating with Dolly “marks a special chapter in my musical  journey, embodying decades of friendship, respect and artistic collaboration.” What does it mean to have her on this album as you commemorate your 50th year releasing music? 

I think one of the last things one owns is the muscle of discernment, owning what you know, trusting your instincts, understanding that people will always have their opinions about what you do or what you should be doing — but, in this moment, I know what I know and I act when my spirit whispers to me. I know Dolly has that muscle times a million. She’s a professional, a creative and she trusts her instincts in a major way. That’s why it was thrilling when she said “Yes” to “Midnight Blue.

There’s a wonderful shot in the video when you pull up alongside a sightseeing bus in Nashville, and they realize it’s you two and go crazy. What was that like?

OMG! Trust me, it was all about Dolly! The busload of tourists saw her and basically drooped over the side of the bus screaming her name! Folks in cars pulled over and screamed her name! Dolly is a true and well-deserving queen.

There’s another shot where you two are drinking wine and eating. Dolly is a notoriously excellent cook. Is that her kitchen? Did she cook for you? 

The studio kitchen served nicely as our kitchen. It was sweet how she so enjoyed the packaged pot roast. But she is so tiny, I thought maybe she hadn’t eaten in a while and was ravenous for anything.

Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the song’s release and reaching No. 6 on the Billboard chart? Why do you think it struck such a chord and has lost none of its resonance? 

For me, what’s woven into “Midnight Blue,” between the words, is the subtle weariness of life. How we were able to capture that in our twenties still touches me. Often when I’d be in Nashville, invited to a songwriter’s night at the Bluebird Cafe, and invited into the circle to perform a song, and start singing “Midnight Blue,” the audience would roar in appreciation. It struck a chord in the country music world and for that I’m grateful. And I am very grateful for how many people have told me it’s helped them through their own stormy waters over the years.

How has your relationship with the song changed over the years? 

“Midnight Blue” has grown with me. I hope that I infuse the lyrics with more worldly experience and knowledge. It’s become more of an offering than a song.

As you note, the album also includes you, Kenny Loggins and Dave Koz on “Whenever I Call You Friend,” which Kenny and an uncredited Stevie Nicks took to No. 5 on the Hot 100 in 1978. Have you been waiting all this time for you and Kenny to record it together? What did you think of Kenny’s original version with Stevie?

I thought the original version of “Whenever I Call You Friend” was fine. I waited for freaking ever to re-record it with Kenny. 

This is a more elaborate, jazzy arrangement. How did it come about? 

I wanted to put my own stamp on it. As much as I admired his vocalese at the top of the song, I needed to find my way into the song. Once I found that phrase ‘Whenever, whenever when oh when, whenever…” I knew how to build the arrangement, with the help of my co-arranger/producer Stephan Oberhoff and associate producer Johnny Schaeffer. When Kenny heard the track, loved it and agreed to sing on it, and I reached out to my darling friend Dave Koz. I knew something great was bound to happen … and it did!

22 Feb 2024

Dorinda Clark-Cole, Jonathan McReynolds to Be Honored at 2024 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards

Gospel legend Dorinda Clark-Cole of The Clark Sisters will receive the Trailblazer of Gospel Award at the 2024 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards. The awards will be held at Flourish Atlanta on Thursday, March 28.

Jonathan McReynolds will receive the BMI Champion Award for his artistry and impact on gospel music, marking the first time this accolade has been presented at this ceremony.

The private event will be hosted by BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill, and Catherine Brewton, BMI vice president, creative, Atlanta. Throughout the ceremony, BMI will recognize the songwriters, producers and music publishers of the past year’s 25 most-performed gospel songs in the U.S.

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“The Clark Sisters are among the legends of gospel, and Dorinda’s distinctive jazzy sound lends a unique brilliance to the group,” Brewton said in a statement. “I’m so proud to be honoring her work and highlighting the impact she’s made on the genre and community through her music and evangelism. We’re also paying tribute to one of the most incredible voices in gospel, Jonathan McReynolds, whose music is often referred to as ‘life’ songs, speaking to the hearts of all.”

Clark-Cole and McReynolds are both Grammy winners. With The Clark Sisters, Clark-Cole won two Grammys in 2008 – best traditional gospel album for Live – One Last Time and best gospel performance for “Blessed and Highly Favored.” Earlier this month, The Clark Sisters received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy. McReynolds won a Grammy for best gospel performance/song three years ago for “Movin’ On.”

Clark-Cole, known as the “Rose of Gospel Music,” is a singer-songwriter, talk-show host and evangelist. Born and raised in Detroit, Clark–Cole is the daughter of pioneering choral director Mattie Moss Clark. In addition to her two Grammys, Clark-Cole has won two GMA Dove Awards, three BMI Awards, 13 Stellar Gospel Music Awards and a Lady of Soul Award. The sisters’ lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy followed a James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stellar Awards in 2020. That same year, The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel biopic, produced by Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah, premiered on Lifetime to millions of viewers.

In addition to his Grammy, McReynolds has received four BMI Awards and was named BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year in 2023. He has also been honored at the Stellar Awards and the GMA Dove Awards. He has had seven top five albums on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, including two that reached No. 1: Life Music: Stage Two (2015) and Make Room (2018). He has also had 10 top 10 hits on Hot Gospel Songs, including “Movin’ On” (a collaboration with Mali Music) and “Not Lucky, I’m Loved.”

22 Feb 2024

New Kids on the Block Set New Album With BMG: ‘New Label, Big Tour’

New Kids on the Block are back. The legendary boy band is all grown up and ready for another release cycle, this time through a new global recording agreement with BMG.

Through the new deal, which Billboard can exclusively confirm, NKOTB will release an eighth studio album, their first new studio LP in more than a decade, and support it with a “big” tour.

“We’re super excited to partner with our new label home BMG,” the pop group enthuses in a joint statement. “We promise 2024 is going to be a big year for NKOTB and our blockheads. New label, big tour, we are just getting started! Much more to come. Very soon. And we couldn’t have asked for a better partner than BMG to usher in this new era.”

The label deal follows a buzz of activity, which included the announcement of NKOTB’s Summer Tour 2024, a trek that features guests Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff and serves as a re-imagination of the Boston group’s sold-out 1990 tour of the same name.

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Soon after, the quintet celebrated the 15th anniversary of their reunion album, The Block, with special edition The Block Revisited, including remixes and guest collaborations.

Blockheads were left wondering if fresh music was on the horizon. With today’s announcement, that question is answered.

The as-yet untitled album is the followup to 2013’s 10, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, one of the group’s six top 10 appearances on the tally, a list that includes two leaders, 1988 sophomore effort Hangin’ Tough and 1990’s Step By Step. Career album sales top 80 million, according to BMG.

Formed in 1984 and featuring Boston natives Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood, NKOTB has landed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including nine top 10 appearances and a hattrick of No. 1s: 1989’s “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever),” 1989’s “Hangin’ Tough” and 1990’s “Step By Step.”

“New Kids on the Block are trailblazers in the music world – creating a blueprint for not only pop music, but pop culture,” comments Cyndi Lynott, BMG senior VP, marketing, in a statement unveiling the new recording deal.

“It is an honor to be able to work with this iconic group and deliver brand new music to their passionate fanbase. BMG is full of blockheads, and we could not be more thrilled.”