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Shawn Mendes is the latest guest on John Mayer‘s new SiriusXM show, How’s Life, and in the upcoming Dec. 12 episode, the “In My Blood” singer has seemingly addressed unconfirmed theories about a love triangle between himself, Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter following the release of the “Espresso” singer’s sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet.
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“I’m with someone. Two days before going to hang with my ex, [I] express I’m going to hang with my ex because I have unresolved feelings,” Mendes told Mayer in a preview clip released on Wednesday (Dec. 11). “Maybe instead of two days it could have been two weeks.”
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He continued, “The biggest lesson I’ve heard is no one gets out of this life without getting hurt, and no one gets out of this life without hurting someone.”
The star’s comments are seemingly in reference to the time Carpenter and Mendes were spotted hanging out in February 2023, a year after the “In My Blood” singer split from Cabello in November 2021. Just two months later, Cabello and Mendes were spotted rekindling their romance at Coachella.
Songs on Carpenter’s album, including “Coincidence,” “Sharpest Tool” and “Taste” all seem to follow a storyline about a love interest rekindling his romance with his ex-girlfriend. The corresponding “Taste” visual stars Jenna Ortega, who fans think was casted to represent Cabello in the clip.
Cabello also seemingly added fuel to the flame, by recently sharing a TikTok singing along to her own track, “June Gloom,” which features the lyrics: “She’s cool, I heard/ Won’t act surprised, I saw the pictures/ […] If she’s so amazing, why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much, what are you here trying to find out?”
While no party involved confirmed the theories, Mendes previously spoke out in defense of Cabello in October. When a fan commented on X, “they don’t play about each other” about the duo, Mendes retweeted the comment and agreed, “no we don’t.”
A couple hours after that, he clarified why he engaged with the comment in the first place. “i guess to be honest it came from a place of being a little annoyed with all the projection over the last few months about us,” Mendes wrote, referring to Cabello. “I’m usually pretty good at just watching all the ‘noise’ go by but lately it’s been kinda bugging me 🤷🏻♂️ feeling human i guess.”
Kendrick Lamar punches his ticket into a select club on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart by replacing himself at No. 1. The rapper’s “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, advances 2-1 to lead the list dated Dec. 14 and in the process, evicts Lamar’s “Squabble Up” from the summit to No. 3. Both songs are from Lamar’s new album, GNX, which posts a second week at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
“TV Off” ascends to No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs thanks to a combination of 34.6 million official U.S. streams, 2,000 purchased digital downloads and 6.6 million in radio airplay audience in the tracking week of Nov. 29 – Dec. 5, according to Luminate. Although the song drops 26% in streams (from 46.9 million last week), it is the week’s most-streamed R&B/hip-hop title and climbs 2-1 to lead the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. It repeats at No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (behind “Squabble Up”) and is the week’s top debut, at No. 25, on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
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While “Squabble Up” was the main GNX focus for the surprise album’s first week, “TV Off” emerged as a fan favorite, with Lamar’s extended shout of producer Mustard’s name becoming a viral meme. In addition to its Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs coronation, “TV Off” likewise takes the top spot from “Squabble Up” on Hot Rap Songs and slides 2-3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the drop, it’s the highest non-holiday hit on the flagship chart, as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” vault to Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.
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In all, “TV Off” is Lamar’s sixth No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and notably, his first to not debut at the summit. Here’s a review of his chart-topping collection:
“HUMBLE.,” two weeks at No. 1, beginning May 22, 2017“Mona Lisa,” Lil Wayne featuring Kendrick Lamar, one, Oct. 13, 2018“Like That,” with Future and Metro Boomin, five, April 6, 2024“Not Like Us,” 21, May 1, 2024“Squabble Up,” one, Dec. 7, 2024“TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, one, Dec. 14, 2014
Featured artist Lefty Gunplay, meanwhile, lands his first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, a week after the premiere of “TV Off” gave the West Coast rapper his first Billboard chart appearances.
With “TV Off” succeeding “Squabble Up,” Lamar becomes the 17th artist to complete a self-replacement atop Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. He enters the list just a month after Tyler, The Creator, whose Daniel Caesar-featured “St. Chroma” yielded to “Sticky,” featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne.
Lamar nearly joined the club earlier this year, missing it only by a single week. After a five-week stint at the top, “Like That,” Lamar’s collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin, fell to Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby.” The singer’s breakout hit enjoyed one week in the lead before Lamar’s “Not Like Us” stormed onto the list, the start of a record-tying 21-week domination.
Coco Jones achieves her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” crowns the list dated Dec. 14. The single advances from No. 2 after a 9% surge in plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending Dec. 5, according to Luminate.
“Here We Go (Uh Oh),” released and promoted through High Standardz/Def Jam/Republic, captures the top slot with the weekly Greatest Gainer honor, given to the song with the largest play increase among the chart’s 30 titles. With the rise, Jones topples fellow Def Jam labelmate Muni Long, whose “Ruined Me,” last week’s leader, slips to No. 2 after two weeks in charge.
Prior to “Here We Go,” Jones’ best showing on Adult R&B Airplay was the No. 2 finish for her breakthrough single, “ICU.” The track peaked in the runner-up spot for two weeks in September 2023, trailing October London’s “Back to Your Place.” In addition to the pair of hits, Jones also has placed a third track on the radio ranking: “Spend the Night,” a collaboration with BJ the Chicago Kid, reached No. 21 in January.
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The coronation also returns an R&B classic to the conversation, thanks to “Here We Go” sampling Lenny Williams’ “’Cause I Love You.” The scorching ballad, released in 1978, has been the backbone of several other hits, perhaps most known in Twista’s “Overnight Celebrity,” which reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004.
Elsewhere, “Here We Go” rises 12-11 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, the single returns within two spots of its No. 9 peak after reaching 8.6 million in audience impressions for the week, a 2% gain. Before triumphing at the adult R&B format, “Here We Go” was a hit with mainstream audiences in recent months and climbing to No. 7 on the plays-based Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
Airplay gains, in turn, help “Here We Go” breaks into the top five (6-5) on the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart, which blends radio audience with streaming and sales data for its standings. With its climb, it becomes Jones’ highest-charting hit there, surpassing the No. 6 result of “ICU.”
Paul Mescal is seemingly joining the Lonely Hearts Club Band! During a conversation with Christopher Nolan after a screening of Gladiator II at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on Tuesday (Dec. 10), the film’s director Ridley Scott discussed his next project, a thriller titled The Dog Stars. When asked if Mescal will star in the […]
Tyler, The Creator has never been shy about voicing his opinion. The rapper and producer recently sat down with with Billboard for The No. 1s Issue cover story, where he talked about a variety of topics with writer Rembert Browne — including podcasters. As a leader of a generation that has grown up with social […]
Clipse are apparently making their triumphant return as Pusha T confirmed that they finished recording their fourth studio album.
While sitting down with journalist Ari Melber for Saint & Citizen’s Saint Sessions Live at Art Basel in Miami, King Push seemed confident that the 15-year gap between albums will be worth the wait.
“It’s been 15 years since we dropped an album, and we’ve been at it since ’98-’99 whatever it was, but I think people are just gonna witness greatness, man. This is a chemistry, this is a brotherhood. And when I say that, I mean Pharrell as well, he produced it from top to bottom.”
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T added that he and his Clipse partner No Malice were “very precious” and “very, very meticulous” about their music, saying that the new project will be worth the wait. “We take long,” he said. We always take, people be mad, but it’s okay. ‘Cause it’s done and I’m tellin’ y’all it’s done. I promise you, I have it in my phone.”
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During that same talk with Ari Melber, Push commented on the Drake vs. Kendrick beef, saying the Compton rapper “1,000 percent” won the battle and that “suing is crazy” in reference to the legal actions the Toronto rapper is currently trying to pursue.
There’s no official release date yet for the tentatively titled Let God Sort Em Out, but both members talked about the forthcoming project with Vulture back in June where they both equated their rhyme style to a veteran athlete utilizing fundamentals. “This is a high taste-level piece of work,” Push told the outlet. “You can only have that level of taste when you have the fundamentals down to a science. I think it’s been definitely missing. Then there’s the competitive aspect.”
His brother No Malice echoed that sentiment, while adding that authenticity is the recipe for the group’s standing in rap music. “It’s what rap should look like if you’re real about your craft, real about your experience, real about your storytelling,” he said. “It’s bringing the fans along to see the growth, not trying to fit in or fabricate.”
They also premiered a new song that has yet to be released on the runway during Paris Fashion Week during Pharrell’s unveiling of the Spring/Summer 2025 Men’s Collection for Louis Vuitton.
Check out a clip from his talk with Ari Melber below:
Warren G is putting his apron on and showing rap fans how he gets busy on the grill. As part of Billboard‘s Talk Shop Live series, the Long Beach native is serving up a lesson on cooking the perfect barbecue. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The […]
Dance music can often really complex — with all the styles of music that fall under the umbrella term and the countless sounds, artists, fans, parties, opinions and cities that make up the global culture and community we usually just refer to as “the scene.” It’s also quite simple, when one considers that what’s ultimately […]
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.
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This week: Shaboozey’s SNL appearance gets him that much closer to a second solo hit, an early MGMT clip helps one of their classic singles go viral again and a new dance trends revives a 2Pac Hot 100-topper.
“Good News” on a Saturday Night for Shaboozey’s Second Hit
Shaboozey has been nearly unavoidable in the past few months, with appearances at the CMA Awards and in the Grammy nominations and of course on the Billboard Hot 100, where his four-quadrant smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” reigned for a record-tying 19 weeks over the late summer and autumn. Now, he can add a Saturday Night Live stamp to his 2024 passport, as the country singer-songwriter made his debut on the weekly NBC comedy and live music institution on Nov. 30, performing both “A Bar Song” and his new single, “Good News” — the latter of which recently debuted at No. 71 on the Hot 100.
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As “Good News” aims to become Shaboozey’s second big crossover hit in a row, the boost it got from his emotional SNL performance should undoubtedly help. “Good News” was up a solid 13% in U.S. on-demand audio streams to 1.5 million across the Sunday and Monday following his appearance from the same period the week before, according to Luminate — but more notably, it was up 424% in sales to over 2,200 over that same two-day period. “A Bar Song,” which has led Digital Song Sales for 15 non-consecutive weeks already, was also up in sales over that timespan — rising 86% to nearly 2,600 across the two days — as the pair of Shaboozey singles claimed the top two spots on the real-time iTunes chart.
It may not boost “Good News” to a new Hot 100 peak next week, as the song struggles to get its head above the flood of holiday songs crashing onto the chart in recent weeks — but it bodes well for the song finding its way as a jukebox singalong in its own right by early 2025. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
2Pac’s Former Hot 100 No. 1 Sees TikTok Resurgence
Two weeks after Kendrick Lamar’s GNX brought renewed attention to “Made N—az” (K.Dot flipped the 1997 track on “Reincarnated”), another 2Pac song is seeing notable streaming gains. Thanks to an infectious new dance trend featuring choreography from TikTok creators @roniahalynn_ and @donthurtemniaa, 2Pac’s K-Ci and JoJo-assisted “How Do U U Want It” is up over 102% in streaming activity over the past four weeks, according to Luminate.
Official on-demand U.S. streams for “How Do U Want It” were hovering around 900,000 before user @roniahalynn_ posted her version of the dance on Nov. 15. By the end of that week, “How Do U Want It” rose 14%, pulling over 1.02 million streams during the period of Nov. 15-21. User @roniahalynn_’s original clip has since collected over 1.9 million views on TikTok, and the sound she used now boasts over 209,000 posts. An additional unofficial sound using bits of 2Pac’s track plays in over 138,000 posts, while another unofficial sound plays in nearly 50,000 posts. The official “How Do U Want It” sound plays in just under 10,000 posts.
During the period of Nov. 22-28, streaming activity for “How Do U Want It” increased a whopping 44% to over 1.48 million streams. That figure rose a further 16% the following week (Nov. 29-Dec. 5), to over 1.7 million official on-demand U.S. streams. Notably, user @donthurtemniaa’s original dance trend is soundtracked by 22Daboat’s “Munyun.”
Already having entered the TikTok Billboard Top 50 at No. 16 (dated Dec. 7), expect 2Pac’s former Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper to continue rising in streams as the dance trend grows. – KYLE DENIS
MGMT Playing “Kids” as Kids: Old Footage Spurs New Streaming Gains
In 2003, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser were students at Wesleyan University, performing tiny gigs on campus under the band name The Management. The duo would eventually re-brand as MGMT, become a defining group of the late-‘00s indie boom, score a best new artist Grammy nomination, and move on to a winding, often quite fruitful recording career, including this year’s album Loss of Life. But this week, the Internet is enjoying an unexpected look at those early college shows, thanks to some newly discovered footage of The Artist Eventually Known as MGMT performing their undeniable 2008 synth-pop single “Kids.”
A video uploaded by the YouTube user Rad Scientist on Nov. 28 features VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser playing an outdoor daytime gig for their friends in front of a brick wall, running around and sprawling across the ground when they’re not presenting an early (but mostly intact) version of the song that would become “Kids.” The clip went viral last week, and the unexpected trip down memory lane helped “Kids” grow by 60% in weekly U.S. on-demand streams, from 1.11 million in the week ending Nov. 28 to 1.78 million the following week, according to Luminate. The streaming uptick will likely last a few weeks, but who knows? Indie nostalgia is a powerful thing — maybe we get unearthed footage of Vampire Weekend performing “Campus” on campus next. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Eminem is going from the stage to the golf course! During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show last week, Adam Sandler revealed that the rapper makes a cameo in the upcoming, long-awaited Happy Gilmore 2 film. “Eminem was cool, he came by, he was great,” Sandler raved of Em, adding, “I’ve known Eminem for […]