Music

16 Jan 2024

Jack Harlow’s ‘Lovin on Me’ Holds Atop Hot 100, Teddy Swims’ ‘Lose Control’ Hits Top 10

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” adds a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The rapper ties his longest reign on the chart, among his three leaders, after “First Class” ruled for three weeks in April-May 2022. He has also topped the chart with “Industry Baby,” with Lil Nas X, for one week in October 2021.

Plus, singer-songwriter Teddy Swims tallies his first Hot 100 top 10, as “Lose Control” ascends to No. 8, from No. 12.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Jan. 20, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Jan. 17 (a day later than usual due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Jan. 15). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” released on Generation Now/Atlantic Records, drew 58 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 11%, as it wins the Hot 100’s Greatest Gainer award) and 27.9 million streams (down 4%) and sold 8,000 downloads (down 11%) in the Jan. 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The single notches a fourth week atop the Streaming Songs chart; jumps 5-2 on Radio Songs; and dips to No. 2 after two frames atop Digital Song Sales.

“Lovin on Me” concurrently leads the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, which use the same methodology as the Hot 100, for a ninth week each.

“Lovin on Me” is currently a standalone single from Harlow, whose most recent album, Jackman., debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 in May, becoming his third top 10 set. (The song’s hook samples singer Delbert “Dale” Greer’s 1995 track “Whatever.”)

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” keeps at No. 2 on the Hot 100 following four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in October. It rules Radio Songs for a 12th week (69.4 million, down 4%), extending her personal-best command on the ranking.

Tate McRae’s first Hot 100 top 10, “Greedy,” holds at its No. 3 best and Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, rises 5-4, after it dominated for a week upon its debut in September, as it rules the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a 20th week each and Hot Country Songs for a 16th week.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” descends 4-5 on the Hot 100, after it led for three nonconsecutive weeks beginning in September, and SZA’s “Snooze” stays at No. 6, after reaching No. 2, as it leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a 24th week.

Tyla’s initial Hot 100 top 10, “Water,” is steady at its No. 7 high. It concurrently crowns the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a 14th week.

Teddy Swims achieves his first Hot 100 top 10, as “Lose Control” lifts 12-8. The song drew 24.5 million in radio audience (up 6%) Jan. 5-11, as it ranks at No. 2 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart and in the top 20 on Adult Pop Airplay, Adult Contemporary and Pop Airplay. It also tallied 16.3 million streams (up 12%) and sold 6,000 (down 7%) in the tracking week.

Teddy Swims (real name Jaten Dimsdale), from Conyers, Ga., first appeared on Billboard’s charts in 2021, after he broke through with a viral cover of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” in June 2019. (He signed to Warner Records on Christmas Eve 2019.) As a co-writer, he topped the Country Airplay chart via Thomas Rhett’s “Angels Don’t Always Have Wings” for a week last September.

Teddy Swims scores his first Hot 100 top 10 as a writer, as well as a recording artist. He co-penned “Lose Control” with Ammo, Julian Bunetta, Infamous and Mikky Ekko, who up their top 10 totals as writers to seven, five, two and two, respectively. (Mikky Ekko first hit the top 10 as a writer and recording artist, as featured on Rihanna’s “Stay,” which rose to No. 3 in 2013.)

“When it was finished, I was showing everybody before the song came out,” Teddy Swims told Billboard of “Lose Control” last year. “I just felt that energy, like, ‘this is lighting in a bottle.’ I knew this was going to change my life.”

(You “Snooze,” you “Lose”: the words “snooze” and “lose” appear in song titles in the Hot 100’s top 10 simultaneously for the first time, thanks to SZA and Teddy Swims’ winning hits. Meanwhile, the latter is the second top 10 titled “Lose Control”; Missy Elliott’s, featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop, hit No. 3 in September 2005. Plus, Eric Carmen’s “Make Me Lose Control” cruised to No. 3 in August 1988.)

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills” advances 10-9 for a new high and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” backtracks 8-10, following 16 weeks at No. 1 beginning last March, the longest reign ever for a non-collaboration.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Jan. 20), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 17).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

16 Jan 2024

Will Lainey Wilson’s ‘Bell Bottom Blues’ Win Grammy for Best Country Album After CMA & ACM Wins? These Projects Did

Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Blues has been an awards magnet in the past year. The collection won album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11 and at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 8. On Feb. 4, we’ll find out if it becomes the eighth album to complete country music’s “triple crown” by also winning a Grammy.

Bell Bottom Blues is competing for the best country album Grammy with Kelsea Ballerini’s Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, Tyler Childers’ Rustin’ in the Rain and eponymous albums from Brothers Osborne and Zach Bryan.

Jay Joyce produced Bell Bottom Blues, which was released on Oct. 28, 2022. The album has spawned the singles “Heart Like a Truck,” “Watermelon Moonshine” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”

The Grammys presented an award for best country & western album in 1965 and 1966. Roger Miller won both years. The Grammys didn’t present such an award again until 1995, when it went (under the more modern term best country album) to Mary Chapin Carpenter’s Stones in the Road.

The CMA Awards first presented album of the year (to Jack Greene’s There Goes My Everything) at their first awards presentation in the fall of 1967. The ACM Awards first presented the award (to Glen Campbell’s Gentle on My Mind) at their third ceremony, in March 1968.

Before the Grammys finally reinstated a best country album category, six albums won album of the year at both the ACM and CMA Awards – Merle Haggard’s Okie From Muskogee, Charlie Rich’s Behind Closed Doors (a Grammy nominee in the all-genre album of the year category), Willie Nelson’s Always on My Mind, Alabama’s The Closer You Get…, George Strait’s Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind and Garth Brooks’ No Fences. At least some of these albums probably would have won a Grammy for best country album if the category had existed at the time. Unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure.

Here are the eight albums that have won album awards at all three shows.

16 Jan 2024

Rema & Selena Gomez’s ‘Calm Down’ Breaks Record for Most Weeks Ever on Pop Airplay Chart

Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” solely claims the record for the most weeks ever spent on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, adding an unprecedented 64th week on the survey (dated Jan. 20).

The song, released on Jonzing World/Mavin/SMG Music/Virgin/Interscope Records, debuted on the Nov. 5, 2022-dated tally and spent five weeks at No. 1 last May-July, marking Rema’s first leader and Gomez’s fourth. It ranks at No. 12 on the latest list.

“Calm Down” breaks out of a tie with Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (63 weeks, 2022-23) for the longest Pop Airplay stay.

Here’s a rundown of the songs that have charted on Pop Airplay the longest, over the ranking’s 31-year-plus history.

Most Weeks on Pop Airplay, Title, Artist(s), Peak Pos./Date:

  • 64 (to date), “Calm Down,” Rema & Selena Gomez, No. 1 (five weeks), beginning May 13, 2023
  • 63, “As It Was,” Harry Styles, No. 1 (seven), May 21, 2022
  • 60, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd, No. 1 (six), April 18, 2020
  • 54, “Heat Waves,” Glass Animals, No. 1 (two), Jan. 29, 2022
  • 50, “Die for You,” The Weeknd, No. 1 (two), Feb. 11, 2023
  • 48, “Stay,” The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, No. 1 (13), Sept. 4, 2021
  • 47, “Before You Go,” Lewis Capaldi, No. 1 (one), Sept. 26, 2020
  • 45, “Thats What I Want,” Lil Nas X, No. 1 (four), Feb. 19, 2022
  • 45, “Adore You,” Harry Styles, No. 1 (one), April 11, 2020
  • 45, “Circles,” Post Malone, No. 1 (10), Nov. 16, 2019
  • 45, “Eastside,” benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid, No. 1 (one), March 2, 2019
  • 45, “Love Lies,” Khalid & Normani, No. 1 (two), Sept. 22, 2018
  • 45, “New Rules,” Dua Lipa, No. 1 (four), Feb. 3, 2018

“Calm Down” also holds the mark for the most weeks logged in the Pop Airplay top 10: 45, from the charts dated March 11, 2023, through Jan. 13.

Rema, from Nigeria, released the original version of “Calm Down” in February 2022 as a single from his debut solo LP, Rave & Roses. Its remix with Gomez arrived that August, and that version’s official video premiered that September.

“Calm Down” dominated the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for 58 weeks from September 2022 to October 2023, the longest command since the ranking began in 2022.

On the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100, “Calm Down” hit No. 3 last June, becoming Rema’s first entry and Gomez’s ninth top 10, and second-highest-charting, after “Lose You to Love Me” led for a week in November 2019.

“I was at a party, and a couple of girls walked in, and I saw a girl in yellow,” Rema told Billboard in 2023 of the origin of “Calm Down.” “I wanted to talk to her, and her friends were being really stuck up. They didn’t really want to chat. And I was like, ‘Yo, just calm down. Let’s have a chat.’ And then she actually calmed down, and we started talking and dancing. When she left the party, she was on my mind, and I wanted to see her again. That was it. I walked in the studio fresh out of that emotion.

“I’m so happy,” Rema added of the song’s success. “I’m happy for me, my team, the culture and for Selena. She embraced the sound, and she did her own thing. It was the right timing [with] the right person, and the impact has been so huge. Seeing people who don’t speak my language sing my song word-for-word really shows that people are impacted by the sound, and I’m grateful for it.”

All charts dated Jan. 20 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, Jan. 17, a day later than usual due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Jan. 15.

16 Jan 2024

6 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Zach Top, Chris Young, Peytan Porter & More

This week’s roundup of new music features plenty of twangy country fare from Zach Top and Catie Offerman, soulful wistfulness from Chris Young and Peytan Porter, and a sterling new work from Lizzie No and Conner Smith.

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Zach Top, “Sounds Like the Radio”

The fiddles sizzle, the guitars twang as much as Top’s voice, and this barroom shuffle feels ripped from ’90s country radio in the best way. A highly promising track that sounds like a harbinger of more “country gold” to come from this newcomer.

Peytan Porter, “Lemonade”

Porter teams up with co-writers Ian Christian and Matt Willis on this darkly stomping country track, driven by thriving percussion and sinewy guitar. Porter possesses a nimble voice that adeptly shifts between bluesy tones and an ethereal airy upper register and pairs it with an eye for lyrical detail, on this song that non-judgmentally showcases a range of vices (“cheatin’, drinkin’, cheatin’, prayin’”) used as escape mechanisms to help numb the pain of soul-killing situations.

Chris Young, “Right Now”

Eleven-time Country Airplay chart-topper Young turns in another distinguished vocal delivery on this sultry, soulful track, which finds him torn between pride and pining, embellished by moody guitar and driving rhythm. Ultimately, he dares to be the the first to put his ego and hurt aside for the chance to rekindle a romance whose embers are still glowing. Young wrote this standout with Chris DeStefano and Josh Hoge, with production by Young and DeStefano.

Lizzie No, “The Heartbreak Store”

This singer, songwriter and podcaster released the 2017 debut project Hard Won, and returns Jan. 19 with their latest album Halfsies, out on Thirty Tigers/Miss Freedomland. The 11-song project, in solid singer-songwriter tradition, proliferates with keen observations, excavating both internal and external struggles. The project includes this lilting story of a post-heartbreak shift aimed at putting the past behind and moving toward liberation. No’s warm, welcoming voice, emotional clarity and eloquent songwriting skills gleam.

Catie Offerman, “Sound of Missing You”

Offerman is steadily building her calling card as a promising country neo-traditionalist, with her latest –an uptempo track about barrooms that serve as bandaids for broken hearts — being one more ace. Her voice is a potent simmer of twangy and silky, bolstered by fiddles that would sound right at home on a George Strait song (fitting, as Offerman also namechecks King George here).

Conner Smith, “Meanwhile in Carolina”

Smith previously hit the top 15 on the Country Airplay chart with his swampy, country come-on “Creek Will Rise,” and is part of Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces of Country Music Class of 2024. His latest, which Smith wrote with Blake Pendergrass, is a tender ballad that traces the lives two lovers lead long before meeting each other, laying the groundwork to love. This charmer of a song marks some of Smith’s best work to date, feeling reminiscent of some of Brad Paisley’s tender earlier works, and nicely showcasing the unhurried warmth and earnestness in his voice.

16 Jan 2024

Elton John ‘On Cloud Nine’ After 2024 Emmys Win Secures His EGOT: ‘So Deeply Grateful’

Elton John celebrated his newly minted EGOT status in a sentimental post on Monday night (Jan. 15) after an Emmys win for his Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodgers Stadium put the pop legend into rarified air.

“We won an Emmy and I am on cloud nine!! Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful,” John wrote in an Instagram post featuring the special’s poster and an image from his wild, piano-jumping 1970s heyday as an explanation for why he could not be there in person.

“Whilst I am gutted that I couldn’t be there to accept this award in person– I recently underwent a knee operation, a gentle reminder, perhaps, of a lifetime spent jumping off pianos (see pic 2!) – my heartfelt thanks go out to the @televisionacad and all those who took the time to vote. This award reflects the collective effort and creativity of an amazing team,” John added. One of the special’s executive producers, Gabe Turner, accepted the award on John’s behalf at the ceremony, noting that the 76-year-old singer had recently undergone a knee operation.

The Dodger Stadium special won the Primetime Emmy for outstanding variety special (live), making John the 19th performer to do a clean-sweep of the top entertainment awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Sir Elton is 76 years and nine months old, making him the second-oldest performer to complete the EGOT; English actor Sir John Gielgud was 87 years and four months when he completed the sweep in 1991. 

John’s statement went on to thank streamer Disney+, as well as his partner and one of the special’s executive producers, David Furnish and others involved in the event. “A special acknowledgment goes to the exceptional band and the entire crew of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Your commitment and talent have always been the driving force that keeps our incredible fans entertained night after night,” John wrote, also thanking the show’s special guests: Dua Lipa, Brandi Carlile and Kiki Dee, as well as his publicity-shy longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin, who joined him on stage that night.

“Thank you to all the fans, friends, and collaborators who have supported me throughout the years,” he concluded. “Honoured to have joined the hallowed ranks of EGOT winners, here’s to the joy of music and the magic it brings to our lives!” John’s post included a shower of congratulations from friends and fellow musicians, including well-wishes from fashion icon Donatella Versace, Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav, Maren Morris and Carlile.

See John’s post below.

16 Jan 2024

Green Day to Headline EA Sports’ Super Bowl Party

Welcome to paradise! Green Day is set to headline EA Sports’ Super Bowl party The Madden Bowl, Billboard can exclusively report. The event will take place Feb. 9 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. Also set to perform are rapper Big Boi with special guest Killer Mike, and Breland.

“Prepare your ears because we’re gonna bring the loudest show of Super Bowl weekend!” Green Day said in a statement. “Stoked to reunite with Madden NFL and remind the world that rock and football go together like EA SPORTS and It’s In The Game!!”

Big Boi also promised a show to remember. “Las Vegas isn’t ready for the show we’re about to bring!” the rapper said in a statement. “Madden Bowl will be the party of Friday night, and as a longtime fan of Madden, I can’t wait to put on a show with my boy Killer Mike to celebrate another Super Bowl with EA SPORTS.”

In addition to the live performances, The Madden Bowl will also feature interactive experience, and is hosting the finale of the Madden NFL 24 championship series, where two of the best players in the world will battle it out in front of a live audience to play to claim not only the title of Ultimate Madden Bowl Champion, but also a share of the $1 million prize pool. The match will stream live on Twitch and YouTube beginning at 6:30 p.m. PT.

The Super Bowl takes place Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The two teams that will be facing off have not yet been determined, but Usher is set to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show. A teaser for the R&B icon’s upcoming set shared Jan. 12 reflects on Usher’s decades-long career, and also features cameos from Jung Kook of BTS, J Balvin and LeBron James.

As for what fans can expect from the highly anticipated set? “You’re going to get hit records,” Usher previously teased. “I do want to play the songs that people obviously recognize and the ones that I celebrate. … I found really great ways to help us communicate better through my music and that celebration is inside this curation.”

16 Jan 2024

Post Malone, The Killers, SZA to Headline 2024 Governors Ball Festival

The 2024 Governors Ball music festival announced this summer’s lineup on Tuesday morning (Jan. 16), revealing that Post Malone, SZA and the Killers will headline the event slated to take place at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens from June 7-9.

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In addition to the headliners, Gov Ball will welcome dozens of other pop, rock, Latin and hip-hop stars, including: Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro and Farruko, 21 Savage, Dominic Fike, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp, Labrinth, Sabrina Carpenter and Don Toliver, as well as debut GB performances from Victoria Monét, Sexyy Red, TV Girl, Goth Babe, Alex G, Jessie Murph, Teezo Touchdown, Tyla and Kevin Abstract.

“I’m thrilled to welcome everyone back to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for this year’s Governors Ball, featuring headliners SZA, Post Malone and The Killers,” Queens Borough president Donovan Richards Jr. said in a statement announcing the lineup for the 14th edition of the event. “We’re deeply grateful for the economic activity the festival will generate for Queens, and we’re even more grateful that the festival is partnering with some of our local nonprofits, including Chhaya, Elmhurst/Corona Recovery Collective and the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, to work with our local food vendors and other community groups doing important empowerment work.”

Other acts slated to perform: Yung Gravy, Blondshell, Doechii, Hippo Campus, d4vd, BAkar, Skizzy Mars, Cannons, Chappell Roan, Stephen Sanchez, Beach Fossils, Saint Levant, Geese, G Flip and Husbands

This summer’s Ball will feature more than 60 bands on three stages setting up at Corona Park for the second year. You can sign up now for the SMS presale, which will happen on Thursday (Jan. 18) from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET, which organizers says is the only way to get tickets at the lowest price; ticket prices will go up on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET when the public onsale begins.

This year’s Ball will include two new ticket tiers, 2-day bundles and Ultimate tickets, with the former allowing fans to customize their festival experience by picking any two days of their choosing at any ticket time and the latter ultra-premium pass including access to a shared Ultimate guest cabana with all-day snacks, dinner buffet, all-inclusive bar, dedicated restroom and prime views of the main stage and front-of-stage viewing at all the stages, festival concierge, complimentary beer and seltzer and golf cart transportation between stages. Click here for more ticketing information.

Check out the full festival poster below.

gov ball 2024

Courtesy Photo

16 Jan 2024

Jelly Roll, Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde to Perform During 2024 iHeartCountry Festival

The iHeartCountry Festival Presented by Capital One is returning to Austin, Texas on May 4, featuring performances from Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Lady A, Riley Green, Ashley McBryde, Brothers Osborne and Walker Hayes.

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The festival, hosted by iHeartMedia nationally syndicated on-air personality Bobby Bones, will once again be held at Austin’s Moody Center. Meanwhile, iHeartMedia’s country music stations will broadcast the event live in their local markets and on iheartradio.com on May 4 starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Reigning CMA new artist of the year Jelly Roll notched three Country Airplay No. 1 hits in 2023, and is currently nominated for two Grammys ahead of this year’s ceremony. Old Dominion just announced the upcoming opening of their bar Odie’s in Nashville, while Jason Aldean earned his first Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper in 2023 with the controversial “Try That in a Small Town.” Brothers Osborne, McBryde and Green each released new projects in 2023, while McBryde also earned the Groundbreaker award at Billboard’s Country Live conference. Hayes recently gave his 2021 smash hit “Fancy Like” a holiday remake with “Fancy Like Christmas.”

“We are so excited to bring the iHeartCountry Festival to country music fans again this year at Moody Center in Austin,” Rod Phillips, executive vp of programming for iHeartCountry said in a statement. “It’s always exciting to watch fans experience performances by so many of the top artists in our format, all on one big iHeart stage.”

“We are thrilled to offer our cardholders unique access to experience country music’s top talent at this year’s iHeartCountry Festival,” added Byron Daub, vp of sponsorships and experiential marketing at Capital One. “Country music is a big passion for our cardholders, so we are excited to offer an exclusive presale and special pre-event performance by Old Dominion.”

Tickets for the event go on sale to the general public on Jan. 26 starting at 1 p.m. ET here. Eligible Capital One Cardholders get exclusive access to presale tickets before the general public beginning Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. ET through Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT (10 a.m. CT). Additionally, Capital One Cardholders can add a Capital One Access Pass to their purchase to enjoy an intimate cardholder pre-event at iHeartCountry Festival featuring a special performance by Old Dominion, complimentary light fare and beverage, and more. Supplies are limited. Eligible cardholders can also redeem rewards for exclusive ticket packages on Capital One Entertainment. 

16 Jan 2024

Drake Posts Pic of His Dad’s First Visit to Toronto in 15 Years: ‘They Let the OG Back Into Canada’

Drake got his folks in the frame in his hometown for the first time in more than a decade over the weekend. In a rare Graham fam snap, Drake posted an image to his Instagram Story featuring his meme-tastic mustachioed dad, Dennis Graham, standing next to the rapper’s beloved mother, Sandi.

The exes were both, of course, rocking some of their son’s OVO gear, with Drake writing, “First time in over 15 years they let the OG back into Canada,” he wrote in the Story according to Complex. “Thank you to everyone that helped us out.” It was not clear at press time why Graham had not been able to cross the border for a decade and a half, but judging by the picture it was an all-smiles reunion.

Drake was born in Toronto to Canadian school teacher Sandi Sher and Memphis-bred musician Dennis Graham on Oct. 24, 1986, with the MC growing up mostly with his mother after the couple split when Drake was five-years-old. After Graham moved back to the U.S. following the divorce, Drake’s dad would drive the rapper from Toronto to Memphis with him every summer, according to People.

The exes seem to get along well, with Graham making an appearance at Sandi’s 75th birthday party last January, posting a picture of the pair posing with Drake and the rapper’s son, Adonis, with the caption, “Happy Birthday Pinky, we love you.”

Drake is about to launch his It’s All a Blur Tour: Big As The What? tour with J. Cole, which will open with the first of two dates at the Ball Arena in Denver, CO on Thursday (Jan. 18).

16 Jan 2024

D-Block Europe Set to Crush U.K. Albums Chart With ‘Rolling Stone’

D-Block Europe is heading for a first U.K. No. 1 with Rolling Stone (via D-Block Europe), the British hip-hop collective’s third studio album.

Rolling Stone leads an all-new top three on the midweek chart, and will extend the act’s tally of U.K. top 10 albums, which currently stands at seven – the most of any British rap act in Official Charts history.

The result isn’t a foregone conclusion. The Vaccines are close behind with Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations (Super Easy), on track for a No. 2 debut. Pick-Up should give the English indie-pop outfit a sixth consecutive U.K. top 10 album, and highest chart appearance since 2015’s English Graffiti, which also peaked at No. 2.

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The Vaccines bagged a U.K. No. 1 with 2012’s Come of Age.

Meanwhile, 21 Savage is on target for his first solo top 10 appearance in the country of his birth. The British-American rap star is predicted to debut at No. 3 with American Dream (Epic/Slaughter Gang), his third LP. Also, three cuts from it are expected to impact the top 40 of the U.K. singles chart.

Savage, who was born in London, now based in Atlanta, has two top 10 appearances with collaborative projects. His 2022 recording with Drake, Her Loss, reached No. 1, and 2020’s Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin peaked at No. 10.

Further down the chart blast, British singer and songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones should snag his first solo top 40 album with Iechyd Da (Domino Recordings), his fifth LP. It’s new at No. 7 on the Official Chart Update. As a member of The Coral, Ryder-Jones landed a U.K. No. 1 in 2003 with Magic and Medicine.

Finally, Teddy Swims’ continues to paddle up the chart with his debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) (via Atlantic). It’s forecast to lift 24-11 on the survey, as the hit single from it, “Lose Control,” rises to No. 5 on the singles chart blast.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Charts are published Friday, Jan. 19.