Music

14 Dec 2023

Janelle Monae Reflects on Having Prince as a Mentor: ‘He Never Let His Mystery Get in the Way’

Janelle Monàe has nothing but fondness for Prince, she revealed in her Thursday (Dec. 14) sit-down on The Jennifer Hudson Show. The “Water Slide” singer gushed about the late artist’s support for her and other Black musicians, and reflected on a special moment in which he took the stage with her during a concert.

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“He loved you. I remember talking about you — he loved you and that just speaks to the type of person he was. I think he was a big advocate for artists, for Black women in particular,” Monàe told Hudson, who remarked that she was sad she didn’t have the chance to work with Prince before his death in 2016.

The 10-time Grammy nominee continued, “I just remember him calling me, like, ‘Hello, Janelle. This is Prince.’ I opened up for him — I wanna say this was The Forum. I did Madison Square Garden and I also did The Forum, and this was my set opening for him, and he came out during our set and performed our song we have together [“Give ‘Em What They Love”] on [my 2013 album] The Electric Lady together. The headliner never comes out before its time for them to come, and for him to do that … he never let his mystery get in the way of his mentorship.”

Monáe and Prince continued to work together throughout the 2010s, with the late icon helping her with her 2018 album, Dirty Computer. In an interview about the set with The Guardian, Monáe shared that the “Raspberry Beret” singer was helping her “collect sounds” for the project before he died. “It’s difficult for me to even speak about this because Prince was helping me with the album before he passed on to another frequency,” she explained.

Monáe also noted at the time that she “dedicate[s] a lot of my music to Prince, for everything he’s done for music and Black people and women and men, for those who have something to say and also at the same time will not allow society to take the dirt off of them. It’s about that dirt, and not getting rid of that dirt.”

Watch Monáe talk about Prince’s mentorship in the video above.

14 Dec 2023

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 4 — Ice Spice

For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 4, we remember the year in Ice Spice — who, while still in the earliest stages of her career, became a vital and inescapable part of 2023 pop culture.

From a young age, Ice Spice had manifested becoming successful, and her time in the spotlight finally came toward the end of 2022. “Watch me get lit by the end of the summer,” the then-22-year-old MC rapped on her single “Euphoric,” which she independently released three months before her breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U).” The New York drill anthem flashed Ice’s brash and brisk delivery and popularized her colloquialism that she defines as “a hater or somebody that’s really obsessed with you that’s just fiending to eat it.”  

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:
Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat | No. 8: Bad Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo | No. 6: Karol G | No. 5: Morgan Wallen

Even though it never broke onto the Billboard Hot 100, “Munch” earned her a label deal with 10K Projects and Capitol Records one month after its release, and introduced Ice Spice as rap’s buzziest newcomer. Her cinnamon curly afro made her instantly recognizable, while her sharp-tongued bars exposed listeners to her own vernacular that quickly became part of the pop culture lexicon, like “baddie friend” from the cutesy-yet-cutthroat single “In Ha Mood,” where she patted herself on the back for accomplishing what she had originally set out to do before the warm-weather months were over. 

Ice Spice

Edwig Henson

Ice Spice

Coughs

Going into 2023, Ice shut down any remaining one-hit wonder claims, and proved she could dominate the charts and rule as “the People’s Princess,” as dubbed by her fans (who collectively call themselves the Spice Cabinet, while they’re individually known as Munchkins). She kicked off the new year with her debut EP Like..?, a six-song project named after her signature interjection that fused her pop sensibilities with her right-hand producer RIOTUSA’s expansive drill sound. Like..? debuted in the top 40 of the Billboard 200, while the Diddy-sampling, Lil Tjay-assisted “Gangsta Boo” debuted at No. 82 on the Hot 100, marking Ice’s debut entry on the chart.  

After receiving a DM from PinkPantheress to hop on the remix of her melancholy bubblegum pop single “Boy’s a Liar,” the two joined forces on “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” in February. One fan’s TikTok of the two artists filming the music video from an NYC fire escape instantly fueled social media buzz for the song prior to its release — and the song and video quickly justified the hype, their sounds and personalities perfectly complementing one another. The genius linkup between the “Gen Z ‘It’ girls of the internet era,” as PinkPantheress called the duo when speaking to Billboard, wasn’t just written in the stars, but solidified both artists’ statuses as such: “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, earning Ice and Pink each their first top 10 hits.  

Ice continued expanding her reach outside of the rap world by rubbing elbows with the right people. Zedd invited Ice to perform “No Clarity” – Ice’s 2021 single featuring an uncleared sample of Zedd and Foxes’ 2012 dance smash “Clarity” – during his set at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival in March. But later that month, she connected with one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Ice and PinkPantheress presented Taylor Swift with the song of the year award at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, but widely circulated photos of Ice’s heartwarming embrace with the megastar suggested this wouldn’t be the last time we’d see these two together.  

But before she could collaborate with Swift, Ice checked off the No. 1 artist from her collab bucket list when Nicki Minaj hopped on the “Princess Diana” remix in April. Much like her destined team-up with PinkPantheress, the undeniable power between rap’s new princess and its long-reigning queen made the remix an instant hit. “Princess Diana” debuted at No. 4 on the Hot 100 – earning Ice her second top 10 hit – and took the throne on Hot Rap Songs, making it the first No. 1 by two co-billed women in the chart’s 34-year history.  

And since Ice knows no bounds, she wasn’t going to just stop at music. Having already served as the face of two major celebrity brands – Beyoncé’s Ivy Park and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS – Ice made her proper foray into the fashion world when she attended her first-ever Met Gala on May 1. And by the end of the month, she went from the Met to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., where she made a surprise appearance during Swift’s Eras Tour stop to live-debut the “Karma” remix she was featured on. “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch,” Swift wrote while announcing the remix the day before its release. With the ultimate cosign, Ice had enough auxiliary star power to launch her into the pop stratosphere and the upper echelon of the charts. “Karma” leaped to No. 2 on the Hot 100, earning Ice her third top 10 and her highest-charting hit to date.  

By the year’s halfway point, Ice showed no signs of slowing down, and found new ways to keep herself in the conversation. In June, Ice became part of the pop cultural event of the summer – the Barbie movie – by reuniting with Minaj on the bass-bumping “Barbie World” anthem, which sampled Aqua’s 1997 Eurodance smash “Barbie Girl.” The song debuted at No. 7 on the Hot 100, earning Ice her fourth top 10 hit in just four months.   

And while Ice continued to scorch through the mainstream, she and her team strategized career moves that made sure she didn’t burn out. She opted to drop the deluxe version of Like..? with four new songs in July instead of rushing a debut studio album. Her delectable “Deli” cut became the next single and reached No. 41 on the Hot 100, making it her highest-charting solo single to date and showing that Ice didn’t need to rely on A-list assistance for hits.  

All eyes were on Ice, and in August, Billboard awarded her with a new title: R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year. Despite the honor arriving two days before the one-year anniversary of her breakout single “Munch,” the 24-year-old MC’s career trajectory felt far more established for someone who was just getting started. And by the end of the third quarter, she had cemented herself as a household name.  

She and Swift reconnected at another awards show, this time at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, and the cameras couldn’t stop capturing their chemistry, as well as Ice’s teary-eyed acceptance speech when she won best new artist. To sweeten the pot, Dunkin’ announced the new Ice Spice Munchkins Drink during the commercial break, with a hilarious spot that she filmed alongside acclaimed actor and Dunkin’s No. 1 fan Ben Affleck.  

Ice was officially inescapable. And while she was connecting with audiences at home, she was also connecting with them around the world through multiple festival performances. She performed at Rolling Loud California and Miami; Hot 97 Summer Jam, where she was surprised with a gold plaque for “Munch”; and four European festivals in the span of a single week. Ice utilized every performance opportunity to get better and better, gearing up for her role as the supporting act for Doja Cat’s Scarlet Tour in November. 

But a month before she hit the road, Ice made a pit stop at Saturday Night Live for her musical guest debut during the season 49 premiere, and the first live taping since the writer’s strike ended. The pressure to deliver a memorable performance was on, but Ice handled it with finesse – and with the help of a couple famous friends. Swift made a surprise cameo to introduce Ice before her live debut performance of “Pretty Girl” with Afrobeats star Rema, which dropped the day prior. Ice proved she could balance her relationships with A-listers and fellow up-and-comers, while dipping her toes into yet another genre, which honored her Nigerian roots. 

Ice ended 2023 by effortlessly collecting major accolades like Infinity Stones and prevailing as one of the most commercially successful and culturally relevant new artists in pop and hip-hop. Ice topped Billboard’s year-end Top New R&B/Hip-Hop Artists chart and landed on Forbes 30 Under 30 music list. And she earned four Grammy nominations ahead of next year’s awards, including for best new artist. 

While closing out her massive breakout year, Ice is already plotting an even bigger 2024. She posted a photo of her new tramp stamp on Instagram while potentially teasing a Y2K project for next year. It could align with her 24th birthday, since the star was born on January 1, 2000. Ice’s arrival at the turbulent turn of the millennium foreshadowed how much the rapper would shake things up in such a short time. The world just wasn’t ready for her, and it still isn’t. 

14 Dec 2023

Sebastián Yatra to Sponsor Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation’s 2024 Prodigy Scholarship

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation announced on Thursday (Dec. 14) that Sebastián Yatra will sponsor the next four-year Prodigy Scholarship that will fully fund a student’s bachelor’s degree in music at Berklee School of Music starting in the fall 2024.

“Joining the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation for their annual Prodigy Scholarship is beautiful because I’m part of something that I would’ve wished for as a young kid. One of my big dreams was to study music at Berklee and although my career took a different path which I’m super grateful for, I would’ve loved to have that kind of preparation and knowledge,” said Sebastián Yatra in a statement. “I hope that the person who gets this opportunity takes full advantage of the scholarship and enjoys it to the max. I’ll be looking out for applicants that share a lot of heart and sincerity in their art.”

The foundation’s scholarship, created nine years ago, holds a maximum value of $200,000 in financial aid for music students in need. The scholarship is traditionally awarded to “exceptionally talented music students, with financial needs, to support their educational and musical aspirations,” according to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. 

The news of the scholarship follows the singer-songwriter’s stint as a host at the 24th Annual Latin Grammys, during which he performed and expressed his passion for the Foundation on-air, encouraging global support for Latin music education. The Colombian superstar initially partnered with the Foundation in 2019 for the Latin Grammy In The Schools program in Miami.

“Our scholarships provide more than just funds for college tuition,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. “The ongoing support we receive from artists such as Sebastián Yatra and our generous sponsors allows us to take it a step further and create meaningful educational and mentoring opportunities for the next generation of Latin music creators.”

In addition, Gibson Gives, the charitable division of Gibson, will provide sponsorship for three Tuition Assistance Scholarships. Each scholarship could be worth up to $10,000 and is intended for students who aim to study music, with the electric or acoustic guitar as their main instrument. Applications for all 44 scholarships available in 2024 are now open and available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25.

For more details and/or to apply, visit www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.

In previous years, the Prodigy Scholarship has been co-sponsored by Latin stars including Nicky Jam (2023), Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016), and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

14 Dec 2023

SZA Says She Doesn’t ‘Have Any More Goals’ Following Banner Year With ‘SOS’

At 34 years old, SZA‘s bucket list is already completely checked off. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, the R&B/pop star confessed that she doesn’t have any more goals for her music career — because she’s already done them all.

“I don’t have any more goals, and that sounds terrible, but … I have already gone platinum,” she told Lowe. “I didn’t think I would ever go platinum. I sold a bunch of records. I got to meet Stevie Wonder, I got to meet Beyoncé and work with her, I got to meet Frank Ocean. My mom came and my dad came to all these cool countries to see me perform. I’ve had sold out shows, I got to headline a festival.”

“Like, what else do I want?” she continued. “I’m nominated for Grammys. I’ve won a Grammy. I’m done, for me, personally. … Anything past this is so much more than I wanted, thought of, dreamed of.”

The “Kill Bill” singer recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of her career-catapulting sophomore album SOS, which spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and is in the running for 2024’s Grammy album of the year. Earlier this year, she was named Billboard‘s 2023 Woman of the Year.

“a day late but Happy 1 year anniversary to an album that is ACTIVELY CHANGING MY LIFE,” she wrote on Instagram Sunday (Dec. 10). “I haven’t processed this year AT ALL cause it’s still happening .. this is beyond my wildest dreams . I never imagined we’d accomplish a fraction of the accolades that came from this.”

She’s since teased that a deluxe version of SOS titled LANA is on its way, posting six different versions of its cover art on Instagram months after telling fans at a September show in Brooklyn: “The deluxe is like a whole ‘nother album, and it’s called Lana. It’s seven to 10 songs.”

Watch SZA on Apple Music above.

14 Dec 2023

All the Songs That Reached No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs in 2023 (So Far)

A total of 10 songs have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in 2023 so far.

All but one — Bad Bunny‘s “Titi Me Preguntó,” from Un Verano Sin Ti — were released in 2023, and reflect a year dominated by música mexicana. Four out of the 10 are regional Mexican-influenced songs, and demonstrate the power of collaboration, as seven out of the 10 are team-ups.

After Bunny’s “Titi Me Preguntó” topped the tally, Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera helped ring in a significant year for Mexican music with their cumbia-tinged “Bebe Dame,” which scored both bands their first No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. “We were aiming for a hit, but we didn’t know it’d be this big,” Fuerza Regida’s lead singer Jesús Ortiz Paz told Billboard earlier this year.

Following the first No. 1 hit for regional Mexican music in 2023 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma‘s global sierreño anthem “Ella Baila Sola” would rule the tally for a total of 19 weeks. Later, Karol G‘s grupero-tinged cumbia song “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” would lead the chart, and then the attitude-heavy corrido “Lady Gaga” by Peso Pluma, Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H peaked at No. 1 in early September, and stay atop for two weeks.

Star-studded collaborations, such as Shakira and Bizarrap (“Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”), Karol G and Shakira (“TQG”), and Karol G and Peso Pluma (“QLONA”), proved to have a stronghold on the chart. All three collabs ruled the tally for five weeks each.

Below, the 10 songs that reached No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart so far this year — in order of peak date.

14 Dec 2023

Luke Combs’ Sold-Out Global Tour Provides CMA With Vital Data as Country’s Popularity Soars Around the World

This year, country music’s popularity has not only surged in the United States, but globally as well. 

No one knows that better than Luke Combs. As part of his WME-booked 44-show 2023 tour, the superstar played in 16 countries, one of the most expansive outings ever by a country artist. In addition to sold-out stadium dates in the U.S., Combs spent August through October playing 23 sold-out shows — primarily in arenas — in New Zealand, Australia and in 12 European countries.

Combs’ efforts have earned him the Country Music Association’s 2023 international artist achievement award, which recognizes outstanding achievements by a U.S.-based artist who has demonstrated significant growth and development outside of the U.S., and has helped promote the country music industry. 

The CMA took advantage of Combs’ tour to find out more about country music’s international fans and to help spread the word of the genre’s popularity abroad by embedding Milly Olykan, CMA’s vp of international relations and development on several tour dates. 

Unlike pop and rock artists, country artists haven’t toured internationally as often, but with streaming dominating discovery, borders have come down, making it easier for international audiences to learn about country artists. 

Combs’ ticket sales were propelled by soaring streaming numbers for country acts like him, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson internationally. On-demand audio and video streams for country music are up 24% in the U.S. through the third quarter of 2023 over the same time frame last year, according to data provided to the CMA by Luminate, and other territories are seeing even bigger growth. The U.K. experienced 34.7% growth in country music streaming over the same time, with September breaking the record for most country streams in a month at 213 million. Germany saw 33% growth and Canada 32% growth. 

Combs’ audience has been growing steadily internationally. The two-time CMA entertainer of the year has accumulated more than 5 billion streams outside of the U.S. over the last six years, according to his label, Sony Music Nashville. In addition to expected strong markets such as Canada and Australia, Combs has seen tremendous growth in other territories, including year-over-year streaming increases of 128% in Ireland and 166% in the Netherlands and 130% in Sweden, partially boosted by the success of his international hit cover of  Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” 

Combs’ manager, Make Wake’s Chris Kappy, studied the analytics, but he also was aware of the international demand for Combs based on anecdotal evidence, including emails from Combs’ passionate base, social media and fans who were traveling from overseas to U.S. dates. “When I’m seeing ‘Luke, come to Sweden,’ ‘Come to New Zealand,’ and you look at the analytics and see that Sydney has more people in it that want [to see] Luke than markets where we’re doing double stadiums, I was like, ‘We’ve got to pay attention to this,’” he says.

Kappy positioned the international tour to Combs as a mission much bigger than just expanding his own audience. 

“I sat him down and said, ‘Look, man, this is an investment in your career, this is an investment in country music, this is an investment in taking the genre to the next level,’” Kappy says. “’You’re not going to make as much money as you do in [the United States], but you’re going to put the entire genre on your back, and you’re going to take it to the people and you’re going to show promoters, DSPs, record labels, publishers [and] venue buyers that country music is not only alive and well, but as strong or stronger than any other format that can tour over there.’ And he did it.”

Though he says he didn’t feel like an ambassador for country music, “I knew that’s what we were trying to do,” Combs says. “That was the ultimate goal. I’m going to give the credit to Kappy for that. That was his vision from day one. He was adamant that this was bigger than United States and Canada. No [country act] has ever been fully in. But you not only get to grow the genre, you get to extend the lifetime of your career.”

Combs first toured internationally in 2018, starting in clubs. Though he had been to many cities on the 2023 international leg before, there were certain territories, such as three dates in Scandinavia, where he had “never set foot in and he sold out arenas in all three,” Kappy says. 

Tickets went on sale in August 2022 and in many markets, smaller venues were upgraded to arenas when it was clear the demand was there. In a few markets, like Paris, where Combs played the 950-seat La Cigale, or in Brussels at the 740-seat Ancienne Belgique, restrictions on moving shows kept him from being able to relocate despite the potential to sell more tickets.

Combs says playing a handful of smaller venues provided some adjustments for him and for his crew now that he’s a stadium act. “It was a huge challenge to my team to adapt to that size venue,” after playing stadiums and arenas. “We’re lugging 45 guys into a venue that has dressing rooms for 10.” Ultimately, though, he says the Paris show provided some of the best memories of the tour. “We started by playing the bar scene and didn’t realize how much we miss doing that,” he says. “It was cool to get to do that again.” 

Kappy says the outside-U.S. dates broke even, and next time Combs tours internationally, he will likely be in stadiums. “We could have already done stadiums in Australia, but we couldn’t get them because the Women’s World Cup was at the same time,” Kappy says.

For the CMA’s Olykan, Combs’ tour was the perfect outing to join. 

“I knew I had to leverage Luke Combs’ shows because he’s been building an international audience,” Olykan says. “He was the only one doing a world tour like this and had already done some international touring, so he was the poster child for me to attach myself to.” 

Olykan’s purpose was two-pronged: to educate the international market on country music and, upon her return, to educate the U.S. country industry on her findings on potential global markets. 

Coordinating with the local Sony office in different territories, Olykan held CMA-funded receptions in eight markets, including Auckland, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg and London. The guest list included local promoters and media, as well as festival, label, streaming and radio executives. “I just knew if I could get those people to the show and around country music in the market, I knew they would [discover] it’s a young audience,” she says. “I was trying to have a converting moment for the industry in the local markets. We’ve engaged an industry around there [who] can lean in now when they hear about country music because they know the potential.”

From her time with Combs, Olykan especially sees growth potential in the Nordic countries. “If artists continue to go to the Nordics, they’re going to build good arena business there and eventually there will be a country music festival that will be a tentpole kind of moment for them,” she says. Based on her findings, the Nordics could leapfrog Germany as the next big country market, joining already established markets like the U.K. and Australia.

In additional to the cocktail parties, the CMA conducted surveys with Combs’ audiences. Though that information is still being tabulated, among the questions asked were how attendees discovered Combs, their listening habits in terms of radio and streaming and their ages. “That data will inform us and we’ll use it to talk to the industry here,” Olykan says, adding that the information will be shared with CMA’s members.

The activities expand on connections the CMA already has established based on existing task forces Olykan set up in the U.K., Canada, the Nordics, Australia and Germany. She meets with the task forces, which include industry executives, every two months.

The CMA also aligns with the Country 2 Country festival (C2C), which takes place every March in London, Glasgow, Belfast, Rotterdam and Berlin. CMA programs the opening slot on the shows with a lineup of new country artists. Based on Olykan’s research, this year, in addition to providing talent for C2C, the CMA will bring a number of developing artists for shows in Stockholm and Oslo. 

14 Dec 2023

A Look Through Billboard’s Year-End Song Reporting Over the Last 80 Years

From phone reporting to point-of-sale tracking to Luminate’s current data system, Billboard has published year-end music roundups for 80 years. Since 1943, a hit parade of swinging jazz tracks, scorching rockers and hip-hop bangers have ranked as the year’s top song. As 2023 wraps, here’s a look at the genre jubilee in our back pages.

A Jazzy Start

Based on a points system that “gives an approximation of comparative disk sales,” the Jan. 2, 1943, issue crowned Glenn Miller’s “Kalamazoo” as the “top recording” of 1942. Of the 20 entries on the list, 18 were from big bands — the exceptions being Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Spike Jones’ propaganda polka “Der Fuehrer’s Face.” In the Jan. 4, 1947, issue, Billboard unveiled its “First Annual Chart Count,” based on 106,000 reports from “sheet music jobbers… record dealers, disk jockeys and juke box operators [and] radio stations” — and declared Perry Como’s orchestral pop single “Prisoner of Love” to be 1946’s top tune.

Mambo, No. 1

Latin music spiced up 1955, and the Jan. 7, 1956, Billboard reported that Pérez Prado’s mambo hit “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” was the “top popular record” per “retail sales [and] juke box plays.” That year, rock was crowned king thanks to Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel.” “As could be no surprise to anyone, [Presley] has had a larger number of records on the national pop retail chart this year than any other recording artist,” the Dec. 22, 1956, issue reported. “Rhythm and blues and rock and roll together represent a big chunk of the singles market.”

First Timer

The Dec. 30, 1972, Billboard declared Roberta Flack’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to be the year’s top Hot 100 song. The Dec. 29, 1973, issue said soul music was becoming “more sophisticated, with ‘productions’ rather than the raucous music traditionally associated with soul.” Plus, the genre was receiving “a great deal more attention on television” thanks to Soul Train and variety shows, which fueled sales.

Hollywood Hits

The silver screen’s power to promote hits peaked in the 1990s. Dangerous Minds helped make Coolio featuring L.V.’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” the biggest Hot 100 song of 1995 — the first hip-hop track to achieve the feat. “It’s the fourth time in the ’90s that the top single of the year has come from a motion picture,” the Dec. 23, 1995, issue noted. “Singles from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves [by Bryan Adams], Boomerang [by Boyz II Men] and The Bodyguard [by Whitney Houston] headed the year-end charts in 1991, 1992 and 1993, respectively.”

Pop Life

When Kesha’s “Tik Tok” was crowned the Hot 100’s top song of 2010, Billboard reported that “pop reigned supreme.” By 2018, hip-hop was dominating the charts, with rappers credited on seven of the 10 biggest songs. Drake’s “God’s Plan” was the top track, and the Dec. 15, 2018, issue reported that he “rewrote the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 by any artist in a single year.” For 2023, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” ruled — the first Hot Country Songs chart-topper to do so since Faith Hill’s “Breathe” in 2000.

This story will appear in the Dec. 16, 2023, issue of Billboard.

14 Dec 2023

Maren Morris Breaks Silence on ‘Ongoing’ Split From Husband Ryan Hurd

Maren Morris is opening up about her split from husband Ryan Hurd, two months after the 33-year-old singer filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Speaking to Howard Stern on SiriusXM Wednesday (Dec. 13), Morris said that her breakup from the 37-year-old songwriter is still unfolding. “It’s ongoing,” she said.

“I would like [the divorce] to sort of wrap up,” she continued when Stern asked her whether she’s ready to start dating again. “I don’t have the headspace for that yet. But I’m writing so much right now, that’s kind of been my way of dating is just through song.”

News of Morris’ divorce filing broke in October, with the “Get the Hell Out of Here” singer submitting a complaint to a Tennessee court saying she and Hurd were “unable to live together successfully as husband and wife” after five years of marriage. The couple had signed a prenuptial agreement governing how their assets will be divided in the split, with Morris asking for child support from Hurd for their 3-year-old son.

Weeks later, Morris shared a photo of her and Hurd taking their son, who is dressed up as a dinosaur, trick-or-treating on Halloween.

“I think this year has — for a lot of people, not just me — a lot of people that are close to me have gone through it,” she added on the show, noting that she “cut all the trauma out of my hair,” in reference to her new bob hairstyle. “I’ve known so many people that have gone through breakups or divorces.”

Morris also spoke about getting rejected from several major singing competition shows, including American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The Voice. “It sucked, it hurt for sure,” she admitted. “I’m so lucky that they did say ‘no,’ because I was not ready to be in the limelight. The music was not there, my voice was still maturing … I would’ve been a f–king nightmare.”

Watch clips of Maren Morris on the Howard Stern show below:



14 Dec 2023

Barbra Streisand Named Recipient of 2024 SAG Life Achievement Award

Barbra Streisand is set to receive the 2024 SAG Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will move to Netflix on Feb. 24.

The award is presented annually to an actor who exhibits what the guild describes as the “finest ideals of the acting profession.” In Streisand’s case, it joins a lengthy list of accolades including her two Academy Awards, eight Grammys (plus the Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards), five Emmys and an honorary Tony. She is the 59th recipient of the tribute; she follows Sally Field, who received it during the 2023 telecast.

The buzzy announcement comes on the heels of Streisand publishing her memoir, which had her making the media rounds. No surprise, My Name is Barbra, as the book is titled, became an instant New York Times best-seller. The memoir, which she’s said was designed, in part, to dispel the many “myths” about her, served as a reminder of her many career milestones as well. Among them: her directorial debut, Yentl, which earned five Oscar noms, as well as her other directorial efforts like The Prince of Tides and The Mirror Has Two Faces.

“Ever since I was a young girl sitting in the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, I dreamed of being one of those actresses I saw on the screen,” Streisand said in a statement. “The movies were a portal to a world I could only imagine. Even though I was an unlikely candidate, somehow my dream came true. This award is especially meaningful to me because it comes from my fellow actors, whom I so admire.”

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, whose own profile has skyrocketed following the recently concluded actor strike, added of her honoree: “Barbra Streisand is an icon and unparalleled talent, a force of nature who has seamlessly woven her brilliance through the fabric of our industry. From her earliest days captivating audiences on Broadway to her unforgettable roles in cinematic classics like Funny Girl, The Way We Were, and A Star Is Born, Barbra’s ability to inhabit her characters with authenticity is nothing short of extraordinary.”

She continued: “Her enduring career is a testament to her genuine performances, connecting with audiences on a profound level. She is a colossal icon with a relentless work ethic, evolving with each stage of her remarkable journey. We celebrate Barbra Streisand not just for her achievements but for the enduring legacy she has carved.”

The SAG Awards will stream live for the first time on Netflix, serving as something of an experiment for the streaming service. Last year’s telecast was broadcast live on the streamer’s YouTube channel. The nominees for this year’s event, which is being held at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, will be unveiled early next year.

This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

14 Dec 2023

Patti Smith Says She’s ‘Resting’ After Release From Italian Hospital Following ‘Sudden Illness’

Patti Smith told fans on Thursday morning (Dec. 14) that she is “resting, as the doctor ordered,” following a brief stay in an Italian hospital to deal with what’s been described as a sudden, unnamed illness.

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“This is thanking all at the hospital for their help and guidance,” Smith wrote in an Instagram post in which she is pictured standing in the middle of a group of eight hospital workers in scrubs. “I am so sorry that we had to cancel concerts in Bologna and Venice. I will return to fulfill my happy obligations. This is also to thank all the medical teams globally, who attend to the people’s needs, especially those altruistically serving under fire, all healers, physicians, nurses, attendants,” she continued.

Italian media reported that Smith was taken to the Maggiore Hospital on Tuesday due to a “sudden illness” that resulted in the cancellation of her planned show at the Teatro Duse in Bologna that night; she was reportedly released after the short visit to the ER. “With great regret, we inform the kind audience that the [Patti Smith] concert scheduled for today 12 December 2023 at 9 pm will not be able to go on stage due to a sudden illness that struck the artist,” the venue wrote in an Instagram post.

The artist/poet’s planned show tonight at the Teatro Malibran in Venice has also been cancelled.

Hospital press officer Illaria Maria Di Battista told People that the head of the emergency unit, Dr. Alesso Bertini, told her that, “Mrs. Smith was very polite and collaborative with us which made it easier for us to do our job t the bet of our capabilities.” Battista added that Bertini also said, “She [Smith] is such a person of reference for us and for so many generations. We even had the opportunity to speak about music and our favorite songs.” Another hospital source said that Smith hugged and thanked the medical staff before leaving.

A spokesperson for Smith had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment at press time.

The “People Have the Power” singer shouted out her fans in the Insta post, writing, “Also I want to thank everyone for sending messages of love and concern. I am resting, as the doctor ordered, grateful to have had such care, though being painfully aware that many are not so fortunate.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is slated to perform in Chicago at the Salt Shed on Dec. 27

See Smith’s post below.