Music

10 Nov 2023

U2 Retakes Sole Possession of Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1s Record Thanks to ‘Atomic City’

U2 returns to the top of Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart for the first time since 2017 and pulls ahead of Coldplay for the most leaders in the chart’s history as “Atomic City” jumps from No. 3 to No. 1 on the ranking dated Nov. 18.

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The song becomes U2’s 14th No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay (which began in 1996; the band formed in the 1970s). The Bono-fronted quartet first ruled with “Staring at the Sun,” a seven-week leader beginning in March 1997. The band had last led with “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” also a seven-frame topper, starting in October 2017.

With 14 rulers, U2 surpasses Coldplay for the most No. 1s in the chart’s history.

Most No. 1s, Adult Alternative Airplay:

  • 14, U2
  • 13, Coldplay
  • 11, Jack Johnson
  • 11, Dave Matthews (solo and with Dave Matthews Band)
  • 8, Death Cab for Cutie
  • 8, John Mayer
  • 7, The Black Keys
  • 7, Counting Crows
  • 7, Sheryl Crow
  • 7, R.E.M.

In between “You’re the Best Thing About Me” and “Atomic City,” U2 appeared on Adult Alternative Airplay with four songs, paced by the No. 3-peaking “Get Out of Your Own Way” in 2017-18.

Concurrently, “Atomic City” rises 18-15 on Alternative Airplay, marking the band’s top-charting song since “Get on Your Boots” peaked at No. 5 in February 2009. The new single also lifts 39-35 on Mainstream Rock Airplay.

On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, “Atomic City” ranks at No. 9, after reaching No. 5, with 2.9 million audience impressions Nov. 3-9, according to Luminate.

The song is currently a standalone single amid U2’s Las Vegas concert residency. The band’s most recent full-length album of new material, Songs of Experience, was released in December 2017. Songs of Surrender, a collection of re-recordings covering much of U2’s catalog, arrived in March.

10 Nov 2023

Victoria Monet’s Daughter Hazel, Age 2, Becomes Youngest Ever Grammy Nominee

Hazel Monét, the 2-year-old daughter of budding R&B star Victoria Monét, is now officially the youngest Grammy nominee in history. Hazel Monét is nominated for best traditional R&B performance as a featured artist on her mom’s “Hollywood,” which also features the legendary Earth, Wind Fire.

Monét was born on Feb. 21, 2021, which means she’ll still be a little shy of her third birthday when the 66th annual Grammy Awards are presented at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 4, 2024.

Leah Peasall had held the record as the youngest Grammy nominee (and winner) as one of The Peasall Sisters, who were credited artists on O Brother, Where Art Thou?. That surprise-hit soundtrack was awarded album of the year on Feb. 27, 2002. Leah was 8 at the time. The rest of the trio consisted of her sister Hannah, then 11, and Sarah, then 14.

The youngest person before this to receive a Grammy nod as an individual – not as a part of a group or duo – was formerly DeLeon Richards, who was 8 years and 161 days in 1985 when she was nominated for best soul gospel performance, female for her Myrrh/Word album DeLeon.

The youngest person ever to win a Grammy as an individual (again, not as a part of group or duo) is Blue Ivy Carter, daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Blue Ivy shared in the award for best music video for “Brown Skin Girl” on March 14, 2021, when she was 8 years and 322 days old. She was one of three credited artists on the video, along with her mom and Wizkid.

If “Hollywood” wins best traditional R&B performance, Hazel Monét will become the youngest Grammy winner in history, either as a part of a group or duo or as an individual.

Hazel Monét is also credited as a co-writer of “Hollywood,” along with her mom and the song’s producers, D’Mile and Tim Suby. But the song isn’t nominated for a songwriting award.

“Hollywood” is featured on Victoria Monét’s first studio album Jaguar II, which is nominated for best R&B album, one of seven nods Monét received. She is also nominated for record of the year for “On My Mama” and best new artist, among others. Little Hazel also appears in the “On My Mama” music video, which you can view below:

10 Nov 2023

Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Boygenius & More React to Their 2024 Grammy Nominations

2024 Grammy nominations have officially rolled in, which means the stream of ecstatic reactions from artists around the world has begun.

Announced by the Recording Academy on Friday (Nov. 10), this year’s group of nominees spans seasoned Grammy veterans as well as exciting newcomers. Taylor Swift, Jon Batiste, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo and SZA are each nominated in the Big Three categories: record of the year, song of the year and album of the year, while other top contenders include Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe and Billie Eilish.

Particularly competitive is this year’s best new artist pool, which finds 2023 breakout stars such as Ice Spice, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Victoria Monét and more competing for the coveted trophy. Overall, SZA scored the most nominations with nine total, while Phoebe Bridgers, Monét and engineer-mixer Serban Ghenea follow with seven each.

With the ceremony not until February of next year, all that’s left for artists to do now is sit back, relax and of course, tweet. Many have already taken to social media to thank the Academy, fans and collaborators, marking one of the biggest days in the music industry.

“FOUR GRAMMY NOMINATIONS ?! are u sh—-n me!!! thank YOU ?” tweeted Ice Spice, who’s also up for best pop duo, best rap song and best song written for visual media.

“I haven’t cried like this since it father died,” wrote Jelly Roll in an emotional post. “I literally can’t believe it – as of today I have officially been nominated for 2 Grammys – I am trembling with tears …”

See more artist reactions to the 2024 Grammy nominations below:

10 Nov 2023

Candlebox Frontman Kevin Martin Explains Decision to End Group’s 30-Year Run

Kevin Martin knew there was a chance he might come off ungrateful detailing his many qualms with the music business on the 30th anniversary of Candlebox‘s debut album and its monster single “Far Behind.”

But he did it anyway.

“The industry is completely f***ed,” the 54-year founder and sole original member of the American rock group explained, laying out a litany of indignities and double-standards ruining rock and irritating him as he makes his final trek across the U.S. for Candlebox’s Long Goodbye Tour.

“This tour bus is costing me $1,500 a f***ing day. It’s bullshit. I would’ve paid $400 for this 10 years ago,” he said during an interview with Billboard while parked at the Orange County fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif. “The air conditioning doesn’t work and they hadn’t cleaned the vents or changed the carpets ever. I’m living in a petri dish and it’s disgusting. But of course I’m really grateful for everything,” he jokingly trails off, laughing and smiling as he acknowledges the moment.

Martin then clarifies that he is genuinely grateful to his core fans who have long supported the band, his wife and adult son who he spends months away from each year, and the guys in his band who recorded Candlebox’s seventh and final album, also named The Long Goodbye, which Martin believes is some of the group’s best work.

“I want it to be the defining moment of the band’s career, whatever the f*** that means,” Martin says.

“I don’t know what legacy means in this band’s whole realm because Candlebox has seen so many different incarnations and been pulled in so many different directions.”

Martin grew up in San Antonio and moved to Seattle in 1983 at the age of 14, eventually meeting Scott Mercado and then later guitarist Peter Klett and bassist Bardi Martin. Candlebox was signed by Guy Oseary to Madonna’s Maverick records in 1992 and released their self-titled debut album in 1993, eventually going quadruple platinum, selling more than 4 million albums thanks to heavy radio and MTV play for megahits “Cover Me,” “You” and “Far Behind.”

Despite their success, Seattle’s music scene didnt openly embrace the group with some labeling the band as derivative of the grunge rock scene, while others falsely claimed the band had moved to Seattle to ride the coattails of bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. Martin says that it was Oseary who filled the role of mentor and champion of the band, which Candlebox needed early on.

“As an artist I was at top of my game in the nineties and Maverick was killing it for Candlebox,” Martin said. But drug and alcohol abuse by bandmates “very quickly snuffed out our career” and after recording two more albums – 1995’s Lucy and 1998’s Happy Pills, the band decided to break up. Thanks to a key man clause in Martin’s contract that required him to turn in a fourth album, Martin became trapped in a legal battle for his band and a larger fight between Warner and Maverick. Martin today owns the band and makes decent money collecting royalties but says it took him 13 years to repay Warner Music to recoup a $250,000 advance.

Today, most Candlebox revenue comes from the $2.5 million per year the band generates on tour, playing headline shows and opening for bands like Three Doors Down, who’s support of former President Donald Trump is a frequent punchline on Martin’s bus.

Between the cost of his bus, the wages he pays to his band members and crew, and the non-stop nickel-and-diming he says he faces on a daily basis, he estimates his take home will be between $125,000 to $175,000.

“That’s a pretty shitty return,” he says. “I can’t take it anymore, missing my wife and my son, for this?”

He adds that he finds rock radio to be “pretty vanilla” noting, “You want to know why rock radio sucks? Because every f***ing band on it sucks.” As for labels like Round Hill where Candlebox found a new home, Martin comments that “they’re fine but no one does actual A&R work these days.”

Martin says he doesn’t plan to stop writing music and says the songs on Candlebox’s final album The Long Goodbye, like the track “Cell Phone Jesus,” are a preview of what’s ahead.

“Organized religion to me is the most fucked up thing in the world,” he explains. “We’re more concerned about drag queens than we are about kids getting murdered in f***ing school with assault weapons. It’s terrible we allow kids to go through that because we’re so desensitized by it now. The advice to the artist is don’t say anything . Don’t take a stand. Well I don’t care. F *** you. It’s my last record. What are you going to do to me?”

10 Nov 2023

New Music Latin: Listen to Releases From Omar Montes, Fonseca & More

New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

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Fonseca, “Canto a la Vida” (Sony Music Latin)

To the sounds of vallenato, Colombian trop-pop icon Fonseca sings of good memories on the new single “Canto a la Vida.” The song is the second preview of his next album in which, as he revealed to Billboard Español during a Latin Music Week panel, he wants to pay tribute to Colombian music while rediscovering the sound of his beginnings. With clarinet, percussion, guacharaca, guitar and, of course, an accordion, Fonseca recreates a classic vallenato and distances himself from the pop sound of his most recent projects, while recounting his successes and recognizing that there is an important song that he needed to sing. “That is why today I sing to life / For the memories that are not forgotten / Let the memories live / Let the stories live / That today live in photographs,” he sings in the chorus. The accompanying video encapsulates a little piece of the essence of Colombia with its costumes, dances, instruments and other typical elements. Without a doubt, “Canto a la Vida” is a song to spread the feeling of gratitude for life and the experiences that make us who we are today. — LUISA CALLE

Santiago Cruz & TIMØ, “Golpes Contra Las Paredes” (Santiago Cruz)

Colombian singer-songwriter Santiago Cruz recruited breakout trio TIMØ – currently nominated for a best new artist at the Latin Grammys – for a new heartbreak anthem, “Golpes Contra La Pared.” Written by Cruz and produced by Juan Pablo Vega, the indie pop-rock song addresses feelings of anger and frustration when imagining what an ex is doing with a new lover. “And here I am, banging against the walls, not accepting that you were and are no longer, it is no longer our room,” goes part of the chorus. Cruz said in a press release that he sat down to write the song “expressly with the idea that it would be a collaboration” with his TIMØ countrymen. “It’s an upbeat, powerful song, with some anger, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to play live,” he added. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Banda MS ft. Gloria Trevi, “Y Que Soporten” (Lizos Music)

Banda MS is no stranger to outside-the-box collaborations, and their latest single is no exception. The band teams up with pop queen Gloria Trevi for “Y Que Soporten,” marking the first collab between the Mexican powerhouses. To the tune of a traditional-leaning banda sinaloense song — with brassy instruments leading the way — Banda MS’ Alan Ramírez and Trevi trade verses about bumping into an ex who seemingly wants to restart a failed relationship. “If my love was ever his, then let him swallow his pride, it’s going to be super hard for him to find someone to replace me,” they declare. Banda MS has most recently collaborated with Ice Cube (“¿Cuáles Fronteras?”), Yahritza y Su Esencia (“Solo Que Lo Dudes”) and Fuerza Regida (“Santo Patrón”). — GRISELDA FLORES

Omar Montes & Nicky Jam, “Oye BB” (Sony Music Latin)

In a first collaborative effort that was made possible by a tattoo artist-friend they have in common Omar Montes and Nicky Jam unleash “Oye BB.” Produced by Tunvao, Jota Rosa and Jon Leone, the song is a hard-hitting, fast-paced reggaeton beat that perfectly interlaces Montes’ dark, raspy vocals with the Puerto Rican artist’s more sugary tones. In “Oye BB,” the breakout Spanish star and Jam are trying to seek the attention of the girl they like: “I’m only asking for one percent and I’ll give you my heart,” chants Montes. The chorus is more flirtatious, where both acts sing, “Hey, baby, you smell delicious/ But you’ll be more delicious once I taste you/ Hey, baby, every weekend/ I’d do it to you better than the last so that you stay.” A music video directed by Borkinson features the two artists at a house party. — JESSICA ROIZ

Dawer x Damper, “Bochinche” ft. Miracali (Discos Fiera)

Tearing through the invigorating, scant beats informed by the sweltering vibes of Colombia’s Pacific coast, brothers Dawer x Damper arrive with “Bochinche,” featuring Miracali. Bolstered by their laid-back but assertive rap bars, the song title can be interpreted as a kind of gossip in Colombian slang — the theme around the group’s upcoming mixtape, which they announced today to arrive early 2024. “When something happens on the corner, everybody peeks out, everybody wants to know,” Dawer explains in a press release. “The neighbor, even though she’s in the kitchen making the sancocho, sticks her head out the window to find out. In this song, we talk a little about the neighborhood, about how the street behaves, how our city behaves, more so in our Aguablanca neighborhood in Cali.” The single also stars another pair of siblings, Lil Keren and Young Kali, from the group’s local scene in Cali. The Afro-Colombian duo are currently nominated for best long-form music video for their 2022 album Donde Machi. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Stream the New Music Latin playlist below:

10 Nov 2023

2024 Grammy Nominations: Which Snubbed Artist Should’ve Gotten Nods? Vote!

The Recording Academy announced nominations for the upcoming 66th Grammy Awards on Friday (Nov. 10), and Billboard wants to know who you think should have gotten a nomination in the Big Four categories of best new artist, and album, record and song of the year.

SZA leads with nine nods, including in the categories of album, record and song of the year. The “Snooze” singer is one of five nominees contending in those Big Three general field performance categories — the four other artists are Taylor Swift, Jon Batiste, Miley Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo.

Morgan Wallen, despite scoring the biggest song (“Last Night”) and album (One Thing at a Time) of the year with 16 weeks each on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, received zero nominations, leaving him without a nod for yet another year. Also in the country genre, Luke Combs‘ monster hit “Fast Car” — which topped the Hot 100 for two weeks and won him single of the year at the 2023 CMA Awards — went unrecognized in the general field.

History-making Latin star Karol G was also ignored in the Big Four despite having the first all-Spanish-language album by a woman to top the Billboard 200 with her Mañana Será Bonito release, which did snag a best música Mexicana album nomination. Also on the Latin music front, Peso Pluma was passed over in the best new artist category despite picking up a nod also in the best música Mexicana album (including Tejano) for his Génesis album.

Also without any noms are the solo members of BTS who released music this year. Jimin’s “Like Crazy” and Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto were eligible for record of the year, but did not receive nods.

So, who do you think deserved a nomination in the Big Four categories but didn’t get one? Vote in our poll below!

10 Nov 2023

Chris Stapleton’s ‘Higher’: Track-By-Track Album Review

During Wednesday night’s (Nov. 8) CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton further established his dominance in the male vocalist of the year category, picking up his seventh win in the past nine years. On Friday’s Grammy nominations announcement (Nov. 10), his song “White Horse” picked up a nomination for best country solo performance and best country song. Meanwhile, his collaboration with Carly Pearce, “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” earned a nod for best country duo/group performance.

Quite the way to usher in his new album, Higher, which was released on the same day.

Just eight years ago, Stapleton issued his debut solo album, 2015’s Traveller; a CMA Awards performance alongside Justin Timberlake that year introduced the world outside of Nashville to the show-stopping power of Stapleton’s voice and his swampy guitar grooves. With classic country sounds as its core tenet, that album was a mere sampling of the wider landscape of musical influences that Stapleton has explored in his subsequent four releases.

His previous album, Starting Over, had moments of looking outward, surveying the world around Stapleton on “Watch You Burn” and “Nashville, TN.” On the 14-song Higher, Stapleton largely explores variations on a succinct set of topics — love, lust and heartbreak — but his otherworldly voice, capable of both wall-shattering power and a velvety purr, gives a unique nuance to each.

Like Willie Nelson, Stapleton first found success as a writer of hits for other artists before seeing his own chart successes. Along the way, Stapleton has become a favored vocal partner for everyone from Adele and P!nk to Carly Pearce and Taylor Swift. His years fronting groups including bluesy-bluegrass outfit The SteelDrivers and rock group The Jompson Brothers have lent his headlining shows a freewheeling, jam-band feel.

Also like Nelson, Stapleton’s focus on the music, his excellence in constructing detailed stories and his uncanny ability to traverse musical landscapes have made him a timeless figure, and one that takes inspiration from a myriad of genres, as Stapleton weaves in country, soul, rock, and punk. On his new project, he also pulls in a couple of fellow singer-songwriters as co-writers, including Miranda Lambert and Carolyn Dawn Johnson.

Here, we take a track-by-track look at the songs on his new album Higher.

10 Nov 2023

Swifties Thank Travis Kelce for Taylor Swift Performing ‘Labyrinth’ on Eras Tour

Oh no, she’s falling in love again … or so it seems. Taylor Swift picked up right where she left off on the Eras Tour with her first of three shows in Argentina Thursday night (Nov. 9), returning to her nightly routine of singing two surprise songs — one of which brought Travis Kelce to mind for many fans.

After performing “The Very First Night” on guitar, the 33-year-old pop star moved over to her piano for an enchanting acoustic rendering of “Labyrinth,” a Midnights deep cut known for its vulnerable lyrics and trumpeting synth waves. After videos of the song popped up online, Swifties were quick to note that Swift seemed particularly smiley while singing the hook, “Uh oh, I’m falling in love/ Oh no, I’m falling in love again.”

Many wondered whether a certain Kansas City Chiefs tight end had anything to do with Swift’s demeanor, while others were under the impression that they don’t have to wonder at all. “TRAVIS KELCE I ADORE YOU FOR THIS,” tweeted one fan who shared a clip of the “Anti-Hero” singer’s performance.

“MY GIRL IS SMITTEN,” wrote another. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TRAVIS KELCE.”

Swift has been linked to Kelce since September, when the 12-time Grammy winner first attended one of the athlete’s games at Arrowhead Stadium. She’s gone to several more in the months since, and the two have been spotted holding hands on a few occasions (most notably as they departed Saturday Night Live after both made surprise cameos).

After she wraps up in Argentina, Swift will move on to Brazil, Japan, Australia and Singapore. From there, she’ll take her blockbuster trek through Europe and Canada.

See the best reactions to Swift’s “Labyrinth” performance below:

10 Nov 2023

Jung Kook Surprises ARMY With Concert in Times Square: See the Photos

The Golden Maknae of BTS just keeps on shining. On Thursday (Nov. 9), Jung Kook graced the TSX Entertainment stage in New York City for a surprise performance of several songs off his brand new debut solo album, Golden.

The first permanent stage in Times Square, the TSX stage saw electrifying renditions of Golden singles “Seven” (with Latto) and “3D” (with Jack Harlow), both of which hit the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, with the former peaking at No. 1. During his performance of “3D,” Jung Kook delivered his entire rap verse and interacted with the crowd as the track played Harlow’s guest verse. The BTS star performed full choreography for both “Seven” and “3D,” as well as “Standing Next to You,” which was recently treated to a Michael Jackson-inspired music video. While powering through “Standing Next to You,” Jung Kook took a moment to pause and listen to the crowd go wild for him.

Non-NYC fans were able to tune into the free event on Xbox‘s Twitch channel. “ARMY, please don’t change,” he urged the crowd, speaking to those in person and those tuning in online all over the world. Those same fans were a driving force in the massive success of Golden’s singles — particularly “Seven,” which recently became the fastest song to reach one billion streams in Spotify history. Golden also features production and writing contributions from Major Lazer, DJ Snake, Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes.

“We are honored to co-create this historic moment for Jung Kook and the entire BTS group. His solo journey has already made history with multiple chart-topping singles, and we’re fully confident that this album will continue the trend,” said Nick Holmsten, TSX Entertainment co-CEO, in a statement. “This marks a pivotal moment in music, particularly for K-pop fans, and holds great significance for both Times Square and New York City.”

Check out photos of Jung Kook’s surprise concert below.

Additional reporting by Rylee Johnston.

10 Nov 2023

Skrillex, Fred Again.., David Guetta & James Blake Lead 2024 Dance/Electronic Grammy Nominations

2024 Grammy nominations were announced Friday (Nov. 10), with a star-studded collection of dance artists representing in the dance/electronic and pop dance categories.

The most nominated dance artists this year include Skillex, who received a pair of nominations for his unstoppable “Rumble” and the album Quest for Fire, from whence it came. Fred Again.. also scored his first Grammy nominations via his credit on “Rumble” his Romy collab “Strong” and his album Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 23, 2022).

James Blake also made a big showing with his single “Loading,” nominated for best dance/electronic recording and his album Playing Robots Into Space nominated in the album category.

2024 is arguably one of the most sonically representative years for dance/electronic music at the Grammys, a function of a new category being added to the genre this year. Best pop dance recording is intended to provide a space for dance artists whose work crosses over heavily with pop, as dance music so often does, while leaving the other categories to represent more traditional dance/electronic music.

This extra space created room for artists like Aphex Twin, nominated in best dance/electronic recording for “Blackbox Life Record 21F.” This year also marks the first nomination for U.K. sensation Romy. As in many years past, no solo female producer or artist of color was nominated in the dance/electronic categories this year.

Nominees in best pop dance recording include Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s trance redux hit “Miracle,” Kylie Minogue’s smash “Padam Padam” and two David Guetta tracks, “Baby Don’t Hurt Me” with Anne-Marie & Coi Leray and “One In A Million” with Bebe Rexha.

See the complete list of dance/electronic nominees below.

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

  • Aphex Twin, “Blackbox Life Record 21F”
  • James Blake, “Loading”
  • Disclosure, “Higher Than Ever Before”
  • Romy & Fred Again.., “Strong”
  • Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan “Rumble”

Best Dance/Electronic Album

  • James Blake, Playing Robots Into Space
  • Skrillex, Quest for Fire
  • Fred Again.., Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 23, 2022)
  • Kx5, Kx5
  • The Chemical Brothers, For That Beautiful Feeling

Best Pop Dance Recording

  • Kylie Minogue, “Padam Padam”
  • Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding, “Miracle”
  • David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray, “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”
  • Troye Sivan, “Rush”
  • Bebe Rexha & David Guetta, “One In a Million”