Music

02 Nov 2023

‘Friends’ Theme ‘I’ll Be There for You’ Nearly Triples in Streams Following Matthew Perry’s Death

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, 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. 

This week: A shocked fanbase pays homage to the late Matthew Perry by streaming the song most associated with him, the hit Five Nights at Freddy‘s film adaptation scores huge gains for a near-decade-old fan song and viral teen rapper Lil Mabu returns.

Listeners “There For” Late ‘Friends’ Star With Streams of Beloved ’90s Theme Song



The entire world was stunned by the news on Saturday night (Oct. 29) that comedic actor Matthew Perry had died at the age of 54. The TV and film star had become a pop culture icon in the ’90s and ’00s, with lead turns in hit movies like The Whole Nine Yards and 17 Again and TV comedies like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. But of course, Perry will forever be best remembered for his role as Chandler Bing on the epochal sitcom Friends, which he appeared on for a full decade as one of the show’s six central characters, earning an Emmy nomination and global stardom.

So eternal is the connection between Perry and Friends that, following his death, fans flocked to streaming services to play the song they still most associated with him: The Rembrandts‘ “I’ll Be There for You,” which served as the credits song for all 10 years of Friends‘ NBC run and also became a crossover radio hit, topping Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart for eight weeks in 1995. According to Luminate, the song garnered a combined 117,000 official on-demand U.S. streams over Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 — the two days following Perry’s death — up 184% from the previous Sunday and Monday. (It also sold nearly 500 copies over those two days, up from a negligible amount the week before.)

It’s one of many beautiful tributes that fans have played to the actor in the days following his passing — which should continue to reverberate for as long as viewers across generations need either comfort-streaming TV and/or mid-’90s pop-rock perfection. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Near-Decade-Old ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Theme Song Scares Up Millions of Streams



Last weekend, Five Nights at Freddy’s — the horror film based on the popular video game franchise, featuring family-restaurant animatronic mascots coming alive and wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting security guard — became a surprise box office behemoth, grossing nearly $90 million in North America over the pre-Halloween weekend. And along with the film’s success at the multiplex, its vocoder-heavy, go-for-broke electro-rock theme, also titled “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” is soaring on streaming services.

Actually, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” song is nearly a decade old: The Living Tombstone, an Internet-beloved gaming band made up of Sam Haft and Yoav Landau, released the track in 2014, a few weeks after the first Five Nights at Freddy’s video game was released. As a nod toward longtime fans of the Freddy’s franchise, The Living Tombstone’s anthem was placed at the start of the end credits of the film adaptation, where it was revisited by video game enthusiasts and discovered by unfamiliar moviegoers.

As a result, The Living Tombstone’s track experienced a significant streaming uptick upon the film’s release: in the first five days (or five nights, if you will) of Five Nights at Freddy’s being in movie theaters (Oct. 27-31), the song scored 3.05 million U.S. on-demand streams, a 618% increase compared to the previous Friday-through-Tuesday tracking period (424,000 streams), according to Luminate. Will there be more nights at Freddy’s, considering how well the film has performed? With sequel possibilities, The Living Tombstone better get moving on some follow-up themes. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Lil Mabu & Chriseanrock Spin Blueface Beef Into Streaming Gold With “Mr. Take Ya Bitch” 



Following in the footsteps of Lil Uzi Vert & Nicki Minaj’s Natalie Nunn-referencing “Endless Fashion” and JaidynAlexis’ viral hit “Barbie,” the Zeus Network industrial complex has spawned yet another streaming smash. “Mr. Take Ya Bitch,” a fiery duet between “Mathematical Disrespect” rapper Lil Mabu and Chriseanrock, a former partner of “Thotiana” rapper Blueface, is making eye-popping streaming gains with each passing week. 

According to Luminate, “Mr. Take Ya Bitch,” has earned just over 7.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Oct. 20-26, a staggering 165.5% increase from 2.69 million streams during the period of Oct. 13-19. The new track is the result of a weeks-long marketing campaign that found Mabu inserting himself into the seemingly endless drama between Blueface and Chrisean. In short, Blueface and Chrisean – a former track star turned Internet personality — dated from 2020-2023, welcomed their first child together two months ago, and co-starred in a two-season reality TV series chronicling their turbulent relationship. The pair’s toxic behavior, in tandem with their commitment to livestreaming virtually every second of their lives, has captivated viewers across social media, and now, “Mr. Take Ya Bitch” has enraptured that same audience. 

Lil Mabu first teased his link-up with Chriseanrock in an Oct. 12 TikTok, set to the chorus of Pop Smoke and Lil Tjay’s “Mood Swings.” A TikTok announcing the track’s full release and showcasing the most viral parts of both rapper’s verses arrived on Oct. 16. “I’m Mr. Take Yo B—ch, take her on trip/ Fly her to New York, sign my name all on her t–s/ Yes, I took his lady/ I like blue faces, so I took his baby,” Mabu raps, throwing direct shots at Blueface. Chrisean then spits, “F—k Blueface, I had to find a new bae/ Yeah, aight, with Mabu, f—k what you say/ I might put it in his face cause he want a taste/ This that newborn p—y, make my water break.” 

Thanks to the social pull of both artists – as well as a burgeoning dance challenge set to Mabu’s chorus – the official TikTok sound for the initial snippet has garnered over 24,000 posts, while the official sound for the full song has collected over 608,300 posts. The song’s official music video has also amassed over 14 million views on YouTube in just two weeks, already surpassing the view count for the “Mathematical Disrespect” video – and that track hit No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

With “Mr. Take Ya Bitch” having reached the top of both the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and the TikTok Billboard Top 50, it looks like Lil Mabu’s second Hot 100 hit could be right around the corner. – KYLE DENIS

02 Nov 2023

Luck Ra’s ‘La Morocha’ Featuring BM Earns Sixth Week Atop Billboard Argentina Hot 100

Luck Ra’s “La Morocha” featuring BM holds strong at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Nov. 4) for a sixth week in charge.

The extended domination becomes the second longest in 2023, alongside Myke Towers’ “Lala,” which ruled for an equal six weeks. Both songs stand behind another pair of winners, Emilia, Big One and Callejero Fino’s “En La Intimidad” and LIT killah, Maria Becerra, FMK, Rusherking, Duki, Emilia, Tiago PZK and Big One’s “Los del Espacio,” both which ruled for seven weeks this year.

Back to Luck Ra, the Argentinian trap artist adds a new entry as “Quiero Creer” with Rusherking and La T y La M debuts at No. 69.

Uruguayan group Marka Akme and Argentinians Lauty Gram and Peipper score their first top 10 as “Linda (Remix),” their collab with Migrantes and DJ Tao soars 13-3 in its fourth week.

Meanwhile, Darell is back in the top 10 as “Lollipop” rallies 26-4. The Puerto Rican last visited the upper region with the 13-week champ “Otro Trago” with Sech, Nicky Jam, Ozuna and Anuel AA in 2019.

This week’s Hot Shot Debut goes to Sayian Jimmy and Nysix Music, whose collaboration “Bad Boy” debuts at No. 49. It’s the first chart appearance for both artists.

Chayanne’s “Bailando Bachata” becomes the Greatest Gainer of the week, climbing 30 places from No. 95 to No. 65.

Lastly, two other songs debut this week, starting with Ricky Martin and Christian Nodal’s “Fuego de Noche, Nieve de Día” at No. 93, while Jere Klein and Lucky Brown’s “Cuál Es Su Nombre?” bows at No 99.

02 Nov 2023

Calibre 50 Achieves Record-Extending 24th No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay With ‘Vengo De Verla’

Calibre 50 extends its record for the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Vengo de Verla” crowns the tally dated Nov. 4.

The single advances from No. 5 in its 10th week with 7.8 million audience impressions, up 19%, earned during the tracking week ending Oct. 26, according to Luminate. It sends Grupo Frontera and Grupo Firme’s “El Amor de Su Vida” to No. 2 with a 12% drop, to 7.63 million.

With its new champ, Calibre 50 improves its career total on Regional Mexican Airplay to 24 No. 1s. The group remains atop the leaderboard for the most No. 1s among all acts since the chart’s inception in 1994, opening an even larger gap ahead of its competitors. Here’s a look at the artists with the most chart-toppers on Regional Mexican Airplay:

  • 24, Calibre 50
  • 19, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
  • 18, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
  • 18, Intocable
  • 17, La Arrolladora Banda el Limón de Rene Camacho
  • 16, Conjunto Primavera
  • 16, Los Tigres del Norte

“Vengo de Verla” arrives at the summit after Calibre 50 led with “Dirección Equivocada” for two weeks in April. The song required an equal 10 weeks to lead. In between, the group reached a No. 18 high with “Hablar de Ti” (July 15-dated list).

Further, “Vengo” climbs to a new peak on the overall Latin Airplay chart, pushing 12-7. There, the Mazatlán, Sinaloa, band collects its 27th top 10, cementing a new record for the most top 10s among any regional Mexican group.

02 Nov 2023

Billboard Explains: The Revamped 2023 Billboard Music Awards

The 2023 Billboard Music Awards are just around the corner, and this year, fans are getting the opportunity to see their favorite artists like never before. The latest episode of Billboard Explains looks into the BBMAs‘ exciting new format and how winners are chosen.

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What makes the BBMAs unique to other award shows is that it’s all data driven. Winners are chosen solely based on how well they perform on the Billboard charts, tracking album and digital song sales, radio airplay, as well as streaming and social engagement to choose the winner of each category. During the show, artists appear on the BBMA stage to accept their award or perform their latest chart topping hit.

However, this year, the Billboard Music Awards are delivering an entirely new award show concept. The performances and award celebrations will take place at different locations across the globe, and feel unique to each individual artist. Performances and winners will be unveiled across the BBMAs and Billboard’s social channels, or the show can be watched in full at bbmas.watch on Sunday (Nov. 19) — meaning the entire event will take place online rather than on television.

Additionally, Billboard teamed up with Spotify to find the most loyal fans who have helped their favorite artists top Billboard charts by listening to their music. Those fans will be receiving a golden ticket that allows them to attend the performance of their favorite artist that will stream during the awards ceremony.

Tune in to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Nov. 19, and check out the full Billboard Explains video on the revamped ceremony above.

After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.

02 Nov 2023

Rock Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Breaking Down the Inductees’ Chart Feats

On Nov. 3, 11 musical acts, one hit-generating songwriter and Don Cornelius, the creator-host — from 1971 to 1993 — of groundbreaking syndicated Black music showcase Soul Train, will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This year’s list of honorees includes a crop of legendary performers: British art-pop legend Kate Bush, hip-hop trailblazer Missy Elliott, late megastar George Michael, pop-rock hitmaker Sheryl Crow, outlaw country icon Willie Nelson, rap-rock firebreathers Rage Against the Machine and smooth soul group The Spinners.

Elsewhere, two individuals are set to be inducted under the “musical influence” category, including “Father of Hip-Hop” DJ Kool Herc and guitar pioneer Link Wray; while the “musical excellence award” will be given to three others: funk idol Chaka Khan, veteran studio musician Al Kooper and longtime Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin.

Notably, four of the seven performers are being inducted on their first nomination: Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson. Among those, Elliott was the only artist eligible for the first time in 2023.

While the achievements of many of the above-named inductees — performers like Elliott, Michael, Crow, Nelson, Rage and Khan — are well-known to many, others on the list require more of an introduction. Below, we’ve compiled quick facts on each of the honorees, from the trails they’ve blazed in the industry to the hit songs that shot them to fame and fortune.

Below, a look at their musical milestones and chart achievements.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday (Nov. 3). Viewers can watch the event live on Disney+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.

02 Nov 2023

Nancy Sinatra Says She’s ‘Too Old’ to Tour, But Her Daughters’ ‘Tenacity’ Keeps Her Music Alive

“When I saw that you were going to call from Billboard, I was reminiscing about the first time I was on the charts,” Nancy Sinatra tells Billboard over the phone. “I think I was No. 89 or something. It barely made it. [It was called] ‘So Long Babe.’”

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The 83-year-old pop legend has a sharp memory. Her first Billboard Hot 100 hit, “So Long Babe,” hit No. 86 – just three spots away from her guess. Of course, that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who follows her on X (formerly known as Twitter). Sinatra regularly weighs in on everything from politics (she’s NOT a fan of the guy who tried to reverse the results of a democratic election, FYI) to AI to her celebrity pals’ birthdays.

Although she’s effectively retired from music, she’s more than happy to reflect on her lengthy career as Light in the Attic releases a new compilation of her work, Keep Walkin’: Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978, on vinyl and CD. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” she jokes, making a Godfather reference which is doubly funny, considering that her father Frank famously berated series author Mario Puzo.

Here, Nancy Sinatra chats with Billboard about everything from finding her voice on the Hot 100-topping “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” her up-and-down acting career and how her daughters’ “tenacity” keeps her music alive.

When you started releasing music, you had a string of singles that didn’t chart. Eventually, working with Lee Hazelwood yielded you a career-defining breakthrough, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” Did working with him feel different?

Very much so. That early stuff was what we used to call bubblegum. I was a nervous wreck [on “Boots”]. I was eager to please because I knew I was going to be dropped from the label if I didn’t do something important enough to make the charts. It was nerve-racking.

After working with him for a bit, were you able to relax?

It got better. The fact that we had a chart record right away was the impetus to keep going. It gave me the confidence to know I was going in the right direction.

With “Boots,” you’re singing in a deeper register than on your earlier stuff. That must have been a conscious decision with your new direction.

Absolutely. Each song dictates the vocal approach. The fact that the music was so completely different, the vocals just followed suit.

You and Lee had another classic with “Some Velvet Morning.” It’s a very strange song – what did you think of it when you first came across it?

I had no idea what it was about. I don’t know if Lee even had an idea either. Later on, in retrospect, he said something about Phaedra [from Greek mythology], that he wanted to pay tribute to Phaedra. That’s a bunch of bull. That never came up in all the years we’d performed. Never once. It was a lucky marriage of vocal sounds, strange as it may seem, and arrangement. He dictated the change in time signatures that occurs in the song. Lee asked Billy [Strange] to do that.

How was working with the Wrecking Crew’s Billy Strange? He’s a legend in his own right.

He was like a big brother. He was one of the best people I’ve ever known in my life. I still miss him so much.

Light In the Attic has done a few reissues of your material. I gather your daughter was the impetus behind that connection.

It’s incredible how my kids have helped me so much. Both of my daughters are very much responsible for these incarnations of mine. I keep bouncing back and it’s because of their tenacity, AJ and Amanda. I’m very blessed.

Nancy Sinatra 'Keep Walkin’

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Do you think about these songs a lot in your day-to-day life?

I don’t, but I’m on Twitter constantly to keep in touch with the public, and they remind me every day of the songs. But the funny thing is they don’t know the half of it. There’s so much they’ve never heard. I’m hoping if we’re blessed enough to succeed with the first couple projects, they will dig deeper into my catalog because there are so many songs that should be heard. They have access to all of my master tapes. Between the Light in the Attic reissues and the book, I feel like I’m reborn again, again. The book is called One for Your Dreams, the phrase from “You Only Live Twice.” David Wills is the author. It’s a picture book with all of the iconic photographs by Ron Joy and stories to go with them.

Since you mentioned the Bond theme, I’m curious, do you keep up with the film series?

I love Daniel Craig. I’m crazy about him. He’s so good, he’s such a good Bond. Did he really die in the last one?

In No Time to Die? I feel like… no.

They blew him up, for heaven’s sake!

Yeah, but he can get out of anything.

I hope so.

When you said people on Twitter don’t know the half of it, what are you referring to? What era?

There was an album called Nancy Sinatra that had artists like Kim Gordon, Morrissey, Pete Yorn — that was another gift from my daughter AJ. She put that together. She said, “Mom, I know so many people who love your music and we should take advantage of that and get songs written by them.” And they did, they came up with songs, which was so sweet. Whether I like it or not, they’re bringing me back all the time. But the songs people are not talking about are very versatile. There’s my California Girl album; I did an album called Cherry Smiles that was a lot of rare singles nobody’s heard. There’s a lot of interesting music that’s recorded that hopefully Light in the Attic will discover. I guess we have to be pretty successful with what we’re doing before they commit to doing anything else. But I’m grateful and humbled. It’s such a gift to me at this time in my life.

Do you miss recording or performing?

Every day of my life. It’s true what they say about how it’s in your blood.

Would you ever get back into it?

No, I’m too old now. I wouldn’t be able to tour. I suppose men can do it but I don’t know about women my age who tour. Do you? Dolly Parton is a lot younger than me and she does still tour.

You also did movies back in the day but didn’t stick with it. Were you less passionate about acting than music?

I was such a crappy actor. It never grabbed me. I made what I like to call my epic films and I stopped. (laughs)

I caught one on TCM that featured you performing, a movie called The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini from 1966.

Oh, that is so horrible. I made a couple of fun ones. The Last of the Secret Agents? was a fun movie. The Wild Angels made me No. 1 at the box office. I had a run-in with a couple of fun movies. I’m very lucky.

Do you have any personal favorites of your own songs?

I like a song called “100 Years,” it’s a Lee Hazelwood song. I also like a song called “Cuando calienta el sol” which is on my California Girl album which is just me and a guitar player called Daryl Curaco. I do lean toward the guitar/vocal duets, I think they’re quite lovely and special. “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” was one of them.

And that song, of course, got a second life thanks to Kill Bill.

Isn’t that the truth? That’s what I mean. In spite of me, I keep getting brought back. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

02 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Adds Extra Shows to Canadian Leg of Eras Tour

Taylor Swift will be spending a little extra time up north next year. Three months after announcing that her ongoing global Eras Tour will open for several shows in Toronto in 2024, the 33-year-old pop star has now added a trio of additional dates to her Canadian leg.

All of the new shows will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, at BC Place, with Swift set to perform three consecutive nights from Dec. 6 to 8. The Vancouver shows are slated to follow six Eras Tour offerings at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The “Anti-Hero” singer shared the announcement on her Instagram Story Thursday (Nov. 2), also revealing that Gracie Abrams will return as opener for the newly added shows. Abrams, who previously joined Swift on the Eras Tour‘s U.S. leg, celebrated the news by posting a photo of her with Swift, writing, “what did you say? 3 more Eras shows in Vancouver next year? lfg.”

Swift is currently on the last few days of a two-month break from touring, having finished out her first round of U.S. and Mexico shows in late August. Starting Nov. 9, she’ll pick right back up with a string of performances in Argentina and Brazil.

After that, she’ll spend pretty much all of 2024 on the road, with Eras shows planned for Asia, Europe and Australia before swinging back around to the States next October. Already, the trek has reportedly made Swift a billionaire, as projected by Bloomberg last week.

Registration for Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan presale is already open for Swift’s new Vancouver dates. Find more information here.

02 Nov 2023

ACM Awards Re-Up With Prime Video in Multiyear Deal

The Academy of Country Music Awards are returning to Prime Video, with the 59th annual ACM Awards set to stream live on the platform in May 2024. A new, two-year deal with the streamer will also take the ACM Awards through its 60th anniversary in 2025.

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In collaboration with Prime Video and producer Dick Clark Productions (DCP), the 59th annual ACM Awards will again stream from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, with details regarding voting timeline, hosts, nominees, performers and more to roll out in the months ahead.

The renewal follows the 58th annual awards show, which was hosted by Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, drew in more than 7.7 million viewers on Prime Video, plus additional viewership across Amazon Music, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and Amazon Live. In 2022, the ACM Awards made history by becoming the first major awards show to exclusively stream live for a global audience.

“When Prime Video first streamed the ACM Awards in 2022, we were overwhelmed with the response from our global audience,” Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement. “After seeing last year’s show grow to more than 7.7 million viewers, we could not be more thrilled to continue our relationship with the Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions for the next two years, and especially through the show’s milestone 60th anniversary in 2025. We look forward to continuing the success and bringing even more star-studded and captivating shows to fans around the world.”

“The Academy is proud to extend our relationship with Amazon for the next two years, through the historic milestone of the 60th ACM Awards, and continue to bring Country Music’s Party of the Year live to a global audience on Prime Video,” Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside added in a statement. “Thanks to the biggest host pairing of all time, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, the comprehensive, cross-platform program with our partners at Prime Video and Amazon Music, and the dedicated fans in Texas and around the world, the May 2023 show was a groundbreaking success and illustrates that our pioneering and innovative move to streaming was absolutely the right one at the right time! We’re eager to see everyone back in Texas once again at the home of the Dallas Cowboys next May for another groundbreaking ACM Awards show!”

“The ACM Awards continues its legacy of celebrating the very best of country music, captivating audiences globally,” said Jay Penske, CEO, chairman and founder, Penske Media, and CEO of DCP. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners at the Academy of Country Music and Prime Video building together towards the show’s 60th anniversary in 2025.”

“We had the best time bringing the ACM Awards to country music fans last year,” said Ryan Redington, GM of Amazon Music. “The ACM Awards continue to shine a spotlight on talent with incredible performances year after year, and celebrate the artists, songwriters, and producers that make country music great. We look forward to bringing one of the biggest country music moments of the year to fans again in 2024.”

The 2023 ACM Awards was a two-hour concert event that featured 18 performances from 25 artists, with Chris Stapleton leading the evening’s top winners, receiving his first ACM entertainer of the year win. HARDY and Lainey Wilson earned four wins each during the evening, with Wilson’s wins including album of the year (for Bell Bottom Country) and female artist of the year, while HARDY took home honors including artist-songwriter of the year.

(DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.)

02 Nov 2023

Here’s Why Taylor Swift Loves ‘Legendary Empath’ Dolly Parton

Taylor Swift will always love Dolly Parton. In a new Hollywood Reporter profile on the 77-year-old country music legend, Swift was candid about all the reasons she admires Parton, who’s gearing up to release her first ever rock album — Rockstar — later this month.

“Dolly is a force of evolution and transformation in our industry, but she does it with such playful levity it almost looks effortless,” the pop star told the publication. “Her sense of humor and mischief are easily my favorite things about her, because I think it forces the world to reconcile that a woman can be a serious artist and writer who also has raucous fun with it, can make people laugh and be in on every joke.”

“She’s never stopped challenging herself to clear new hurdles and explore new territory artistically, and I think that speaks to her great curiosity about the human condition,” added Swift. “She’s a legendary empath and the storyteller for the ages. She’s also having the most fun doing it.”

The interview comes almost exactly a year after Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, an honor she was initially hesitant to accept because of her lack of experience in the rock genre. After her induction, the “Jolene” singer went on to craft Rockstar, a 30-track collection of originals and rock classics featuring guests such as Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Pink and more.

Swift’s love for Parton is mutual. Last year, after the 33-year-old “Anti-Hero” musician butted heads with Damon Albarn over his claim that she doesn’t write her own songs, Parton insisted that Swift is “a great writer — with or without anybody.” “I think she’s done great,” she said of Swift in an interview at the time. “She knows who she is and what she wants. And I’m the same way. I’m going to fight if it goes against what I feel is not right for me.”

02 Nov 2023

Dolly Parton Says She’s Turned Down Super Bowl Halftime Show ‘Many Times’

Dolly Parton has no problem saying no to big offers. Whether it’s giving a firm no thank you to Elvis Presley when his manager asked for the half the publishing on “I Will Always Love You” for the honor of the King recording her song to initially declining induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Parton isn’t afraid to stick to her guns.

Even when the NFL comes calling, which they have, several times. Parton told The Hollywood Reporter that she’s turned down playing the coveted Super Bowl halftime gig several times, and for very good reasons.

“Oh, sure. I’ve been offered that many times,” Parton told THR of turning her back on one of the most high-profile gigs in music. “I couldn’t do it because of other things, or I just didn’t think I was big enough to do it — to do that big of a production. When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I’ve never done anything with that big of a production. I don’t know if I could have. I think at the time that’s what I was thinking.”

Had Parton said yes, she would have joined a very small roster of country stars who’ve taken the stage for what is typically the highest-rated broadcast TV program of the year, a list that includes 1994’s “Rockin’ Country Sunday” line-up with Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna & Naomi Judd and Shania Twain (with No Doubt and Sting) in 2003.

But with her first-ever rock album, Rockstar, due out on Nov. 17, Parton said she’s thinking about blow-out performances in a much different way. “It would make more sense,” she said of playing the blow-out gig that will host Usher on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. “That might change. I might be able to do a production show.”

The singer who has won 10 Grammys, been nominated for two Oscars and placed 25 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart is about to move into uncharted territory with the 30-song album, which features a handful of originals and collaborations on rock classics with everyone from Paul McCartney and Elton John to Stevie Nicks, Sting, Joan Jett, Ringo Starr, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Emmylou Harris, Lizzo, P!nk, Brandi Carlile and more.

After initially turning down the offer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because she said it didn’t feel like the right fit, Parton was inducted last year after gaining a better understanding of how the Hall works. “They’re going to put me in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and somebody like Meat Loaf or some of these other great artists never even made it?’ I didn’t want to take away from somebody that has spent their life in that world like I had spent mine in country [music],” she told THR.

But after learning how the invitation process works, and seeing the variety of acts who’ve been inducted, from rappers (Jay-Z, The Beastie Boys) to pop icons (Madonna, Janet Jackson) — not to mention this year’s class featuring fellow country legend Willie Nelson, rapper/producer Missy Elliott and late pop star George Michael — she now gets it. “They told me all the ways that people’s music has influenced other people around the world … and told me about other people that were in it besides rock. Then I accepted it,” she said.

“But I still didn’t feel great about it. I still thought I needed to earn it,” she said. “That’s why I thought, ‘Well, timing is perfect. There’s a real reason for me to do this rock ‘n’ roll album. Here I am a rock star at 77.’”