Music

21 Sep 2023

Watch Ed Sheeran Play a New ‘Autumn Variations’ Song Inspired by ‘Friends’ For Courtney Cox

Ed Sheeran provided another preview of his upcoming Autumn Variations album on Thursday morning (Sept. 21), posting a video on his socials in which he gives a command performance of the track to one of its A-list Hollywood subjects.

“Courtney, Courtney, Courtney. I wrote this song inspired by Friends, the show that you were on,” Sheeran explained in a shaky hand-held video to his longtime pal and former Friends star Courtney Cox. Hanging with Monica Geller in a kitchen, Sheeran then proceeded to play a bit of the track, “American Town,” on his acoustic guitar.

“We’re a long way from home/ Haven’t seen you in so long/ But it all came back in one moment/ And the year started cold/ But I didn’t notice at all/ When we found there’s a room we’re both in,” he crooned as Cox smiled along to the lyrics from the song that will appear on the Aaron Dessner-produced album due out on Sept. 29.

The lyrics in the pre-chorus really hinted at the ties to the beloved NBC sitcom that was a launched in 1994 and became a ratings juggernaut in the years before its final episode aired in May 2004. “We ate Chinese food in small white boxes/ Live the life we saw in Friends/ Your room it barely fits the mattress/ Wake up, leave for work again/ The wind it seems to blow right through us / Down jackets are the trend,” Sheeran sang before diving into the chorus about an “English girl in an American town,” an elevator that doesn’t go to the fifth floor, ringing the buzzer to let someone in and “dungarees over the hoodie.”

“Wait, that was really about the show Friends?,” Cox asked after the performance. Well, inspired by it, Sheeran clarified. “Cuz you eat Chinese food in small white boxes.” Cox said she loved it, but also, she wondered, “do I get paid?”

The “American Town” preview came just days after Sheeran revealed that he will also release a surprise secret live version of Variations that he recorded in fans’ living rooms across the country; no release date has been announced for what will be Sheeran’s third new album of 2023. Sheeran will perform Variations in full during two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 18-19; the North American leg of his Mathematics tour will wrap on Saturday (Sept. 23) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Listen to “American Town” below.

21 Sep 2023

Breaking Down the ‘Jaw-Dropping’ Lawsuit That Has All of Reggaeton in Its Sights

Even if you don’t know the name or the backstory, you probably know the sound: Boom-ch-boom-chick, boom-ch-boom-chick, boom-ch-boom-chick. Listen to pretty much any reggaetón song, and you’ll hear that infectious percussion — dubbed the dembow rhythm — playing underneath. That single key element, a historian of the genre once wrote, “underpins the vast majority of reggaetón tracks as an almost required sonic signpost.”

There was nothing controversial about that fact until 2021, when lawyers for the Jamaican duo Steely & Clevie — Cleveland “Clevie” Browne and the estate of the late Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson — filed a copyright lawsuit over the origins of dembow. In it, they argued that the rhythm was ultimately derived from a single song, called “Fish Market,” that the pair wrote in 1989.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=_Hxx_56Cy_o&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

When it was first filed, the lawsuit targeted only two tracks and a few artists. But the implication was clear: if their argument was valid, hundreds of artists across reggaetón — a genre that has risen from an underground fusion of rap, dancehall and reggae in the clubs of San Juan, Puerto, Rico, to the very apex of the music industry in the past decade — would also have infringed Steely & Clevie’s intellectual property.

Now, two years later, those stakes are no longer theoretical. The duo’s lawyers are suing more than 150 different artists, including Bad Bunny, Karol G, Pitbull, Drake, Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber, plus units of all three major music companies. They claim that over 1,800 reggaetón songs featuring iterations of the dembow rhythm were, at root, illegally copied from “Fish Market” — and that their clients deserve monetary compensation for them.

If that sounds both unusual and potentially disruptive to you, music law experts would agree.

“This case is jaw-dropping — the plaintiffs are suing over a hundred artists for over a thousand songs, 30 years after the release of their song,” says Jennifer Jenkins, a professor at Duke University School of Law who has written a history of musical borrowing and regulation. “If they win, this would confer a monopoly over an entire genre, something unprecedented in music copyright litigation.”

Musical pioneers

Legal claims aside, nobody really disputes that the genealogy of dembow leads back to Steely & Clevie, a legendary duo who are widely credited with playing an influential role in the evolution of Jamaican music. When Steely died in 2009, The New York Times said he had perhaps “participated in more sessions than anyone else in the history of reggae.”

According to most experts, the story goes like this: Aspects of Steely & Clevie’s “Fish Market” were incorporated into a 1990 song called “Dem Bow” by the artist Shabba Ranks, which itself was then re-used by producer Dennis “The Menace” Thompson in another 1990 song called “Dub Mix II.” It was this track that was then heavily sampled and interpolated in the early days of reggaetón, providing an essential rhythmic element to the nascent genre. According to an article by Wayne Marshall, a historian of Caribbean music and a professor at Berklee College of Music, that portion from “Dub Mix II” has since “provided the basis for hundreds if not thousands of other tracks.”

Over the decades that followed, reggaetón blossomed into a global sensation. With roots in the Panamanian “reggae en espanol” movement and then evolving with Puerto Rican trailblazers like Ivy Queen and DJ Nelson, reggaetón exploded onto the world stage with Daddy Yankee’s 2004 breakout single, “Gasolina,” which spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100. The genre then rose to new heights in 2017 with Luis Fonsi’s mega-hit “Despacito,” which topped the Hot 100 for a record-tying 16 weeks. And last year, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti became the first Latin album to finish as the No. 1 Billboard 200 album of the year after ruling the chart for 13 nonconsecutive weeks. According to Billboard Boxscore, he also grossed a record-setting $435 million across two tours — El Último Tour del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour — cementing his place as one of pop’s biggest stars.

All of it, according to Steely & Clevie’s lawsuit, on the backs of their intellectual property.

A growing case

The duo first headed to federal court April 2021, accusing Panamanian reggaetón artist and producer El Chombo of infringing “Fish Market” with his “Dame tu Cosita,” a 2018 hit that reached No. 36 on the Hot 100. The suit also named Karol G and Pitbull, who later released a remix of the track.

In their complaint, the lawyers for Steely & Clevie said the “primary rhythm and drum sections” of “Dame tu Cosita” were pulled directly from the earlier song: “At no point did defendants seek or obtain authorization from plaintiffs to use ‘Fish Market’ in connection with the infringing works.”

When the case was first filed, few people took notice. But the lawsuit quickly grew. In October 2021, Steely & Clevie added 10 more songs to the case, including Fonsi’s “Despacito.” In May 2022, they alleged that an additional 44 songs had infringed “Fish Market,” including Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina.” By September 2022, the lawsuit had ballooned: More than 150 total defendant-artists, including Bad Bunny, accused of releasing a staggering 1,800 infringing songs.

The newer versions of the lawsuit also claimed broader intellectual property rights. In the original, Steely & Clevie claimed only to own a copyright to “Fish Market” itself; as the case evolved, they claimed they also owned rights to “Dem Bow” and “Dub Mix II,” the later songs that utilized “Fish Market.”

In the most recent version of the complaint, filed in April, it takes a full 25 pages to list out all of the defendants, which also include units of Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Other notable defendants include Anitta, Becky G, Maluma, Tainy, Rauw Alejandro, and Enrique Iglesias, as well as companies BMG Rights Management, Hipgnosis and Kobalt.

Over a whopping 228 pages, the document lays out how each song, like “Despacito,” allegedly infringed what it calls “groundbreaking” drum and bass patterns in the earlier songs.

“The rhythm section of ‘Despacito’ and the ‘Despacito Remix’ copies original elements of the ‘Fish Market’ rhythm section,” Steely & Clevie’s lawyers wrote. “The musical backbones of ‘Despacito’ and the ‘Despacito Remix’ are substantially similar, if not virtually identical, to ‘Fish Market.’”

“Monopolistic”? Or “sensationalist”?

A trial on all those allegations is still years away, even in the fastest scenario. But this past summer, the attorneys representing the artists and labels have been trying to make sure it never gets there.

In a motion filed in June, Bad Bunny’s lawyer Kenneth D. Freundlich demanded that the case be dismissed immediately, calling it a “transparent” attempt by Steely & Clevie to “stake monopolistic control over the reggaetón genre.”

“Plaintiffs’ [lawsuit] impermissibly seeks to monopolize practically the entire reggaetón musical genre for themselves by claiming copyright ownership of certain legally irrelevant and/or unprotectable, purported musical composition elements,” Freundlich wrote for his superstar client.

When the lawsuit’s allegations are “defrocked” of their “façade,” Bad Bunny’s lawyer wrote, all that is left is a simple rhythm itself — and “courts have been consistent in finding rhythm to be unprotectable.”

The majority of the other defendants named in Steely & Clevie’s lawsuit (including Anitta, Pitbull, Karol G, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee, Fonsi, Bieber, units of all three majors and more than 70 other defendants) are represented by a single team of lawyers from the law firm Pryor Cashman. That’s the same firm, and some of the same lawyers, that won Ed Sheeran’s big copyright trial in May.

In their motion, the Pryor lawyers echoed Bad Bunny’s genre-monopoly arguments, but they also claimed that the size of the case had turned it into a procedural disaster — a confusing mess in which nobody knows exactly what they’re accused of doing wrong. They said Steely & Clevie had failed to satisfy “the fundamental elements of a copyright infringement claim.”

“The [complaint] is a ‘shotgun pleading’ filled with conclusory allegations that lump defendants together, making it impossible for defendants to determine what each is alleged to have done, what works are at issue and what in those works is allegedly infringing,” the attorneys wrote.

In their own response filings, Steely & Clevie remained undeterred. In an August filing, they argued that the gripes about the size and complexity of the case were unfounded — and that the scale of the lawsuit actually underscored the central point of their allegations.

“While the copyists are legion here, they certainly did copy, and the sheer amount of copying proves the creative and original nature of plaintiffs’ work,” wrote the duo’s lawyers from the Los Angeles-based law firm Doniger/Burroughs. “Defendants want to exploit plaintiffs’ creativity to build careers and reap financial success while denying plaintiffs their just credit and compensation.”

And in a separate response to Bad Bunny’s filing, Steely & Clevie’s attorneys blasted the accusation that they were aiming to own an entire genre of music.

“In the end, Bad Bunny’s motion boils down to a sensationalist, unsupported suggestion that this case somehow ties up the reggaetón genre. Not so,” the duo’s lawyers wrote. “To be sure, the unauthorized copying of the Fish Market pattern now is widespread — copying that necessitated this case. But Bad Bunny cites no authority for the proposition that widespread copying of an original work somehow renders that work unprotectable.”

A hearing before a federal judge, where those arguments will be tested in open court, is set for Friday. Attorneys for both sides declined to comment.

“A pretty wild claim”

With just about every artist in one of the industry’s hottest genres now facing the possibility of copyright liability over a core part of their music, Steely & Clevie’s case could pose something of an existential problem for reggaetón. Artists who want to make songs in the future featuring a similar rhythm would need to ask (and pay for) permission to do so for decades to come — that is, if the case is ultimately successful.

Some copyright experts are skeptical. “This is a case that zeros in on a particular beat that characterizes an entire genre, and they’re basically saying, you can trace it all back to our song, and a piece of everything that flows from that belongs to us,” says Peter DiCola, a professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law who has written extensively about music sampling. “I think that’s a pretty wild claim.”

Part of what makes the “Fish Market” case unusual is the long delay. Steely & Clevie waited 30 years to sue, as an entire world of music built up around a rhythm that they now claim to own — no doubt leading some reggaetón artists to think, perhaps reasonably, that dembow was fair game.

But even if that delay seems vaguely unfair, it’s probably not a great defense. In a 2014 case over the movie Raging Bull, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there are essentially no time limits to bringing a copyright suit. That decision directly sparked a battle over Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” decades after it was released, as well as many other lawsuits over years-old allegations of infringement.

Instead, the harder questions posed by Steely & Clevie’s case concern the dividing line between historical acknowledgment and exclusive legal ownership. Music historians don’t doubt that Steely & Clevie played a key role in reggaetón’s evolution, but does that entitle them, decades later, to control a crucial part of an entire genre? Put another way, the real question — and it’s potentially a multi-billion-dollar question — is whether they can claim a copyright on the dembow rhythm.

In the abstract, sure. Rhythms are just collections of sounds arranged creatively, like the melodies and lyrics that are clearly covered by copyrights. But in reality, U.S. courts have been hesitant to extend protection to musical elements like rhythms, chord progressions and song structures. Earlier cases have declared them either simply too unoriginal for copyright coverage, or ruled they are “scènes à faire” — a copyright law term for stock elements of a given genre that anyone is entitled to use.

Recent legal battles over music have been dismissed with rulings that the accuser could not claim a monopoly on basic “building blocks” of songs. Led Zeppelin won a case involving “Stairway to Heaven” in 2020, followed by a similar decision in 2022 on Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse.” In May, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that accused Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” of infringing Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” saying the case — over a chord progression and harmonic rhythm – was seeking an “impermissible monopoly over a basic musical building block.”

Legal experts wonder if the claims about dembow may face similar limitations.

“All credit to them for being really talented musicians,” DiCola says. “But this thing that they’ve created, this common element that runs through as kind of the DNA of these reggaetón tracks — is that really something anyone can own? To me, it seems very much like a basic building block.”

21 Sep 2023

Quavo Steps Up Advocacy Against Gun Violence After Takeoff’s Shooting Death

The trauma Migos rapper Quavo suffered after witnessing his nephew Takeoff being gunned down last year is a disturbing sight he doesn’t want anyone else to experience.

Through his pain, Quavo found his purpose as a vocal advocate against gun violence. He met privately with some powerful political figures including Vice President Kamala Harris then later spoke on a panel about combating the issue during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in Washington on Wednesday (Sept. 20).

The Grammy-nominated rapper said Takeoff’s untimely death in 2022 ultimately convinced him to speak up. “I feel like your calling comes at the least expected times,” said Quavo, who also honored his nephew with their Migos bandmate Offset during the BET Awards earlier this summer.

Police say Takeoff was an innocent bystander who was shot outside a Houston bowling alley after a disagreement over a lucrative dice game led to gunfire. Takeoff’s death was the latest in a string of fatal shootings in recent years that involved hip-hop stars such as Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, PnB Rock and Young Dolph.

“You don’t think nothing is going to happen,” Quavo continued. “I need to step up to the plate and hit a homerun. I have to do something about it, so it won’t happen to the masses — especially in our culture. I don’t want this to happen to the next person. I want to knock down these percentages.”

Quavo joined a panel discussion Wednesday alongside Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, Rep. Lucy McBath — whose activism was propelled after the shooting death of her teenage son — and Greg Jackson of the Community Justice Action Fund. It was a solutions-oriented conversation on community intervention strategies, the battle with gun violence and the power in advocacy.

Earlier, Quavo arrived at the conference hand-in-hand with his sister Titania Davenport, the mother of Takeoff. After Quavo met with Harris, the vice president praised the rapper and Davenport’s “call for action” to prevent gun violence.

“We need to do better with the control of guns,” Quavo said. “We need to figure out how do we keep these types of incidents from happening to people going anywhere and thinking they can hurt somebody where it shouldn’t happen.”

After Takeoff’s shooting, Quavo often asked himself “How do we use (guns) safely?”

“And how do you keep them out of the hands of people that make bad decisions?” he said. “I’m kind of in a half-and-half place. Even police have guns. Unfortunately, some of the people in our culture and loved ones have been lost to police brutality. It’s all about choices and how we can put a filter on who can use these guns.”

Jackson said Quavo’s voice could make a difference. He applauded the rapper for sitting down with members of Congress, offering his firsthand insights and putting the pressure on them for impactful change.

“His voice and commitment around community violence intervention could provide more resources for those who are most at risk,” said Jackson, whose Community Justice organization hosted Quavo for a day of advocacy. They are both pushing for passing of the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which would provide a $6.5 billion federal grant to communities to curb gun violence, create prevention programs, job training and workforce development for youths.

Jackson, who was shot in 2013, said combating gun violence has become personal for him.

“It’s what we need,” Jackson said. “With gun violence, in order to change it, we have to change the behavior just as aggressively as we focus on safety and ownership and access. But we can’t change behavior if our communities don’t have the resources they need, and our youth is being overlooked and forgotten.”

So far, Quavo has taken the right steps forward: Last year, the rapper and his family launched the Rocket Foundation in honor of Takeoff and he committed $2 million to invest in community violence intervention. He aspires to develop more after school programs in areas where community centers have been shut down and basketball goal rims were taken down.

Quavo says it’s imperative to keep the youth busy with productive activities in a safe environment. He’s already reached out to some in the hip-hop community for support including rapper Meek Mill, who’s been active with criminal justice reform.

But Quavo says he knows he needs more political backing to streamline much-needed resources to the less fortunate.

“I feel like after going to the White House, I need resources,” he said. “I need a bag of goodies, so I can take back and say ‘Here, this is for the culture.’ We have that extension cord. We are plugged into that type of environment. I don’t think no one else in our stature is that connected. In order for things to change, we need resources.”

21 Sep 2023

Duran Duran And Nile Rodgers Take a Dance In the ‘Black Moonlight’: Stream It Now

When Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers and Andy Taylor get together, hits happen.

Rodgers, the New York City-born guitarist, producer and co-founder of seminal disco-era R&B band Chic, was a hero to the members of Duran Duran long before they got to work together.

Legend has it, the British new wave band heard INXS’ “Original Sin” on rotation at a party hosted in Melbourne by Aussie music TV broadcaster Molly Meldrum. Rodgers produced “Original Sin,” and, after that night, he was invited to work on Duran Duran’s 1984 single “The Reflex.” The result was a smash that led sales charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Rodgers and DD would stay tight through the years, working on multiple projects in the studio (including “Wild Boys,” plus the Notorious, Astronaut and Paper Gods albums) and on stage.

In the small hours of Thursday morning, Sept. 21, the latest addition to that decades-long musical alliance entered the world in the form of “Black Moonlight.”

The second release from the Rock Hall-inducted band’s forthcoming 16th studio album Danse Macabre, “Black Moonlight” is the sound of classic Duran Duran, its rhythm and groove infused by Rodgers, who is credited as producer, guitarist and co-composer.

The funk is so thick, you could carve it.

Andy Taylor, lead guitarist in the classic DD lineup, reunites with his old bandmates on “Black Moonlight,” for guitar and sound engineer duties. It was Taylor’s rock edge that helped DD reach the summit of the popular music mountain in the first half of the 1980s.

Danse Macabre is due out Oct. 27 on Tape Modern via BMG, and features guest spots with Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin, producer Mr. Hudson and former guitarist Warren Cuccurullo.

“Black Moonlight” is the second of three new songs, and is the followup to the LP’s title track, which dropped late last month and includes contributions from Andy Taylor and Cuccurullo.

The concept album is said to be the soundtrack to Duran Duran’s “ultimate Halloween party” and includes covers of Billie Eilish’s “Bury A Friend,” Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Spellbound,” The Specials’ “Ghost Town” and more.

Next up, a performance Friday night (Sept. 22) at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens with Nile Rodgers + Chic, and Bastille.

Stream “Black Moonlight” below.

21 Sep 2023

Six60, The Beths, Bic Runga Win Big at 2023 Rolling Stone NZ Awards

Stadium rockers Six60 strutted their stuff with best record honors while Bic Runga was confirmed as an “icon” at the 2023 Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards, held Wednesday, Sept. 20 at Auckland’s Matthew-In-The-City.

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The Auckland band, which played filled stadiums up and down the country during the pandemic, when most other countries were stuck in lockdown, won for Castle St., their fourth studio album.

Also on the night, indie act the Beths took out the global award, judged by the music title’s global team to acknowledge the Kiwi artist “they just can’t get enough of,” reads a statement.

Reggae outfit L.A.B. snagged best single for “Take It Away,” and COTERIE, based on Australia’s west coast and formed around the core of Māori brothers Tyler, Joshua, Brandford and Conrad Fisher, took out the best new artist category – and completed their victory lap with a live performance.

Now in its second year, the Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards celebrates New Zealand’s finest.

The star of the night was, naturally, Bic Runga, who received the prestigious Rolling Stone Icon Award, and performed for the gathering.

Following the release of her debut single, “Drive”, in 1996, Runga (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) has won almost every major musical honor in her homeland, including the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll Songwriting Award. She has won 20 Tui Awards (New Zealand Music Awards), more than any individual, including best female vocalist on four occasions. Bic’s first LP Drive was certified seven-times platinum and contained the hit “Sway”.

“The fact that we are here, tonight, once again, honoring Aotearoa music and celebrating so many of you that have joined us here… it’s not something I take lightly,” Poppy Reid, The Brag Media’s editor-in-chief, told guests.

She continued, “there’s one thing that I would love all of the nominees in the room tonight to know, and it’s that your music has been listened to, and judged by the best, most influential music critics in the world, because Rolling Stone’s global editors took part in the judging process.”

For those who went home empty handed, Reid added, “please know that your music is now on the radar of some of the leading voices in music journalism.”

Rolling Stone AU/NZ is published by Sydney-based The Brag Media, whose portfolio of titles includes Tone Deaf, The Music Network, and Variety Australia. Brewery Panhead returned as headline sponsor for the awards.

2023 Panhead Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards Winners:

Best Record

Six60 – Castle St (WINNER)

Princess Chelsea – Everything Is Going To Be Alright

COTERIE – Coterie

The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field

TE KAAHU – Te Kaahu O Rangi

Marlon Williams – My Boy

Fazerdaze – Break!

Stan Walker – All In

Best Single

L.A.B. – ‘Take It Away’ (WINNER)

Daily J ft. Boo Seeka – ‘Lost In Time’

lilbubblegum – ‘af1’

Princess Chelsea – ‘Forever Is A Charm’

SXMPRA feat. Ski Mask the Slump God – ‘COWBELL WARRIORS!’

Tami Neilson – ‘Beyond The Stars’ ft Willie Nelson

Kaylee Bell – ‘Boots N All’

Fazerdaze – ‘Break!’

Best New Artist

COTERIE (WINNER)

Georgia Lines

Hanbee

TE KAAHU

Luca George

Teo Glacier

33 Below

NO CIGAR

Rolling Stone Global Award

The Beths (WINNER)

UMO 

Six60

Bic Runga

BENEE 

Mitch James

MELODOWNZ

L.A.B. 

Rolling Stone Icon Award

Bic Runga (WINNER)

20 Sep 2023

2023 ARIA Awards Nominations: The Complete List

Genesis Owusu leads with way with seven nominations for the 2023 ARIA Awards, ahead of Troye Sivan, Kylie Minogue, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and others.

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Born in Ghana and raised in Australia’s capital, Canberra, Owusu has dominated awards ceremonies in these parts since the release of his dynamite debut from 2021, Smiling With No Teeth. It could be a situation of history repeating with Struggler, his sophomore album, which is up for album of the year, best hip hop/rap release, best independent release and more at the ARIAs. Struggler has already collected hardware, snapping up independent song of the year, for “Get Inspired,” at the 2023 AIR Awards.

The set, which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart in August, also earns Owusu an ARIAs nod for best solo artist, a stacked category that features the likes of Minogue, Sivan and The Kid LAROI.

Close behind on the nominations count is Dom Dolla, G Flip and Sivan, each with six chances; while Budjerah and DMA’S are up for five, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Minogue and The Teskey Brothers are nominated in four categories; while Amy Shark, Brad Cox, Cub Sport, Dan Sultan, Matt Corby and Peach PRC nab a hattrick of nods.

Set for Nov. 15, the ARIAs return to Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion for the second successive year.

“With over 60% of this year’s nominees coming from independent labels,” comments ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd, “we’re excited to celebrate success stories from across the Australian music industry, and showcase exactly what we’ve got to the rest of the country and the world.” Leading the way is indie powerhouse Mushroom Group, whose labels roster accumulates 20 nominations (DMA’S, Minogue, The Teskey Brothers, Sultan, Julia Jacklin, Lastlings, Alex Lahey & Gordi).

“Congratulations again to everyone nominated,” adds Herd, “we can’t wait to celebrate with you in November.”

Those celebrations will include an ARIA Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the first since 2020. As previously reported, Jet is this year’s honoree, with the four-piece rock group tapped on the 20th anniversary of their debut album Get Born.

The 37th annual ARIAs, the Australian recording industry’s flagship awards ceremony, will premiere live on Stan for the first time (from 5pm local time). That live stream will be followed by a free-to-air feed from commercial TV broadcaster the Nine Network (from 7.30pm local time) with performances and moments available on-demand on the @ARIA.official YouTube channel.

The 2023 edition marks the fifth year in partnership with streaming giant YouTube, an alliance which has reached some 29 million views. Last year’s awards captured more than 1.7 million views on the platform, according to YouTube, which will also live stream the red carpet globally.

2023 ARIA Awards nominations:

Album of the Year

DMA’S – How Many Dreams? (I OH YOU/Mushroom)

G Flip – DRUMMER (Future Classic)

Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER (OURNESS/AWAL RECORDINGS)

Matt Corby – Everything’s Fine (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

The Teskey Brothers – The Winding Way (Ivy League Records/Mushroom Group)

Best Solo Artist

Budjerah – 2step – Ed Sheeran (Feat. Budjerah) (Warner Music Australia)

Dan Sultan – Dan Sultan (Liberation Records)

Dom Dolla – Eat Your Man (Three Six Zero/Sony Music)

G Flip – DRUMMER (Future Classic)

Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER (OURNESS/AWAL RECORDINGS)

Jen Cloher – I Am The River, The River Is Me (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)

Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam (Liberator Music/Mushroom)

Meg Mac – Matter Of Time (EMI Music Australia)

The Kid LAROI – Love Again (Columbia/Sony Music)

Troye Sivan – Rush (EMI Music Australia)

Best Group presented by Stan

Cub Sport – Jesus At The Gay Bar (BLVE/RKT)

DMA’S – How Many Dreams? (I OH YOU/Mushroom)

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth… (Virgin Music Australia)

Parkway Drive – Darker Still (Parkway Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia)

The Teskey Brothers – The Winding Way (Ivy League Records/Mushroom Group)

Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist

Charley – TIMEBOMBS (EMI Music Australia)

grentperez – When We Were Younger (Fast Friends/AWAL Records)

Pacific Avenue – Flowers (BMG)

Royal Otis – Sofa Kings (OURNESS)

Teenage Dads – Midnight Driving (Chugg Music/MGM)

Best Pop Release

Amy Shark – Can I Shower At Yours (Sony Music)

Budjerah – Therapy (Warner Music Australia)

Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam (Liberator Music/Mushroom)

Peach PRC – Perfect For You (Republic Records & Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Troye Sivan – Rush (EMI Music Australia)

Best Dance / Electronic Release

FISHER & Aatig – Take It Off (etcetc Music)

Golden Features – Sisyphus (Warner Music Australia)

Lastlings – Perfect World (Liberation Records)

MK and Dom Dolla – Rhyme Dust (Area 10/Big On Blue/Sony Music UK)

PNAU and Troye Sivan – You Know What I Need (etcetc Music)

Best Hip Hop / Rap Release

Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER (OURNESS/AWAL RECORDINGS)

KAHUKX – NOTHING TO SOMETHING (AURA Entertainment/ADA)

Kerser – A Gift & A Kers (ABK Records/ADA)

ONEFOUR Feat. CG – Comma’s (Independent Releases/Tunecore (AU/NZ)/Ditto (ROW)

TKay Maidza and Flume – Silent Assassin (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)

Best Soul / R&B Release

Chanel Loren – Rollin’ (Sony Music)

Forest Claudette – Mess Around (feat. EARTHGANG) (Sony Music)

Jade Weazel – Skin (EMI Music Australia)

KYE – Ribena (Sony Music)

PANIA – P STANDS 4 PLAYA (Say Less)

Best Independent Release presented by PPCA

Cub Sport – Jesus At The Gay Bar (BLVE/RKT)

Dan Sultan – Dan Sultan (Liberation Records)

G Flip – DRUMMER (Future Classic)

Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER (OURNESS/AWAL RECORDINGS)

Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam (Liberator Music/Mushroom)

Best Rock Album

Bad//Dreems – Hoo Ha! (BMG/ADA)

DMA’S – How Many Dreams? (I OH YOU/Mushroom)

G Flip – DRUMMER (Future Classic)

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushroom and Lava (Virgin Music Australia)

Pacific Avenue – Flowers (BMG)

Best Adult Contemporary Album

Alex Lahey – The Answer Is Always Yes (Liberation Records)

Dan Sultan – Dan Sultan (Liberation Records)

Kate Ceberano – My Life Is A Symphony (ABC Music/The Orchard)

Mo’Ju – ORO, PLATA, MATA (Virgin Music Australia)

Tina Arena – Love Saves (Positive Dream/ADA)

Best Country Album

Brad Cox – Acres (Sony Music)
Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley – Up, Down & Sideways (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Fanny Lumsden – Hey Dawn (Cooking Vinyl Australia/The Orchard)

Henry Wagons – South Of Everywhere (Cheatin’ Hearts Records/Spunk Records)

The Wolfe Brothers – Livin’ The Dream (BMG/ADA)

Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album

DZ Deathrays – R.I.F.F (DZ Worldwide/The Orchard)

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth… (Virgin Music Australia)

Parkway Drive – Darker Still (Parkway Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia)

The Amity Affliction – Not Without My Ghosts (Warner Music Australia)

These New South Whales – TNSW (Damaged Records/Inertia Music)

Best Blues & Roots Album

Cash Savage and The Last Drinks – So This Is Love (Mistletone)

Katie Wighton – The End (ABC Music/The Orchard)

The Bamboos – Live At Hamer Hall With The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (BMG/ADA)

The Teskey Brothers – The Winding Way (Ivy League Records/Mushroom Group)

Ziggy Alberts – DANCING IN THE DARK (Commonfolk Records/Ingrooves)

Best Children’s Album

Emma Memma – Emma Memma (GYROstream)

Peter Combe – Planet Earth 3rd From The Sun (Universal Music Australia)

Play School – Very Jazzy Street Party (ABC Music/The Orchard)
The Wiggles – Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (ABC Music/The Orchard)

Whistle & Trick – Bananas And Other Delicious Things (ABC Kids/The Orchard)

PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS

Best Video presented by YouTube

Can I Shower At Yours – Amy Shark, Mitch Green (Sony Music)

Everybody’s Saying Thursday’s The Weekend – DMA’S, Joel Burrows (I OH YOU/Mushroom)

Gila Monster – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Spod (Virgin Music Australia)

Give You Love – Jessica Mauboy (feat. Jason Derulo), Rowena Rasmussen; Joel Rasmussen (Warner Music Australia)

Good Enough – G Flip, Kyle Caulfield (Future Classic)

LOLA – MAY-A, Murli Dhir (Arcadia Music, Sony Music)

Lookin’ Out – King Stingray, Sam Brumby (Cooking Vinyl Australia, The Orchard)

Manic Dream Pixie – Peaches PRC, Kyle Caulfield (Republic Records and Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Stay Blessed – Genesis Owusu, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore (OURNESS/AWAL RECORDINGS)

Therapy – Budjerah, Murli Dhir, Made In Katana Studios (Warner Music Australia)

Best Australian Live Act

Baker Boy – Regional Vic Tour (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Brad Cox – ACRES TOUR (Sony Music)

Budjerah – Budjerah Australian Tour (Warner Music Australia)

DMA’S – DMA’S Live at Falls Festival (I OH YOU/Mushroom)

Dom Dolla – Dom Dolla Australian Summer Festival Tour (Three Six Zero/Sony Music)

G Flip – DRUMMER Australian Tour (Future Classic)

Julia Jacklin – PRE PLEASURE TOUR (Liberation Records)

King Stingray – That’s Where I Wanna Be Tour (Cooking Vinyl Australia/The Orchard)

RÜFÜS DU SOL – RÜFÜS DU SOL AUSTRALIAN 2022 TOUR (Rose Avenue Records/Warner Music)

Tame Impala – Slow Rush Tour (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Song of the Year presented by YouTube

Budjerah – Therapy (Warner Music Australia)

Day1 feat. KAHUKX – MBAPPÉ (db Music/Warner Music Australia)

Dean Lewis – How Do I Say Goodbye (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Joji – Die For You (88rising/Warner Records)

Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam (Liberator Music/Mushroom)

Luude and Mattafix – Big City Life (Sweat It Out/Warner Music Australia)

MK and Dom Dolla – Rhyme Dust (Area10/Big On Blue/Sony Music UK)

R3hab and Amy Shark – Sway My Way (Wonderlick/Kobalt Music Publishing)

The Kid LAROI – Love Again (Columbia/Sony Music)
Troye Sivan – Rush (EMI Music Australia)

Most Popular International Artist

Beyonce – Renaissance (Columbia/Sony Music)

Drake and 21 Savage – Her Loss (Republic Records/Universal Music Australia)

Ed Sheeran – (Atlantic UK/Warner Music Australia)

Luke Combs – Gettin’ Old (Columbia Nashville/Sony Music)

Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains (Republic Records/Universal Music Australia)

Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time (Mercury Nashville/Universal Music Australia)

Nicki Minaj – Queens Radio (Universal Records USA/Universal Music Australia)

P!NK – Trustfall (RCA/Sony Music)

SZA – SOS (RCA/Sony Music)

Taylor Swift – Midnights (Universal Records USA/Universal Music Australia)

Telstra ARIA Music Teacher Award

Hank Lewerissa – Upper Coomera State College, Yugambeh Country, Gold Coast, QLD

Jessie Copeman – Ainslie School, Ngunnawal Country, Canberra, ACT

Peter Earl – The Music Guy, Dharug and Gundungurra Country, Blue Mountains, NSW

Sue Lowry – Southport Special School, Yugambeh Country, Gold Coast, QLD

ARTISAN AWARDS

Best Cover Art

Connor Dewhurst for Brad Cox – ACRES (Sony Music)

Harry Allen – Studio Balcony for Private Function – 370HSSV 0773H (Still on Top Records)

Jeremy Koren (Grey Ghost) – Everything Was Green – Forest Claudette (Sony Music)

Peach PRC, Billy Zammit for Manic Dream Pixie – Peach PRC  (Republic Records & Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Sam Netterfiled, Mia Rankin – Jesus At The Gay Bar – Cub Sport (BLVE/RKT)

Engineer – Best Engineered Release

Dann Hume, Chris Collins, Matt Corby for Matt Corby – Everything’s Fine (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla – Eat Your Man (Three Six Zero/Sony Music)

Eric J Dobowsky, Sam Teskey, Wayne Connelly for The Teskey Brothers – The Winding Way (Ivy League Records/Mushroom Group)

Simon Cohen, Dave Hammer for Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER (OURNESS/AWAL RECORDINGS)

Styalz Fuego for Troye Sivan – Rush (EMI Music Australia)

Producer – Best Produced Release presented by Neumann

Andrew Klippel and Dave Hammer for Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER(OURNESS/AWAL RECORDINGS)

Dom Dolla for Dom Dolla – Eat Your Man (Three Six Zero/Sony Music)

Matt Corby, Chris Collins, Nat Dunn, Alex Henrikssen for Matt Corby – Everything’s Fine (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)

M-Phazes for Ruel – 4th Wall (RCA/Sony Music)

Styalz Fuego for Troye Sivan – Rush (EMI Music Australia)

FINE ARTS AWARD

Best Classical Album

Australian Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tognetti – Indies & Idols (ABC Classic/The Orchard)

Ensemble Offspring – To Listen, To Sing – Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers (ABC Classic/The Orchard)

Neil Gaiman and FourPlay String Quartet – Signs Of Life (Instrumental Recordings/Inertia Music)

Roger Benedict and Simon Tedeschi – Dubussy – Ravel (ABC Classic/The Orchard)

Various Artists – Genevieve Lacey: Breathing Space (ABC Classic/The Orchard)

Best Jazz Album

Lance Gurisik – Cull Portal (33 Sides/Inertia Music)

Mike Nock – Hearing (ABC Jazz/The Orchard)

Sinj Clarke – The Height Of Love (Inertia Music)

Surprise Chef – Education & Recreation (Big Crown Records/Inertia Music)

The Vampires featuring Chris Abrahams – Nightjar (Earshift/Planet)

Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album presented by Stan

Brett Aplin and Burkhard Dallwitz – Splice Here: A Projected Odyssey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Independent)

Helena Czajka – Unseen Skies (Original Score Soundtrack) (BMG)

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra/Benjamin Northey – Blueback – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack By Nigel Westlake (ABC Classic/The Orchard)

Sophie Payton (GORDI), Jason Fernandez – RIDE – Music From the Film (ABC Music/The Orchard)

Various Artists – John Farnham: Finding The Voice (Music From The Feature Documentary) (Wheatley Records/Sony Music)

Best World Music Album

Byron Mark – Odyssey (Bug Sonic Records)

East of West – Moving Home (East of West Music)

Joseph Tawadros – Those Who Came Before Us (Independent/The Planet Company)

Mick Dick – Id of RA (Crusty Dub)

Songs of Disappearance – Australian Frog Calls (Bowerbird Collective/MGM)

OUR SOUNDTRACK OUR ADS

Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement (duration of 2 minutes or less)

Google: Helping You Help Others – 72andSunny, Baker Boy

Tourism Australia: Come and Say G’Day – M&C Saatchi Sydney, King Stingray

Tourism WA: Walking On A Dream – The Brand Agency, Empire Of The Sun

Wilk Turkey: Music 101 –  BRING Agency, Matt Corby

Best Use of an Australian Recording in an Advertisement (over 2 minutes duration)

Australian Marine Conservation Society: Voice of the Sea – INNOCEAN Australia, John Williamson

Sim Sessions: Blessed – Bolster Group, Becca Hatch

Tourism Australian: G’day Short Film – M&C Saatchi Sydney, King Stingray

Vodka Cruiser: The Solo Project – BRING Agency, The Veronicas

20 Sep 2023

PinkPantheress Talks Touring With Olivia Rodrigo: ‘I Was Quite Nervous to Say Yes’

PinkPantheress says she’s “so excited” to hit the road with Olivia Rodrigo, championing the “Vampire” singer for helping to pave the way for young artists like herself. But while PinkPantheress was announced as an opening act for Rodrigo’s “GUTS World Tour” to much fanfare, the British singer and producer admits she was hesitant at first to sign on for the gig.

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“Obviously Olivia is way bigger than me, so at first, I was quite nervous to say yes,” she confesses. “But then I was like, ‘I feel like I need to do this.’ And then she texted me to say, ‘Thank you so much for saying yes! I can’t wait!’ and that has gotten me so excited.”

PinkPantheress says she first met Rodrigo over dinner in London in 2021 and the two immediately hit it off. “We’re both quite similar ages and so it was quite nice to meet someone in front of me who was my age and had the same type of interests and sense of humor,” PinkPantheress recalls. “We’ve had different experiences in the music industry, but she can still empathize with a lot of what I might be going through as a young person navigating the industry and everything.”

Another reason why she’s a fan of Rodrigo’s: “I recognize her as somebody that takes a break,” PinkPantheress says. “There are some people in the industry that like to be constantly surrounded by the limelight, but I feel like she’s one person that takes her time, and will take time out and really take a step back when she needs to, which is similar to me.”

PinkPantheress spoke to Billboard in New York last week before a performance to promote Bose’s new line of QuietComfort Ultra headphones and wireless earbuds. The “Boy’s a Liar” singer says she’s been a fan of Bose for years and so it was a no-brainer to partner with the company to help launch their new releases.

“I’m a producer, so even in the early days in the studio or at school, I remember using Bose products and I never even really questioned them as a brand,” she says. “There are certain brands that have been around for so long that they’re kind of like the standard, and we don’t even question where they came from because we’ve just always had it there. That’s how I feel about Bose.”

bose earbuds

Amazon

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Earbuds

$299.00

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds will be available beginning in October for $429 and $299 respectively. In addition to their noise-cancellation properties and comfortable fit, the new releases introduce Bose’s “Immersive Audio” technology, which creates a wider, more realistic soundstage so you feel like you’re right in the middle of the studio or concert. The result: music moves with you rather than being locked in a fixed position, so you’re always hearing the most accurate, detailed sound possible even when you’re on-the-go.

The headphones and earbuds are available to pre-order now.

20 Sep 2023

Tyler Childers, Bonnie Raitt & More Win at 2023 Americana Honors & Awards: Full List

Tyler Childers’ Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven was named album of the year at the 2023 Americana Honors & Awards, which were held Wednesday (Sept. 20) at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

The album consists of three discs, each containing different remixes of eight gospel music songs. The “Hallelujah” versions were recorded live in the studio; the “Jubilee” versions incorporate horn and string sections; and the “Joyful Noise” versions incorporate remixes and sampling. Three of the songs are public domain. Childers wrote the other five. The album reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 8 on the Billboard 200. It was Childers’ first top 10 album on the Billboard 200.

Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That” won song of the year, nearly eight months after it won in the same category at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. It’s the first song written by a solitary writer to win here since Jason Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires” five years ago.

Billy Strings won entertainer of the year for the second year in a row. He’s the first artist to win two years running since John Prine in 2017-18.

The War and Treaty won duo/group of the year last year for the second year in a row. They’re the first act to win two years running since the Avett Brothers in 2010-11. The husband-and-wife duo is up for vocal duo of the year at the upcoming CMA Awards.

S.G. Goodman won for best emerging act. Many previous winners have gone on to do very well, including The Avett Brothers (2007), Mumford & Sons (2011), Alabama Shakes (2012), Sturgill Simpson (2014) and Margo Price (2016), Amanda Shires (2017), Childers (2018), The War and Treaty (2019) and Black Pumas (2020).

The Americana Music Association also presented its lifetime achievement, trailblazer and legacy award honorees. The recipients were Grammy-winning artists Patty Griffin and Nickel Creek; Grammy-nominated artists The Avett Brothers and Bettye LaVette; and George Fontaine Sr., co-founder and owner of New West Records.

The program is the marquee event of AmericanaFest, which returned for its 23nd year on Sept. 19 and runs through Sept. 23.

Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2023 Americana Honors & Awards, with winners marked:

Album of the year

Big Time, Angel Olsen; Produced by Angel Olsen and Jonathan Wilson

WINNER: Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, Tyler Childers; Produced by Tyler Childers

El Bueno y el Malo, Hermanos Gutiérrez; Produced by Dan Auerbach

The Man from Waco, Charley Crockett; Produced by Bruce Robison

Strays, Margo Price; Produced by Margo Price and Jonathan Wilson

Song of the year

“Change of Heart,” Margo Price; Written by Jeremy Ivey, Margo Price

“I’m Just a Clown,” Charley Crockett; Written by Charley Crockett

WINNER: “Just Like That,” Bonnie Raitt; Written by Bonnie Raitt

“Something in the Orange,” Zach Bryan; Written by Zach Bryan

“You’re Not Alone,” Allison Russell featuring Brandi Carlile; Written by Allison Russell

Artist of the year

Charley Crockett

Sierra Ferrell

Margo Price

Allison Russell

WINNER: Billy Strings

Duo/group of the year

49 Winchester

Caamp

Nickel Creek

Plains

WINNER: The War and Treaty

Emerging act of the year

Adeem the Artist

WINNER: S.G. Goodman

William Prince

Thee Sacred Souls

Sunny War

Instrumentalist of the year

Isa Burke

Allison de Groot

Jeff Picker

WINNER: SistaStrings (Chauntee and Monique Ross)

Kyle Tuttle

20 Sep 2023

Shakira Drops Fiery New Collab With Fuerza Regida ‘El Jefe’: Stream It Now

Shakira steps into new territory with “El Jefe,” the Colombian superstar’s collaboration with Fuerza Regida, which dropped Wednesday (Sept. 20).

The chart-topping artist first teased the collab last week when she shared a short clip of an interview with ET, in which she said, “I”m not the boss in this song, but wait and see.” Then, she shared a snippet of “El Jefe (The Boss),” which is about someone who has the mentality of a millionaire but doesn’t actually have money.

Although previous songs of Shakira’s have included elements of regional Mexican music, such as the mariachi trumpet on “Ciega, Sordomuda” and the country-tinged “Te Espero Sentada,” this is her first full-blown Mexican music song.

In the catchy corrido, Shakira and Fuerza’s frontman JOP sing about being tired of their 9-to-5 jobs, especially their arrogant boss, and the desire to quit and become their own bosses. The music video features the global superstar and regional urban act performing the track together.

Shakira

Shakira Will Speak at Billboard’s 2023 Latin Music Week in Miami

Shakira’s collab with Fuerza Regida is a reflection of Mexican music’s dominance and influence on Latin music today. With acts like Fuerza at the forefront, the genre is having a record year, growing in popularity in the United States and beyond. In May, Billboard reported that regional Mexican music consumption in the U.S. jumped 42.1% year to date through May 25, outpacing gains in the Latin genre overall, as well as country, dance/electronic, rock and pop, according to Luminate.

Both Shakira and JOP are set to be part of Billboard‘s Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 2-6 in Miami. The former will participate in an exclusive superstar Q&A moderated by Leila Cobo, Billboard’s Chief Content Officer for Latin/Español, and the latter in a panel on Música Mexicana touring. Purchase tickets to the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week here.

Stream “El Jefe” or watch the music video below:



20 Sep 2023

Laufey Logs Biggest Jazz Debut in Nearly Two Years With ‘Bewitched’

Rising jazz artist Laufey scores her first entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart with her sophomore release Bewitched, debuting at No. 23 on the Sept. 23-dated list. Further, the set launches atop both the Traditional Jazz Albums and overall Jazz Albums charts – marking the first No. 1 on both rankings for the 24-year-old Icelandic singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (real name: Laufey Lin Jónsdóttir).

In addition, with 23,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 14, Bewitched also snares the largest debut week for a jazz album in nearly two years – since Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s Love for Sale started with 41,000 on the Oct. 16, 2021-dated charts. Notably, 68% of Bewitched’s first-week activity was driven by streaming (with the set’s 14 songs collecting 22.36 million on-demand official streams). 

Previous to the release of Bewitched, Laufey amassed a sizable following on TikTok (nearly 3 million followers) and collected 339 million on-demand official song streams in the U.S. 

Laufey notched one previous entry on both the Traditional Jazz Albums and Jazz Albums charts, with the Typical of Me EP, peaking at No. 2 on both rankings (Sept. 2-dated lists).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The Traditional Jazz Albums and Jazz Albums charts rank the most popular traditional and overall jazz albums of the week by equivalent album units. (The Jazz Albums chart is inclusive of all styles of jazz, including both traditional and contemporary jazz titles.)