Music

30 Aug 2023

Zach Bryan’s New Self-Titled Album Is Off to a Blockbuster Start at Streaming

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, 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: Zach Bryan puts up undeniable star numbers with his new album release, Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus square off with their simultaneous single releases, G-Eazy helps fans flash back to a different time in social media and more.

Zach Bryan Scores a Self-Titled Streaming Takeover

It’s fitting that, on the Billboard charts, the summer will end with a male country artist once again reaching new commercial heights. Capping off a season of such success stories for Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean and Oliver Anthony, Zach Bryan is poised to debut big with his self-titled new album following its release last Friday (Aug. 25), if early streaming numbers — particularly those for the Kacey Musgraves duet “I Remember Everything” — are any indication.

The 16-song Zach Bryan earned a whopping 54.4 million U.S. on-demand streams on its release date, according to Luminate – and while its daily streams dropped a bit over the next few days, the follow-up to last year’s American Heartbreak had cleared nine-digit total streams by the end of Sunday, and had earned nearly 147 million streams by the end of Monday. Meanwhile, “I Remember Everything,” in which Bryan and Musgraves narrate a romance that has slipped away long ago, has been the album’s breakout track on streaming services, earning 18.1 million on-demand plays over its first four days of release.

How high can “I Remember Everything” climb? On the Hot 100, Bryan has made it to No. 10 with “Something in the Orange,” and Musgraves has peaked at No. 60 with “Follow Your Arrow,” so both artists could earn new career highs with the same song. And after American Heartbreak peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 last year, Bryan, who announced a slew of stadium and arena dates for 2024 earlier this week, has his sights set on a potential first No. 1 on that chart. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Miley Leading Selena in Disney Star Single Showdown

When pop heads noticed that pop stars Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus – once known for their respective starring roles on the ‘00s Disney teen shows Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana – were both releasing new singles on Friday (Aug. 25), it naturally brought out the spirit of competition between the longtime fans. The artists leaned into themselves on social media, with Cyrus reposting a video shared by one fan of her and Gomez trading barbs in an old episode of Hannah Montana where the latter guest starred, along with the message “@selenagomez and I are both dropping our new SINGLEs SOON…. I SAY WE #USEDTOBEYOUNG.” (“Single Soon” and “Used to Be Young” being the names of Gomez’s and Cyrus’ new releases, respectively.)

Well, the early returns are in, and so far it appears that Cyrus’ “Young” has the lead on Gomez’s “Single” in both sales and streams. Through its first four days of release, “Young” has racked up over 10.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams and over 15,000 digital song sales, according to Luminate, while “Single” has amassed over 8.1 million streams and nearly 6,400 in sales – leads of 28% and 144%, respectively. (Both should be due for debuts in the top half of the Hot 100 next week, though they will probably be overshadowed somewhat by Bryan and Musgraves’ even more resounding bow.)

And they’re not the only two kids-TV-to-adult-pop crossover stars with likely chart triumphs for next week. Ariana Grande, former Nickelodeon Victorious and Sam & Cat actress, has also seen huge spikes for her 2013 debut album Yours Truly upon its 10th anniversary, which she commemorated with a deluxe reissue and a series of commemorative festivities. The album skyrocketed to nearly 3.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams on Friday, up a resounding 946% from the previous Friday (323,000). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

G-Eazy’s “Tumblr Girls” Rides the TikTok Nostalgia Wave

“pov: it’s 2014, ur 8 years old and see all the teenage girls with their Starbucks, PINK and striped crop tops and u wish u were a teenager!” Two weeks ago, a TikTok user posted this caption to a clip of themselves grooving out in their bedroom and earned 770,000 likes and 5,000 comments; the soundtrack to that adolescent memory was G-Eazy’s 2014 track “Tumblr Girls,” featuring Christoph Andersson, which has become a sort of nostalgia anthem in recent weeks as TikTok users look back on their mid-2010s memories.

G-Eazy actually isn’t featured in the trending part of the song; instead, it’s the song’s outro – crooned by the rapper’s frequent studio collaborator Andersson, with the lines “Never knew her name, they’re looking all the same to me/ They only chase the fame, there’s no one left to blame but me” – being highlighted in TikTok clips. As more videos of 2014 flashbacks accumulate, “Tumblr Girls” has shot up in overall listens, with weekly streams basically quadrupling from 552,000 the week ending Aug. 10 to 2.25 million two weeks later, according to Luminate. 

“Tumblr Girls” never charted upon its debut, but it’s become a fan favorite — so much so that two years ago, G-Eazy released a sequel, “Running Wild (Tumblr Girls 2),” although TikTok has yet to scoop that one up in the same way. – JL

Beyoncé’s “XO” Gets Streams ‘Turned’ Up by Teen TV Sensation

We’ve written plenty on Billboard about the extensive artistic partnership Amazon Prime’s hit coming-of-age drama The Summer I Turned Pretty has developed with Taylor Swift, having featured over a dozen of Swift’s songs across its two seasons. But the show’s second season proved that it can also deploy the music of another pop icon currently on a globe-conquering world tour: Beyoncé, whose 2014 classic “XO” is featured in the finale’s climactic scene, resolving the long-building love triangle between the characters Belly (Lola Tung) and brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and and Conrad (Christopher Briney). 

The scene had an unsurprising impact on viewers, who then proceeded to stream the Beyoncé self-titled ballad en masse. The song jumped from 388,000 official on-demand streams for the tracking week ending Aug. 17 (the day before the finale was released to streaming) to nearly 990,000 streams for the following week – a jump of 155%, according to Luminate. With Summer  already having been renewed for a third season, you can bet that pop stars of all shapes and sizes will be angling to get a prime sync on the Prime smash. – AU

Q&A: Christine Rogerson, SVP of Business Operations at Vibee, on What’s Trending Up in Her World

A very hectic season in the live industry is coming to a close. What was Vibee’s focus over the summer?

Vibee spent the summer hosting and engaging with our fans at several festival integrations like Lollapalooza in Chicago, Day Trip in Long Beach, TidalWave in Atlantic City, and BeachIt! in Virginia Beach. We were also in the thick of our planning processes for the monumental U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere run of shows in Las Vegas, Lionel Richie’s Dancing on the Sand in the Bahamas, the inaugural EDSea cruise, and Tiesto’s Chasing Sunsets in Cabo San Lucas. 

Can you speak a little bit about the newly announced immersive U2 fan portal and what attendees can expect?

Fans are in for a real treat with the Zoo Station fan portal. The portal was developed by Vibee in collaboration with Gavin Friday, who is U2’s longtime creative director, and with insight and input from the band. Fans will move throughout 12,000 square feet of immersive exhibits over two floors. Key attractions include the incredible Anton Corbijn Gallery featuring photos and videos from the famed photographer as well as the Zoo Station Cinema which is curated by The Edge himself! For those fans who love memorabilia, the U2 Pop-Up Shop will be a must visit with a variety of collectibles, including a capsule collection of limited edition exclusive U2:UV items. It’s truly a special experience for newer or those dedicated fans of U2.

What industry-wide trends did you notice this summer in terms of the evolution of immersive fan experiences?

Right now, fans are still prioritizing entertainment and travel in their personal budgets but, as discretionary dollars become more precious, we have to ensure that we are presenting people with standout experiences that meet or exceed their needs and expectations on multiple levels. People are looking for memory-making opportunities and bucket list moments. As a destination experience company, Vibee is seeking out those ways that we can engage with fans, curate an experience, weave in a story, and connect great music with amazing destinations. The feedback that we received from fans is that they were searching out those unique experiences and shared moments at the events that they were able to attend. We aim to deliver on that. 

Fill in the blank: in the next few years, concertgoers will be surprised by ______.

…the ways in which immersive experiences continue to enhance live music events, which is exactly what Vibee is committed to accomplishing through our artist partnerships, thoughtful curation, destination selection, and bespoke inclusions. – JL

30 Aug 2023

Charli XCX Explains Why She Unfollowed Rina Sawayama on Instagram

Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama are not fighting. On Wednesday (Aug. 30), Charli took to X, formerly known as Twitter after she was criticized for unfollowing her “Beg for You” collaborator on Instagram.

On social media, fans noticed that Charli — who has openly supported and Sawayama throughout the years — unfollowed the “STFU!” singer on Instagram. On Tuesday, Charli tweeted “messy era,” which then caused feud rumors to circulate online.

Fans suspected that a possible feud between Charli and Sawayama dates back to when Sawayama used her set at the Glastonbury Festival on June 24 to seemingly call out The 1975‘s frontman Matty Healy, who came under fire at the time for making comments that mocked Asians and other marginalized groups on a February episode of The Adam Friedland Show. (Charli’s current boyfriend, George Daniel, is Healy’s longtime friend and is the drummer for The 1975.)

“I wrote this next song because I was sick and tired of these microaggressions. So tonight, this goes out to a white man that watches ‘Ghetto Gaggers’ and mocks Asian people on a podcast. He also owns my masters,” she said during her Glastonbury set. “I’ve had enough!”

After the alleged feud began trending on X, Charli, Sawayama and Healy all became trending topics on the platform Wednesday, which Charli used as an opportunity to clear the air.

“Look – this all got a bit crazy – me and Rina spoke about things on the phone just now. My unfollowing (which happened a couple of weeks ago) was over a personal disagreement between friends which we’ve now spoken about <3>

Neither Sawayama or Healy have commented on the matter.

See Charli’s tweets below, as well as fan reactions to the situation, below.

30 Aug 2023

Trace Cyrus Says He’d Be ‘More Successful’ If He Wasn’t Part of His Famous Family

Trace Cyrus is opening up about his famous family, which includes father Billy Ray Cyrus, and sisters Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus.

The Metro Station musician reportedly posted a Q&A to his Instagram Stories on Monday (Aug. 28), where he revealed that he believes his career would have taken off more if it weren’t for his well-known family. “I love my family so much, but I think I’d be much more successful if I wasn’t part of a famous family. People immediately want to judge me and discredit all my hard work because of who I’m related to. But that’s so far from the truth. I got a record deal without anyone from my label even knowing who I was related to ’til after they signed me,” he said of his former pop-rock band.

Trace added that he “never put my last name online anywhere for the first years of my career until people started finding out.”

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Earlier this week, Trace took to Instagram to share a photo from his mother Tish Cyrus’ wedding to actor Dominic Purcell. In the sweet snap, he’s seen smiling with his arms around his mom and sisters Miley and Brandi. “I feel extremely blessed to be part of such an amazing family,” he captioned the post. “Congrats to my my mom on a beautiful wedding. Life is unpredictable & always full of changes. I think the most important thing to do is cherish the past, look forward to the future, & always be happy in the present moment because that’s really all we have. Yesterday is gone & tomorrow is never promised. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my mom so happy & that makes me genuinely happy. I love you @tishcyrus.”

30 Aug 2023

LEO Talks New Single ‘One Look,’ Being Inspired by Drake, Bryson Tiller & More: Watch

LEO’s star is on the rise. The K-pop idol made his first appearance at KCON LA earlier this month, and backstage, he caught up with Billboard News to share who some of his musical inspirations are, his reasons for getting into the K-pop genre and what’s on the horizon for his career.

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Host Tetris Kelly enquired about what LEO’s typical day looks like since signing to 131LABEL, to which the budding star replied, “We’ve been busy just making music. We’ve had a lot of sessions and filmed a music video, song’s out a few days ago so it’s been busy.”

LEO moved from Australia to Korea to kick-start his career in the music industry, inspired by his love for the K-pop genre. “Obviously I was inspired a lot by Korean culture, Korean music, so it was a natural [thing],” he explained.

The Korean music inspiration resulted in his latest single, “One Look,” which he shared has been positively received by his fans. “A lot of people have been showing it a lot of love, so I’m very happy,” LEO added.

As for his American music inspirations, LEO flocks to artists in the R&B and hip-hop genre, stating that his “favorite artists are Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Bryson Tiller, just to name a few.”

LEO concluded the interview with a sweet message to his fans: “Thank you for listening to ‘One Look,’ showing it a lot of love. Thank you for supporting me, and I can’t wait to see you guys on stage.”

Watch his full interview with Billboard News in the video above.

30 Aug 2023

Bad Bunny Celebrates 1 Billion Spotify Streams for ‘Tití Me Preguntó’: ‘Nothing I Say in That Song Is a Lie’

Bad Bunny is the latest artist to celebrate their streaming success by visiting Spotify’s newly launched Billions Club series. The Grammy-winning global superstar stopped by the series to enjoy a “Billions Brunch” with some of his closest friends and collaborators.

“The feeling of having 1 billion streams for this song right now is the same emotion I felt when I got 5,000 plays for the first time,” Bad Bunny said. “For me, it’s just as big knowing that there are people who want to listen and want to enjoy what you make.”

The song in question is “Tití Me Preguntó,” a track from his historic Un Verano Sin Ti album that officially reached 1 billion Spotify streams on Jan. 23. According to Spotify, Bad Bunny has 12 songs with more than 1 billion streams each on the platform — more than any other artist in Spotify history. He has accumulated 58 billion streams on the service, reigning as Spotify’s most-streamed artist of the year for the past three years.

In the video, Bad Bunny feasted on a lavish meal set on several plaques that commemorated his other songs with over 1 billion Spotify streams, including “Yonaguni,” “Dákiti” (with Jhayco) and “MIA” (with Drake). In addition to basking in his recordbreaking streaming success, the “Después de la Playa” singer also recounted the story behind the creation of “Tití Me Preguntó.” When tasked with telling the story of the song in 10 seconds, he replied, “That’s impossible. That’s a lifetime of love and romance.”

“It’s a song that was born very spontaneously,” he added. “All of the people mentioned in the song exist in real life. Nothing I say in that song is a lie, including the part where I say I want to fall in love, but I can’t.”

Nonetheless, Bad Bunny declined to specify which aunt he was singing about, because “they’ll get jealous and create a mess.”

Toward the end of his Billions Club episode, Bad Bunny made sure to thank his fans for their continued support, as well as his mother and father for believing in him “not just in music, but with every decision [he’s] made” in his life.

Bad Bunny has earned 11 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including his sole No. 1 single “I Like It” (with Cardi B & J Balvin). On the Billboard 200, he has notched five top 10 projects, two of which have reached the ranking’s summit: El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo (one week) and Un Verano Sin Ti (13 weeks).

30 Aug 2023

Are Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves the Next Country Artists Up for a Hot 100 No. 1?  

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated Sept. 9), Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ new duet challenges Oliver Anthony Music’s reign at No. 1 – but they’re far from the only ones in the hunt.  

Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything” (Belting Bronco/Warner): It’s nothing but good news for Americana sensation Zach Bryan these days. His self-titled, self-produced new album debuted on Friday (Aug. 25) to dynamite streaming numbers and strong reviews — with a debut atop the Billboard 200 albums chart likely within its sights — and this week, he announced a 2024 arenas-and-stadiums tour featuring veteran luminaries Jason Isbell and Sheryl Crow among the opening acts. Next week, he might be on deck for another career first: A Billboard Hot 100 No. 1.  

The album’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring the Grammy-beloved Kacey Musgraves, has led the daily charts on both Spotify and Apple Music since its Friday release, and has also climbed into the top five on the iTunes chart. As is typical of brand-new songs – particularly from format-ambiguous artists like Bryan – radio support thus far has been minimal, but with its streaming and sales numbers both so high and so steady, it might not need much airplay help to mount a serious charge for the No. 1 spot.  

Even if it doesn’t get there, it should still easily notch a new career high peak for both Bryan (who hit No. 10 earlier this year with “Something in the Orange”) and Musgraves, whose previous best on the Hot 100 was the modest No. 60 success of “Follow Your Arrow” in 2014. (Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart,” co-written by Musgraves and featuring her on backing vocals, hit No. 20 the year before.)  

Oliver Anthony Music, “Rich Men North of Richmond” (Self-Released): Oliver Anthony dismissed any notion of one-week-wonderdom this week by sticking atop the Hot 100 for a second frame, while also topping the Streaming Songs chart for the first time. He’s still pulling strong numbers on streaming (albeit not as strong as “Remember”) and still hanging atop the iTunes sales chart – but with numbers less sky-high than the tens of thousands he sold daily in the single’s debut week.  

The song’s performance is steady enough that a fall out of the top 20 (like Jason Aldean had with his similarly sales-boosted No. 1 “Try That in a Small Town” a few weeks earlier) is unlikely. But unless “Richmond” can catch a second wind in its virality to turn its sagging numbers around, its reign atop the chart is certainly vulnerable.  

Luke Combs, “Fast Car” (River House/Columbia Nashville/Columbia): Will it ever be Luke Combs’ time? The carousel of male country singers atop the Hot 100 this summer has seen Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean and Oliver Anthony Music all take their turns – but Combs has been stuck at No. 2 for much of that time, spending its seventh nonconsecutive frame in the runner-up spot this week. Now, he risks getting lapped a fourth time — as Bryan’s new single is on pace to comfortably lead his in streams, and may pass him in sales as well.  

However, Combs is sure to have a major lead in one factor: airplay. His “Fast Car” continues to gain on Pop Airplay, moving 9-8 on the chart this week, while holding strong at No. 2 on the all-format Radio Songs chart; it’s also still top five on Country Airplay, after ruling for five frames. If his song continues to gain there while holding strong enough in streaming and sales, it might be able to fend off the advances of Bryan and Musgraves – or challenge them again the week after. 

IN THE MIX 

Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (Kemosabe/RCA): Among all the bearded white guys with guitars, pop and rap luminary Doja Cat is elbowing her way into the mix with new hit “Paint the Town Red.” The song jumps from 15-5 on the latest Hot 100, with major gains in streams, airplay and sales – with the former two carrying into this tracking week. If its velocity keeps up, it should be in contention to become Doja’s second No. 1 before too long – possibly as soon as next week, though she still has a sizable gap to close first.  

Taylor Swift, “Cruel Summer” (Republic): Seemingly all summer, Swifties have awaited their fearless leader making the final move — a music video, a new remix, something totally unexpected — to put “Cruel Summer” over the top on the Hot 100. It hasn’t arrived yet, though the song is still hanging strong at No. 4 on the chart, after reaching No. 3 and continuing to gain in airplay, still in range of the top spot should it get that one final big boost. But Swift’s window may be closing: The top of the Hot 100 is getting more crowded every week, and Labor Day is just around the corner. 

Morgan Wallen, “Last Night” (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic): Remember this one? Wallen’s 16-week Hot 100 conqueror has spent two weeks outside of the top spot now, but it’s hanging on at No. 3 on the chart, and still ranks in the top 10 on Digital Song Sales, Streaming Songs and Radio Songs. Plus, it’s spent multiple weeks outside the top spot and then rebounded to the summit twice already in the course of its nearly six-month chart run. Don’t assume it’s dead until you actually see the carcass.  

30 Aug 2023

Aerosmith’s New ‘Greatest Hits’ Compilation Reigns on Top Hard Rock Albums

Aerosmith’s latest best-of package, Greatest Hits, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart dated Sept. 2.

In the Aug. 18-24 tracking week, Greatest Hits earned 19,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Luminate. That sum includes 10,000 units from album sales. (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.)

Released Aug. 18, Greatest Hits is the band’s first such compilation that spans Aerosmith’s full discography since its entire catalog was collected at Capitol/UMe. Previously, the group’s catalog was housed at two labels — Sony’s Columbia and Universal’s Geffen. Columbia released the act’s studio albums from its debut in the 1970s through 1982, and again from 1997 through 2012. Geffen released Aerosmith’s studio sets from 1985 through 1993.

The new Greatest Hits is easily confused with the band’s first best-of set, Columbia’s Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits, released in 1980. The latter covered the rockers’ biggest hits to that point, followed by a reissue in 1997 that added more material through 1988.

The newest Greatest Hits is available in multiple iterations, including a standard 10-track edition (on vinyl), an 18-track edition (on CD, vinyl and digital download), a 20-track edition (on vinyl) and a 44-track edition (on CD, vinyl, digital download and streaming services). All versions are combined for tracking and charting purposes. On the 44-track edition, 23 of the band’s 28 Billboard Hot 100 hits are represented, including all eight of its top 10s.

Greatest Hits is Aerosmith’s second Top Hard Rock Albums No. 1 since the chart’s 2007 inception, following Music From Another Dimension, which reigned for a week in November 2012. It’s the band’s final album of new material to date.

The new compilation also starts at Nos. 4 and 7 on Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums, respectively.

On the all-format Billboard 200, Greatest Hits bows at No. 36. It’s Aerosmith’s 31st entry on the ranking, dating to its first, its self-titled debut, which started at No. 190 in October 1973 and peaked at No. 21 in April 1976.

It’s also Aerosmith’s 21st top 40 on the Billboard 200. Of those, Big Ones (1994, No. 6 peak), O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (2002, No. 4) and Devil’s Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith (2006, No. 33) were also best-of compilations.

Concurrently, “Dream On,” one of the 44 songs featured on Greatest Hits, jumps 7-5 on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart with 4.2 million official U.S. streams, up 3%, according to Luminate. The song was Aerosmith’s first chart hit, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1976.

30 Aug 2023

Selena Gomez Seemingly Takes Down Instagram Post After Getting Accused of Breaking SAG-AFTRA Strike Rules

Selena Gomez shared a photo this week, in which she tagged her Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, but seemed to have taken it down after she was accused by her followers of breaking SAG-AFRTA strike rules, according to Variety.

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SAG-AFTRA’s strike rules prohibit members from promoting work in interviews or social media posts during the ongoing protests, and while Gomez did share a video of the Only Murders set, she didn’t speak in the video or encourage viewership in the caption (“Missing and wanting,” she wrote alongside the post). She did tag the official account for the TV show. However, it is unclear if that is a breach of the rules.

Billboard has reached out to Gomez’s reps for more information on the post that was up for only 15 hours.

It’s otherwise been an exciting week for Gomez, who released her new song, “Single Soon,” on Friday (Aug. 25), along with a breezy music video. “Y’all have been asking for new music for a while,” she wrote on Instagram announcing the song a week prior to its release, sharing the track’s glamorous cover art. “Since I’m not quite done with SG3, I wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that’s perfect for the end of summer.” The star hasn’t released a full-length album since 2020’s Rare, though she did drop her all-Spanish EP Revalación the following year. 

30 Aug 2023

Oliver Anthony Music Says Discourse Surrounding ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ Is ‘Really Funny to Watch’

Oliver Anthony is still reeling off the success of his breakout hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which is currently enjoying its second week atop the Billboard Hot 100 albums chart. In a rare interview, the 31-year-old singer joined the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to share more about how the whirlwind past week has felt.

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“I’m the subject matter the last couple of weeks,” he shared of the political discourse surrounding his song, with both right-wing and left-wing supporters taking stabs at what the song represents. “People are just trying to find out who’s this Oliver Anthony guy, and where does he work, and who did he vote for, and what’s his family like and yada yada. They want to build this image of whatever it is that the person behind the song represents, for better or for worse.

“It’s really funny to watch on my end, because obviously, I know what’s true and what’s not,” he continued. “There’s there’s been hundreds of hours of people’s time wasted probably talking about all these little like things that don’t even exist. Somebody made them up, put them on the Internet. So, I’m just letting it ride. I just think it’s great. At least the last couple of weeks, I think I’ve been able to entertain everyone and get everyone’s mind off like all the all the other horrible stuff that’s going on in the world right now. Like, at least everybody can have a good laugh.”

Anthony also shared more about his background and how he got into music later in life. “The problem for me was I knew that I needed to do this. I procrastinated with music a long time,” he explained. “I mean, I’m 31 and I’ve been playing guitar and singing on and off since I was a kid. My grandma was in a band years ago and, I was like five and I used to sit with my grandma and we’d watch The Dukes of Hazzard  and watch Waylon Jennings pick that guitar — I had no idea who Waylon Jennings was, but I just fell in love with that. I grew up listening to that 70s country and she loved all the old stuff, like the 50s and 60s and even in the 70s, even, you know, Janice [Joplin] and all that. She really introduced me a lot into music when I was a little kid. I just kind of held on to it, but never pursued it the way I should.”

Watch the full interview clip below.

30 Aug 2023

On the Radar Latin: Ingrid Jasmin, NUNNE, ElArturo & More Artists to Discover

Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors spotlight a group of rising artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.

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Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes five emerging artists, who we might’ve found anywhere from a Spotify playlist to a music showcase. See our recommendations below.

Artist: Ingrid Jasmin

Country: Norway

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Possessing a bewitching melisma that harkens back to bygone bulerías, Ingrid Jasmin’s music dives into the depths of Spanish folklore with a grip on música urbana sensibilities. Although this uncanny fusion brings to mind the likes of Rosalía, the Norway-bred singer of Costa Rican descent brings a refreshing proposal that draws from Nordic folk, Latin and R&B in three languages: Norwegian, English and Spanish. She studied in Cuba and Spain and immersed herself in traditional music, yet carefully mixes her work with elegant electronic flourishes and supreme production, as heard on Luna, her 2022 debut album which earned her a Spellemannprisen (a Norwegian Grammy) award. This year, she’s released a string of singles — including her latest, “Safir,” a song about the “value of the human being, which violence against women can never take away,” she tells Billboard Español. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Song For Your Playlist: “M.U.E.R.T.O.”

Artist: NUNNE

Country: Mexico

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: With a vocal maturity that goes beyond her 21 years and a complex musical mix of traditional genres such as Cuban son, bolero, bossa nova and merengue with contemporary urban elements, NUNNE debuted last month with the nine-track EP La Selenita. The set — which includes the singles “Ojos de Plata,” about pursuing your dreams relentlessly despite detractors, and “Náufragos,” described as “a window into her fears and uncertainties” — is an introspective journey that delves into topics like longing, forgiveness and healing. The Mexican artist (real name: Yosune Yáñez), who moved to Montreal three years ago, is a singer, songwriter, producer and sound engineer, and that skill set is evident in the quality of her proposal. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Song For Your Playlist: “Ojos de Plata”

Artist: ElArturo

Country: Mexico

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Arturo Venegas, a.k.a. ElArturo, caught my attention while scrolling on TikTok. The clip I stumbled upon was a few seconds long, but that was enough to display his hooky melodies and an earworm chorus for “Retroenculado.” “‘Toy turbo retroenculado, uh uh uh, me siento como embrujado, y yo no soy de esos vatos no sé ni qué está pasando pero ya me está gustando uh uh uh,” he sings, wondering if he’s fallen under a spell. With an accordion and a bajo quinto, the cumbia-norteña song is modernized with his witty and fast-paced lyrics about a girl that’s got him falling in love. The singer-songwriter released a nine-song album earlier this year, Raro, via Warner Music México. — GRISELDA FLORES

Song For Your Playlist: “Retroenculado”



Artist: Musiko

Country: Puerto Rico

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Born in Puerto Rico, Billy Perez, better known as Musiko, is a Christian urban music singer-songwriter. Although he has been making music for several years now, his career has been reaching new heights as of late. From reggaeton and hip-hop, to a fusion of Latin rhythms, Musiko has many styles in his repertoire, and collaborations with well-known artists of the genre such as Funky and Alex Zurdo, as well as emerging artists. Although I had known his music for years, my admiration deepened when I had the opportunity to watch him perform live a few months ago; seeing his charismatic personality both on and offstage, and the audience connecting and chanting each of his songs, was a pleasant surprise. “Todo empezó” with Funky, “A Ciegas” with Indiomar, “Ya No Soy Igual” and “Contigo,” to mention a few, feature melodies that effortlessly infuse the listener with motivation and, without a doubt, a surge of faith. Musiko is touring in Latin America, the United States and Spain while preparing to release his upcoming album. — LUISA CALLE

Song For Your Playlist: “Enamora” ft. Kim Richards

Artist: Jalil Lopez

Country: U.S.

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: I first met Jalil in Miami years ago, around 2011, when he was promoting his single, “Princesa Mía.” I was impressed by his vocal skills and the freshness of his sound. Recently, I stumbled upon his latest release and instantly recognized that signature sound: “Yo Quiero El Amor” is the title of his new single, and it’s clear that Jalil is making a solid comeback. His unique blend of raspy yet smooth vocals and sugary bachata sounds sets him apart. This New Jersey native, born to a Puerto Rican mother and Honduran father, is determined to continue blessing his fans with the bachata genre they have identified him with. — INGRID FAJARDO

Song For Your Playlist: “Yo Quiero El Amor”



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