Music

23 Aug 2023

Hot 100 First-Timers: Cris MJ Debuts on Karol G & Ryan Castro Collab ‘Una Noche En Medellin’ Remix

Chilean singer/rapper Cris MJ is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting hitmaker, as his new collaboration with Karol G and Ryan Castro, “Una Noche En Medellín (Remix),” debuts on the Aug. 26-dated chart at No. 68.

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The song, released Aug. 11 on Karol G’s new collection Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), on Bichota/Interscope records, begins with 6.9 million official U.S. streams through Aug. 17, according to Luminate. It also starts at No. 12 on Hot Latin Songs, No. 68 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 101 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S.

The song is a remix of Cris MJ’s original “Una Noche en Medellín,” released in January 2022. That version reached No. 24 on Hot Latin Songs in May 2022, as well as No. 16 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 29 on the Global 200. It marked Cris MJ’s first Billboard chart appearance upon its debut.

Since then, Cris MJ has charted two other songs on Billboard’s global rankings: “Me Arrepenti,” with AKR:20 and Pailita, reached No. 63 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 138 on the Global 200, and “Marisola,” featuring Standly, climbed to Nos. 38 and 70, respectively.

Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) debuts at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart and No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 with 67,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week. It earns Karol G her third No. 1 on Top Latin Albums, following KG0516 in 2021 and Mañana Será Bonito this March.

Cris MJ (full name: Cristopher Andrés Álvarez García), from La Serena, Chile, has released one solo studio album so far: Welcome to My World in 2022.

23 Aug 2023

BLACKPINK Releases New Song ‘The Girls’ & Music Video in ‘The Game’

After months of delay, BLACKPINK is finally able to release its new single “The Girls” as well as a music video, available now for players to watch in the girl band’s mobile app, “The Game.”

Originally teased back in May, the Aug. 23 video for “The Girls” finds animated avatars resembling Rosé, Jisoo, Lisa and Jennie repeating the phrase, “Don’t mess with the girls,” performing cartoon-ified versions of BLACKPINK’s real life trademark group choreography. For now, the visual and song can only be accessed in in “The Game,” however a poster shared by BLACKPINK’s official Twitter reveals that the digital single will arrive Friday (Aug. 25).

The four bandmates celebrated the long-awaited release of “The Girls” with a viewing party hosted on their YouTube channel. Before playing several games as a group, they watched their new music video for the first time together and marveled over how adorable their cartoon replicas are.

“The choreo is super cute,” said Lisa of the animated BLACKPINK’s dance number, according to YouTube’s Korean-to-English translation.

“Can we pull that off in real life?” added Rosé.

“The Game” launched back in May, with “The Girls” originally expected to arrive soon after. The app’s team, however, announced in July that work still wasn’t finished on the animated visual, apologizing to fans on Twitter for the “endless and frustrating” wait. “Our deep desire to present the highest quality of content flawlessly took longer than expected, and therefore our initial plan to release the M/V simultaneously with the game release was delayed significantly,” read their statement.

See BLACKPINK’s announcement for “The Girls” below:

23 Aug 2023

YOASOBI’s ‘Idol’ Logs 19th Week Atop Billboard Japan Hot 100

YOASOBI’s “Idol” scores its 19th consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Aug. 23, extending its all-time record for most weeks atop the chart again.

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The duo headlined Japan’s Summer Sonic music festival over the weekend, closing out the Mountain Stage lineup in both Tokyo and Osaka. The “Monster” pair also entertained fans with its “Traveling Bookstore YOASOBI,” a collaborative endeavor with the mobile bookstore BOOK TRUCK, set up in the food area of the festival grounds.

On this week’s chart tallying the week ending Aug. 20, downloads for “Idol” slips to No. 2 (10,631 units), but the long-running hit continues to dominate streaming (13,100,852 weekly streams), video views, and karaoke. The Oshi no Ko opener also climbed 24-18 for radio, and while gradually losing points overall, the total continues to best the song at No. 2 by about 1.7 times.

Tatsuya Kitani’s “Where Our Blue Is” holds at No. 2 this week. The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 opener continues to improve in karaoke, jumping 62-37, and collected points in a balanced way: holding again at No. 38 for sales, No. 2 for streaming (9,232,884 streams), and No. 6 for video, slipping 3-4 for downloads (7,562 units) and 32-95 for radio.

Bowing at No. 3 is Kazuya Kamenashi’s first solo single in four years called “Cross.” The track launched with 105,544 copies to hit No. 1 for sales, and is off to a good start coming in at No. 22 for downloads and No. 40 for radio.

Gen Hoshino’s “Life” debuts at No. 7. The superstar singer-songwriter curated the Beach Stage at Summer Sonic in Tokyo on Saturday (Aug. 19), highlighting and collaborating with such artists as Jacob Collier, UMI, Camilo, and Sam Gendell. His latest track rules downloads (13,713 units) and radio this week, while hitting No. 38 for video.

Another debut on this week’s Japan Hot 100 is Colorful Diamond’s “Amakyun,” bowing at No. 5 after selling 76,514 CDs in its first week.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Aug. 14 to 20, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

23 Aug 2023

Will Hozier Stop Travis Scott’s Billboard 200 ‘Utopia’? 

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. 2), Travis Scott goes for his fourth week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart with his massive Utopia, while Hozier looks to earn his second consecutive debut atop the chart with new effort Unreal Unearth.  

Travis Scott, Utopia (Catcus Jack/Epic): It’s been three weeks, and Travis Scott is still not only ruling the Billboard 200 with his Utopia, the album posted a whopping 185,000 units in its latest frame – with a mighty 99,000 in sales, an very high number for an album in its third week out, and a 169% gain from the week before. The sales boost probably comes from his webstore (limited time) discount on the double-LP set from $50 to $5, resulting in 93,000 in vinyl sales last week – the biggest vinyl sales performance for a hip-hop or R&B album since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991.  

Scott’s sales are expected to stay strong – likely helped by another discount code, released and circulated among fans in time to impact this chart week — along with its streaming numbers, with four songs from the album still in the top 25 of Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart. The combination of sales and streams should make it tough to depose this week, without a new contender expected to put up particularly big numbers in both categories, and Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time – still No. 2 on the chart this week, after 15 weeks at No. 1 – no longer posting units in the six digits.  

Hozier, Unreal Unearth (Rubyworks/Island/Columbia): Despite not scoring a major crossover hit since his No. 2-peaking Billboard Hot 100 smash “Take Me to Church” in 2014 – and only releasing one new album during the rest of the 2010s — Irish singer-songwriter Hozier has maintained both a devoted following and a major chart impact. His sophomore album, 2019’s Wasteland, Baby!, debuted atop the Billboard 200, while his 2023 single “Eat Your Young” debuted at No. 67 on the Hot 100.  

That song is on Hozier’s third album, Unreal Unearth, released on Aug. 18, and available on both CD and vinyl (including exclusive signed editions of both, already sold out on his webstore). The album is Hozier’s biggest-sounding to date, and will be supported by an upcoming U.S. tour that sees him playing some of the largest venues of his career. However, the kind of ticket bundles that helped power Wasteland to No. 1 won’t count towards the totals for Unearth, since Billboard changed its bundling rules in July 2020 – making it that much tougher to catch Utopia.  

J-Hope, Jack in the Box (Big Hit): The 10-track debut from BTS alum J-Hope has already appeared in the top 20 on the Billboard 200, entering at No. 17 in July 2022. But Jack in the Box is due to re-enter the chart next week – likely at a higher peak – thanks to the CD release of its deluxe HOPE Edition. The reissue, which makes for the first time the set will be released on CD, contains five bonus tracks (including a pair of instrumental versions of Jack tracks and a trio of live versions from J-Hope’s 2022 Lollapalooza set), as well as a photo and lyric book, sticker packs and more collectible goodies.  

IN THE MIX 

Jihyo, Zone (JYP/Republic): J-Hope isn’t the only member of a massive K-pop group likely to impact the Billboard 200 this week: Jihyo, of star nonet TWICE, released her solo debut set on Friday with the seven-track EP Zone. While the EP is not expected to score major streaming numbers, it should sell well – helped by the sale of three versions of the mini-album (“Z,” “Y” and “O”) on JYP’s webstore, dispatched at random per each order, and each containing different collectible elements (like lyric books, posters and bookmarks).  

Russ, Santiago (Diemon/Columbia): After breaking through in the late ‘10s with hits like “What They Want” and “Losin Control,” Russ has kept up a steady chart presence, hitting the Billboard 200’s top five with both 2018’s Zoo and 2020’s Shake the Snow Globe. The rapper/singer looks to make it three in a row next week with latest album Santiago – though the set features no Hot 100 hits or star features, with its only guest appearances coming from cult Bay Area rapper Rexx Life Raj and acclaimed singer-songwriter Bibi Bourelly.  

Quavo, Rocket Power (Capitol/Motown/Quality Control): The Migos rapper’s first album since the death of groupmate (and nephew) Takeoff may not sell as well as this week’s other big releases, since a physical release is not yet available. But it should put up pretty respectable streaming numbers for its 18 tracks, including Hot 100 hit “Turn Your Clic Up” (featuring Future), multiple cuts featuring the late Takeoff, and several more paying tribute to the hip-hop great.  

23 Aug 2023

Keke Palmer, Jermaine Dupri & Jason Flom to Be Honored at 2023 Black Music Action Coalition Gala

Keke Palmer, Jermaine Dupri, music executive Jason Flom, TV producer Jesse Collins and Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler, co-founders of Rolling Loud, are among the honorees at the 2023 BMAC Gala, the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) announced on Wednesday (Aug. 23).

The 2023 BMAC Gala, presented by Live Nation, will take place on Thursday, Sept. 21 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The event honors individuals and organizations who have affected positive change and helped improve equity within the community.

The 2023 BMAC Gala honorees include: 

BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award: Jermaine Dupri (Grammy-winning hip-hop artist, producer, songwriter, author, DJ, and CEO of So So Def)

BMAC Social Impact Award: Keke Palmer (Primetime Emmy-winning actress, singer, songwriter, producer); Dr. Menna Demessie (SVP, Universal Music Group and executive director, Task Force for Meaningful Change), and Jesse Collins (Primetime Emmy-winning executive producer, whose company is one of the producers of this event)

BMAC Change Agent Award: Jason Flom (co-founder and CEO of Lava for Good and Lava Media); Trae tha Truth (rapper and activist) 

BMAC 365 Award: Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler (Rolling Loud co-founders) 

Additional honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.

“As we come together at this year’s BMAC Gala, we celebrate the passion, artistry and activism that burns bright in the hearts of our honorees,” Prophet “Willie” Stiggers, co-founder/chair Black Music Action Coalition, said in a statement. “They all have fearlessly embraced the power of music and entertainment to drive change and transcend boundaries.”

Caron Veazey, BMAC co-founder, added: “The BMAC Gala has come to be regarded as a night where our music industry family isn’t celebrating the standard accolades: the number of streams on a hit song, or how many tickets have sold on a world tour, or who has the most #1s. The BMAC Gala has become synonymous with the importance of centering awareness on equality and equity. It’s an evening where we come together to shine a light on the incredible contributions of the honorees, and to celebrate the impact they’ve made on the journey towards social justice.”

This year’s Gala will include a special tribute to the late Clarence Avant, who was on the BMAC advisory board. Avant, who died on Aug. 13 at age 92, received numerous top-level accolades, including a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 2008 and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

“With heavy hearts we also pay tribute to the Black Godfather, Clarence Avant,” Stiggers said. “He trailblazed the path that we all walk on, and his impact is immeasurable.”

Shawn Holiday, BMAC co-founder, added: “BMAC will always be honored to have had him on our advisory board. His life, and contributions to the industry, are unparalleled, his legacy will live on forever.”

Since Black Music Action Coalition’s inception in 2020, the organization has been active in addressing systemic racism within the music business and advocating on behalf of Black artists, songwriters, producers, managers, agents, executives, lawyers and other industry professionals.

The Black Music Action Coalition board includes (in addition to Stiggers, Holiday and Veazey), Ashaunna Ayars, Naima Cochrane, Jamil Davis, Damien Smith and Courtney Stewart. The BMAC advisory board includes Irving Azoff and Quincy Jones.

The 2023 BMAC Gala is produced by Primary Wave and Jesse Collins Entertainment and is presented by Live Nation with support by partners Variety and Apple Music. For more information regarding Black Music Action Coalition and the BMAC Gala, visit bmacoalition.org. 

23 Aug 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: DJ Crazy Times, Men I Trust, Obongjayar, Briscoe & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week across all genres, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 songs by acts who appear on surveys for the first time on the Aug. 26-dated charts.

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DJ Crazy Times & Biljana Electronica

Alert, alert! Kyle Gordon, Audrey Trullinger and Chrissi Poland are officially Billboard-charting artists. The comedian, influencer and singer-songwriter, respectively, all chart for the first time with their Eurodance parody hit “Planet of the Bass” (released and billed as DJ Crazy Times featuring Biljana Electronica). The song, released officially Aug. 15 on BMG, debuts at No. 46 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 736,000 U.S. streams in the Aug. 11-17 tracking week, according to Luminate. The recording became a viral sensation after Gordon released a 50-second preview titled “Every European Dance Song in the 1990s” on his TikTok and Twitter pages July 28. The Twitter clip has generated more than 110 million views on the platform, while the TikTok one has garnered over 9 million.

The virality of the song — and the subsequent memes it spawned — led to an official release along with a music video, both on Aug. 15. Gordon’s DJ Crazy Times character is an energetic pink-haired DJ with an ambiguous Eastern European accent, while Biljana Electronica (whose vocals are sung by Poland and portrayed in the video by Trullinger) is the blonde pop star. On Aug. 16, the Jonas Brothers invited Gordon and Trullinger to perform the song on stage during the trio’s tour stop at Boston’s TD Garden

Gordon is a Brooklyn-based comedian who has developed a large social following by posting a variety of characters. “Planet of the Bass” is set to appear on his upcoming comedy album Kyle Gordon Is Great, which includes other genre parodies, due Nov. 10. Trullinger is a New York City-based influencer who has also built a robust following, via comedy and dance videos. Poland, from southern Massachusetts, is a singer who has toured with acts including Blood, Sweat & Tears, Marc Cohn and Suzanne Vega. She has released four albums: Bluebirds of Paradise, Songs From the Concrete, Reckless Ones and Waking Hour.

Men I Trust

The Montreal dream pop band arrives on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its new live album, with Khruangbin, Live at RBC Echo Beach. The set, released on vinyl and digitally Aug. 11 via Dead Oceans, debuts at No. 46 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 73 on Top Album Sales with 2,000 copies sold. The collection also sparks the group’s No. 43 start on the Emerging Artists chart. The two bands, who toured together last year, recorded the set during their stop at Toronto’s RBC Echo Beach venue on Aug. 2, 2022. Men I Trust has released four studio albums: Men I Trust (in 2014), Headroom (2015), Oncle Jazz (2019) and Untourable Album (2021). It also released one other live effort, 2020’s Forever Live Sessions. The band comprises Jessy Caron (bass, guitar), Dragos Chiriac (keys) and Emmanuelle Proulx (vocals, guitar) and has a string of U.S. tour dates set for October-November.

Obongjayar

The Nigerian-born, London-based artist (real name Steven Umoh) reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new collaboration with Fred Again.., “Adore U.” The song, released Aug. 11 on Big Beat/Atlantic Records, debuts at No. 16 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 1.8 million streams. It samples Obongjayar’s “I Wish It Was Me,” released last year on Obongjayar’s debut studio album, Some Nights I Dream of Doors. Before releasing his debut LP, he served up four EPs: Home (2016), Bassey (2017), Which Way Is Forward (2020) and Sweetness, with Sarz (2021).

Obongjayar gained new notoriety in 2021 thanks to his featured turn on Little Simz’s “Point and Kill,” from her LP Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The song, which the pair performed together on NPR’s Tiny Desk home concert series in 2021, has generated over 7 million U.S. streams. Just before releasing “Adore U,” Obongjayar performed his own Tiny Desk concert Aug. 2. Outside of Fred Again.. and Little Simz, he has collaborated with Boj, Danny Brown, Giggs and Jeshi.

Briscoe

The Austin, Texas-based Americana/folk-rock duo – comprised of Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton, who attended the University of Texas at Austin together – scores its first Billboard chart appearance with its breakthrough single, “The Well.” Released June 27 on ATO Records, the song debuts at No. 40 on Adult Alternative Airplay (up 13% in plays Aug. 11-17). The song is set to appear on the pair’s debut full-length, West of It All, due Sept. 15. The act released its debut five-track Briscoe EP in 2020. In June, Briscoe kicked off its first headlining U.S. tour, which runs through October. The pair previously opened for Zach Bryan, Caamp, Noah Kahan and Ruston Kelly. Briscoe is also scheduled to open for Dave Matthews Band Sept. 1 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash.

D-Block Europe

The hip-hop collective from Lewisham, England, appears on Billboard’s U.S. charts for the first time with its new collaboration with Cassö and RAYE, “Prada.” The song, released Aug. 11 on Ministry of Sound/Columbia Records, debuts at No. 30 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 889,000 U.S. streams. D-Block Europe is already a seasoned act across the pond, having charted 12 songs on the Official U.K. Singles chart, including three top 10s: “Overseas” with Central Cee (No. 6 peak in 2022); “Rocket Science” (by Clavish featuring D-Block Europe; No. 9, December 2022); and “Pakistan” with Clavish (No. 8, this July). The act has also charted seven top 10 albums on Official U.K. Albums – the most ever among British rap acts, a record the group reached with its latest mixtape, DBE World. The act is comprised of Ricky Earl “Dirtbike LB” Banton and Adam Nathaniel “Young Adz” Williams.

Kita Alexander

The Australian pop singer from Brisbane, Queensland, notches her first career entry on Billboard’s charts, with “Atmosphere,” with Fisher. The song, released Aug. 11 on Catch & Release, debuts at No. 9 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 2.3 million U.S. streams and 1,000 sold. It also begins at No. 1 on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales and No. 19 on Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs. Alexander has released five solo EPs: Lion Hat (2013), Like You Want To (2015), Hotel (2017), The One (2022) and Sunday Arvos (January). In July, she signed with the Australia-based artist management group Lemon Tree Music. Alexander’s catalog “is anthem after anthem, and her new music is no exception,” LTM senior artist manager Elise Naismith said upon the signing. “Off the back of her sold-out debut headline tour earlier this year, I look forward to empowering Kita as she enters her Queen era, here in Australia and beyond.” Outside of Fisher, Alexander has collaborated with Morgan Evans on the song “Date Night.”

Skye Morales

The Atlanta-based R&B singer earns her first Billboard chart hit, thanks to her new collaboration with Trippie Redd, “Took My Breath Away.” The artists, who have been romantically linked, released the song June 16 via 1400 Entertainment/10K Projects; it’s also on Trippie’s new LP, A Lover Letter to You 5 (released Aug. 11). The song debuts at No. 8 on both the Rap Digital Song Sales and R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales charts with 1,000 downloads sold. The album opens at No. 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart and No. 13 on the Billboard 200. Morales has one additional feature on the project, “A Feeling.” Outside of her work with Trippie Redd, Morales has released two solo EPs: the four-track Free in 2018 and the eight-track SKYE – EP in November 2022.

Calacote

The singer-songwriter (real name Luca Newton), who was born in North Carolina and is of Dominican and French descent, hits Billboard’s charts for the first time with his team-up with Big Time Rush and Maffio, “Suave.” The song, released Aug. 16 on Bought the Rights/BMG, debuts at No. 3 on Latin Pop Digital Song Sales, No. 12 on Latin Rhythm Digital Song Sales and No. 21 on the all-Latin-genre Latin Digital Song Sales chart. In 2021, Calacote became the first artist that Maffio signed to his Alkatraks Music Group label. A year later, he signed a global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. “Calacote represents a new sound within the Latin urban community,” Alexandra Lioutikoff, president of U.S. Latin and Latin America at UMPG, said at the time. “UMPG is thrilled to sign a multilingual talent like him with truly global potential as both a songwriter and an artist.”

Rigoberta Bandini

The Spanish band, led by Paula Ribó, enters Billboard’s charts with its song “Canciones de Amor a Ti.” The track, released in 2022 on the group’s debut studio album La Emperatriz, arrives at No. 12 on Latin Pop Digital Song Sales. Outside of the band, Ribó is a playwright and actress. She has dubbed hundreds of popular films, TV shows and video games in Spanish or Catalan, including Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Frozen, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood and the Harry Potter franchise. Along with Ribó, Rigoberta Bandini comprises Belén Barenys, Joan Barenys and Esteban Navarro. Ribó previously performed with Spanish group The Mamzelles.

Oliver Anthony Music

As previously reported, the singer-songwriter makes a historic first-time visit to Billboard’s charts. The artist (born Christopher Anthony Lunsford) debuts two songs on the Hot 100: the viral “Rich Men North of Richmond” at No. 1, and “Aint Gotta Dollar” at No. 82. The Farmville, Va.-based artist is the first act to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 without having previously appeared on a chart in any form. “Richmond,” self-released Aug. 11, soars in with 17.5 million U.S. streams and 147,000 downloads sold. Not being promoted to radio, it also tallied 553,000 radio airplay audience impressions (with 516,000 on country stations). The song concurrently launches at Nos. 1 and 4 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts, respectively, as well as No. 1 on the multimetric Hot Country Songs survey. “Dollar,” self-released in September 2022, debuts with 3.5 million U.S. streams (up 1,222%) and 17,000 sold (up 2,300%). It also enters at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales and No. 21 on Hot Country Songs.

“Richmond” went viral online after the radiowv YouTube account, which spotlights unsigned Americana and country acts in the Virginia/West Virginia region, posted it Aug. 11, along with the song’s arrival on DSPs and at digital retailers. The song, with lyrics detailing inflation, taxes, child trafficking and welfare abuse, has drawn both praise from the right and opposition from the left (and now opposition from the right).

The song’s virality has also increased interest in Anthony’s other releases. He debuts 13 tracks on Digital Song Sales, led by “Richmond” at No. 1. He’s the only living solo male artist to chart as many as 13 songs in the top 50 of the survey. On the 25-position Country Digital Song Sales chart, he also totals 13 titles, including six in the top 10.

Among Anthony’s other chart debuts, he lands three entries on Hot Country Songs (“Richmond” at No. 1, “Dollar” at No. 21 and “Ive Got to Get Sober” at No. 35) and premieres at No. 3 on the Billboard Artist 100.

23 Aug 2023

Ex-MTV Boss Says Christina Aguilera’s Team Asked Him to Re-Edit Her Into Madonna-Britney Spears VMA Triple-Kiss

It’s the most famous triple same-sex kiss in MTV Video Music Awards history. But chances are you only remember two-thirds of it, despite reported efforts from Christina Aguilera‘s team to re-re-write the narrative to correct what they saw as the most egregious cut-away in pop history.

In a new Rolling Stone story looking back at the 2003 MTV VMAs that opened with a surprise appearance from OG MTV star Madonna, former MTV president Van Toffler broke down his decision to kick off the broadcast with a call-back to the “Like a Virgin” singer’s legendary 1984 performance on the first VMAs.

“I don’t have to encourage Madonna to go over-the-top,” Toffler told the magazine on the 20th anniversary of the kiss-heard-’round-the-world. “That’s in her DNA. We were just saying, ‘We’re gonna give you a lot of real estate. It’s a big moment.’ We talked about guest performers.”

And, as usual, Madonna delivered by kissing her pop progeny, Britney Spears and Aguilera, on the mouth in a bit that whipped up a media frenzy at a time before such awards show provocations became commonplace.

But what most people remember is the Britney and Madonna part, and then the camera cutting away to Britney’s ex, Justin Timberlake, who seemed unsettled by the provocative performance piece.

According to RS, behind the scenes, Aguilera’s team was upset with the cutaway, with Toffler saying it “caused a little bit of grief coming my way… It didn’t make life easier that night, but you have to make choices in a live show. Sometimes you’re wrong and sometimes you’re right, but I think the beauty of the VMAs was the combustibility. You wanted to make it fun and semi-chaotic. That’s what we did.”

Former MTV executive vice president Tom Calderone told RS that Aguilera’s team asked MTV to re-edit the performance for future re-broadcasts to include the Aguilera lip lock, a request the network did not comply with. A spokesperson for Aguilera had no comment on the report and RS said the singer declined to respond to their story.

Aguilera — who is no longer represented by anyone from her team at the time of the kiss — said the cut-away was “weird” in a 2018 interview with Andy Cohen. “You know, why they cut away for it… to get Justin’s reaction,” she said, noting that Brit and Justin were exes at the time and calling the edit a “cheap shot.” When Cohen noted that some people might not have realized Xtina was a part of the kiss, she said she definitely saw headlines the next day and her reaction was, “‘Oh well, I guess I got left out of that.’” The RS story does not touch on whether Aguilera was aware at the time that her team had made the re-cut request.

(You can see a rehearsal of the performance, without the Timberlake edit, here.)

The piece also noted that before the broadcast, Toffler and his team originally heard that Madonna had recruited Spears and Missy Elliott — who extended the performance with a run through her song “Work It” — as well as Jennifer Lopez, who was riding high at the time thanks to her hits “Jenny From the Block” and “All I Have.” Lopez, however, had to drop out because she’d committed to shoot the movie Shall We Dance? that summer.

According to the story, Madonna chose Spears and Lopez because of their dancing ability, but subbing in Aguilera added the extra layer of intrigue the VMAs have become notorious for thanks to her media-whipped teen pop rivalry with fellow ex All-New Mickey Mouse Club alum Spears.

Always a cunning narrative mastermind, RS reported that Madonna wanted as few people as possible to know her plans for the performance that would open with “Like a Virgin” and feature Spears and Aguilera standing astride a giant hydraulic wedding cake from which Madonna would later emerge. The plan was to switch to Madge’s then-new single, “Hollywood,” then throw to Elliott and end with a reprise of “Hollywood.”

The limited view of rehearsals that MTV execs got seemed mostly like the global superstar putting her charges through their paces, until two weeks before air when VMAs director Beth McCarthy-Miller called Toffler to let him know what to expect. “’You’re not going to be able to tell anyone, but I think this is going to make you happy,’” Toffler remembered her saying. “‘Madonna kisses Britney and Christina.’” 

Embracing the kind of viral moment that MTV relished long before there was a name for it, the MTV team reportedly broke out in triumphant high-fives at what they knew would be a one-of-a-kind TV segment. With Aguilera and Spears dressed as veiled brides singing “Like a Virgin” and rolling on the ground, Madonna emerged in shiny black coattails and top hat as their “groom,” with producers sprinkling in quick looks at audience members in real time.

There was Beyoncé smiling and clapping, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Osborne looking bored, Madonna’s then-husband director Guy Ritchie giving a standing ovation, as well as shots of Eminem and 50 Cent and the original Queer Eye For the Straight Guy cast freaking out. Most importantly, they made sure to include a shot of Timberlake, who raised a playful eyebrow at the site of the three on stage dancing sensually.

But 30 seconds later, after Madonna took off Aguilera’s garter and locked lips with Spears, associate director Stefani Cohen cut away from Aguilera’s kiss to focus on Timberlake again, who this time had a seemingly annoyed expression on his face. It was a split-second editing decision that the story says was a “no-brainer” considering that Timberlake had cast Britney look-alike in his shade-throwing “Cry Me a River” video a year earlier in the wake of their split

“It’s just quintessential Madonna,” Toffler said of the classic MTV awards show stunt. “You give Madonna the germ of an idea or just the real estate, and she’s going to take it. She had a history of pushing us and pushing culture, and that’s what was great about her and what was great about MTV. We pushed culture in provocative ways.” 

Watch the TV version of the kiss here.

23 Aug 2023

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Break Record for Biggest Jump to No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay Chart

Just three weeks from their last time at the summit, Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice recapture the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart as “Barbie World” with Aqua flies 7-1 to lead the list dated Aug. 26 and rewrite the record for the biggest jump to No. 1 in the chart’s history. The pair previously led with their one-week champ, “Princess Diana,” on the chart dated Aug. 5.

“Barbie World” leaps to No. 1 after a substantial 31% increase in weekly plays that made it the most played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate. The swell secured the song the weekly Greatest Gainer honor, for the largest improvement in plays for the week among the chart’s 40 titles. From the rhythmic chart panel, Summit Media stations WHZT-FM in Greenville, S.C., KPHW-FM (Honolulu, Hawaii) and WKHT-FM (Knoxville, Tenn.) led all reporters for the most “Barbie World” plays in the tracking week.

With a 7-1 flight, “Barbie World” breaks the record for the largest leap to the No. 1 spot on Rhythmic Airplay since the list began in 1992. Previously, two songs managed 6-1 ascents for the prior best: Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” in 1992, and Da Brat’s “Funkdafied” in 1994.

Thanks to “Barbie World,” Ice Spice gains her third Rhythmic Airplay No. 1 – all achieved in 2023. She first led alongside PinkPantheress on the one-week champ “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” in May, and returned with “Princess Diana” earlier this month.

For Minaj, “Barbie World” becomes the 11th Rhythmic Airplay champ of her career. Here’s a fresh look as the collection adds its newest member:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Nicki Minaj), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1

  • “Bottoms Up,” Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, one, Nov. 30, 2010
  • “Super Bass,” one, Aug. 6, 2011
  • “Touchin, Lovin” Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, four, Nov. 22, 2014
  • “Truffle Butter,” featuring Drake & Lil Wayne, one, March 28, 2015
  • “Hey Mama,” David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack, one, July 25, 2015
  • “Rake It Up,” Yo Gotti featuring Nicki Minaj, one, Nov. 4, 2017
  • “Big Bank,” YG featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean & Nicki Minaj, one, Oct. 20, 2018
  • “Hot Girl Summer,” with Megan Thee Stallion & Ty Dolla $ign, one, Oct. 26, 2019
  • “Super Freaky Girl,” four, Oct. 1, 2022
  • “Princess Diana,” with Ice Spice, one, Aug. 5, 2023
  • “Barbie World,” with Ice Spice & Aqua, one (to date), Aug. 26, 2023

Beyond its Rhythmic Airplay coronation, “Barbie World” progresses on other radio charts. It steps 9-7 on Rap Airplay following a 33% rise in weekly audience impressions, bumps 18-16 on Pop Airplay through a 36% rally in weekly plays and shoots 21-13 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart with a 41% increase in weekly audience, to 36.8 million. On the latter two charts, the improvements in plays and audience, respectively, win it the Greatest Gainer tag on each list.

“Barbie World,” which samples Aqua’s 1997 top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit (and No. 8 Rhythmic Airplay success) “Barbie Girl,” appears on the soundtrack to Barbie: The Album and plays during the end credits of the accompanying blockbuster film that sits at a $1.2 billion worldwide gross. The soundtrack debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and, in addition to “Barbie World,” has generated hits for Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Billie Eilish (“What Was I Made For?”).

23 Aug 2023

Every Artist With 100 or More Billboard Hot 100 Chart Hits

Debuting a song on the Billboard Hot 100 is a highlight of any musician’s career. It’s Billboard’s premier songs chart, after all, and the stars often must align in order to stand with the best of the best.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations.

In total, over 8,000 artists have landed a song on the survey, which launched on Aug. 4, 1958. Of those artists, only 15 have charted at least 100 total songs.

Elvis Presley, whose career predates the Hot 100’s launch, became the first artist to tally 100 total hits. He scored his 100th (of an eventual 109 total) in May 1975 with “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.” He held the record for the most overall chart entries until 2011, when the Glee Cast surpassed him, and then nearly doubled his total — reaching 207 entries. That record stood until 2020, when Drake stormed past the TV troupe following his song “Oprah’s Bank Account” reaching the listing.

Drake now leads all artists with a whopping 298 total entries on the chart in his career (through the Hot 100 dated Aug. 26, 2023). He’s one of just three artists to top 200 total songs, along with Taylor Swift (212) and the Glee Cast (207).

Three artists have joined the 100-hits club in 2023 alone, so far. YoungBoy Never Broke Again achieved the milestone in May, and, fittingly, became the youngest artist to ever reach the feat, at age 23. Lil Uzi Vert became the 14th act to join in July, after releasing Pink Tape. Travis Scott then became the most-recent artist to gain entry on Aug. 12, thanks to the release of his new LP Utopia.

As for who might be next in line to join the elite group, The Weeknd is currently at 96 Hot 100-charted songs, followed by Eminem (95), Young Thug (92), James Brown (91), Lil Durk (87), 21 Savage (85), Beyoncé (82), Juice WRLD (79) and Gunna (77).

While it’s rare for artists to chart triple-digit entries on the Hot 100, it’s become a more regular occurrence since the ranking began including streaming figures in 2007. As such, certain artists have been able to chart a high number of songs on the Hot 100 in recent years after releasing high-profile albums. The model contrasts with prior decades, when acts generally promoted one single at a time in the physical-only marketplace and on radio. That shift in consumption helps explain why artists have been able to chart many songs over short spans in recent years.

Here’s an updated look at every act in history to chart 100 or more songs on the Hot 100, as of the Aug. 26, 2023-dated chart.

23 Aug 2023

Latto & Cardi B’s ‘Floor’ Is on Top of Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart

Latto achieves her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as her Cardi B-assisted “Put It on Da Floor Again” tops the radio list dated Aug. 26. The track ascends from No. 2 after a 7% gain in plays that made it the most played song on U.S. monitored R&B/hip-hop stations in the week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate.

With her first champ, Latto outdoes her prior best peak of No. 2, which she managed twice. “Big Energy” stopped at the runner-up rank in January 2022, as did “Don’t Play With It,” her collaboration with Lola Brooke and Yung Miami, in April of this year. Notably, her “Put It On Da Floor Again” collaborator, Cardi B, played a role in blocking “Big Energy” from the summit – the No. 1 song that week was Normani’s “Wild Side,” which features the rap superstar.

For Cardi B, “Put It on Da Floor Again” banks the hitmaker an 11th No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. Here’s a recap of her leaders:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Cardi B), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1

  • “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” nine, Sept. 16, 2017
  • “No Limit,” G-Eazy featuring A$AP Rocky & Cardi B, five, Dec. 9, 2017
  • “I Like It,” with Bad Bunny & J Balvin, one, July 28, 2018
  • “Ring,” featuring Kehlani, one, Nov. 17, 2018
  • “Money,” five, Feb. 2, 2019
  • “Backin’ It Up,” Pardison Fontaine featuring Cardi B, one, March 9, 2019
  • “Please Me,” with Bruno Mars, six, April 13, 2019
  • “Up,” one, March 27, 2021
  • “Wild Side,” Normani featuring Cardi B, three, Jan. 1, 2022
  • “Tomorrow 2,” with GloRilla, 10, Dec. 3, 2022
  • “Put It on Da Floor Again,” Latto featuring Cardi B, one (to date), Aug. 26, 2023

Thanks to her 11th leader, Cardi B ties R. Kelly for the sixth-most No. 1s on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay among all artists since the chart began in 1993. Here are the current standings:

  • 45, Drake
  • 20, Lil Wayne
  • 18, Chris Brown
  • 16, Usher
  • 13, Beyoncé
  • 11, Cardi B
  • 11, R. Kelly
  • 10, JAY-Z
  • 10, Rihanna

Elsewhere, “Put It on Da Floor Again” advances 3-2 on Rhythmic Airplay through a 5% improvement in plays in the latest tracking week. The single also climbs 4-3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, which ranks songs through combined audience totals on both adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations. There, it added 1% in audience, to reach 15 million, in the weekly tracking window. The song likewise rises one spot, 20-19, on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, where it improved 4% to 27.8 million in total audience across all formats.