Music

Watch Kany García Sing ‘Búscame,’ ‘Para Siempre’ & More in NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García is the latest Latin star to perform for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. The intimate setting is fitting for García’s personal, deep lyrics which touch on love, heartbreak and beyond.

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She kicked off her nearly 17-minute set with the gorgeous “Para Siempre” from her 2018 album Soy Yo. After that, she transitioned into “Búscame,” included on Mesa Para Dos (2020), explaining the meaning behind the song: “There’s so many songs that I wrote about relationship, sadness and all those kind of things and I never write songs about the people that I always feel like home, that people that I owe them a lot of things so this is a song for them.”

Love and heartbreak weren’t the only topics she touched on. The Latin Grammy-winning artist also paid tribute to immigrants across the world with her poignant “Mundo Inventado,” which loosely translates to an invented world. “This is a very special song for me because it’s a song that I’m talking about immigrants and as you know, they are people who have never given up in many parts of the world,” García introduced the song. “And thanks to the all the immigrants I think we make cities, countries and all these places a better place.”

After singing those songs, each one from a different album, she ended with one from her latest set, El Amor Que Merecemos. The empowering and liberating flamenco-tinged pop song “DPM (De Pxta Madre)” closed her set, which she prefaced with a few words: “It’s a phrase that we always use like for many things. Like, ‘F–k I won the lottery’ or ‘F–k I have a very bad day.’ This is song is about when you realize that all the people that are mean to you, they are no longer in your life and you’re grateful for that so you are [feeling] de puta madre.”

Other Latin stars that have recorded Tiny Desk Concerts include Karol G, Carla Morrison, Carin Leon, Farruko and Tokischa, among others. Watch Kany García’s above.

Jung Kook’s ‘Seven,’ Featuring Latto, Blasts In at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, Followed by Jason Aldean

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, bounds in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Jung Kook becomes the second member of BTS with a Hot 100 leader, after Jimin’s “Like Crazy” launched at No. 1 in April.

Latto also lands her first Hot 100 No. 1.

Plus, Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The song, released in May, debuts with the biggest sales week for a country song in over 10 years, after CMT pulled its video, which premiered July 14, from rotation after three days, resulting in a surge of attention.

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. All charts (dated July 29, 2023) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday (July 25). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.



“Seven” is the 1,151st No. 1 since the Hot 100 began in August 1958. It’s the 68th leader to debut at No. 1.

Streams, airplay & sales: “Seven” soars in at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with 21.9 million streams, 6.4 million in airplay audience and 153,000 combined digital and CD singles sold from its release July 14 through July 20, according to Luminate. (The song’s original and instrumental versions were released July 14 and its “Summer” and “Band” mixes arrived July 17; all were available for download for 69 cents. The song’s original version was also available for purchase on CD beginning July 14 for $1.99.)

“Seven” debuts at No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart and No. 4 on Streaming Songs. While below the all-format Radio Songs tally, it debuts at No. 30 on Adult Pop Airplay and No. 33 on Pop Airplay.

Jung Kook’s Hot 100 history: Jung Kook earns his first Hot 100 No. 1, or even top 10, following two charted songs in 2022: Charlie Puth’s “Left and Right,” featuring Jung Kook, hit No. 22 (July), after Jung Kook’s own “Stay Alive” spent a week on the list at No. 95 (February).

BTS now with 2 members with Hot 100 No. 1s: Jung Kook becomes the second member of BTS with a Hot 100 No. 1 (or, again, even a top 10), after Jimin’s “Like Crazy” debuted at No. 1 in April.

BTS – comprising j-hope, Jimin, Jin, Jung Kook, RM, Suga and V – has posted six Hot 100 leaders.

The superstar Korean septet is now among elite company, as nine groups boast multiple members with solo Hot 100 No. 1s:

  • The Beatles
  • The Black Eyed Peas
  • Blind Faith
  • BTS
  • Destiny’s Child
  • Fugees
  • Genesis
  • Hot Boys
  • One Direction

Further, with BTS having logged six Hot 100 No. 1s and Jung Kook and Jimin with one No. 1 each, BTS joins The Beatles, The Black Eyed Peas, Destiny’s Child and Genesis as the only groups with leaders and multiple members also with No. 1s.

Latto leads: Latto likewise earns her first Hot 100 No. 1 with “Seven.” She previously hit the top 10 with “Big Energy,” which rose to No. 3 in April 2022.



Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” roars onto the Hot 100 at No. 2, as it drew 11.6 million streams (up 547%) and 7.3 million in radio airplay audience (up 17%) and sold 228,000 (up 27,625%) July 14-20.

The track debuts at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, where it’s Aldean’s first leader, and No. 37 on Streaming Songs. While not on Radio Songs, it holds at No. 25 in its ninth week on Country Airplay.

The song scores the largest digital sales week for a country title (defined as by those that have hit Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart) in over 10 years, since Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” featuring Nelly, sold 244,000, as reflected on charts dated July 6, 2013.

On July 18, Billboard confirmed that CMT had pulled the official video for “Try That in a Small Town” after three days in rotation; the network declined to say why. Following CMT’s decision, Aldean posted a message to his Instagram Stories addressing the contrasting reactions that the song and video have faced.

The song’s video, released July 14, features footage of an American flag burning, protesters in confrontation with police, looters breaking a display case and thieves robbing a convenience store. The clip has prompted a firestorm of opinions about it and the song’s intent and messaging.

Aldean achieves his second Hot 100 top 10, after “Dirt Road Anthem,” which, helped by its remix featuring Ludacris, hit No. 7 in July 2011.

“Try That in a Small Town” concurrently re-enters at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which employs the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100. (The single spent one prior week on Hot Country Songs, at No. 35 on the June 3-dated list, reflecting its first week of tracking.) Aldean adds his 10th Hot Country Songs champ. He first led with “Why” in May 2006 and had most recently reigned with “Burnin’ It Down” in 2014. He also notches his 37th top 10; he’s peaked in the top 10 at least once each year dating to his first such hit, “Hicktown,” in 2005 – the longest active streak of annual top 10s on the chart.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” descends to No. 3 on the Hot 100 after 14 weeks at No. 1; it’s tied for the fifth-longest command in the chart’s history. It lands an eighth week atop Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart, having ranked at No. 1 each week since the seasonal recap returned.

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” falls to No. 4 on the Hot 100 after three weeks at its No. 2 high.

Notably, thanks to Aldean, Wallen and Combs’ hits, which rank at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on Hot Country Songs, the top three songs on the chart place in the Hot 100’s top four spots for the first time since the rankings began using the same formula.

Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” dips 4-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3, as it logs a fifth week atop Radio Songs (92.9 million, up 1%). It tops Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs for a 47th week, extending the longest reign since the chart began (in partnership with music festival and global brand Afro Nation).

Gunna’s “Fukumean” rises 7-6 for a new Hot 100 high – and reaches No. 1 on Streaming Songs (27.4 million, up 16%), where it’s the rapper’s second leader, after “Drip Too Hard,” with Lil Baby, ruled for a week in October 2018. “Fukumean” tops both the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a second week each.

Two weeks after arriving as her third Hot 100 No. 1, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” retreats 3-7; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” climbs 9-8, after hitting No. 7; Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” backtracks 6-9, after eight weeks at No. 1 beginning upon its debut in January; and, rounding out the top 10, Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole, drops 8-10, after it debuted at its No. 2 peak.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated July 29), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com Tuesday (July 25).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

Spotify Launches ‘Most Necessary Live’ Regional Hip-Hop Shows: Exclusive

Spotify is launching its Most Necessary Live series of live shows highlighting regional rap scenes and rappers in various cities across the U.S., Billboard can exclusively announce Monday (July 24).

Serving as a physical extension of Spotify’s editorially curated Most Necessary playlist — dubbed as “the official voice of the next generation on Spotify” — Most Necessary Live celebrates some of the hottest emerging rappers featured on the playlist in real life and connects them with their top listeners through exclusive performances.

Most Necessary Live kicks off Aug. 2 in Houston, Texas with DeeBaby, Monaleo, That Mexican OT, Mike Dimes, KenTheMan and surprise guests.

rapcaviar, spotify

Courtesy of Spotify

“Regional rap scenes have always been the lifeblood of hip-hop, so we’re thrilled to kick off Most Necessary Live in Houston. As a physical extension of the playlist — it’s another example of how we’re continuing to support emerging artists at Spotify,” said Max Weinstein, hip-hop lead, artist partnerships at Spotify, in a statement. “A major collaborative effort across the music and marketing teams, we’re launching this showcase to highlight local artists and give fans a chance to see their favorite acts perform live. The team has been cooking this up for a while, so we’re excited to finally bring Most Necessary to life.”

Most Necessary Live will take place once a quarter and go through multiple U.S. cities. On-site experiences will also include merch and social-worthy photo moments.

A$AP Rocky Performs Three Unreleased Songs At 2023 Rolling Loud Miami

After turning heads with his Pharrell-produced single “RIOT (ROWDY PIPE’N)” last week, A$AP Rocky dished several teasers from his forthcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, during his headlining set at Rolling Loud Sunday (July 23). One tentatively titled “Taylor Swift” caught traction on social media because of its name and incendiary lyrics. 

Teased in 2022, “Taylor Swift” sparked questions post-performance after Rocky dished out some hard-hitting barbs leading fans to speculate about who he was addressing. “First you stole my flow/ So I stole your b—h/ Then you stole my style/ I need at least 10 percent/ All due disrespect, I hope you take offense,” he rapped in the viral clip. Fans suspect the volley of shots was aimed at Travis Scott, considering their — no pun intended — rocky history and began comparing the two artists shortly after his performance.

In an interview with Drink Champs last year, when N.O.R.E. broached the subject of Travis Scott allegedly stealing Rocky’s “whole style,” the Harlem polymath nodded and said, “Yeah.” He elaborated and said he “saw similarities, for sure. I saw that he was inspired and s–t like that, but that’s what we in it for.”

In 2016, Rocky spoke more in-depth about his influence on Scott during a chat with Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning. “You’re hearing it from me, let shorty rock,” he stated. “And let the people decide if he a biter or if he authentic. I’m not saying everybody should be allowed to just take [from] whoever got going on. I’m not implying that. I feel like that whole situation sound petty.” 

As for the alleged stealing of a love interest, rumors swirled in 2015 about Rihanna and Travis Scott dating. Rocky and the superstar had their first child last year, and she is currently pregnant with their second. 

Check out a snippet of Rocky’s song and the fan tweets that surfaced after his performance below.

Ed Sheeran Leads Backstreet Boys & One Direction Sing-Along at Nashville Karaoke Bar: Watch

Ed Sheeran is just like anyone else: When he has a new achievement, he celebrates with some drinks and karaoke at the bar.

Following his record-breaking attendance of roughly 73,000 at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium over the weekend, the 32-year-old superstar stopped by at a local bar he once used to frequent during his time as a Tennessee resident a decade ago. “When I lived in Nashville in 2013 I used to go to this karaoke caravan called Santa’s,” he explained in a video posted to his Instagram Sunday (July 23). “It only does $1 PBR and it does karaoke, and it’s the best.”

In the video, Sheeran leads the audience gathered at Santa’s in a round of karaoke, starting with the Backstreet Boys’ iconic “Bye, Bye, Bye.” “Let’s get f–king lit!” he cheers.

He also sang his own 2014 smash “Thinking Out Loud,” which was perfect considering a newly married bride and groom, still in their dress and tux, happened to be there celebrating their wedding. “Make some noise for the happy couple!” Sheeran instructed the crowd.

“Celebrating breaking the attendance record at Nissan stadium in Nashville tonight at Santas pub,” he captioned the video. “When I lived here this was the spot and it still is. Karaoke caravan and cheap beer, what’s not to love x.”

A TikTok video taken by someone at the pub showed that the “Bad Habits” singer also joined the newlyweds in singing One Direction’s breakout single “What Makes You Beautiful.”

Hours before his blockbuster gig at Nissan Stadium, Sheeran took the stage of another Nashville venue that’s just as famous, albeit a lot smaller. Wanting a more intimate venue to play songs from his most recent album, Subtract (stylized ““), the Grammy winner held a show at the city’s Ryman Auditorium Friday (July 22).

And, with all due respect to Nissan Stadium, Sheeran definitely played favorites between the two Nashville stages. “I genuinely, hand on my heart, believe that this is the best venue in the United States of America,” he said of the Ryman in another video posted to his Instagram.

Watch Ed sing the Backstreet Boys and One Direction below.

All the Times Jennifer Lopez Collaborated With a Reggaetón Star

Happy birthday, Jennifer Lopez

The Puerto Rican actress and singer is celebrating her 54th birthday today (July 24) and to commemorate the special day, Billboard compiled a list with some of J.Lo’s noteworthy collaborations with reggaetón artists. 

Before she joined forces with Latin acts, Lopez teamed up with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Ja Rule — with whom she earned her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001 with “I’m Real.” Their second collaborative effort, “Ain’t It Funny,” hit No. 1 that same year, where it spent six weeks. In 2003, her collaboration with LL Cool J, “All I Have,” also hit No. 1 on the all-genre chart, spending four weeks on top.

By this time, Lopez had already joined forces with Latin acts such as Marc Anthony, Pitbull, and Fat Joe. But it wasn’t until 2012 that the New York-born star stepped into the reggaetón realm, with “Follow the Leader,” in collab with Wisin y Yandel. The track hit No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs in May 2012, spending two weeks at the top. 

Most notably, Lopez teamed up with Colombian artist Maluma in 2020, for a two-part release: “Pa’ Ti” and “Lonely.” The bilingual project formed part of the Marry Me movie soundtrack, which co-starred both artists. 

“I love singing in Spanish,” Lopez told Billboard in a 2020 cover story interview. “Honestly, I think I sing better in Spanish than I even do in English. That’s a big part of who I am. I’m always working on a Spanish album. I never finish it. But you don’t want to put anything out until you feel that it’s the right thing at the right time. I’ve been working on some songs on the album for three years, [and these two new ones], we did them and we put them right out.” 

Below, revisit the birthday girl’s memorable reggaetón collaborations: 

Harry Styles Reflects on Love On Tour Following Final Show: ‘Greatest Experience of My Entire Life’

Harry Styles wrapped up a mammoth tour over the weekend, closing out nearly two years of shows with a finale in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

And following his emotional goodbye on stage, the pop star shared a lengthy thank-you message on Instagram to the millions of fans who attended. “It’s been the greatest experience of my entire life,” he wrote in a Monday (July 24) note on his Story. “Thank you to my band, and all the crew who made the last few years so special. It’s been an absolute pleasure.”

“To everyone who came out to see us play, thank you,” Styles continued. “I feel so incredibly full and happy, it’s all because of you. You have given memories that will last a lifetime, more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

Deemed one of the 10 best-selling tours of all time, Love On Tour kicked off — after some delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic — in September 2021. More than 4.5 million fans came out to see the show, and the trek brought in nearly $600 million as of a week ago.

The global tour started out as support for Styles’ sophomore record Fine Line, which came out in 2019. When Harry’s House arrived in May of 2022, his shows refocused to serve both albums.

“Thank you for your time, your energy, and your love,” the “As It Was” singer added. “It’s been an honor to play for you, I hope you had as much fun as I did.”

Styles concluded, “Look after each other, I’ll see you again when the time is right. Treat People With Kindness. I love you more than you’ll ever know.” Signed, “-H.”

But that’s not all the Don’t Worry Darling star left his fans with. Styles also shared a video on YouTube and Instagram full of clips from various Love On Tour stops, including shots of the singer traveling to the stage in his infamous box, as well as footage of fans interacting with each other and telling stories of friendships made in the audience.

“To the most inspiring people I know,” Styles captioned the video on Instagram. “Goodbye for now. Love On Tour forever.”

Watch the video above.

Billie Eilish Mourns Beloved Dog Pepper: ‘I Will See You Again Someday Sweet Girl’

Billie Eilish is mourning the loss of her best friend. On Sunday (July 23), the “What Was I Made For?” singer shared that her family dog, Pepper, died recently.

“Pepper. My life long best friend. I will see you again someday sweet girl,” Eilish wrote, captioning a series of childhood photos of her with family spending time with Pepper throughout the years, as well as a recent photo of her crying with the beloved dog on her last day. “You made it 15 years you f–king beast. :’) I love you. Rest easy mama, i’ll miss you forever. This is a really hard day.”

Eilish also posted more childhood photos that featured Pepper throughout the years and called her dog “a girl’s best friend,” and wrote additional goodbyes. “Goodbye my angel. I’ll see you soon,” she captioned some of the images.

Friends of the pop star extended their well wishes in the comments. Lauren Jauregui wrote, “sending you lots of love.” Gracie Abrams said, “Love you so much bil im so so sorry,” while Demi Lovato also added “I’m so sorry” with a sullen face emoji.

Eilish’s brother, Finneas O’Connor, also wrote a message regarding Pepper’s death on Instagram Stories. “Sweet Pepper. Our dog has, at the ripe old age of 15, transcended her mortal form,” he wrote, sharing his sister’s post to his feed. “A good, good dog who gave our family so much love and was loved by us all in equal measure.”

See Eilish’s post below, as well as her and Finneas’ Instagram Stories here and here before they disappear.

Watch Taylor Swift Laugh During This Revenge Song at Her Seattle Concert

She can’t even sing it with a straight face. Taylor Swift dusted off one of her best revenge songs at her Seattle Eras Tour show on Saturday (July 22), during which she had to take a pause to let out some maniacal laughter.

Singing “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” — which has long been rumored to be about her feud with Kanye West, now known as Ye, and Kim Kardashian — as the night’s surprise song, the 33-year-old pop star got all the way through to the bridge without stopping. Then, at the lyric “Here’s to you, ’cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do,” she paused playing completely, taking her hands off her guitar and letting out an uproarious “Ha!”

Swift then took a full 20 seconds to cackle, leaning on the microphone stand for support as the crowd at Lumen Field joined in on the laughter. “I can’t even say it with a straight face,” the singer-songwriter eventually resumed. “This is why we can’t have nice things!”

One fan video from the performance featured Swift’s mom, Andrea, singing along in the audience to the lyric, “Here’s to my momma, had to listen to all this drama,” which the “Anti-Hero” artist sings just before the big laugh.

To be clear, the laughter was all part of the performance and is even featured on the original track, released in 2017 as part of Swift’s Reputation album. But the Grammy winner did take a significantly bigger pause in the Saturday acoustic performance than she does on the recording.

While “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is rumored to be about the rapper and his now ex-wife, it does contain what are probably the most incriminating lyrics tying the track back to their clash with Swift. “It was so nice being friends again/ There I was giving you a second chance,” she sings. “And therein lies the issue, friends don’t try to trick you/ Get you on the phone and mind-twist you.”

Ye and Swift first fell out in 2009 after the former notoriously stormed the VMAs stage upon the latter’s victory for best female video, taking the microphone and interrupting her speech to declare that Beyoncé should have won instead. Swift later penned “Innocent” about the Yeezy founder and the two reconciled, although things fell apart again in 2016 after Ye released his “Famous” single featuring the lyric: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/ Why? I made that b—- famous.”

Kardashian proceeded to leak video footage of Ye telling Swift about the song before its release over the phone, but Swift maintained she was never made aware of the second half of that lyric, which she took issue with, saying on social media that the clip was “edited and manipulated.”

Flash forward to present day, and Swift is fresh off the release of her most successful Taylor’s Version re-recorded album yet, with Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) surpassing 715,000 album unit sales in its first week. She also has two more stops on the U.S. leg of her blockbuster Eras Tour — Santa Clara and Inglewood — before she’ll take the trek global.

Meanwhile, Ye recently lost his billionaire status, with many of his brand partnerships cutting ties following his antisemitic hate speech and endorsement of “White Lives Matter” earlier this year. Kardashian filed for divorce from Ye in 2021.

Watch the moment below:

TikTok Sleuth Appears to Find Jim Crow Era News Story in Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ Teaser

Jason Aldean dared his audience to “Try That in a Small Town” — so one TikTok user decided to take him up on the offer.

In a TikTok posted on Saturday (July 22), former minor league baseball player Danny Collins did a deep dive on one of Aldean’s promotional TikToks for his controversial song released back in May. Zooming in on a newspaper article in the background of one of the video’s shots, Collins found that it appears to be a piece pulled from a since-discontinued small newspaper from Mississippi.

Finding the original article in an online archive, Collins shared that the clipping used for the video looks to be from a 1956 issue of The Petal Paper in Petal, Miss., in which a public relations consultant for the NAACP wrote to the publication’s editor P.D. East, commending him for using his platform to ridicule white supremacists and criticize the Jim Crow era policy of segregation in schools.

“Never have I seen anything that startled me as much as the March 15 issue of the Petal Paper with its incredible ridiculing of the White Citizens Council crowd. I’m referring specifically to the full-page as I assume you wrote headed, ‘You Too, Can Be Superior,’” the letter read. “I hope I am not congratulating a dead man. This must have taken courage and I hope you are still with us.”

Collins goes on to read portions of East’s response letter, in which the editor detailed being called an “N-lover,” losing subscriptions to his paper and being “bothered and harassed” continually by citizens of his town. In a 1971 column written for The New York Times, East further detailed his experience, saying his open criticism of school segregation led to him losing every subscriber of the Petal Paper, and at one point receiving three death threats in a single week.

In closing his TikTok, Collins pointed back to the accusations against Aldean of including thinly veiled racist dogwhistles throughout his song’s video, saying that the inclusion of this letter to East in the promotional clip felt very on the nose. “Why would this happen to Mr. P.D. East? Because he tried that in a small town,” Collins said. “He challenged the Southern, racist establishment. But let Jason Aldean tell it … and this song has ‘nothing’ to do with race.”

Billboard has reached out to Aldean for comment.

Billboard broke the news on July 18 that CMT had pulled Aldean’s video for the song from their airwaves. In response to the criticism of his song, the country singer shared a comment across his social media accounts, claiming that the accusations of racist songwriting against him were wrong. “There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage,” he wrote. “While I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music — this one goes too far.”

“Try That in a Small Town” was written by Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy and Kurt Michael Allison.

Check out Collins’ full TikTok below: