Music

05 Jul 2023

Top 10 Do’s & Don’t’s of Grammy Campaigning

The Recording Academy has always had rules and guidelines, dating back to its founding in 1957. In recent years, in a bid for greater transparency, and at the direction of Academy CEO Harvey Mason, jr., the Academy has posted its rules and guidelines online. It’s not a little digital pamphlet, either: It’s a 76-page document that spells out in detail what each of the 94 Grammy categories is meant to honor, who is and isn’t in line to receive a nomination in each category and what is and isn’t allowed in terms of campaigning for Grammys.

One of the most interesting sections is “Voting and Solicitation Guidelines.”  We learn that “FYC” (industry jargon for “For Your Consideration”) events and communications are allowed, with certain restrictions. FYC communications “include, but are not limited to: emails, mailings, invitations, social media, websites, and print ads.”

The Academy spells out the reason for all these rules: “It is the goal of the Recording Academy to ensure the Grammy Awards process is led in a fair and ethical manner and that voting members make their choices based solely on the artistic and technical merits of the eligible recordings. In an effort to maintain a high degree of integrity and transparency, it is crucial that the following guidelines be understood and followed by all voting members.

“If any activity is determined to work in opposition to the Recording Academy’s guidelines, the Academy may take any corrective actions, including disqualification of entries. Furthermore, any member who has authorized, executed or otherwise enabled a voting solicitation activity that is deemed to have undermined the letter or spirit of the Academy’s regulations may be subject to suspension or termination of Recording Academy membership.

Here are 10 highlights of this section of the Rules & Guidelines booklet on what is and isn’t allowed.

05 Jul 2023

Las Vegas’ Exosphere Lights to Full Capacity for First Time During July 4th Display: See the Photos

On Tuesday in Las Vegas, July 4th fireworks weren’t the only things lighting up the sky. For the first time ever, the external dome of The Sphere — a new venue opening this September on the Las Vegas strip — was animated in a dynamic visual display demonstrating the full capacity of what this dome, Exosphere, can do.

During the display, Exosphere was lit with an American flag motif, lit as the moon, as fireworks and as other wild visuals.

Exosphere

Exosphere

Sphere Entertainment

“The Exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard — it is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world,” Guy Barnett, The Sphere’s svp brand strategy and creative development, said in a statement. “Last night’s show provided a glimpse of the Exosphere’s captivating power, and the possibilities for artists, partners, and brands to create compelling and impactful stories to connect with audiences in new ways.”

Exosphere is a 580,000 square foot programmable LED exterior made up of roughly 1.2 million LED “pucks,” each spaced eight inches apart. Each puck is made of 48 LED diodes, and every diode is able to to display 256 million different colors. Exosphere’s July 4 show was the beginning of programming that will continue throughout this month.

Exosphere

Exosphere

Sphere Entertainment

Built and operated by Madison Square Garden Entertainment, The Sphere officially opens this September with a residency from U2. This residency, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, will feature the band playing its 1991 classic LP Achtung Baby, with shows extending from September through December.

For concerts, the MSG Sphere at The Venetian can hold 20,000 standing spectators or 17,500 seated guests, with 23 VIP suites. Connected to the Venetian Resort via a 1,000-foot-long pedestrian bridge, The Sphere will include 160,000 square feet of video viewing space and state-of-the-art spatial audio.

“Sphere’s Exosphere is a 360-degree canvas for brand storytelling that will be seen around the world, offering our partners an unparalleled opportunity to become part of the greatest show on Earth,” said David Hopkinson, president and chief operating officer of MSG Sports. “There’s nothing comparable to the impact from displaying innovative brand and immersive content on the world’s largest video screen. The extraordinary experiences we can create are only limited by imagination, and we’re thrilled to finally share with the world the spectacular potential of the Exosphere.”

See more photos of the Exosphere below:

Exosphere

Exosphere

Sphere Entertainment

Exosphere

Exosphere

Sphere Entertainment

Exosphere

Exosphere

Sphere Entertainment

05 Jul 2023

How Much Bigger Will ‘Barbie World’ Grow From Its Top 10 Debut?

It’s a movie event like few others in 2023: Barbie, the Greta Gerwig-directed full-length film exploration of the Barbieverse, seems to have pressed all the right buttons in its years-long marketing campaign and is now finally set to debut in theaters this July.

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Part of the movie’s pre-release promotional success has come via its star-studded soundtrack, from which several advance singles have been released. Two of those have already hit the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 40: Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” which climbed to No. 32 in June, and Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua‘s “Barbie World” — revisiting the latter artist’s signature ’90s pop classic “Barbie Girl” — which debuts at No. 7 on the chart dated July 8.

Which of the hits will ultimately prove the soundtrack’s biggest hit? And does this new redo do the Aqua original proud? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. “Barbie World” enters the Hot 100 this week at No. 7. Given the song’s buzz and the artists involved with it, is that higher, lower, or about what you would have expected for its debut?

Rania Aniftos: Given that the Barbie movie isn’t even out yet, it’s right where I expected. I think the song’s journey has only just begun, and I have a feeling a “Barbie World”-themed trend will hit TikTok after Gen-Z watches the film and gets a renewed obsession with the iconic doll. 

Katie Atkinson: I might have expected a top five debut – like “Princess Diana” earlier this year – so it’s around where I would have predicted, if a little low. While there is a lot of online buzz around the Barbie movie, I think a lot of the soundtrack love could come after its premiere, depending on how the songs are used in the film and just how big it turns out to be.

Kyle Denis: I expected a bit of a splashier debut for this song. “Barbie World” is the follow-up to Nicki and Ice’s last collaboration, “Princess Diana,” which hit No. 4, it’s the latest track from what is arguably the most anticipated movie of the summer — and it’s fun, catchy, and built around a sample that everyone knows and loves. Not to mention that multiple versions (sped-up, slowed down, extended, etc.) of the song were available during its first week of release. While a No. 7 debut isn’t bad by any means — and this launch certainly isn’t a death sentence for the song — it’s still quite soft.

Nonetheless, it’s always important to remember that soundtrack singles perform differently in comparison to regular radio singles. Take Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” the lead single from the Barbie soundtrack and her first unaccompanied single since her blockbuster Future Nostalgia era. “Dance the Night” is still yet to reach the Top 30 of the Hot 100, so “Barbie World” is doing just fine.

Jason Lipshutz: A little higher than expected, considering the song itself: “Barbie World” is less of a crossover pop track than recent smashes like Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” and PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” and more of a furious rhyming assault, with both MCs relentlessly rapping around the Aqua sample for less than two minutes. The previous offerings from the upcoming Barbie soundtrack didn’t grace the top 10 of the Hot 100, and even though the combined star power of Minaj and Ice Spice is always powerful, I didn’t think “Barbie World” would streak this high. Yet “Barbie World” is beguiling, even without a proper pop hook, and deserves the buzz it’s received.

Andrew Unterberger: Looks about right to me. A little lower than “Princess Diana,” sure, but we’re already a few singles into the Barbie soundtrack rollout, and soundtrack singles (even for movies as anticipated as Barbie) often underperform a bit on streaming. (Even a song as ultimately huge as Doja Cat’s “Vegas” from last year’s Elvis debuted outside the Hot 100 altogether initially.) Plus, “Diana” had the benefit of an original to piggyback off of when the Minaj-featuring new spin debuted, which “Barbie” doesn’t — unless, of course, you count “Barbie Girl.”

2. The song is the second straight top 10 debut this year for Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice, with their “Princess Diana” starting at No. 4 in the spring. Why do you think their combination has proven so immediately potent?

Rania Aniftos: Ice Spice’s natural charisma always reminded me of Nicki’s when she first hopped on the scene, and I’m clearly not the only one who thinks that. You’re combining two fun, confident, lyrically clever female rappers on a song and it feels like the perfect team-up of rap generations every single time. 

Katie Atkinson: It’s the perfect pairing of a rapper with a dedicated fanbase who has been active (and dominant) for 15 years with a buzzy new rapper whose star keeps ascending as she collects new followers. Over the years, Nicki has handpicked female rappers to team up with, as evidenced by the “Queen Mix” of her Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Super Freaky Girl” last year, which featured City Girls’ JT, Bia, Katie Got Bandz, Akbar V and Maliibu Miitch. Ice Spice seems to be the newest member of that select group that Minaj has given her stamp of approval.

Kyle Denis: From a commercial angle, the union of Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice is probably the smartest one in contemporary mainstream hip-hop. Few hip-hop artists have fanbases that can rival the fervent devotion of Minaj’s Barbz. Their ability to effectively organize has helped provide a sturdy foundation for yet another era of Minaj’s commercial dominance. She’s the last artist to send a hip-hop song to the top of the Hot 100, and every song she’s released in 2023 has entered the chart (bar “Endless Fashion” and “Money,” as those songs will have a chance to debut on the Hot 100 next week).

Ice Spice is the hottest new rapper and overall artist of 2023. Outside of her collaborations with Minaj, she’s scored two additional top ten hits on the Hot 100 alongside PinkPantheress (“Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2”) and Taylor Swift (“Karma”). Even her songs that completely missed the Hot 100 are cultural touchstones (“Munch,” “Bikini Bottom,” etc.), specifically amongst the TikTok crowd and Gen Z consumers. Her commercial pull grows with every release, and people are genuinely enamored with her as an artist and person, hence their increased interest in each subsequent single. 

Moreover, the music is good. The songs are catchy and enjoyable, and the two artists clearly have stronger chemistry than almost all of Minaj’s collaborations with new-gen female rappers. 

Jason Lipshutz: Their collaborations have demonstrated a natural chemistry between their respective flows: Minaj raps with a more animated bounce, Ice Spice’s delivery is more smooth and subtle, and together, their energies form a symbiotic relationship. On “Princess Diana” especially, Minaj’s wild-eyed rhyming sounds like the perfect complement to Ice Spice’s unaffected swagger. Even though they’ve only made a couple of tracks together, I’m already anxious for a Watch the Throne-esque joint full-length.

Andrew Unterberger: It’s just a good pairing of artists with similar styles, personalities, and pop star instincts. Their breakthroughs might be a near-generation separated, but it’s pretty tough to imagine Nicki Minaj fans looking down their nose on the young upstart, or Ice Spice fans rolling their eyes at the older veteran. Plus their voices sound pretty cool together.

3. “Barbie World” marks the second top 40 hit from the Barbie movie soundtrack, with Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” having recently climbed to No. 32. Which of the two do you think will ultimately become the most-enduring hit from the movie — or would you guess that song is still to come from the remainder of the star-studded soundtrack?

Rania Aniftos: “Barbie World” for sure. It’s just a better song overall, in my opinion, and something out of the ordinary. As much as I love Dua Lipa, “Dance the Night” gives very similar, disco-tinged energy to “Levitating” or “Don’t Start Now,” so it doesn’t stick out among her discography. Who knows though? I’m excited to hear the rest of the soundtrack. 

Katie Atkinson: I’m going to give the edge to “Dance the Night,” because it has a similar vibe to Lipa’s persistent smash hit “Levitating,” which was crowned the No. 1 song on our 2021 year-end Hot 100 even though it only peaked at No. 2 on the weekly chart. That shows what kind of longevity it had, and if “Dance” gets that kind of major push at radio plus a bump from the movie’s release, it feels like the top 10 could be in its future.

Kyle Denis: I think it’ll be hard to say until the movie comes out. “Barbie World” is in nearly every trailer, but “Dance the Night” will have a prominent placement in a massive dance scene in the film. There are also the other songs from popular artists on the soundtrack, as well as Ryan Gosling’s big power ballad moment, which could pull a “Peaches.” Right now, I’ll put my money on “Dance the Night.” 

Jason Lipshutz: “Dance the Night” has grown on me since its release — but the answer is “Barbie World,” thanks to the higher chart placement, the continued bond between Minaj and Ice Spice, and, most importantly, the amazing feat of returning Aqua to the top 10 of the chart after a quarter-century away, timed to the release of the Barbie movie. In my mind, Minaj and Ice Spice have full license to tell all of us, in full Max Fischer voice, “We revived Aqua. What did you ever do?”

Andrew Unterberger: Seems like “Dance” will have the advantage on radio and “Barbie” the advantage on streaming, so I bet they end up about evening out. That said, I would be 0% surprised if the defining song from Barbie comes from a lesser-known song by a lesser-name artist — just something that comes in the right point in the movie, strikes a nerve on the internet and ends up a TikTok sensation for the rest of the summer.

4. Obviously much of the hook — and the artist credit here for Aqua — comes via a prominent sample of Aqua’s late-’90s top 10 hit “Barbie Girl.” Do you think the sample is a particularly inspired or well-deployed one, or just another example of a 2020s hit being built off a relatively rote sample of a proven hit from a generation earlier?

Rania Aniftos: “Barbie World” is so clean and fresh! I was expecting the Barbie film to just find a pop star to cover the Aqua hit and call it a day, so the Ice Spice/Nicki remix was a pleasant surprise. To me, it perfectly captures the nostalgic feeling of the Aqua song but keeps it exciting with Nicki or Ice Spice, who never let anything feel outdated. They feel like two completely different songs, which is a testament to how well the sample was executed. 

Katie Atkinson: I actually wish it had been used more prominently! When I heard about the song weeks ago, I was imagining something more in the vein of Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” or “Anaconda,” but I think the Aqua sample was more quietly woven in than I expected. I was hoping for the “Barbie Girl” chorus to be the chorus here, but “Barbie World” has Nicki and Ice trading raps instead. Plus, its two-minute run-time shaves a full 80 seconds off the Aqua original. And where is Ken (aka Aqua’s Rene Dif)? I don’t know how you can have a “Barbie Girl” sample without the raspy “C’mon, Barbie, let’s go party” line.

Kyle Denis: Somewhere in between. Unless the sample was chopped and screwed beyond recognition (which probably would have made for a more intriguing song), “Barbie World” was always going to feel reliant on “Barbie Girl,” to some degree. Nonetheless, if the sample wasn’t recognizable, “Barbie World” would lose its most immediate connection to both the film and Aqua’s original track. 

I think Nicki, Ice, and RiotUSA strike a fine balance. The elements of drill and Jersey club make the “Barbie Girl” sample feel staunchly contemporary, and when they let the sample play uninterrupted in the song’s outro, it’s a nice way to hold space for and honor the impact of Aqua’s seminal hit. 

Jason Lipshutz: I wish the Aqua sample was utilized a bit more cleanly in “Barbie World” — give me a pop-rap song that lets that timeless hook rock as a proper chorus, similar to how Minaj presented the samples on “Anaconda” and “Super Freaky Girl” — but even as connective tissue between Minaj and Ice Spice’s traded rhyme, the “Barbie Girl” melody is too likable to ever be fully denied. It would be easy to adopt a cynical view of the whole affair as pop-song pilfering, but it’s even easier to just enjoy “Barbie World” as a new generation’s nod to a classic single.

Andrew Unterberger: I think the song does a pretty good job with its source material! The sample is big and unmistakable, but it doesn’t provide the entire skeleton of the song — just one of its most vital organs. It functions well as an obvious centerpiece for the Barbie soundtrack, but really, “World” also sounds like a song that could’ve been found on the expanded version of Ice Spice’s Like..? EP without making fans think twice about it.

5. On a scale from 1-10, how excited are you for the Barbie movie to finally arrive later this month?

Rania Aniftos: 8. Even though I was more of a Bratz doll girl growing up, I can’t get enough of childhood nostalgia movies.

Katie Atkinson: 10. I will be seated on opening day.

Kyle Denis: 11. I simply cannot contain my Ken-ergy. 

Jason Lipshutz: A 4. I love Greta Gerwig as a director, but do not love a popular toy being used as tongue-in-cheek Hollywood IP and then dominating pop culture for weeks on end! So I am excited for the Barbie movie to finally arrive, as a means of concluding the extended Barbie movie rollout.

Andrew Unterberger: A 5, mostly just so we can finally get a verdict on whether or not the final product was worth the months (years?) of internet Barbiemania that’s led up to it.

05 Jul 2023

Peso Pluma Makes Billboard History With ‘Genesis’: Vote for Your Favorite Song on the Album

Peso Pluma continues to make his mark across the Billboard charts. This time, he’s done it with his third studio album, Génesis. 

The set now has the biggest week by units earned for a regional Mexican album ever, dating back to when the all-genre Billboard 200 began ranking by units in December 2014. The previous largest week by total units arrived just less than two months ago, when Eslabon Armado’s Desvelado launched with 44,000 units (May 13-dated list).

The Guadalajara-born rapper and singer also reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after earning 73,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. during its first official tracking week ending June 29, according to Luminate. 

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The new set from Peso Pluma — which features collabs with Música Mexicana stars Natanael Cano, Junior H and Luis R Conriquez, to name a few — has also earned the 24-year-old singer his first No. 1 on any album chart. Génesis — which features previously released singles “Rosa Pastel” with Jasiel Nuñez, the Eladio Carrión-assisted “77,” and “Bye” — skyrocketed to No. 1 (from No. 35) on the Top Latin Albums chart (dated July 8) after its first full tracking week, and also jumped 10-1 on Regional Mexican Albums.

On the former chart, Génesis becomes only the fourth regional Mexican effort to lead Top Latin Albums this decade, following Alejandro Fernández’s Hecho en México (Feb. 29, 2020) and two Eslabon Armado albums — Vibras de Noche (August 2020) and Desvelado (May 2023).

“It took me a while to assimilate what was happening,” Peso previously told Billboard of his rapid success. “To see my name on the charts, to see my name next to really important artists, I always dreamed of this. I know it’s all happening so fast, but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to stop working hard. On the contrary, I feel obligated to continue delivering hits.”

In celebration of Peso’s chart feat, vote for your favorite track on Génesis below:

05 Jul 2023

YOASOBI’s ‘Idol’ Scores 12th Week at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

YOASOBI‘s “Idol” continues to rule the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for its 12th consecutive week on the chart dated July 5, dominating three metrics of the chart’s methodology for the sixth week in a row.

The first season of the animated series Oshi no Ko that the track serves as opener ended June 28. While “Idol” is slowing down in terms of overall points, it finishes this week with approximately 1.7 times more than that of the song at No. 2, and continues to rule streaming, video views, and karaoke.

Incidentally, the airing of the season finale has boosted the series’ ending theme as well. “Mephisto” by Queen Bee (aka Ziyoou Vachi) rises 18-15 on the Japan Hot 100 this week with an increase of 8.8 percent from the previous, jumping 12-5 for downloads and 55-18 for video.

Sakurazaka46’s “Start over!” went on sale June 28 and comes in at No. 1 for sales with 523,606 copies sold. The girl group’s sixth single moves 10-2 on the Japan Hot 100, performing relatively well in other metrics including downloads (No. 6), streaming (No. 6), radio (No. 40), and video (No. 44). The CD sold 128,531 more copies than the previous single, “Sakurazuki.”

Kenshi Yonezu’s “Tsuki wo Miteita” dropped digitally June 26 and debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100. Hitting No. 1 for downloads with 29,349 units, the FINAL FANTASY XVI theme is off to a better start than its predecessor, “LADY,” that launched with 20,907. It’s also doing well in other metrics, ruling radio and coming in at No. 21 for streaming.

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 June 26 to July 2, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.

05 Jul 2023

TWICE Takes Over ‘TODAY’ With Bubbly Performances of ‘Alcohol Free,’ ‘Set Me Free’ & More

TWICE was “ready to be” on a television screen near you with their performances for TODAY‘s Summer Concert Series on Wednesday (July 5).

The K-Pop girl group graced the show’s concert stage with multiple performances of hits from across its catalog, including selections from recently released project, Ready to Be. Ahead of hitting the stage, TODAY Show co-host Craig Melvin hailed them as “the history-making queens of K-Pop.”

Each of the group’s members — Momo, Minatozaki Sana, Nayeon, Tzuyu, Jihyo, Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, Mina and Dahyun — got an opportunity to introduce themselves to TODAY viewers before lighting up the stage with a series of electric performances “Alcohol-Free,” “Set Me Free” and more, complete with bubbles, a live band and outfits straight out of their music videos.

TWICE is the first all-woman K-Pop group to sell out a stadium in North America. The global phenoms are set to headline New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium as a part of their Ready to Be World Tour, which boasts nearly 40 dates across Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. The group’s TODAY performance included a rendition of Ready to Be lead single “Set Me Free,” which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, their highest peak on the ranking. The girl group also performed “Moonlight Sunrise,” their second English-language single and second song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 84).

Ready to Be, the group’s twelfth EP, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with over 153,000 album-equivalent units. Of that figure, 145,500 units came from pure album sales, good enough for the group’s biggest consumption week in the U.S., as well as their highest-charting title in the U.S. to date.

TWICE has earned four consecutive top ten titles on the Billboard 200 dating back to 2021’s Taste of Love. “The Feels,” their first original English-language single, is their highest-charting Hot 100 hit (No. 83).

Check out some clips of TWICE’s TODAY performances below.

05 Jul 2023

Shoes for Steals: Snag the ‘Most Comfy’ Crocs for Only $25

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Upgrade your summer shoe collection with a pair of comfortable sandals that have taken the world by storm: Crocs. Rather than shell out $50+ on a pair of designer platform boots, Walmart has slashed the price off the bestselling Crocs Unisex Baya Clog you can shop now.

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Celebrities have quickly jumped on the shoe trend with the most recent being Lil Nas X who partnered with the brand for a next level collaboration. He’s not the only one either — other artists including Justin Bieber and SZA have also created sold-out Crocs collaborations, which you can still snag from resale retailers).

Sport a pair of your own, but for a fraction of the price as places like Walmart, Amazon, Zappos and Nordstrom Rack are offering the shoe up to 55% off.

Keep reading to shop the Crocs Unisex Baya Clog.

light blue Crocs clog

Walmart

Crocs Unisex Baya Clog

$24.99 $54.99 55% off% OFF

This bestselling style features the classic Crocs clog look paired with a lightweight 100% thermoplastic EVA material that’s cushy, lightweight and breathable. It’s available in 17 shades to stock up and personalize to your liking, and can be wiped clean when they’re dirty.

This style has racked up a 4.7 rating on Walmart with almost 8,000 five-star reviews with shoppers praising how comfortable they are.

“My co-workers are wearing them, my neighbors are wearing them, I see school kids wearing them so I decided to find out for myself why everyone I know was wearing these CROCS. Well, let me just say I ordered a pair and I LOVE THEM! They are so comfortable I don’t want to take them off. As soon as I get home from work I change out my work shoes for my CROCS. I’ll definitely buy a few more because I can’t decide which is my favorite color,” said one Walmart reviewer.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best jelly shoes, men’s sneaker deals and platform heels.

05 Jul 2023

With ‘Special,’ Lizzo Lands First Adult R&B Airplay No. 1

Lizzo lands her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “Special,” featuring SZA, crowns the list dated July 8. The single advances from the runner-up slot after a 9% surge in plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending June 29, according to Luminate.

“Special” unseats Usher’s “GLU” from the summit after the latter’s two-week reign.

With “Special,” Lizzo scores her first champ after coming up just short on her last appearance. Prior single “About Damn Time,” achieved a No. 2 peak in August 2022. Before that, she reached the chart with “Juice” (No. 19) in 2019 and “Truth Hurts” (No. 29) the following year.

For featured artist SZA, “Special” is her second Adult R&B Airplay No. 1, after “Love Galore,” featuring Travis Scott, reigned for nine weeks in 2018. Between the leaders, she came closest to recapturing the throne with “I Hate U,” which peaked at No. 4 in 2022.

As “Special” tops the list, SZA also logs her newest chart hit as new single “Snooze” debuts at No. 29. The single is already a smash mainstream radio hit, leading the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for a second week and having added 19% more plays in the latest tracking week.

Elsewhere, “Special” rebounds 18-16 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay to match its peak, first earned two weeks ago. On the chart, which ranks songs by combined audience on adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations, “Special” rose to 7.1 million in audience in the last tracking week, a 9% improvement from the prior frame.

“Special” is the title track of Lizzo’s latest studio album, which was released in July 2022. In addition to the incumbent Adult R&B Airplay champ, the album includes “About Damn Time,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and won the Grammy Award for record of the year.

05 Jul 2023

Cardi B & Offset Attend Paris Fashion Week Together Following Cheating Allegations

It looks like all is well with Cardi B and Offset, who kept things classy at a Paris Fashion Week show Wednesday morning (July 5).

The two rappers looked super stylish in matching luxury black looks at a Balenciaga runway showcase, at one point cozying up for photos together in a video captured on the scene by i-D. The day before, Cardi flew solo at the Thom Browne Haute Couture show, wearing a custom multi-color tweed blazer dress by the designer while sitting in the row with Diane Keaton, Anna Wintour and Baz Luhrmann.

“Custom couture @thombrowne ….I’m a very blessed girl,” the “WAP” musician captioned a carousel of Instagram photos from the Tuesday (July 4) show. “I’m thankful everyday that my work and my lord have me living my dreams.”

Cardi and Offset’s fashion week outing comes on the heels of their brief social media spat, which started when the Migos rapper wrote in a quickly-deleted Instagram Story that his wife had cheated on him with another man. Afterward, Cardi took to Twitter Spaces to shut down the accusation, pointing out how implausible a secret affair would be given her fame.

“So please boy, stop acting stupid,” she addressed Offset in the audio clip last week.
“Stop acting stupid. Going crazy over a f—ing space. Don’t play with me. What the f—. Stop playing. Thats all I’m gonna mother—ing say.”

The “Up” artist and her husband definitely aren’t the only stars in Paris this week. Shakira and Camila Cabello, for instance, were seated together Wednesday at the Viktor & Rolf show, and both Cabello and Latto were present the day prior at Iris Van Herpen’s showcase. Also at the Balenciaga show with Cardi and Offset were Rema, Michelle Yeoh, Natasha Lyonne and more.

See photos of Cardi B and Offset at the Paris Fashion Week Balenciaga show here.

05 Jul 2023

21 Chart-Topping Summer Latin Songs of the Last Decade: ‘Bailando,’ ‘Despacito,’ & More

All the hits that reached No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs every summer season (June, July, & August) since 2013.

Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee

Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee, “Despacito”

Courtesy Photo

The summer season not only brings longer and hotter days, but also an incredible selection of music with perfect songs to accompany all the fun activities of the most relaxed time of the year.

There are many songs that gain momentum each summer, but only a few reach the top of Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming the most popular tunes of the season.

Undoubtedly, the last 10 years have brought many timeless No. 1 Latin hits worthy of being included in our “21 Biggest Summer Latin Songs” list. Songs with contagious tropical rhythms like “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony that made us dance in 2013, and songs with an urban flavor like “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias with Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona, which took over the summer of 2014.

And let’s not forget the global phenomenon that was “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, whose impact transcended beyond 2017 and continues to be heard around the world to this day. Nor can we fail to mention the recent success of Mexican music with Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola,” which is taking 2023 by storm (so far).

Get ready to embark on a nostalgic musical journey through the Latin songs that accompanied your best summer moments in the past 10 years. From The Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin’s “Ritmo” to Aventura & Bad Bunny’s “Volví,” and beyond, here are all the songs that were crowned as No. 1 hits on Hot Latin Songs every summer season (June – August) since 2013, in chronological order.