Music

25 Apr 2023

How Meaningful Is It for SZA That ‘Kill Bill’ Finally Hit No. 1?

After 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 — 17 of them in the top 10, and a whopping eight of them at No. 2 — SZA‘s “Kill Bill” finally pulls into pole position in its 19th week, on the chart dated April 29.

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The late surge for “Kill Bill” (which ranked at No. 4 the prior week) is largely due to the debut of the song’s remix, given an assist by an old co-star in Doja Cat — though the official credit on the No. 1 is still given to SZA solo, given that the remix did not account for the majority of the song’s overall consumption during the chart tracking week. It marks SZA’s first No. 1 on the Hot 100, after previously getting as high as No. 3 (as featured on Doja’s “Kiss Me More”).

How important is it that “Kill Bill” finally grabbed that top spot? And what films should SZA be pulling up for a potential sequel? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. “Kill Bill” finally tops the Hot 100 in its 19th week, all but one of which was spent in the chart’s top 10. Are you surprised that the song has had such longevity? 

Katie Atkinson: I’m not surprised by its longevity, but I am surprised that it’s taken this long to climb to No. 1. SOS has had such a major impact since its December release, I was certain “Kill Bill” would sneak to the top at some point. I guess I was right (eventually), but I thought it would cut in front of Miley Cyrus during her unstoppable “Flowers” run earlier this year.

Stephen Daw: A little bit! It’s been clear for a while that SOS was going to have massive endurance when it came to Billboard 200, and “Kill Bill” naturally earned its spot near the top of the Hot 100 as a fan favorite. But to see the song finally hit its peak 19 weeks in and after a whopping 8 non-consecutive weeks at No. 2 is pretty surprising. Even SZA seemed to be surprised at the song’s success, and that was before it hit No. 1!

Jason Lipshutz: Yes – not because it’s not a great song, but because it doesn’t scream “surefire smash single that is going to reside in the top 5 of the Hot 100 for one-third of a year.” Even SZA didn’t think “Kill Bill” was the song from SOS that was going to pop, but the midtempo revenge fantasy not only immediately connected upon the late 2022 album release, but has defined the first chunk of 2023 in a way that no other song has. It took me a few weeks to understand why “Kill Bill” became the biggest solo hit of SZA’s career, but I’m still pretty shocked that it’s lasted this long near (and, now, in) the top spot of the chart. 

Neena Rouhani: Not at all. This song has staying power and the shock factor. The lyrics “I just killed my ex, not the best idea,” reminds me of those gasp-inducing choruses of hit singles that defined my childhood, like Katy Perry’s “I kissed a girl and I liked it.” So, not only do I think it can endure for 19 weeks, but for years to come. 

Andrew Unterberger: Not once it started showing legs early on — but I wouldn’t have predicted much, if anything, about this “Kill Bill” run when I first heard the song. It’s pretty cool, just a good song finding a much wider and more receptive audience than any tastemakers would’ve likely guessed for it. Almost never a bad thing for pop music.

2. Obviously the bump for “Kill Bill” this week is largely due to the debut of its new remix, featuring SZA’s old “Kiss Me More” co-star Doja Cat. Is the new version an interesting/significant expansion of the song and its universe, or more just a fun bonus for fans? 

Katie Atkinson: Both! I love Doja’s verse, and I love that it kicks off the song with a whole new storyline to immerse yourself in. I think the original still stands on its own as an excellent song, but the combination of SZA and Doja Cat is undeniable. I hope that — similar to The Weeknd and Ariana Grande – these two continually link up for duets, features and remixes throughout their respective album cycles. Also, Doja has been hinting on Twitter that she’s wanting to go all in on rap on her next album, and her flow on this verse has me very pumped for an all-rap project from her.

Stephen Daw: It’s pretty clearly a fun bonus. Doja is a perfect fit not only for SZA as an artist, but for “Kill Bill” as a song — this is one of my favorite guest verses of hers. Kicking off the song with the added context from Doja’s verse is also a smart way to immediately give fans a different flavor. But ultimately, Doja’s fiery intro doesn’t really change or significantly build upon what makes “Kill Bill” a great song already, which is SZA’s top-tier vocals and A+ songwriting.

Jason Lipshutz: Fun bonus for fans, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Doja’s verse adds some violent specificity to SZA’s vengeance, and as one of the most skilled rappers alive, she floats over the woozy beat while telling her bloody story. Yet the remix doesn’t change the blueprint of the original, which ultimately stands a little more comfortably in its structure, and will more clearly stand the test of time. Fans should think of the remix as a thank-you for their support of the song – which was quickly repaid by listeners with a Hot 100 chart-topper.

Neena Rouhani: I think it has more value than being a fun bonus, at least for Doja. People love seeing her rap and I think it further cements her status as a rapper as well as a singer. She really told a captivating story and I think it’s a big part of her ever-expanding artistic identity. 

Andrew Unterberger: Fun bonus. Kinda wish they’d done a little more with Doja’s involvement — her verse is predictably good, but it’s over by the minute mark, and then it’s basically just the original version from there. Some interplay between Doja and SZA would’ve made it more fun, and shifting the beat/production of the original to make the remix more distinctive also could’ve gone a long way to making it feel like a legitimate continuation rather than just a late add-on. That’s not usually the name of the game with remixes in 2023, but from artists as generally creative and thoughtful as SZA and Doja, it’s not unreasonable to expect a little bit more.

3. A good deal of the endurance for “Kill Bill” on the charts is due to the chart-topping success of the song on pop radio — a format that in recent history has mostly been slow to embrace R&B-based songs. Do you think the song’s success will end up being meaningful or impactful for top 40, or was “Kill Bill” just an exception that was too big and/or too good to ignore?

Katie Atkinson: “Kill Bill” is based in R&B, yes, but it also has an undeniably earwormy melody that is a perfect fit on top 40 radio. And I think what makes sense for pop radio is rapidly changing too (see: Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” topping the Pop Airplay chart late last year), so I don’t think this is an exception so much as a harbinger of what’s to come on an increasingly nimble format. 

Stephen Daw: I don’t know that “Kill Bill” specifically is going to be the final nail in pop radio not playing R&B-influenced tracks, but I do think that SZA is going to be the artist to bring that particular trend to an end. With the success of SOS alone, SZA’s proven multiple times over that alt-R&B is the sound that people are gravitating towards, and pop radio can’t really ignore that any longer. One can only hope that the success of “Kill Bill” is more than a one-off for these stations as they figure out that this is the sound listeners want more of.

Jason Lipshutz: While “Kill Bill” was too good to ignore, SZA was too big to overlook: her long-awaited return with SOS produced a commercial juggernaut that’s still in the top 3 of the Billboard 200 chart four months after its release. SZA has had some pop radio success before – most memorably alongside Doja Cat on “Kiss Me More,” but also on songs with Kendrick Lamar and Justin Timberlake – and to shrug off a superstar of her stature, with a streaming smash like “Kill Bill,” would have been a misstep from top 40 programmers. Thankfully, they didn’t make it.

Neena Rouhani: I don’t think this track is deep enough in the R&B pocket to be written off the same way pop radio writes off other R&B songs. So for that reason, I don’t see it sparking any larger conversation surrounding R&B’s inclusion on pop radio stations. 

Andrew Unterberger: I don’t know if it’s as meaningful for R&B specifically as it is for non-traditionally top 40-sounding songs that are putting up undeniable numbers in other metrics (particularly streaming). Pop radio has shown more of a “whatever works” attitude towards playlisting lately, and “Kill Bill” unquestionably worked. That said, so are a lot of other songs by R&B artists in 2023, so hopefully we’ll start to see top 40 embrace those in a similar fashion.

4. How important is it to the legacy of “Kill Bill” that it hit No. 1 after spending eight weeks at No. 2? Do you think people (or that you yourself) will remember it differently because it was able to get over that hump? 

Katie Atkinson: I will! But I probably care more about charts than the average music fan. There’s something about that elite club that truly cements a song’s legacy, but of course there are countless massive songs that stalled out at No. 2 – Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” spent seven weeks there, Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” spent eight, Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” spent nine, Foreigner’s “Waiting for a Girl Like You” spent 10 – so history would still remember “Kill Bill” kindly.

Stephen Daw: Look, people may love a Cinderella story, but that doesn’t mean that’s going to be a defining feature of this song in the years to come. Look back at other songs that had similar trajectories — “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish eventually going No. 1 largely doesn’t change the way that people think about it. “Havana” is Camilla Cabello’s signature song to this day not because it eventually reached the top of the charts after seven weeks, but because it’s an extremely catchy tune. Sure, “Kill Bill” being SZA’s first No. 1 single will be a huge part of its legacy — but I genuinely don’t think it’s slow-burn approach to rising up the charts will have any real impact on public memory of this song.

Jason Lipshutz: It’s sort of like if a certain Philadelphia-based athlete were to finally win an MVP trophy after years of being in the conversation for the league’s top prize: finishing at No. 1 doesn’t greatly alter a legacy, but it does help crystallize it, right? “Kill Bill” deserved to spend at least one frame as the biggest song in the country, and forever preserve the Hot 100 impact that SZA achieved with the song. And thankfully, this discourse didn’t need to turn toxic in order to get it over the hump! 

Neena Rouhani: I mean, I think it’s very important just to add to SZA’s stats and to have that “No. 1 moment,” but whether or not it topped the chart wouldn’t take away from its impact and significance. A lot of really incredible songs never hit No. 1, like Rihanna’s “Pon De Replay” or Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s “Drunk In Love.”

Andrew Unterberger: Not really. I sorta wish artists would embrace the proud legacy of a long-running No. 2 hit that never makes No. 1 — Missy Elliott’s “Work It” and Foreigner’s “Waiting for a Girl Like You” are the current co-holders of that endurance record, and they’re two of my favorite pop songs ever — as well as the honor of having a so-close No. 2 before ultimately reaching the top spot, a path taken by such recent luminaries as Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Ariana Grande. SZA’s gonna be contending for No. 1s for a long time still, I don’t think it would’ve been tragic to let this one fall a spot short.

5. Let’s say SZA decides that lead singles named after movies are the way for her to go moving forward. What film would you choose to title (and serve as the jumping-off point for) her next effort? 

Katie Atkinson: Apparently Pretty Woman is SZA’s favorite movie, so maybe she can do a whole song with that title, or interpolate Roy Orbison’s classic (which itself inspired the movie’s title). As long as she includes the line “Big mistake. HUGE.,” I’m all in.

Stephen Daw: She doesn’t even need to write a new one — just take her existing SOS slow-jam “Gone Girl,” give it a slightly more sinister remix and intersperse clips from Rosamund Pike’s “cool girl” monologue from the movie of the same name, and you’ve got a hit on your hands.

Jason Lipshutz: Let’s stick with Tarantino and go with “Death Proof,” focusing on her indestructible mind and spirit. Maybe we even get a video where she gets her revenge on her own Stuntman Mike!

Neena Rouhani: Hear me out…. “Edward SZA-hands.”

Andrew Unterberger: “Uncut Gems.” Don’t exactly have a coherent script for it yet — it’s an evocative-enough title there are plenty of directions you could take it — but I bet you can guess who’s showing up for the late-game remix.

25 Apr 2023

Anatomy of a Hit: Breaking Down Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma’s ‘Ella Baila Sola’

When Pedro Tovar — Eslabon Armado‘s frontman — first came up with the melody to a new track back in January, he didn’t think much of it. He boxed the tune for a few days not knowing whether he’d come back to it or not. He did.

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A few weeks later, Tovar and Peso Pluma started exchanging direct messages on social media and discussed a potential collaboration. “I told him that I really liked his music and he said he’d be down to do a song together,” recalls Tovar. So, he went back to that melody and began writing the lyrics to what is now known as the global hit song “Ella Baila Sola.”

Currently, the romantic sierreño track — not to be confused with a corrido, Tovar categorically explains — sits at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. It’s the first leader on the list for each act, as well as the first for the regional Mexican genre. Additionally, “Ella Baila Sola” has, so far, spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, the banger is No. 5 on the tally dated April 29 — the first Mexican music song to enter the top 10 on the chart.

Below, a breakdown of “Ella Baila Sola”:

The players

Eslabon Armado, signed to indie label DEL Records, is no stranger to making history on the charts. After scoring four consecutive No. 1 albums on the Regional Mexican Albums chart between 2020-2021, the California-based, Mexican-American teenage group — known for their sad sierreño anthems “Jugaste Y Sufri” and “Con Tus Besos” — made history last year with Nostalgia, which became the first top 10-charting regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200.

While considered a new act, Peso Pluma has rapidly climbed to the top of the charts. In the past year alone, Billboard‘s Latin Artist on the Rise in March signed with indie label Prajin Records, his first record deal, and has so far placed 14 songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart. The corridos juggernaut joined Becky G at Coachella during her weekend one set and announced his first U.S. tour this year, which will kick off July 20 at L.A.’s YouTube Theater. Peso, who was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico is set to make his late-night TV debut on April 28 when he performs on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The song’s backstory

After talking to Peso on social media, Tovar wrote the lyrics to “Ella” in a matter of “two or three” days, he tells Billboard. He wrote the first half in one day, and two days later he wrote the second part. “Peso asked me to send him songs, so I wrote ‘Ella Baila Sola’ after we had messaged each other. I called him right after I finished writing it. I remember he was at an airport and I was like, ‘Hey bro, I have the song.’ He asked me to send it to him but I decided to sing it to him instead. ‘So I can see your reaction,’ I explained to him. He immediately fell in love with it. He was hella hyped.”

Peso adds, “It’s a song that many people can relate to, besides having the elements of the instruments that really make it stand out, people received it so well and are enjoying it as much as we enjoy it.”

The lyrics and the sound

The song tells the story of two compas (guy friends), who are at a gathering and spot a beautiful girl who is the belle of the ball. But don’t ask Tovar where he drew inspiration for that specific track — because, as he puts it, “I always say the same thing when they ask what inspired my lyrics: ‘I really don’t know,” he says. “For sure I knew that I wanted to tell a story and wanted it to have the point of view of two guys talking about a girl at a party.”

The sound strikes the perfect balance between Eslabon and Peso Pluma’s musical styles. “Each one of us did our own thing and it became its own style. No one forced anything, which in return made the song turn out so well,” Peso Pluma says. The core sound is sierreño, with the requinto as its leading guitar. For a twist, they added charchetas, trombone and the tololoche. “We used very specific instruments to get the sound we wanted and for it to sound like what is popular today,” adds Tovar, who also produced the song.

25 Apr 2023

Miley Cyrus Celebrates SZA Reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100: ‘Love You!’

Miley Cyrus had nothing but love for SZA on Tuesday (April 25) after the R&B star hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Kill Bill.”

The pop singer responded to a tweet from a chart-centric Twitter account announcing SZA’s new chart victory, writing, “Congrats to Sza for going #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100…Love you!”

Cyrus knows a bit about SZA’s long and winding 19-week path to the top of Billboard’s all-genre chart, considering her own global smash “Flowers” spent eight non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 earlier this year, even blocking SZA’s murderous revenge anthem for multiple weeks on its journey to the summit. (On the chart dated April 29, Miley’s empowering anthem sits at No. 3 behind last week’s No. 1 — Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” — and just ahead of new entry “Princess Diana” by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj at No. 4.)

SZA achieving her first No. 1 comes directly on the heels of releasing her latest version of “Kill Bill” featuring close pal and frequent collaborator Doja Cat. On the remix, the “Get Into It (Yuh)” rapper kicks off the back and forth with a guest verse equal parts funny and sinister, rapping, “I’m in a funk, so I bought a bouquet of roses/ And cut ’em up on your doorstep, your new neighborhood is gorgeous” before detailing a break-in gone woefully wrong.

Meanwhile, Cyrus debuted a new look earlier this week by going back to her brunette roots on the red carpet for The Daily Front Row’s Seventh Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards. She also showed off the transformation with a social media post captioned with lyrics from “Jaded” off her latest album Endless Summer Vacation.

Read Cyrus’ congratulatory tweet to SZA for hitting No. 1 below.

25 Apr 2023

John Legend, Tony Bennett & More Remember Harry Belafonte: ‘He Worked So Hard & Did So Much’

Harry Belafonte died on Tuesday morning (April 25) at 96 in his Manhattan home from congestive heart failure. According to the actor, singer and producer’s longtime spokesperson, Ken Sunshine, Belafonte’s wife, Pamela Frank, was by his side, Billboard confirmed.  

As news of his death spread, musicians remembered the artist and civil rights activist. John Legend, who spoke about Belafonte after learning of his passing at the Time100 Summit, wrote on Twitter, “I loved Mr Belafonte and I’m so grateful for his revolutionary work and his massive influence on our nation and the world … He worked so hard and did so much. May he get his well-deserved rest.”

Questlove shared a few words on his Instagram account, posting few snapshots from the late star’s lifetime. “Shining example of how to use your platform to make change in the world. Hi$ activi$m was crucial for the civil rights movement. His activism was key in the anti apartheid movement,” The Roots frontman wrote, adding that the late artist “represented many things to us: fun calypso music, iconic acting (I came to know him as #GeechieDan in the iconic #UptownSaturdayNight as a child)—-but most importantly he taught me to think in terms of ‘WE’ not ‘I.’”

Tony Bennett also shared a photo of himself with the “Day-O” singer and recalled the beginning of their friendship. “Met Harry in 1948 and knew then he would be a huge star. More than that, he fought for social justice and equality and never, ever gave up,” he wrote. “Our dearest of friends, he will be deeply missed by myself and so many for all he contributed to the world.”

See reactions to Harry Belafonte’s death, from Patti LaBelle, Bootsy Collins and more below.

25 Apr 2023

Lindsay Lohan Shows Off Her New Baby Bump in Crochet Maxi Dress

Lindsay Lohan is basking in her pregnancy glow! The star took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (April 25) to highlight her day at NYC’s Edition hotel, and kicked things off with a classic mirror selfie.

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In the photo, the Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen actress is seen making a kiss face while sporting an ankle-length, green and white crochet dress. While she’s not posing from the side, her tiny baby bump is still seen peeking through the outfit.

See her Story before it disappears here.

Lohan revealed last month that she and husband Bader Shammas are expecting their first child. “We are blessed and excited!” she wrote alongside a surprise Instagram photo of a white onesie with the words “Coming Soon …” written on it. The pregnancy news comes less than a year after Lohan and Shammas tied the knot.

“We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives,” she later shared in a sweet statement to TMZ.

Speaking with People, the singer-actress’ mom was overwhelmed with excitement about the upcoming grandchild. “Lindsay has always loved kids, because I love kids and my mother loves kids; I’m one of four,” Dina Lohan explained. “We have a big family, so she’s always wanted children. And she’s so maternal. Isabelle, her niece, just runs to her when she sees her.”

25 Apr 2023

Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj’s ‘Princess Diana’ Reigns on Hot Rap Songs Chart

Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj combine forces for a historic No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart as their collaboration, “Princess Diana,” becomes the first champ by two co-billed women in the list’s 34-year history.

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With the new champ, Ice Spice achieves her first career No. 1 on Hot Rap Songs upon her fourth visit to the chart. Minaj adds a 10th leader to her collection and becomes the first woman to reach the double-digit mark. On the overall count, she ties with Diddy and Kanye West for third place, while Drake (28) and Lil Wayne (11) occupy the top two slots.

“Diana” debuts at No. 1 on the April 29, 2023-dated Hot Rap Songs chart, which blends streaming, radio airplay and sales into its weekly rankings. The song was originally released as part of Ice Spice’s Like..? EP in January, before Minaj joined for the remix, which dropped on April 14. (All versions of the song are combined for tracking and chart purposes.)

In the latest tracking week of April 14 – 20, “Diana” scored 21.8 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, up 1,554% from 1.3 million streams (of solely the Ice Spice version) the week before. The eight-figure sum sparks the track’s No. 2 start on the Rap Streaming Songs chart and a No. 6 arrival on the corresponding, all-genre Streaming Songs list.

“Diana” also begins with 77,000 downloads sales sold in the same period, the best sales week for any rap title since Minaj’s own “Super Freaky Girl” launched with 89,000 in sales in the tracking week of Aug. 12 – 18, 2022. (Along with Ice Spice’s solo version and the main version of the collaboration, “Diana” was also available in clean, explicit, extended, sped-up, slowed-down and instrumental versions of the Minaj remix for purchase in the tracking week.) As “Diana” debuts at No. 1 on the Rap Digital Song Sales chart, Ice Spice nabs her first leader there; she previously reached No. 2 with the Lil Tjay collab “Gangsta Boo” in February. Minaj, meanwhile, collects her 18th Rap Digital Song Sales No. 1, extending her record among women. Drake, the only act above her, leads with 22 champs.

On the radio front, “Diana” registered 2.4 million audience impressions in the same tracking period. The track has yet to make any Billboard radio chart, though it has not been officially promoted. Both acts have other active radio singles: “In Ha Mood” (Ice Spice) and “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” (Minaj).

With “Diana,” newcomer Ice Spice and established vet Minaj link up for the first equal-billed No. 1 collaboration by two women in Hot Rap Songs history, which dates to March 1989. Overall, “Diana” is the eighth leader featuring at least two solo women (including rappers and singers) in the chart’s archives. Here’s the full list:

  • “It’s a Shame,” Monie Love featuring True Image, two weeks at No. 1, beginning April 13, 1991
  • “4, 5, 6,” Sole featuring JT Money & Kandi, one, Nov. 20, 1999
  • “Hot Boyz,” Missy Elliott featuring Nas, Eve & Q-Tip, 18, Nov. 27, 1999
  • “Fancy,” Iggy Azalea featuring Charli xCX, 18, May 3, 2014
  • “Black Widow,” Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora, five, Oct. 18, 2014
  • “WAP,” Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion, eight, Aug. 22, 2020
  • “Rumors,” Lizzo featuring Cardi B, one, Aug. 28, 2021
  • “Princess Diana,” Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj, one (to date), April 29, 2023

Elsewhere, “Diana” starts at No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

Plus, Ice Spice’s Like..? EP, surges in activity thanks to the new remix’s popularity. The EP earned 28,000 equivalent album units in the latest tracking week, sparking its No. 4 re-entry on the Top Rap Albums chart (after previously reaching No. 13 upon its debut), No. 5 return on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and 187-15 rally on the all-genre Billboard 200.

25 Apr 2023

Motherboard Connection: Technology’s Impact on Music Through the Decades

“We are living in an electronic age and electronics is changing the world.” This bold-for-the-time declaration, from the June 24, 1967, issue of Billboard, came from an unlikely source: Limeliters banjo player Alex Hassilev. For an acoustic musician, he was savvy about electronics: Over the years since, we’ve gone from classical compositions played on synths to music created by artificial intelligence. What’s next? Just ask ChatGPT!

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Come On, Moog!

A year after the Summer of Love, Billboard hailed the age of computer love. The Oct. 12, 1968, issue predicted that “computers would someday allow operators to obtain overnight, or at least weekly, reports of record popularity on jukeboxes.” A month later, Billboard reported that “[a]n electronic Bach album is being issued by Columbia Masterworks this month,” which “employs a specially adapted Moog synthesizer as its musical instrument.” That recording, Wendy Carlos’ groundbreaking Switched-On Bach, became “only the second classical record in history to sell more than 1 million units,” according to the June 8, 1974, issue.

Speaking on the Moog in the Dec. 20, 1969, issue, jazz drummer Chico Hamilton opined, “it’s up to the listener to decide if it’s music or not,” but quipped, “some people turn electricity off.”

Synths In the Key of Life

While the Sept. 30, 1972, Billboard reported that skeptics saw synthesizers as merely a “cheaper alternative to a real string section,” the Sept. 9, 1973, issue proclaimed that keyboards were now the “hot instrument” thanks to synthesizers becoming an “integral part” of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. By the late ’70s, Giorgio Moroder taught the Moog to move, and the July 30, 1977, issue praised the “incessant, spacey, machine-like beat” on Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.”

One-Way Ticket

Synths were inescapable on the Billboard Hot 100 by the time of the March 24, 1984, issue, and Billboard ran a prescient headline with a phrase from Steve Jobs: “Computers Bound to Become ‘The Second Telephone.’ ” Another piece in the same issue covered the rise of “computerized [ticket-selling] outlets like Ticketron, Bass, Select-A-Seat, Ticketmaster and others,” noting that “the logistics of selling tickets becomes smoother; the service charge, however, is divvied up between more parties.”

Prog Rock and Prog-ROM

After Peter Gabriel released the musical computer game XPLORA1, the Jan. 8, 1994, Billboard hailed him as “the first major pop artist to actively participate in the creation of an interactive CD-ROM title integrating substantial amounts of music, video, still photos, text and ‘virtual touring.’ ” Not everyone was ready to get with the program, though. “We don’t see the point of participating in something if ‘the medium is the message,’ ” said The Cure’s Robert Smith about E-CDs in the Aug. 17, 1996, issue. “It’s an interesting idea, but is that art in itself?”

AI Think, Therefore AI Jam

A feature on digital recording in the Oct. 9, 1993, issue addressed fears of “sterile” mixes and “computer control supplanting the human touch.” “There is nothing spookier than facing something totally unfamiliar,” said producer John Hampton. “[But] you can let technology do so much of the work for you that you can sit back and look at the big picture.” A Berklee dean agreed: “What computers in general have done, is allowed us to take our minds off the mundane and concentrate on the creative.”

The same concern came back in a piece in the March 18, 2017, Billboard, which pointed out that “for songwriters, the subject of artificial intelligence is an especially fraught one.” The beat goes on, in other words — even if technology helps create it.

A version of this story originally appeared in the April 22, 2023, issue of Billboard.

25 Apr 2023

Samsung NXT 2.0 Continues Partnership All About ‘Supporting Creators From All Genres’

The success of Samsung NXT 2.0, the one-of-a-kind competition created by Billboard and Samsung in which unsigned artists across various backgrounds and sounds competed to stand out as a new-school superstar, was captured across five months of challenges beginning last year and a star-studded finale in February. After Nyla XO was crowned the winner of Samsung NXT 2.0, the singer-songwriter landed on the cover of a special digital issue of Billboard, and is now well on her way to showcasing herself under a brighter spotlight.

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That was always the goal of NXT, says Mike Van, president of Billboard – not only for a champion like Nyla XO, but for all of the artists who competed, or were inspired by those who did.

“This partnership with Samsung was borne out of this very genuine idea of supporting creators from all genres,” says Van. “The genesis of NXT was about finding the next social music star — because as we all know, so much engagement takes place on social media platforms, especially on mobile devices, now more than ever. As a result, we thought that there’s no better way to find the next social music star than to partner with Samsung and empower creators with tools that can help them in every step of their process.”

After contenders relied upon devices like Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip4 and Buds2 Pro to compete over multiple challenges, the Samsung NXT 2.0 grand finale took place on Feb. 17 at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles in front of both a packed crowd as well as celebrity judges Natti Natasha, Eric Nam and Tinashe. Seeing the talent of the three finalists – Nyla XO, Julian King and Kyn Rose – onstage during the finale, Van says, crystallized “a perfect partnership between Billboard and Samsung to bring this platform to life.”

Following her victory, Nyla XO said that she felt “so seen in this moment,” especially as a long-aspiring artist. “I’ve walked away with the validation that people see me, the hard work I’ve put in over the years, my heart when I perform, and how my music makes them feel,” Nyla said in a statement. “To be recognized in this way as an artist is incredible!”

Nyla XO joins Bronze Avery, who emerged the champion of the original Samsung NXT competition and was on-hand at the NXT 2.0 finale – with more unsigned artists hopefully joining the winners’ circle in the future.

“It’s something that we also wanted to make sure would be continuous,” says Van. “This is something that both partners are going to continue to support, hopefully for years to come.”

25 Apr 2023

Grandmaster Flash, Tanya Tucker & More to Headline SummerStage 2023

Capital One City Parks Foundation announced the 2023 roster for its SummerStage concert series on Tuesday (April 25) including Grandmaster Flash, Tanya Tucker, Noel Gallagher and more.

The season will kick off June 10 with a free performance by St. Paul and the Broken Bones in Central Park, and continue through the summer with 80 free shows and benefit concerts across all five boroughs of New York City.

Highlights this year will include a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop throughout the summer, starting with Mike bringing his Young World Festival to Brooklyn’s Von King Park on July 15 followed by Grandmaster Flash returning to the Bronx for a special hometown show on Aug. 2 in Crotona Park. A few days later, a Hip-Hop 50 Special Edition Showcase will head to Coney Island on Aug. 6.

“We are thrilled to present another vibrant season filled with captivating artists from around the world and introduce music fans to their diverse sounds,” said SummerStage executive artistic director Erika Elliott in a statement. “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this year, we are excited to highlight the global impact that the genre has had on music and culture with an outstanding lineup of international artists and hometown heroes. SummerStage has been featuring hip-hop in our performances since the ’90s and is dedicated to giving a platform to showcase this important culture, shining a light on the genre every season.”

SummerStage won’t just be hip-hop, though. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Garbage will join forces on July 10; Juanes will bring his Latin flair on July 12 as part of the Latin Alternative Music Conference; rising electronic Afro-Cuban/French duo Ibeyi will join The Comet Is Coming for a night of electronica-jazz stylings on August 2 and Tucker will close out the season-long series with her own headlining show in Central Park on Sept. 14.

Check out the SummerStage 2023 announcement below and get a look at the entire schedule of concerts here.

25 Apr 2023

Taylor Swift Fans Honor Swiftie Killed by Suspected Drunk Driver With Friendship Bracelets & GoFundMe

Swifties are teaming up to pay tribute to one of their own. Following the devastating news that a 20-year-old Taylor Swift fan named Jacob Lewis was killed by a suspected drunk driver while on his way home from an Eras Tour show in Houston, supporters have rallied to honor him with a special friendship bracelet project and personalized GoFundMe donations.

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The friendship bracelet project was started by @swifferwins on Twitter, who posted a screenshot of a conversation with Lewis’ sister April Bancroft on Monday (April 24). The direct messages showed Bancroft — who was with Lewis when he died after the pair attended Swift’s Friday (April 21) show at NRG Stadium together — sharing that she and her brother “had the most fun” dancing to “Shake It Off” and that she “looked over at him and saw the awe in his eyes watching her perform.”

“Jacob’s favorite song to dance to at the eras tour was shake it off,” wrote the @swifferwins account. “I think it would be a beautiful tribute to make some shake it off bracelets for each other to remember him, and to shake off the haters and live fully.”

Swifties have been exchanging friendship bracelets since the Eras Tour began in March as a way to make friends at concerts, taking inspiration from a lyric in Midnights Track 5 “You’re On Your Own, Kid”: “So make the friendship bracelets/ Take the moment and taste it.” The call to personalize some of those bracelets in Lewis’ honor has already received thousands of likes and hundreds of retweets in the 24 hours since it was posted, with Bancroft’s blessing.

Meanwhile, Swifties have been flooding a GoFundMe page started by a family friend on behalf of Lewis’ father with tailored donations and messages. In just two days, the page raised $110,000 for Lewis’ funeral costs, thanks largely in part to fan donations in the amount of the “Anti-Hero” singer’s famous lucky number 13.

Many of the Swiftie donations include touching messages borrowing relevant lyrics from Swift’s discography. “Long Live Jacob!! You will be Remembered!!” wrote one donor. “You were bigger than the whole sky. You were more than just a short time,” wrote another.

According to KHOU-11, Lewis and Bancroft were driving home from the show when they had car trouble on the freeway. As Lewis got out and began pushing the car, he was struck and immediately killed by 34-year-old Alan Bryant, who fled the scene. A tow truck driver who saw what happened followed Bryant, and he was eventually arrested by police.

“Jacob will be remembered as a loving and faithful young man who was loyal to his family and friends,” wrote Lewis’ father, Steve, in a heartbreaking Facebook post about his son’s death. “His last act was to push his sister to safety on a dark street. There is no way to describe the magnitude of this loss and the emptiness left in our hearts.”