Music

12 Apr 2023

Post Malone Teases New Song ‘Chemical,’ Reveals Release Date

A new Post Malone musical era is upon us, and the 27-year-old star took to social media on Wednesday (April 12) to tease his forthcoming single “Chemical,” which will be arriving on Friday (April 14).

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In the 15-second clip, Posty is seen jamming out to the upbeat, pop-tinged track in the studio. “Fresh out of the party / Smoking in the car with you / Seven nation army / Fighting in the bar with you,” he sings in the chorus.

“Chemical” follows Post Malone’s fourth studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache, which featured hits like “One Right Now” and “Cooped Up.”

“It’s so hard,” Post previously told Billboard of his musical journey in his February 2022 cover story. “You lose a lot of the artist nowadays because a lot of people have so many genius ideas, but you lose a lot of that through everything that might happen with the business side — and you lose a little bit of yourself. Every time you change your art and your way of thinking for someone else’s, that takes a little piece of yourself off every time. I feel like I’m trying to rebuild.”

“Trying to shove 20 to 25 songs, it doesn’t work. Talking to the label [it’s like], ‘Oh, if you have less songs, you’re not going to stream as much,’ but the whole thing is that you don’t want to compromise your art and your gut vibe on anything,” he continued. “I’ve made a lot of compromises, especially musically, but now I don’t feel like I want to anymore. I don’t need a No. 1; that doesn’t matter to me no more, and at a point, it did.”

12 Apr 2023

‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Has Breakout Hit With Jack Black’s ‘Peaches’ Mega-Ballad

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 
 
This week: Jack Black’s Bowser mega-ballad gives The Super Mario Bros. Movie a breakout hit, Taylor Swift’s Joe Alwyn-themed songs see a spike after news of their split emerges, Amazon turns a Queen deep cut into a best-seller and much more.

“Peaches” Ripe for a Chart Breakout: Jack Black’s Super Mario Bros. Movie Ballad Goes Viral

The new Super Mario Bros. Movie had a historic opening at the box office last weekend, grossing a staggering $204.6 million over its first five days of release. Though the movie has gotten mixed reviews, one part that’s been positively received has been the voice work of Jack Black as the villainous Bowser – an inspired bit of casting that may also be leading to a hit single in addition to the blockbuster movie. 

Black’s “Peaches” debuted last week along with the movie, accompanied by a music video directed by Lyrical Lemonade’s Cole Bennett, featuring the entertainer (in the flesh) delivering a full-bodied performance of the piano ballad alone in a tower. The song, released via Universal Pictures subsidiary Back Lot Music, got off to a strong start in streaming and sales, and has only grown in the days since, as the movie has conquered theaters nationwide. It’s risen from 218,000 daily official on-demand U.S. streams and about 500 digital song sales on April 7 in its first full day of release to 961,000 and 1,000 in streams and sales on April 10 – gains of 342% and 104%, respectively, according to Luminate. 

If the song continues to grow in those metrics (which seems likely, especially as the song continues to spread on TikTok), it should challenge for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 within the next week or two. That would be a first for Jack Black as a solo artist – though he did hit No. 78 in 2006 as part of his band Tenacious D with the title theme to their movie The Pick of Destiny, and a second for the Super Mario film franchise, as Roxette reached No. 94 with “Amost Unreal,” from 1993’s less-successful Super Mario Bros. film adaptation. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Taylor Swift’s ‘Cornelia Street,’ ‘The 1’ & More Rise in Streams Following Breakup Reports

Taylor Swift fans were shocked last Saturday (Apr. 8) when reports emerged that the superstar and her longtime boyfriend, British actor Joe Alwyn, had broken up after more than six years together. Although the reportedly amicable split  has yet to be confirmed by either Swift or Alwyn, fans reacted by revisiting some of Swift’s songs that are perceived to be about Alwyn, as well as touching upon heartbreak — resulting in notable streaming bumps in the days that followed.

The main beneficiaries in the Republic superstar’s catalog were “Cornelia Street” — the Lover album cut, which contemplates heartache through a nostalgic lens, rose 50% in U.S. on-demand daily streams from Apr. 8, the day that the news broke (158,000 streams, according to Luminate), to the following day (239,000 streams) — and Folklore opener “The 1,” which reflects on past love and spiked nearly 25% from 258,000 streams on Apr. 8 to 322,000 on Apr. 9. “London Boy,” the Lover track about a Tennessee woman falling for a British man, also posted a slight gain, up nearly 10% in streams from Saturday to Sunday.

“The 1” actually rose even higher on Monday, Apr. 10, to 393,000 streams that day, after astute Swifties pointed out that the superstar had swapped the song in to her Eras tour set list beginning in Arlington, Texas on Mar. 31. “The 1” took the place of “Invisible String” — another Folklore track that alludes to Swift’s extended romance with Alwyn, but through a more hopeful lens — perhaps hinting at the reported breakup a little over a week before news broke.

Swift’s Eras tour continues tomorrow night (Apr. 13) in Tampa, and fans are wondering if she’ll address the reports from the stage. In the meantime, they’re not only playing “Cornelia Street” more often — they’re also trying to piece together clues from her recent dinner outing near Cornelia Street in New York City. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Queen’s “Cool Cat” Sinks Its Claws Into the Charts, Thanks to Amazon Commercial

Chances are you’ve seen it at least once while waiting to watch something else on streaming in the past months: a young girl frets about a mustache she can’t get rid of, before seeing a similar ‘stache on various pop culture icons – most importantly, Freddie Mercury – and decides to lean into it by ordering a yellow military jacket like the late Queen frontman used to wear. As she rocks the jacket in her classroom, she dances along to a Queen song on her headphones, gleefully oblivious to the rest of the world. 

While many commercials might’ve opted for one of the band’s many universally recognizable classic rock anthems, Amazon Prime opted for a deeper cut for the ad: “Cool Cat,” the slinky penultimate track on the band’s 1982 album Hot Space. The strategy is paying off, at least for Queen: “Cool Cat” has been steadily rising in both sales and streams over the past month, with 478,000 official on-demand U.S. streams for the week ending April 6 (up 166% from three weeks earlier, according to Luminate) and 1,100 in digital sales (up 397%). It’s still below a number of their other perennials in weekly streams, but the song hits the top 10 of Billboard’s Digital Rock Song Sales chart this week (dated April 15) – their only song on the listing. – AU

‘Barbie’ Trailer Offers ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ in the Sun

While Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, promises to be a modern spin on the beloved Mattel doll with plenty of winks and 2023-friendly wordplay, the first full trailer for the film used a nearly 60-year-old pop classic as its soundtrack, albeit in a slightly new form. The Beach Boys’ timeless 1964 single “Fun, Fun, Fun,” licensed through Universal Music Publishing Group, was given a sped-up facelift – and as the trailer went viral, the track subsequently increased its daily streams.

Following the clip’s Apr. 4 release, daily streams of “Fun, Fun, Fun” rose from 37,000 on that day to 58,000 by the following Monday (Apr. 10), according to Luminate. Whether or not the song is used in the film, due out July 21, “Fun, Fun, Fun” — which climbed up to No. 5 on the Hot 100 in its heyday — should still get a nice summertime bounce in streams, when The Beach Boys can actually be played at the beach. – J.L.

Q&A: Bryant Pino, Director of Latin Music Programming at SiriusXM, on What’s Trending Up in His World

What Latin trends have defined the first quarter of 2023?

You have been hearing women dominate the music charts and pack the dancefloors. Dembow is now a definite must at any party or gathering. Artist experimenting with other genres has been refreshing. Lastly, collaborations is still a powerful music must-do.

A few new artists have become stars over the past few months. Are there any that are particularly intriguing to you?

I think this year has some great female acts. Young Miko: as an early supporter, I think her lyrical wordplay is refreshing and glad others are taking notice. PaoPao is another [good] bet that SiriusXM is highlighting as an artist to watch in our Next Wave music discovery concert series. Also being highlighted is Lennis Rodriguez, with her mix of Afro and tropical urban sounds. Plus, DannyLux is an act I am choosing to be part of this series, for his innovative and genre-defying emo-Mexican music. .

Last year was a watershed moment for Latin pop, thanks in part to the record-setting run of Bad Bunny. How will you remember 2022, and how do you think it has already impacted Latin music programming this year?

Collaborations! From Shakira collaborating with Karol G and Bizarrap, El Alfa with Black Eyed Peas, Camilo with Grupo Firme, Marshmello doing a merengue song with Manuel Turizo, Romeo Santos singing bachata with Justin Timberlake. The power of a good collaboration can break genre norms and open you up to a whole new demographic. Plus, artists tap into other genres, experimenting with EDM, Mexican, tropical, trap and dembow.

Fill in the blank: this summer, Latin music listeners will be obsessed with ________.

Concerts and festivals. As our personal preferences have become more open and or diverse, you will see more festivals and concerts cater to all types of music lovers. You will be able to enjoy Bad Bunny headlining a festival like Coachella, and hear Steve Aoki play with CNCO onstage at a dance festival. This summer, music will have infinite possibilities and outlets. – JL

Season’s Gainings: Put Me in Your Playlist, Coach

The past few weeks have brought the return of Major League Baseball to our lives, and not a moment too soon – especially if the streaming data for one of rock’s great baseball anthems is any indication. John Fogerty’s “Centerfield,” with its famous “Put me in, coach/ I’m ready to play today” and namechecks of Willie Mays, Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio, is up to 431,000 official on-demand U.S. streams for the week ending April 6, up from 329,000 three weeks before – a 31% gain, according to Luminate. With the NBA playoffs now around the corner, though, we’ll have to see if those timely streams end up jumping over to Pitbull and Kesha’s “Timber.” – AU

12 Apr 2023

Kelly Clarkson Washes Herself ‘Clean’ for Kellyoke With a Taylor Swift Fan Favorite

Kelly Clarkson dug into Taylor Swift‘s storied songbook by covering “Clean” on her eponymous talk show Wednesday (April 12).

Glammed out in a black dress and chunky studded belt with her hair up in a rare ponytail, the original American Idol winner did the beloved 1989 closer justice as she sang, “Hung my head as I lost the war/ And the sky turned black like a perfect storm/ Rain came pourin’ down/ When I was drownin’/ That’s when I could finally breathe/ And by morning/ Gone was any trace of you/ I think I am finally clean/ I think I am finally clean.”

The song choice felt particularly profound considering Clarkson’s on the verge of rolling out Chemistry, her long-awaited album following her divorce from music manager Brandon Blackstock, starting with lead single “Mine / Me” this Friday (April 14). In fact, she’s already teased a few snippets of the breakup ballad on social media with defiant lyrics such as “‘Cause I don’t need somebody to scold me/ Don’t need somebody that hurts me/ Don’t need somebody who feels weak/ Standing next to me.”

Meanwhile, Swift surprised the sold-out crowd in Arlington, Texas, by performing a piano version of “Clean” on the second night of her Eras Tour stop at AT&T Stadium on April 1. During the show, she paired the fan-favorite ballad with the equally loved “Death By a Thousand Cuts” off 2019’s Lover, leading some Swifties to wonder in hindsight if she was quietly dropping clues about her recent reported breakup with Joe Alwyn before the news became public.

Watch Clarkson power through Swift’s “Clean” below.

12 Apr 2023

Charli XCX Celebrates 10th Anniversary of ‘True Romance’: ‘This Album Was the Beginning of Everything’

Charli XCX‘s debut album, True Romance, has hit a milestone. On Wednesday (April 12), the pop star celebrated the LP’s 10th anniversary and thanked the producers behind the scenes and fans for their support.

“Wow. 10 years of true romance. This album – that initially not many people heard but quite a few people grew to adore – was the beginning of everything for me,” Charli’s message on her social media accounts began. “The beginning of discovering myself as a person – my voice, my confidence, how big I could make my hair, how I moved on stage…and the beginning of compiling all of those elements into myself as an artist. I was just a myspace kid inspired by teen movies, party photos and what felt like a very far away and impenetrable club scene.”

The 30-year-old singer then revealed that once she was able to move out to Los Angeles, the set finally began to take shape. She then thanked produced and songwriters Ariel Rechtshaid, Justin Raisen and Patrik Berger with their help on the record. In the list of thank yous, Charli also extended one to BloodPop for not suing her for using a beat of his on album deep cut “Grins,” which she described as “one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made.”

The “Good Ones” singer also shared a bit of history in the celebratory post, stating that she had originally planned to include her and Icona Pop’s 2012 hit “I Love It” on the album. “It’s funny to think that ‘I Love it’ almost went on this album, at one point as my own song, with me as the solo artist…perhaps if it had loads more people would have know about TR – and about me,” she added. “Perhaps literally everything would have been different. I think about that sometimes…but I’m happy it played out like this because I needed time to evolve and learn and hone.”

Charli concluded her message with a “thank you to everyone who’s been here from the beginning,” and simultaneously announced the arrival of an “original angel” reissue of True Romance — originally released on April 12, 2013 — now available alongside a commemorative shirt and prayer-style candle in her webstore.

Check out Charli XCX’s anniversary post in full below.

12 Apr 2023

Taylor Swift Shows Support for Millie Bobby Brown’s ‘Lover’ Themed Engagement Post

Millie Bobby Brown is engaged to her longtime boyfriend Jake Bongiovi, and the Stranger Things star made it Instagram official with an adorable black-and-white post featuring a Taylor Swift lyric. Now, the Grammy-winning superstar is showing her support.

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Swift hit like on the Instagram post, which features lyrics from the title track of the singer’s 2019 album, Lover. “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, I want ’em all,” Brown wrote alongside the snap of the happy couple, with the actress wearing a sparkling ring on *that* finger.

Brown and Bongiovi were first romantically linked after they posted a selfie together in June 2021, making things official later in the year with a November post in which they were snapped kissing on the London Eye.

The happy news came just days after reports that Swift and actor Joe Alwyn had broken up after six years together. “The relationship had just run its course. It’s why [Alwyn] hasn’t been spotted at any shows,” a source reportedly told ET. Billboard has since reached out to representatives for Swift and Alwyn, but had not received a response.

Swift began dating the actor, who has appeared in a number of films including 2018’s The Favourite and 2022’s Conversations With Friends, in 2016. The couple has yet to publicly reveal the current status of their relationship.

12 Apr 2023

Xikers Debut at No. 1 on Emerging Artists Chart Thanks to ‘House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing’ EP

Xikers debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Emerging Artists chart (dated April 15), marking the South Korean 10-piece pop group’s first appearance on a Billboard survey, thanks to the act’s new EP, House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing.

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The collection, released March 30 via KQ Entertainment, starts at No. 4 on World Albums and No. 75 on the Billboard 200 with 13,000 equivalent album units in its opening week (March 31-April 6), according to Luminate. Of that sum, 12,000 are from album sales, sparking the set’s No. 7 start on Top Album Sales.

Xikers is comprised of members Hunter, Hyunwoo, Jinsik, Junghoon, Junmin, Minjae, Seeun, Sumin, Yechan and Yujun.

South Korean singer Jisoo debuts at No. 2 on Emerging Artists, thanks to the BLACKPINK member’s first two solo songs: “Flower” and “All Eyes on Me.” “Flower” debuts at No. 2 on World Digital Song Sales and No. 10 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart with 6,000 downloads sold, while “All Eyes on Me” opens at No. 4 on World Digital and No. 19 on Digital Song Sales (3,000 sold).

The debuts mark Jisoo’s first solo entries on Billboard’s charts. BLACKPINK, with her as a member, has charted nine songs on the Billboard Hot 100, five of which have reached the top 40, and 22 on World Digital Song Sales, including nine No. 1s. The group has also notched a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, Born Pink, last October.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and the Social 50. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

12 Apr 2023

The Weeknd Offers ‘Just a Taste’ of ‘The Idol’ Soundtrack

The Weeknd is giving a fans “just a taste” of what’s to come on his forthcoming HBO series The Idol.

On Wednesday (April 12), the superstar posted a 17-second video of himself and super-producer Mike Dean in the studio overseeing an orchestra playing a hauntingly beautiful arrangement. “THE IDOL VOL. 1,” he captioned the clip with a CD emoji, “coming soon (double fantasy & jealous guy just a taste).”

While The Idol‘s premiere date has yet to be announced, the “Die for You” singer (who plays Tedros, a leader of a modern-day cult and the love interest of Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp) has been steadily teasing his highly anticipated TV project. Dean is also starring in The Idol, alongside BLACKPINK‘s Jennie, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Dan Levy, Hari Nef and many more.

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The Weeknd and Dean have been working on a lot of new music together lately. The former went on Instagram Live Monday night (April 10) to tease what they’ve been cooking up in the studio, and fans heard an unexpected, but all-too-familiar voice in one of the songs: Future. The “Wait for U” MC can be heard rapping over a slinky, synth-powered track that The Weeknd effortlessly glides on at the end of this screen-recorded clip, and viewers were freaking out in the comments section.

And that’s not the only thing they’ve been teasing from the studio. Earlier this week, The Weeknd also posted a blurry picture of Dean playing synths in the back on Instagram Story with a desert emoji followed by a question mark. Fans presume the superstar will make an appearance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (which starts this weekend) after his and Swedish House Mafia‘s co-headlining set last year. “You guys said, ‘See you at the desert’ on Live. Exposed! I got exposed!” he joked.

Check out The Weeknd’s tease below:

12 Apr 2023

Jay-Z to Honor Andy Warhol & Jean-Michel Basquiat With One-Time Concert in Paris

After a rare sighting at the 2023 Grammy Awards, where he teamed up with DJ Khaled for a performance of “God Did,” Jay-Z is returning to the stage — at least for a one-time performance. This Friday (April 14), the Grammy-winning MC will hold a “celebratory concert” in honor of the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition.

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According to the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s website, Jay-Z’s performance will be at the Foundation’s Auditorium. “To coincide with the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition, JAY-Z will give a celebratory concert to pay tribute to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, on Friday, 14 April, 2023, at 9 p.m., in the Fondation’s Auditorium,” the website reads. Tiffany and Co. will be sponsoring the event. Tickets are available now. 

Following his performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards, Jay-Z spoke to TIDAL about his need to perform on music’s biggest stage after a multiyear hiatus. “I thought about it, I was in my head and I just broke down and said, ‘You know, it’s a four-minute verse.’ Again, for the culture, for hip-hop, we got to do that,” he said. “This ain’t your traditional song. … It’s not your traditional structure of what you think a song that would be nominated for Song of the Year would sound like. It’s not what you expect. And for the culture and for hip-hop, we got to do that.”

Despite not releasing a new album in six years, Jay-Z remains the centerpiece of rap after Billboard named him the Greatest Rapper of All-Time. You can look at the entire list here. 

12 Apr 2023

Lady Gaga’s ‘Just Dance’ Certified Diamond by the RIAA

Lady Gaga‘s debut single “Just Dance” was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on Wednesday (April 12).

The milestone — signifying 10,000,000 units sold — comes just days after the 2008 smash featuring Colby O’Donis celebrated its 15th anniversary. With her third Diamond record — following “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face” — Mother Monster also becomes the very first woman to receive the RIAA’s Digital Diamond Award.

Released as the lead single off Gaga’s debut album The Fame, “Just Dance” rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the winter of 2009, spending three weeks atop the chart and becoming the first of the pop supernova’s five No. 1 hits, which include “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” “Shallow” with Bradley Cooper and “Rain on Me” with Ariana Grande.

To mark the anniversary of the song, Gaga has re-released limited-edition merch from every single of her past album eras including 2009’s The Fame Monster, 2011’s Born This Way, 2013’s Artpop, 2016’s Joanne and 2020’s Chromatica, as well as select pieces dedicated to Love for Sale, her 2021 collaborative LP with Tony Bennett, and her contribution to the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack. All the merch is available for purchase now on the singer’s official website.

Meanwhile, Gaga recently wrapped filming on the upcoming film Joker: Folie à Deux. Directed by Todd Phillips, the crime caper will serve as a sequel to 2019’s Joker, and finds Gaga stepping into the deranged shoes of Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix as Gotham City’s most notorious baddie.

Check out the RIAA’s celebration of “Just Dance” being certified Diamond below.

12 Apr 2023

Post Malone & Ty Dolla $ign’s ‘Psycho’ Joins YouTube’s Billion Views Club

Yet another one of Post Malone‘s music videos has reached a notable milestone. YouTube announced on Wednesday (April 12) that the rapper’s video for his 2018 track “Psycho,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, has hit a one billion views.

The visual for the song features Malone in a post-apocalyptic space, driving in an army-sized tank through an arid climate before reaching a location piled high with garbage, decay and wild animals. In the short, Malone happens upon a lost child with blonde hair and blue eyes, who later disappears into the environment without a trace.

The climate then changes to a snowy landscape and Ty Dolla $ign appears in the video to deliver his verse alongside Malone, the two dressed in furs amidst plane wreckage. The child ultimately ends up being safe and sound, and is fiercely protected by a feral dog at the end of the visual.

“Psycho” marks Malone’s fifth video to hit one billion views on YouTube. “Sunflower” currently sits at two billion views, while “Congratulations,” “White Iverson” and “I Like You (A Happier Song)” are the others that have crossed the one billion threshold.

Released as the second single off of the rapper’s 2018 album Beerbongs & Bentleys, “Psycho” additionally marked Malone’s second No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The track charted for a total of 39 weeks on the all-genre tally. Beerbongs & Bentleys spent three of its 258 charting weeks on the Billboard 200 in the No. 1 spot on the chart.

Revisit “Psycho” in the video above.