Music

06 Apr 2023

Recording Academy Adjusts Eligibility Period for 2024 Grammys (Again)

Five weeks after informing their members that the eligibility period for the 66th Grammy Awards would end on Aug. 31, one month earlier than usual, the Recording Academy has pushed that date back two weeks to Sept. 15.

Harvey Mason jr., the Academy’s CEO, announced the latest change in another message to members on Thursday (April 6): “A few weeks ago, we communicated a change to the eligibility period for the 66th Grammy Awards. This change benefits our awards process and grants us flexibility throughout Grammy season – specifically related to our nominations announcement timeline and the booking of the Grammy telecast, Premiere Ceremony, Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective, and other important celebrations throughout Grammy

“After listening to concerns from some members of the music community, we have decided to amend the end date of the previously-announced eligibility period. The eligibility deadline for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards will be extended by two weeks, to Friday, September 15, 2023.

“We care about the impact of this date change on our community and make this adjustment in the spirit of partnership and collaboration.”

The Grammy eligibility year extended from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 every year for decades – from the 20th annual Grammy Awards (which covered the period from Oct. 1, 1976, through Sept. 30, 1977) through the 51st annual Grammy Awards (Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2008).

The schedule has been more irregular since then. Here are the outliers:

52nd annual Grammy Awards: Oct. 1, 2008 through Aug. 31, 2009 (11 months)

53rd annual Grammy Awards: Sept. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2010 (13 months)

62nd annual Grammy Awards: Oct. 1, 2018 through Aug. 31, 2019 (11 months)

63rd annual Grammy Awards: Sept. 1, 2019 through Aug. 31, 2020 (12 months)

64th annual Grammy Awards: Sept. 1, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021 (13 months)

Key dates for 66th Grammy Awards

Eligibility period for entries: Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 15, 2023

Media registration: July 10, 2023 – Aug. 24, 2023

Online entry process: July 17, 2023 – Aug 31, 2023

06 Apr 2023

Ian Munsick Talks Weaving a Western Music Thread on New Album: ‘It’s Just Cowboy Country’

While country radio these days is filled with songs steeped in nostalgic imagery of pickup trucks, dirt roads and suburbia, Wyoming-born Ian Munsick weaves a thread of Western sounds and themes that defined an earlier era back into the genre.

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The tracklist for his sophomore album, White Buffalo (out tomorrow, April 7, on Warner Music Nashville) advances that purpose. Dotted with song titles such as “Ranch Hand,” “Arrowhead,” “Horses and Weed” and the title track, the tracklist teases the songs’ ability to capture the spacious landscapes of Munsick’s childhood on a cattle ranch in northern Wyoming. They would tend to animals and mend fences by day, but when the work was done, his family — especially Munsick’s father and two older brothers — would play classic country songs on the back porch, or create new music in his father’s small home studio.

“From the time we were five years old, me and my older brothers were all playing piano, and that escalated into other instruments,” Munsick says, leaning back in his chair at the Warner Music Nashville office. My dad can play every instrument.”

Munsick and his two older brothers formed The Munsick Boys, and by the time he was eight, they were playing rodeos, dances and private events throughout the Rocky Mountain region. In high school, Munsick realized his creative endeavors pulled toward contemporary country. In 2017, Munsick released the fiddle and mandolin-driven “Horses Are Faster,” which gained traction locally, filling Munsick with the confidence to chase his musical ambitions to Nashville.

“Coming out of high school, the music I gravitated toward wasn’t as traditional as [my brothers’],” he explains. “Just being the youngest boy, I grew up with streaming and had access to a lot more music from a younger age. I had a lot of influences that weren’t just country music.” He cites Eminem, Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles (“my favorite band of all time,” Munsick says) as among those influences. “Eminem is one of the best writers and lyricists music has ever had,” Munsick adds. “He would kill it in country music, he would kill it in rock music.”

Munsick relocated to Nashville almost 10 years ago to attend Belmont University and pursue music. He signed with Warner Music Nashville in 2020; his major label debut, Coyote Cry, was released a year later. On his new album, he collaborates with Country Music Hall of Famers Vince Gill and Marty Stuart.

Gill co-wrote and contributes vocals on “Field of Dreams,” which takes its inspiration from the 1989 Kevin Costner movie of the same name — though instead of referencing a baseball diamond, the song is a nod to the Wyoming plot of land on which Munsick’s parents raised their family.

“The ranch I was raised on has this beautiful, 30-acre pasture right at the base of the Big Horn Mountains,” Munsick says. “I’ve written a lot of my best songs on that back porch, watching the horses run on it and the red Angus cows grazing.”

Munsick’s father made his way to Wyoming from New Mexico, working on various cattle ranches and playing music. Munsick’s parents met at one of his father’s concerts and soon married.

“By the time I was about four, my parents didn’t want to work for anybody anymore,” he recalls. “So they bought their own land, and we lived in a trailer for about three years while they built their dream house on it. They raised us to work the land and be self-sufficient.”

Throughout the album, there are moments that also pay homage to Native American culture. Munsick grew up near the Crow Native American reservation that sits on the border of Wyoming and Montana.

“The reservation is probably three miles away from our house,” Munsick says. “A lot of the Crow Native Americans went to school where I did, and we played on the same sports teams and were friends. And cowboy culture is heavily influenced by the Native Americans — there is a lot of commonality, with the land and horses and cattle. As a country music artist, it’s important to bring your unique perspective on home. Being from where I’m from, I have an obligation to that area to bring light to the Native American culture and how it’s influenced me.”

Stuart co-wrote and played guitar on White Buffalo’s closing track, “Indian Paintbrush,” which takes its name from the Wyoming state flower. In its own way, the album extends the work Stuart began in 2005, when he released the concept album Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota, about the plight of the Lakota Sioux — and that of one of Stuart’s mentors, the late Johnny Cash, who released the 1964 concept album Bitter Tears: The Ballad of the American Indian.

“He’s as talented and humble as they come,” Munsick says of Stuart. “I knew he would like the idea for the title and we wrote it as kind of a tribute to the land. That’s obviously a common theme in my music, but I don’t think people realize that cowboy culture and cowboy lifestyle respects the land as much as we do. We live off the land.”

Resonating on an even more personal level is “Little Man,” a tribute to Munsick’s son, Crawford. Munsick wrote “Little Man” with Adam James and Ben Simonetti as all three men were expectant or new fathers.

“It is special, because all three of us had a unique perspective on being a dad; Adam came up with the intro line about the snow cone [“Little Man, with the snow cone in your hand/ Most of it’s on your face”], because his kid was two. I knew I wanted all the players on the song to be dads of boys, too, so they added that extra emotion to it. So everyone that touched that record is a boy dad.”

Cody Johnson provides another collaboration on the album, with “Long Live Cowgirls,” a tip of the hat to the tough-minded, independent women of the West. The two first connected in 2021, when Munsick opened for Johnson on tour — but it was Munsick’s wife and manager Caroline who sealed the collaboration.

“Cody would be side stage every night that I played, and I could tell he was observing how the crowd was responding. We already had the song recorded, but Caroline felt he should be on it and asked if he would sing on it. He went on his tour bus, listened to it and came right back out and was like, ‘Hell yes, I want to be on that.’ He believed in me and he’s helped me so much as an artist.”

The song is also the namesake of Munsick’s current tour, which will culminate May 16 with his first headlining show, at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Though country music today is rarely referred to by its former moniker “Country & Western,” Munsick and Johnson are among a growing crop of artists whose music draws from their Western roots — including Munsick’s fellow Wyoming native (and former saddle bronc rider) Chancey Williams, and a slate of Texas artists, including Bri Bagwell, trio Midland and reigning ACM Awards entertainer of the year Miranda Lambert.

“It’s just cowboy country,” Munsick says. “It’s trending, which is pretty much the exact opposite of cowboy culture, right? They don’t want anything to do with trends, but I think it’s a perfect storm right now for true cowboy, Western artists to thrive in country music.”

06 Apr 2023

Cardi B Says Offset Encouraged Her to Take ‘No Makeup, No Filter’ Selfie

Cardi B was looking flawless and fresh-faced on her Instagram Stories on Thursday (April 6), thanks to a little encouragement from her husband Offset.

The “I Like It” rapper took her Stories to share a selfie video, in which she’s seen posing without makeup on, with her jaw tattoo of her son’s name on full display. “My hubby said take a video like this. No makeup, no filter. Period,” she said in the clip.

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Watch her post before it disappears here.

“We’ve been through a lot with each other,” Offset previously told Billboard of keeping his relationship strong with Cardi, whom he’s been married to since 2017. “Some people in Hollywood live through Hollywood, but we live through each other and keep our stuff at home good. We go through ups and downs at home but have a great support system. Everybody listens to each other and have each other’s back. At the end of the day, our mission is to be successful and take care of the family.”

He also added that no matter what he has going on, he will always make time to hang out with his wife and the couple’s two kids, four-year-old daughter Kulture and one-year-old son Wave. “I got to be with my baby. I can’t go too long without her,” the rapper says of Cardi. “If I have to travel and jump on a jet just to get back home, I will. We got the kids at home. That’s why we’re always together. We have to make sure they’re good, because we don’t want to be the parents who are always missing from their kids. We work and come right back home, because it’s really important.”

06 Apr 2023

Niall Horan Sends His Unreleased Music to One Direction For Feedback

One Direction may not be working together as a band anymore, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still collaborating behind the scenes. In a recent interview, Niall Horan revealed he typically sends his solo music to one or more of his four former bandmates to get feedback pre-release.

“Not every time, but if I feel like I need an opinion, I always send it out,” the “Slow Hands” singer revealed in a Thursday (April 6) video for Esquire.

“This time I sent it to Louis, and he gave me his honest opinion on it, which is always handy,” Horan continued, referencing his upcoming album The Show. “We’ve released enough songs over the years, so we know what’s decent and what’s not. All the 1D boys and artists alike, I’ll always try and send it around and get everybody’s opinion.”

Seven years after One Direction split up for good in 2016, recent months have seen a welcome uptick in the ex bandmates showing support for one another publicly. While accepting album of the year for Harry’s House at the BRIT Awards in February, Harry Styles said he “wouldn’t be here without” Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. And in October, Tomlinson praised Horan for joining the judge’s panel on The Voice.

At another point in the new interview, Horan took a moment to show some love for Lizzo, who appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when the “Heaven” artist subbed in as a guest host. “She’s, as we all know, one of the best personalities we have in music,” Horan told the publication.

Watch Niall Horan talk about getting advice from his One Direction bandmates in the video above.

06 Apr 2023

Which Latin Artist Are You Most Excited to See at Coachella? Vote!

The first weekend of Coachella is just around the corner. As festival-goers make their own schedules of artists or sets they’d want to catch at the event, we want to know which Latin artist you are most excited to see this year.

There’s a handful of Latin, or Spanish-language, artists who will be performing at the 2023 edition, which is slated to run on two consecutive weekends, from April 14 to 16 and then again from April 21 to 23. Bad Bunny will make history as the first Latin artist to ever headline Coachella when he closes out the main stage on Friday, April 14.

Becky G, who last year joined Karol G on her set to perform their hit song “MAMIII,” will make her grand return to the desert delivering her own set this time around. Spanish star Rosalía — who performed at Coachella in 2019 — will take the stage on Saturday. The iconic Argentine rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Puerto Rican artist Eladio Carrión are also confirmed for that day. Meanwhile, Kali Uchis will perform on Sunday.

Emerging artists Conexión Divina and DannyLux will represent the face of a new generation of Mexican music. For DannyLux it’s a homecoming, since he grew up in the Coachella Valley area. He’ll be performing on Friday. “I’m both excited and nervous,” the 19-year-old singer-songwriter tells Billboard. “I’m literally from here. It’s so sick to think that I’ll be performing at the same place where so many other huge artists are performing.”

So, which Latin artist are you most excited to see this year at Coachella? Vote in the poll below:

06 Apr 2023

20 Questions With Amtrac: Ahead of His Tour, The Producer Talks Copycat Artists (‘Lazy’), Cooking (‘A Passion’) & You (‘You’re Cool’)

This weekend an album made in the forced seclusion of lockdown sees the light of day — and the darkness of the dancefloor — as Amtrac hits the road for the 17-date run behind his Extra Time LP.

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Released in February via the Los Angeles-based producer’s own Openers label, the album is a warm voyage of synth and feeling, with the smart productions spanning moods from melancholy to longing to joy and catharsis with lush sophistication.

Audiences can partake in these many vibes starting tomorrow at Toronto club The Velvet Underground, with the tour then working its way across the U.S. through early June.

Ahead of this affair, one entirely out of reach during the making of the album behind it, the artist born Caleb Cornett offers the backstory on the album, his hobbies and sampling the legends of Motown.

1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?

Currently on a flight back from Miami Music Week; the setting is tranquil.

2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Pretty sure it was a cassette single of The Prodigy’s “Firestarter.” Also I remember the first CD I ever bought was the soundtrack for [1997 comic book adaptation] Spawn.

3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do or did they think of what you do for a living now?

My mom has always worked at a bookstore, and my dad works for the food distributor Sysco.

4. What’s the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?

I cant recall; it’s honestly almost always gear.

5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance/electronic music, what would you give them?

Tough question, how about two: Moderat’s [self-titled 2009] first album and Clark’s Body Riddle.

6. What’s the last song you listened to?

XTC, “Making Plans For Nigel.”

7. You wrote on Instagram that you made Extra Time to “cope with times of uncertainty.” How does this body of work help you cope in that way?

I made the majority of the record locked inside during lockdown; it was my outlet for what I was feeling. One of the few things that kept me sane, my way of coping.

8. Everybody’s so damn busy all the time. Are you able to find actual extra time in your life?

Luckily yes, I spend just as much time cooking as I do making music — that’s slowly but surely becoming more of a passion.

9. Tell me about getting the Four Tops sample on the album via “Nobody Else.” What did the inspiration strike to use it, and what was the clearing process like?

I’ve been sampling Motown records for a while now, usually just as place holders for inspiration. “Nobody Else” just felt right — I wanted to see if we could get the sample cleared. Luckily Motown was into the record and we made it all work. My tracks “Those Days” and “Hold On” also included some cleared Motown samples from Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.

10. How did you celebrate finishing the LP?

I went out for some nice szechuan cuisine.

11. This album has the distinction of having a beer made in its honor. Fun. How did that happen?

My lifelong friends opened a brewery in my hometown in Morehead, Kentucky a few years back. I approached them with the idea and magic happened. It was such a blast. I have little to no knowledge when it comes to brewing beer, so it was a great learning experience as well; I loved helping with the whole process.

12. What’s the best city in the world for dance music currently? Why?

I would say Los Angeles is pretty great when it comes to diversity. I’ve seen all walks of electronic over the past few years here.

13. You’re about to embark on a major tour. Have you done anything special to get mentally and physically prepared for this run? 

Mainly just trying to be a as healthy as I can prior, eating my greens and working up a sweat in the gym.

14. The most exciting thing happening in dance music currently is _____?

I would have to say the parties, especially the underground — It’s constantly evolving and theres always new crews popping up. Los Angeles has some great things going on with Lights Down Low, Rhonda, Cyclone & IYKYK to name a few.

15. The most annoying thing happening in dance music currently is _____?

Copycats. There are tons of producers out there trying to sound like someone else. You can see right though it; it’s just lazy to me. Don’t be afraid to take risks, venture into the unknown.

16. Do you have guilty pleasure music?

I probably play OMC’s “How Bizarre” too much. 

17. The proudest moment of your career thus far?

Being able to put out music myself, setting up my own label.

18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?

Also, starting my own label, 100%.

19. Who was your greatest mentor, and what was the best advice they gave you?

I would have to say my managers, they’ve been with me for over a decade now and started working with me when I hadn’t really released any music. They were the first people who saw a bigger picture with what I was doing, just the mere fact they believed in me changed my outlook, having a team has made the world of difference.

20. One piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?

Don’t let anyone else tell you what’s cool, decide for yourself. Also, you’re cool.

06 Apr 2023

Sire Records’ Top 50 Hot 100 Hits: Madonna, Pretenders, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads, Erasure & More

Sire Records, which Seymour Stein co-founded with Richard Gottehrer in 1967 as an independent label before it joined with Warner Bros. in 1976, has generated some of the biggest hits in Billboard Hot 100 history.

As reported April 2, Stein died at age 80. His legendary career began as an intern in Billboard’s New York offices, where, after school, he helped found the Hot 100. “The industry was looking for was a hotter, quicker way of getting chart information,” he recalled to Billboard in 2015. “I was just 16. From the time I was 9 years old, I knew I wanted to be in the music business.”

In honor of Stein’s legacy, Billboard has compiled Sire’s top 50 Hot 100 hits all-time, below.

Madonna is the queen of the recap, with 29 of the 50 songs, including nine of the top 10 and 20 of the top 25.

Of bringing Madonna to Sire, Stein said, “I signed her because I believed in Mark Kamins, who I thought was the greatest DJ, and he wanted to be a producer. So, I gave him some money to bring me an artist, and the third or fourth thing he brought me was Madonna. I was very involved in the beginning. Then I realized, ‘This woman is smarter than all of us. Just get out of her way.’”

“Seymour Stein Has Left Us! I need to catch my breath. He Was one of the most influential Men in my Life!! He changed and Shaped my world,” Madonna wrote in an Instagram post April 3, featuring a screenshot from her 1992 “Deeper and Deeper” video, in which Stein made a cameo.

“Not only did Seymour hear me but he Saw me and my Potential! For this I will be eternally grateful!,” she shared. “I am weeping as I write this down. Words cannot describe how I felt at this moment after years of grinding and being broke and getting every door slammed in my face. Anyone who knew Seymour knew about his passion for music and his impeccable taste. He had an Ear like no other!”

Among other acts on the retrospective below: Pretenders, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads, Erasure, Seal and the late Tommy Page, the latter of whom also worked at Billboard, as publisher in the early 2010s, and presented Stein with the first Billboard Industry Icon Award in 2012. (Wrote Stein in tribute in 2017, “One thing nearly everyone who knew him said about Tommy was that he made them feel special, that they were the only person in the room, and that’s just one reason why so many people adored him.”)

“We are so sorry to hear about the passing of legendary US music guru Seymour Stein, who was such a huge part of Erasure’s US success,” Erasure posted on its social media accounts April 3.

“Talking Heads are deeply saddened to learn that Seymour Stein has died,” the band wrote on Instagram April 3. “He was our champion. He fought bravely for us and he remained loyal to us until the end. Some people can spot a diamond in the rough and Seymour was one of them. He offered us a record deal after seeing us only one time at CBGB, before even we felt we were ready. He waited impatiently for eighteen months until we finally said yes to his offer.

“To hear him sing one of our own songs to us while barreling down Broadway in a Checker cab was one of our life’s great delights. We say this with respect to his beautiful daughter Mandy and to all of the Sire Records family. He was a mensch that we and the music business will never forget.”

Sire Records’ Top 50 Hot 100 Hits:

Rank, Title, Artist, Label Listing / Peak Pos., Date:

1, “Like a Virgin,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (six weeks), 12/22/1984
2, “Vogue,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (three weeks), 5/19/1990
3, “Take a Bow,” Madonna, Maverick/Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (seven weeks), 2/25/1995
4, “Kiss From a Rose,” Seal, ZTT/Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (one week), 8/26/1995
5, “Justify My Love,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (two weeks), 1/5/1991
6, “Like a Prayer,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (three weeks), 4/22/1989
7, “Papa Don’t Preach,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (two weeks), 8/16/1986
8, “Live To Tell,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (one week), 6/7/1986
9, “Pop Muzik,” M, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (one week), 11/3/1979
10, “Open Your Heart,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (one week), 2/7/1987

11, “Who’s That Girl,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (one week), 8/22/1987
12, “Material Girl,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 2, 3/23/1985
13, “I’ll Be Your Everything,” Tommy Page, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (one week), 4/14/1990
14, “I’ll Remember,” Madonna, Maverick/Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 2, 5/28/1994
15, “Causing a Commotion,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 2, 10/24/1987
16, “Express Yourself,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 2, 7/15/1989
17, “True Blue,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 3, 11/15/1986
18, “Cherish,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 2, 10/7/1989
19, “La Isla Bonita,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 4, 5/2/1987
20, “Secret,” Madonna, Maverick/Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 3, 11/5/1994

21, “Couldn’t Get It Right,” Climax Blues Band, Sire/ABC / No. 3, 5/21/1977
22, “Back on the Chain Gang,” Pretenders, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 5, 3/19/1983
23, “Angel,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 5, 6/29/1985
24, “This Used To Be My Playground,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 1 (one week), 8/8/1992
25, “Dress You Up,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 5, 10/5/1985
26, “Lucky Star,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 4, 10/20/1984
27, “Enjoy the Silence,” Depeche Mode, Sire/Reprise / No. 8, 7/14/1990
28, “Tainted Love,” Soft Cell, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 8, 7/17/1982
29, “Crazy,” Seal, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 7, 9/7/1991
30, “Hocus Pocus,” Focus, Sire/Famous / No. 9, 6/2/1973

31, “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” Pretenders, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 10, 12/27/1986
32, “Borderline,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 10, 6/16/1984
33, “Keep It Together,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 8, 3/31/1990
34, “Deeper and Deeper,” Madonna, Maverick/Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 7, 1/30/1993
35, “Burning Down the House,” Talking Heads, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 9, 10/22/1983
36, “People Are People,” Depeche Mode, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 13, 8/3/1985
37, “Erotica,” Madonna, Maverick/Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 3, 10/24/1992
38, “Chains of Love,” Erasure, Sire/Reprise / No. 12, 10/29/1988
39, “Brass in Pocket (I’m Special),” Pretenders, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 14, 5/31/1980
40, “I’ll Stand by You,” Pretenders, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 16, 12/3/1994

41, “A Little Respect,” Erasure, Sire/Reprise / No. 14, 3/4/1989
42, “Policy of Truth,” Depeche Mode, Sire/Reprise / No. 15, 10/20/1990
43, “Rescue Me,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 9, 3/23/1991
44, “Hanky Panky,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 10, 7/28/1990
45, “Holiday,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 16, 1/28/1984
46, “Get Over Yourself,” Eden’s Crush, 143/London-Sire / No. 8, 3/31/2001
47, “Wild Wild Life,” Talking Heads, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 25, 12/6/1986
48, “Oh Father,” Madonna, Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 20, 1/6/1990
49, “Middle of the Road,” Pretenders, Sire/London-Sire / No. 19, 2/11/1984
50, “Far Behind,” Candlebox, Maverick/Sire/Warner Bros. / No. 18, 10/1/1994

Sire Records’ Top 50 Hot 100 Hits recap is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.

06 Apr 2023

J. Ivy Talks Being the Grammy-Winning ‘Poet Who Sat by the Door’

“I’ve always known that I was supposed to make history,” says poet-author J. Ivy. His natural ability to convey myriad emotions through written and spoken word is why the Chicago native continues to captivate audiences after 30 years. Known to many as a pioneer of hip-hop poetry, he has shared the stage with icons such as Prince and Lauryn Hill and performed at special events for Michael Jordan and Deepak Chopra. 

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But perhaps Ivy’s biggest milestone occurred just two months ago at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. That’s when his sixth album, The Poet Who Sat by the Door, won the inaugural gramophone for best spoken word poetry album. Prior to that, poets and spoken word artists were grouped in the same category with audiobooks, storytelling and narration — including Dr. Maya Angelou, who had been the only Grammy-winning poet. However, thanks to Ivy’s lead and a petition supported by 100+ poets, the Recording Academy announced the addition of the best spoken word poetry album category last June.

“To stand in the footsteps of the great Dr. Maya Angelou is something that I’m still processing,” Ivy shares — as April, National Poetry Month, gets underway. “I would say I’ve dropped an ocean of tears. I have the opportunity and the responsibility to represent. To stand in this space and be able to make history … I understand what it is.”

The title of Ivy’s Grammy-winning album was inspired both by his role in establishing the new category and by the 1969 novel/1973 film The Spook Who Sat by the Door. The novel revolves around the exploits of fictional character Dan Freeman, the first Black CIA officer. “I was gathering information and giving it back to the poetry community,” Ivy recalls of creating and recording the album. “I kept cracking this joke, ‘I’m like the poet who sat by the door.’”

Produced primarily by R&B/hip-hop artist Sir the Baptist, Ivy’s latest opus features cogent lyrics about defiance, endurance, love, passion, oppression, faith, healing and redemption. Ivy called on “an amazing cast of creatives” to perform, including John Legend, Ledisi, PJ Morton, BJ The Chicago Kid and Ivy’s singer-songwriter wife Tarry Torae. As the first Black poet from Chicago to appear on Russell Simmons Presents HBO Def Poetry, Ivy remains true to showcasing the value of his craft.

“A lot of times poetry is the butt of the joke — and we’ve never been a joke,” he explains. “Poetry is the seed of every song ever written. Also every movie, every script, every commercial, every literature comes from poetry. It educates, documents history, entertains, changes and shifts lives in a positive way.”

Born James Ivy Richardson II, the artist credits his high school English teacher Paula Argue for pushing him to perform his poetry at the school’s Black History Month talent show. “What I learned is you’re not gon’ argue with somebody named Ms. Argue,” he says. After a surprise standing ovation, his destiny was set.

Ivy also shouts out Beyoncé for another early career milestone. “A very credible source,” he recalls, “told me that she was the one who told Kanye [West] to keep me on ‘Never Let Me Down.’” Ivy was featured along with Jay-Z on the track from 2004’s The College Dropout. 

“The same night I recorded ‘Never …’ is the same night I met John Stephens,” Ivy continues. “His music sounded like music my folks used to listen to back in the day. So I was like, ‘You sound like one of the legends.’ Everybody else [in the studio] is shouting him out like ‘John Stephens in the house.’ I was like, ‘John Legend.’ Everybody looked at me and back at him. Then Kanye said, ‘Man, you John Legend from now on.’”

In addition to his Grammy win, Ivy performed on and executive produced The Urban Hymnal by the Tennessee State University marching band. Also known as the Aristocrat of Bands, the group also made Grammy history this year as the first marching band to win the award for best gospel roots album.

“I’m just super grateful to be doing what I love,” says Ivy — who was also the lead writer, voice director and cast member on the 2022 Netflix docuseries, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy. “It’s opened up a lot of doors.” 

Having recently celebrated J. Ivy Day in Chicago on March 3, his 47th birthday, Ivy has also been tapped as the new spokesperson for Bulleit Bourbon. Future plans include expanding beyond previous roles as writer and narrator of short films and documentaries to full-fledged movie actor. Between acting classes, Ivy will soon release the short film/music video for “Running.” It’s the first single from The Poet Who Sat by the Door and features Legend, Slick Rick and Verse. The video is directed by Ivy’s longtime friends and collaborators Coodie and Chike of jeen-yuhs fame. 

“It’s probably the only record in history with Slick Rick doing a poem,” notes Ivy.

Right now, the busy Ivy is on the road with his City Winery tour, named after the album and in celebration of the Grammy win. The multi-city tour kicked off in New York City on March 24. Upcoming dates include Boston (April 11) and Atlanta (4/23), with more to come. Performing poetry from his current album as well as popular pieces from past works, he’s accompanied by his band and Tarrey Torae on vocals.

“People are going to see me just pouring out all my gratitude,” declares Ivy. “I want to give the world an experience that they haven’t quite had with poetry. Poetry has saved my life; it’s carried me through the years. I just want to give all that back onstage.”

06 Apr 2023

Suga Says He Thinks of ‘Quitting Music More Than 100 Times a Day’ in ‘Road to D-DAY’ Trailer

BTS‘ Suga is using his forthcoming Disney+ documentary, SUGA: Road to D-DAY, to get personal with fans. The first trailer for the film arrived on Thursday (April 6), and shows the rapper asking himself a series of introspective questions while traveling across the world and writing his debut solo album, D-DAY.

“What I want to say right now … how should I do it? I’m 30 now. There are a lot of things you can do when you’re 30, aren’t there?” the rapper ponders while writing lyrics and recording for his upcoming release. “If people think that SUGA’s works are good, should it be good enough?”

The trailer sees the K-pop star traveling across various cities around the world, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, Malibu, Chuncheon (South Korea) and more as he continues to reflect, at one point admitting he often thinks about giving it up altogether.

“I believe that wounds and scars are the results of our actions. It takes a lot of guts to let go of something. The day I’m free from all the negative thoughts, I’ll set it as D-Day and start all over again,” he says. “I think of quitting music more than a hundred times a day, but when everyone comes together like this, I can do it because it make me feel like making music is fun.”

The trailer concludes with the official release date for SUGA: Road to D-DAY: April 21, the same day that Suga’s debut solo album is set to arrive.

Watch the first trailer for the documentary in the video above.

06 Apr 2023

David Bowie’s Son Duncan Jones Isn’t Having It With Donald Trump Using His Dad’s Music: See the NSFW Response

Duncan Jones doesn’t approve of Donald Trump using his dad’s music — not then, not ever. Once again, David Bowie‘s son is calling out the former president for using a track from the late glam rock star’s catalog, this time playing 1974’s “Rebel Rebel” for warmup music leading up to his post-arrest speech.

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“Pretty sure this f–ker keeps on using my dad’s music just to annoy me personally,” tweeted the 51-year-old filmmaker Tuesday (April 4), before conceding, “(Joke. I’m way below his radar.)”

Jones also shared a fitting GIF of his father, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 69 after battling cancer, giving a piercing, disapproving side-eye.

It’s far from the first time Ziggy Stardust’s kin has blasted Trump for the same exact reason. Just a few months ago, the politician used “Heroes” after announcing he was running for president again in 2024. “Pretty sure he’s just doing that now to wind me up,” Jones tweeted at the time.

“We’ve been though this before,” he later added. “He used the same track 6 years ago. Ive been told there is little we can do about it.”

Trump made history Tuesday by becoming the first current or former U.S. president to be placed under arrest, pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts during his arraignment in New York City. That day, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged the real-estate mogul with falsifying business records for an alleged hush money scheme.

Since Trump rose to power in 2016, countless musicians have also condemned his use of their music. There’s an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to tallying the major acts who’ve publicly spoken out against it or have sent cease and desists to Trump’s camp, including Rihanna, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Adele and more.

See Duncan Jones’ NSFW reaction to Donald Trump’s latest use of David Bowie’s music below: