Music

04 Apr 2023

BTS Joins The Beatles & The Supremes for This Hot 100 Achievement, Thanks to Jimin’s ‘Like Crazy’

Even while on break, BTS scores a supremely fab week on the Billboard Hot 100.

As previously reported, Jimin’s “Like Crazy” blasts in at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart (dated April 8), marking his first leader – and the first for a member of the superstar South Korean pop group. He’s also the first South Korean solo artist to lead the list.

With BTS having tallied six Hot 100 No. 1s, and Jimin notching his first, BTS joins The Beatles and The Supremes as the only groups with at least six leaders and at least one member having led the list solo.

The Beatles boast a record 20 Hot 100 No. 1s, while all four members have reigned solo: Paul McCartney (nine No. 1s), George Harrison (three), John Lennon and Ringo Starr (two each).

(Notably, on this date – April 4 – in 1964, The Beatles became the first act to monopolize the Hot 100’s entire top five. Drake, in 2021, and Taylor Swift, in 2022 – as she secured each spot in the top 10 – have each since matched the milestone.)

The Supremes amassed 12 Hot 100 leaders, while Diana Ross added six solo.

Here’s a recap of each group’s Hot 100 No. 1s and all the chart-toppers by their respective soloists.

BTS:

  • “My Universe,” with Coldplay, 2021
  • “Permission To Dance,” 2021
  • “Butter,” 2021
  • “Life Goes On,” 2020
  • “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat),” with Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo, 2020
  • “Dynamite,” 2020

Jimin:

  • “Like Crazy,” 2023

The Beatles:

  • “The Long and Winding Road”/“For You Blue,” 1970
  • “Let It Be,” 1970
  • “Come Together”/“Something,” 1969
  • “Get Back,” with Billy Preston, 1969
  • “Hey Jude,” 1968
  • “Hello Goodbye,” 1967-68
  • “All You Need Is Love,” 1967
  • “Penny Lane,” 1967
  • “Paperback Writer,” 1966
  • “We Can Work It Out,” 1966
  • “Yesterday,” 1965
  • “Help!,” 1965
  • “Ticket To Ride,” 1965
  • “Eight Days a Week,” 1965
  • “I Feel Fine,” 1964-65
  • “A Hard Day’s Night,” 1964
  • “Love Me Do,” 1964
  • “Can’t Buy Me Love,” 1964
  • “She Loves You,” 1964
  • “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” 1964

Paul McCartney:

  • “Say Say Say,” with Michael Jackson, 1983-84
  • “Ebony and Ivory,” with Stevie Wonder, 1982
  • “Coming Up (Live at Glasgow),” with Wings, 1980
  • “With a Little Luck” (Wings), 1978
  • “Silly Love Songs” (Wings), 1976
  • “Listen to What the Man Said” (Wings), 1975
  • “Band on the Run,” with Wings, 1974
  • “My Love,” with Wings, 1973
  • “Uncle Albert”/“Admiral Halsey,” with Linda McCartney, 1971

George Harrison:

  • “Got My Mind Set on You,” 1988
  • “Give Me Love – (Give Me Peace on Earth),” 1973
  • “My Sweet Lord”/“Isn’t It a Pity,” 1970

John Lennon:

  • “(Just Like) Starting Over,” 1980-81
  • “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” with the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band, 1974

Ringo Starr:

  • “You’re Sixteen,” 1974
  • “Photograph,” 1973

The Supremes:

  • “Someday We’ll Be Together” (Diana Ross & The Supremes), 1969
  • “Love Child” (Diana Ross & The Supremes), 1968
  • “The Happening,” 1967
  • “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone,” 1967
  • “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” 1966
  • “You Can’t Hurry Love,” 1966
  • “I Hear a Symphony,” 1965
  • “Back in My Arms Again,” 1965
  • “Stop! In the Name of Love,” 1965          
  • “Come See About Me,” 1964
  • “Baby Love,” 1964
  • “Where Did Our Love Go,” 1964

Diana Ross:

  • “Endless Love,” with Lionel Richie, 1981
  • “Upside Down,” 1980
  • “Love Hangover,” 1976
  • “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To),” 1976
  • “Touch Me in the Morning,” 1973
  • “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” 1970

04 Apr 2023

Questlove to Auction Records From His Personal Collection

Questlove is a six-time Grammy winning producer and author, and as expected, he has great taste in music. That’s why he’s teaming up with livestream shopping platform Whatnot to auction off some of his personal records for a great cause.

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All proceeds from the auction will go to the Future of Food Entrepreneurship Program, a summer program that connects high school students with leading companies in the sustainable food space, and the Food Education Fund, a nonprofit supporting culinary-focused public high school students in New York City. 

Some of Questlove’s 50-year-old jazz albums up for auction are The Awakening’s Hear Sense Feel (1972), The Soul Searchers’ Salt of the Earth (1974), The 24 Carat Black’s Ghetto Misfortune’s Wealth (1973), James Brown’s Hot Pants (1971) and more.

In addition, as part of the livestream, one lucky fan will be selected to accompany Questlove to NYC’s A-1 Record Shop in celebration of National Record Store Day. The trip will be livestreamed on Whatnot on April 21 at 11 a.m. ET for fans follow along, purchase records and learn more about Questlove’s passion for record collecting. 

“Questlove is an undisputed talent as a legendary musician and producer, and is widely recognized for his encyclopedic knowledge and contributions to American music,” said John Walters, head of special projects at Whatnot, in a press statement. “His dedication to music and its history makes him a perfect addition to the community of passionate collectors on Whatnot, we’re excited to see what he’ll be sharing with our growing vinyl community.” 

Questlove added, “As a collector myself, I am excited to auction off some of my favorite records from my collection to the Whatnot audience, all for a good cause.”

The Roots co-founder’s record auction livestream will broadcast on Whatnot starting Friday (April 7) at 3:15 p.m. ET, hosted by Questlove himself.

04 Apr 2023

Pharrell Williams to Be Honored at 2023 Grammys on The Hill Awards

Pharrell Williams will be honored at the 2023 Grammys on the Hill Awards, which are set for April 26 at the Hamilton Live in Washington, D.C. The annual event brings together congressional leaders and music makers to recognize those who have led the fight for creators’ rights. This year’s edition will also honor U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

Special guests and attendees will be announced in the coming weeks. The event is sponsored by City National Bank and benefits the Grammy Museum.

“Grammys on the Hill is a celebration like no other, spotlighting music’s unifying power as we bring together our nation’s leaders with some of the most renowned artists in the world,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to honor Pharrell alongside Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Cassidy, all of whom have fought tirelessly for pro-music policy that protects the creatives that make up our community.”

“I’m very grateful to be honored at this year’s Grammys on the Hill among some incredible other honorees who have done tremendous advocacy work for others,” Williams said in a statement. “It’s important that we show up for each other and support one another to ensure that we can keep creating.”

Williams has demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting creators’ rights and to philanthropy, from his role in founding organizations such as Black Ambition and YELLOW to his passion for social justice working with former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to make Juneteenth a paid state holiday.

Williams has received 13 Grammy Awards, including three wins for producer of the year, non-classical. He has received two Academy Award nominations – for his original song “Happy” (from Despicable Me 2) and as a producer for best picture (Hidden Figures). In 2019, he received an Emmy nomination for co-writing “Letter to My Godfather” for Netflix’s The Black Godfather about legendary music executive Clarence Avant. In 2020, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his work alongside Chad Hugo in The Neptunes.

Together, Schumer and Cassidy have championed key policies in support of music makers, including co-sponsoring the Save Our Stages Act, which was included in the bipartisan COVID relief package passed in December 2020. In 2018, Schumer and Cassidy were both co-sponsors of the historic Music Modernization Act.

The awards dinner and presentation will feature live performances and special guests. The following day, April 27, the Recording Academy will host the annual Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day, which brings together current and past Grammy nominees, along with other industry leaders, to meet with lawmakers to discuss issues facing today’s music creators.

Over the past 21 years, Grammys on the Hill has honored artists and congressional leaders alike, including Yolanda Adams, Garth Brooks, Missy Elliott, Quincy Jones and John Mayer, as well as then-Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), former Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), current Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The annual advocacy event has also led to several major legislative wins for the music industry, most notably the Music Modernization Act.

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04 Apr 2023

Trisha Yearwood Had a Picture-‘Perfect’ No. 1: Chart Rewind to 1998

On April 4, 1998, Trisha Yearwood’s “Perfect Love” began a two-week run at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, marking her fifth of five leaders.

The song was penned by Sunny Russ and Stephony Smith and produced by Tony Brown. It was released from Yearwood’s (Songbook) A Collection of Hits, which in September 1997 debuted as her first of four No. 1s on the Top Country Albums chart.

Yearwood was born Sept. 19, 1964, in Monticello, Ga. In 1984, she graduated from Young Harris College with an associate degree in business. Prior to signing with MCA Records in 1990, she worked various jobs in Nashville, including as a receptionist at MTM Records, and attended Belmont University.

Yearwood’s debut single, “She’s in Love With the Boy,” ruled Hot Country Songs for two weeks starting in August 1991. In 2021, a 30th anniversary surprise celebration was held at the Grand Ole Opry (where she was inducted as a member in 1999). She was presented with a special award by Carly Pearce revealing that the song ranked as the most-heard country song by a woman since Luminate began in 1990.

Now 58 and married to superstar Garth Brooks since December 2005, Yearwood is active in music, TV and writing, having authored a series of cookbooks.

Her most recent Hot Country Songs hit, a remake of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born ballad “Shallow,” with Brooks, hit No. 27 in June 2021.

“You lose your filter … that’s not so good,” Yearwood, in 2019, told Billboard, with a laugh, about her current mindset at this point in her life and career. “But, you also lose your inhibitions. There’s a freedom that comes with time that allows you to just have fun.”

04 Apr 2023

More Human Than Robot: Thomas Bangalter Reveals Reason For Daft Punk Split

A big part of Daft Punk‘s allure was the mystery behind the machine. The pioneering French electronic dance duo called it quits in 2021 after nearly three decades of anonymous music-making from underneath their signature shiny robot helmets. But, according to member Thomas Bangalter, part of the reason he and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo hung up their mechanical man gear was because of the advance of technology.

“[In Daft Punk,] we tried to use these machines to express something extremely moving that a machine cannot feel, but a human can,” Bangalter told the BBC. “We were always on the side of humanity and not on the side of technology… As much as I love this character, the last thing I would want to be, in the world we live in, in 2023, is a robot.”

Never ones to give a simple, clear answer, the pair revealed their break-up with the cryptic eight-minute “Epilogue” video in which the robots walked into the distance, with one of them exploding, with nary a word from either man explaining what any of it ever meant.

Now, Bangalter has pivoted to his first solo project in more than 20 years, Mythologies, which began life as a ballet score performed at Bordeaux’s Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux in July 2022. The orchestral album, which drops on Friday (April 7), was inspired by his late mother and aunt — both dancers, and his uncle, a choreographer. He said that after decades of making electronic dance music, he was moved to write songs that were not amplified and “didn’t require any electricity. It was just me and the scoring paper.”

That is a hard pivot from the driving, electronic sound of Daft Punk, which Bangalter said was a conscious, necessary choice. “Daft Punk was a project that blurred the line between reality and fiction with these robot characters. It was a very important point for me and Guy-Man[uel] to not spoil the narrative while it was happening,” he said of their focus on keeping the story wrapped in mystery during their 28-year run in disguise.

“Now the story has ended, it felt interesting to reveal part of the creative process that is very much human-based and not algorithmic of any sort,” he explained, noting that the central thesis of Daft Punk was that the line between humanity and technology should be very stark.

“It was an exploration, I would say, starting with the machines and going away from them. I love technology as a tool [but] I’m somehow terrified of the nature of the relationship between the machines and ourselves,” he said, describing their robot characters as a kind of two-plus decade “performance art installation” in the vein of beloved performance artist Marina Abramović.

In fact, one of the reasons he’s stepping away from his group’s pioneering electronic sound on Mythologies is his fear about the rise of artificial intelligence and its influence on the creative arts at a time when ChatGPT and other programs are churning out music, art, literature and other creative facsimilies that are hard to separate from human-made endeavors.

“My concerns about the rise of artificial intelligence go beyond its use in music creation,” he said.

03 Apr 2023

Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding Eye ‘Miracle’ U.K. No. 1

Miracles do happen.

After several weeks staring at the U.K. chart summit, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s “Miracle” (Columbia) lifts into top spot on the chart blast.

“Miracle” leaps over Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (Columbia), which holds at No. 2, and Ed Sheeran’s “Eyes Closed” (Atlantic), down 1-3, to take top spot on the Official Chart Update.

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It’s tight at the top. According to the Official Charts Company, just 2,000 chart units separate the top three at the midweek stage.

In its three weeks on the chart, “Miracle” has never gone higher than No. 2, thanks to the 10-week unbroken reign by “Flowers,” which came to an end last Friday (March 31).

If it does capture the crown when the Official Chart is published late Friday (April 7), “Miracle” would give Harris his 11th No. 1, and first since “Promises” with Sam Smith in 2018; and Goulding her fourth U.K. chart leader. As a pair, Harris and Goulding previously landed hits with 2012’s “I Need Your Love” (peaking at No. 4) and 2014’s “Outside” (No. 6).

“Miracle,” a throwback rave tune, enjoys a lift following the release of an official music video, and a new “Church Version” featuring Goulding’s vocals recorded in St. Bartholomew The Great, London’s oldest surviving church.

Further down the midweek list, Jisoo is on track to become the first member of BlackPink to land a solo U.K. top 40 hit with “Flower” (Interscope). It’s new at No. 29 on the chart blast. With “Flower” and its ME two-pack, Jisoo became the last of her bandmates, after Rosé, Jennie and Lisa, to release a solo project.

Finally, Tyler, The Creator could nab a fourth top 40 with “Dogtooth” (Columbia). It’s new at No. 37 on the Chart Update.

03 Apr 2023

Boygenius Leads Midweek Chart With ‘The Record’

Boygenius is bouncing to No. 1 on the U.K. chart with The Record (via Interscope), the indie supergroup’s debut LP.

Formed by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, Boygenius leads an all-new top three on the Official Chart Update, the U.K.’s midweek tally.

If it holds its spot, The Record would give Bridgers her highest-charting U.K. LP, beating the No. 6 best for her 2020 record Punisher. Boygenius’ eponymously titled EP from 2018 didn’t trouble the Official U.K. Albums Chart.

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Meanwhile, Melanie Martinez is on track for a career-best No. 2 with Portals (Atlantic), her third studio release. The U.S. alternative-pop act already has one U.K. top 10 to her name: 2019’s K-12, which peaked at No. 8.

Completing the podium on the Official Chart Update is Australian indie-rock trio DMA’S, with How Many Dreams? (I Oh You/Mushroom Group). Showcasing a reimagined Britpop sound and swagger, DMA’S — comprising Tommy O’Dell, Matt Mason and Johnny Took — last cracked the top 10 with 2020’s The Glow, which peaked at No. 4.

Following a reissue across vinyl, CD and cassette formats, De La Soul’s 1989 debut 3 Feet High and Rising (Chrysalis) could return to the top 10, for a brand new peak. The set, which reenters at No. 4 on the chart update, recently rebounded to a current best No. 12 following the long-overdue rollout of the hip-hop pioneers’ catalog on streaming platforms.

Also new to the top 10 at the midweek stage is The Who With Orchestra – Live at Wembley (Universal Music Recordings), a live recording from the British rock legends’ only U.K. date of their 2019 Moving On Tour. If it stays put, Live at Wembley, recorded with the 57-piece Isobel Griffiths Orchestra, will give Roger Daltrey and Co. their 16th U.K. top 10 album.

Finally, Nigerian singer and songwriter Davido is eyeing a career-best peak with his fourth studio album, Timeless (via Ceremony of Roses). It’s new at No. 8 on the chart blast.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday (April 7).

03 Apr 2023

Kane Brown, Jelly Roll & More Record-Setters at 2023 CMT Music Awards

Kane Brown and Jelly Roll made history at the 2023 CMT Music Awards, which were presented on Sunday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The show aired on CBS for the second year in a row.

Brown became the first person in 20 years to both host or co-host the show and win the top award, video of the year. He co-hosted with Kelsea Ballerini for the third year in a row. He won video of the year for “Thank God,” his hit duet with his wife Katelyn Brown. The last person to accomplish this double feat was Toby Keith, who co-hosted the 2003 CMT Music Awards with actress Pamela Anderson and took the video of the year award for his post-9/11 song “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American).”

This is the third year in a row that a collaborative video has won video of the year. “If I Didn’t Love You” by Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood won last year. “Hallelujah” by Underwood featuring John Legend won two years ago.

Jelly Roll won both male video of the year and breakthrough male video of the year for “Son of a Sinner.” This marks the fourth time in the show’s history that someone has won the award for the year’s top male, female, group or duo video and a breakthrough award in the same year. In 2005, Gretchen Wilson took female video of the year for “When I Think About Cheatin’” and breakthrough video of the year for “Redneck Woman.” The following year, Underwood took both awards for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” In 2013, Florida Georgia Line took breakthrough video and duo video of the year for “Cruise.”

Underwood didn’t add to her record-setting collection of 25 CMT Music Awards. She was nominated for video of the year for “Hate My Heart,” but lost to the Browns’ smash. She was nominated for female video of the year for “Ghost Story,” but lost to Lainey Wilson’s “Heart Like a Truck.” This marks the first time in 12 years that Underwood hasn’t won in at least one of those marquee categories.

Wilson, who led the pack with four nominations, won two: female video of the year for “Heart Like a Truck” and collaborative video of the year for her featured role on HARDY’s “wait in the truck.” HARDY and Wilson beat the Browns’ “Thank God” in the latter category, though there was a reversal of fortune in the video of the year category where the two videos again competed.

Zac Brown Band took group/duo video of the year for “Out in the Middle.” It’s their second win in the group video category, following a 2019 win for “Someone I Used to Know.” Rascal Flatts is the top winner in the category, with seven wins, followed by Lady A with five and Little Big Town with four.

Cody Johnson’s performance of “Til You Can’t” on last year’s CMT Music Awards won for CMT performance of the year. Johnson won male video of the year for the smash at last year’s show.

Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange” won breakthrough female video of the year.

03 Apr 2023

Taylor Swift Site Issues ‘Care Notice’ After Fans Complain of Fading Eras Tour Merch

Taylor Swift‘s website posted a statement Monday (April 3) about how fans can best take care of their Eras Tour merch after some fans complained online of the products fading after one wash.

“Due to the particular ink curing process used on certain Tour Collection products, after washing your merchandise you may see a faint fade on the product print,” reads a statement on the singer’s official website. “This slight fade is related to the product’s distressed, vintage look. Please also note it is important to follow product care instructions as listed on the product label when washing and drying your items, to best protect and maintain the product’s look and feel.”

The team then directed customers to contact the Universal Music store if they noticed “any dramatic loss of pigment or ink bleeding” on their purchases and offered replacement product if necessary, courtesy of the site’s official exchange policy.

Several Swifties have taken to social media and Reddit in particular to complain about their Eras Tour merch fading severely after being washed to the point that Taylor’s face was, in some cases, beyond recognition. “i just sent an email to taylor’s merch team about the whole thing,” one frustrated user wrote on Reddit. “i mentioned the poor quality, disappointment that all the excitement and waiting for merch is now ruined by the fading quality after one simple wash, etc.”

Meanwhile, Swift’s Eras Tour continued over the weekend with a trio of sold-out shows at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. During the three shows, the singer performed secret songs including “Sad Beautiful Tragic,” “Ours,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “Clean,” “Jump Then Fall” and “The Lucky One.”

03 Apr 2023

Drake Samples Audio of Kim Kardashian Talking About Divorcing Ye in New Track ‘Rescue Me’

Even though he just co-headlined Dreamville Festival with J. Cole over the weekend, Drake‘s made a lot of headlines over a song he didn’t perform but might be releasing soon.

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On Friday, the superstar rapper previewed a new track titled “Rescue Me” during an episode of Sound 42’s The Fry Yiy Show on SiriusXM Radio. The song samples Kim Kardashian discussing her divorce with Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) during the series finale of E!’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians. “I didn’t come this far, just to come this far and not be happy. Remember that,” she tells her mother Kris Jenner in the audio.

Last week, producer BNYX shared a clip from Drake’s Instagram Story of “Rescue Me” playing from a DJ controller. “I remember when I used to add the Drake acapellas to my beats to see if they was hard. Now look,” he wrote.

Taunting Ye is a classic move in Drizzy’s playbook, considering both rappers’ historic beef. In August 2021, Drake reignited their feud by dissing Ye in his verse off Trippie Redd‘s “Betrayal.” The Donda rapper then leaked the OVO boss’ home address on social media, and the Certified Lover Boy MC retaliated by taking shots at him on his song “7am on Bridle Path” and later leaking the then-unreleased “Life of the Party” collaboration between Ye and André 3000 on SiriusXM, before the track eventually found itself on the track list for the deluxe version of Donda. The two seemed to have squashed their beef by the end of year, when they came together to perform at the “Free Larry Hoover” benefit concert at Los Angeles’ Coliseum, which was organized by J. Prince.

During the concert, Ye pleaded with his ex-wife Kardashian to “run right back to me” while performing his “Runaway” magnum opus from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Their divorce was finalized on Nov. 29, 2022, and less than two months later, he reportedly remarried to Yeezy’s head of architecture, Bianca Censori.