Music

02 Apr 2023

Wynonna Judd & Ashley McBryde Perform Soaring Duet of ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ at 2023 CMT Music Awards

The ultimate country vocal powerhouses came together for a jaw-dropping duet at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday night (April 2), as Wynonna Judd and Ashley McBryde performed an emotional rendition of Foreigner’s 1984 hit “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The rock hit topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for two weeks in 1985.

In addition to mind-blowing vocal runs and harmonies, the most touching part of the performance was when Judd seemed to address her late mother, Naomi Judd, toward the end of the performance. “Mama, you need to be here tonight,” she sang before the last chorus, as McBryde smiled at her in support. “I miss you and I love you and I don’t understand.”

Naomi, 76, who had battled depression, died by suicide on April 30, 2022, one day before The Judds were set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Wynonna was nominated twice in the CMT performance of the year category at this year’s ceremony, for The Judds’ “Love Can Build a Bridge” from the 2022 CMT Music Awards, and her Brandi Carlile duet “The Rose” from Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration.

McBryde, meanwhile, also has two nominations. Her “Bonfire At Tina’s” collaboration with Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark and Pillbox Patti is up for video of the year and her “One Way Ticket” CMT Crossroads collaboration with LeAnn Rimes and Carly Pearce is nominated for CMT performance of the year.

02 Apr 2023

2023 CMT Music Awards: Stars on the Red Carpet

It’s all about the fans — and the stars, too, of course! Stars descended on the red carpet at Austin’s Moody Center on Sunday (April 2) for the 2023 CMT Music Awards, showing off looks that ranged from glamorous to edgy to casual.

Megan Thee Stallion, who is presenting during the ceremony, stunned in a dark blue curve-hugging gown with a cutout and white triangular detail on her left hip, with matching earrings and nails to balance her look. Co-host Kane Brown walked the carpet with wife Katelyn Brown — with whom he’ll be performing during the show — in matching outfits: him in a suit that’s top half was white, and black from the waist down. Katelyn stunned in a strapless white dress with matching gloves.

Performer and co-host Kelsea Ballerini and Outer Banks star Chase Stokes made their red carpet debut as a couple. The country singer was in a figure-hugging corseted high-low gray dress with white straps, while the actor was casual sleek in an unbuttoned black shirt with white piping and matching pants.

Also showing off their looks on the carpet were HARDY, Darius Rucker with Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, Carie Underwood, Ashley McBryde, Bailey Zimmerman, Ingrid Andress, Jelly Roll, Wynonna Judd and many more.

Lainey Wilson has the most nominations going into this year’s fan-voted show, with a total of four. Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson and Brown follow with three each. Ahead of the ceremony, the CMT Music Awards announced that Shania Twain will be honored with the CMT Equal Pay Award.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT; it will air on CBS and livestream on Paramount+.

Scroll down to see photos of the stars at the CMT Music Awards red carpet.

02 Apr 2023

Here Are the 2023 CMT Music Awards Winners (Updating)

The fan-voted CMT Music Awards are back for 2023! This year, the event will be held at Austin’s Moody Center, and will air live on CBS, while streaming live on Paramount+ on Sunday, April 2.

Lainey Wilson leads in nominations with four, while Kane Brown, Jelly Roll and Cody Johnson are right behind her with three. In the days heading into the ceremony, Shania Twain was announced as the recipient of the CMT Equal Pay Award, which celebrates artists who are advocates for “elevating diverse and underrepresented voices in country music,” according to the CMTs. She is the third artist to receive the honor, whose previous winners were Jennifer Nettles and Linda Martell.

Brown and Kelsea Ballerini are set to co-host the event, which will feature performances from Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and many more. Presenters include Megan Thee Stallion, HARDY, Noah Schnapp, Travis Kelce and others.

The show begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Keep checking back as we update the full list of winners as they’re announced during the 2023 CMT Music Awards!

Video of the year

Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart”
HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”

Female video of the year

Carly Pearce – “What He Didn’t Do”
Carrie Underwood – “Ghost Story”
Gabby Barrett – “Pick Me Up”
Kelsea Ballerini – “Heartfirst”
Lainey Wilson – “Heart Like A Truck”
Maren Morris – “Humble Quest”
Miranda Lambert – “Actin’ Up”

Male video of the year

Bailey Zimmerman – “Rock and A Hard Place”
Cody Johnson – “Human”
Cole Swindell – “She Had Me At Heads Carolina”
Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”
Kane Brown – “Like I Love Country Music”
Luke Combs – “The Kind Of Love We Make”
Morgan Wallen – “Wasted On You”

Group/duo video of the year

Dan + Shay – “You (Performance Video)”
Lady A – “Summer State Of Mind”
Little Big Town – “Hell Yeah”
Parmalee – “Take My Name”
The War And Treaty – “That’s How Love Is Made”
Zac Brown Band – “Out In The Middle”

Breakthrough female video of the year

Avery Anna – “Narcissist”
Kylie Morgan – “If He Wanted To He Would”
MacKenzie Porter – “Pickup”
Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange”
Morgan Wade – “Wilder Days”
Tiera Kennedy – “Found It In You”

Breakthrough male video of the year

Bailey Zimmerman – “Fall In Love”
Corey Kent – “Wild as Her”
Drake Milligan – “Sounds Like Something I’d Do”
Jackson Dean – “Don’t Come Lookin’”
Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”
Nate Smith – “Whiskey On You”

Collaborative video of the year

Elle King feat. Dierks Bentley – “Worth A Shot”
HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”
Ingrid Andress with Sam Hunt – “Wishful Drinking”
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”
Midland feat. Jon Pardi – “Longneck Way To Go”
Russell Dickerson feat. Jake Scott – “She Likes It”
Thomas Rhett & Katy Perry – “Where We Started”

CMT performance of the year

Black Pumas & Mickey Guyton – “Colors” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
Chris Stapleton – “Whenever You Come Around” (from CMT Giants: Vince Gill)
Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
Cole Swindell & Lainey Wilson – “Never Say Never” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
Darius Rucker – “Let Her Cry” (from CMT Storytellers)
Emmy Russell & Lukas Nelson – “Lay Me Down” (from Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn)
Keith Urban – “Wild Hearts” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
LeAnn Rimes with Ashley McBryde & Carly Pearce – “One Way Ticket” (from CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends)
The Judds – “Love Can Build A Bridge” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)
Wynonna Judd & Brandi Carlile – “The Rose” (from Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration)

CMT digital-first performance of the year

Charley Crockett – “Time of the Cottonwood Trees“ (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
Chris Young – “Gettin’ You Home” (from CMT Stages)
Ingrid Andress – “Wishful Drinking” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
Jelly Roll – “Son of A Sinner” (from CMT All Access)
Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange” (from CMT Viral To Verified)
Scotty McCreery – “Damn Strait” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)

CMT equal play

WINNER: Shania Twain

02 Apr 2023

Usher Played a Brutal April Fools’ Day Prank That Involved Beyoncé

Usher had Saturday night’s Dreamville Festival crowd convinced Beyoncé was a surprise guest — until he reminded fans what day it was.

The singer was headlining the Raleigh, North Carolina, fest at the city’s Dorothea Dix Park on April 1.

“I said I would have a special surprise for you tonight, ladies and gentlemen. You guys wanna know what that surprise is?” Usher teased the audience during his set.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he continued, “without further ado, put your hands together for the one, the only, Beyoncé!”

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As the crowd went wild, Usher pretended that he was patiently watching and waiting for Bey to take the stage, even signaling to fans to wait a moment while he checked in on her.

When Usher returned to the mic, he delivered the dreaded punchline: “April Fools.”

See Usher disappoint a whole lot of people with his April Fools’ Day joke below. Dreamville Festival continues Sunday night, with J. Cole and Drake headlining.

02 Apr 2023

12 Best Moments From Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 Return to Madison Square Garden

During the triumphant return of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday (April 1), one lyric captured the powerful core of Springsteen’s first tour in more than six years.  

Deep into the show, with the sold-out crowd at The Garden singing along, and the E Street Band roaring behind him, The Boss shouted out a line from “Badlands,” that had more meaning than ever on this night: “it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive!”

From the opening chords to the final encore of this 27-song, three-hour performance, Springsteen, 73, reflected on aging, death, friendship and passion with the insight and joy that only a great rock’n’roll show can offer.

As the evening began, the expanded E Street Band — pianist Roy Bittan, guitarists Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt, bassist Garry Talent, drummer Max Weinberg, keyboardist Charlie Giordano, saxophonist Jake Clemons, guitarist/violinist Soozie Tyrell, and percussionist Anthony Almonte — climbed the stairs to the stage (Patti Scialfa was absent), followed by Springsteen. He held up his right hand and waved it in small circles, egging on the rising roars of the crowd before shouting a greeting: “New York City!” 

Here are the 12 best moments Springsteen’s MSG show on April 1.

“I’m Ready to Grow Young Again”

Seven years after Springsteen & the E Street Band last played Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2016; six years after the close of their most recent tour in February 2017; five years after the debut of Springsteen on Broadway in October 2018; and three years after the pandemic lockdown of March 2020, fans cheered the news that Springsteen would return to the road for this tour which opened Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla. 

After the pandemic years and so much sadness and loss, what song would Springteen select to open his shows? The choice was inspired. “No Surrender” introduced The Garden concert as it has almost every one of the preceding 21 shows on the tour to date. (“Night” preceded it in Houston). With Van Zandt joining him at the mic, Springsteen offered the song from his Born in the U.S.A. album with its images of youth, rebellion, and rage against the dying of the light. “Cause we made a promise we swore we’d always remember/ no retreat, baby, no surrender.”

“Your Spirit Filled With Light”

Across the generations, Springsteen’s Irish blood still burns in his veins. (His great-great-great-grandparents came from County Kildare). And the Irish have an often-raucous tradition of celebrating the dead in stories and songs. As Springsteen sang “Ghosts” from Letter To You — ”it’s your ghost moving through the night/ your spirit filled with light” — and later the title track of that album, he was backed by bandmates all distinctively dressed — and every single one of them garbed in black. It became apparent that this show was one hell of an Irish wake.

“A Kiss to Seal Our Fate Tonight”

Springsteen’s shows draw from five decades of songwriting and recording. But some of his most intense songs in concert come from Darkness on the Edge of Town, the album he had just released when the E Street Band headlined The Garden for the first time in August 1978.  On Saturday night, four songs from that album — not only “Badlands” but also the scorching “Prove It All Night,” the ferocious “Promised Land” and impassioned “Candy’s Room” — all singed the set list.

“Here She Comes, Here She Comes”

If Springsteen had to suffer the “new Dylan” comparisons with the release of his debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, in January 1973, by the time he returned with The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle in November of that year, it was clear his musical imagination was incomparable.  Saturday’s performances of “Kitty’s Back,” from the latter album, was the first song of the night to feature the four-man horn section — Barry Danielian, Eddie Manion, Ozzie Melendez, Curt Ramm — along with saxophonist Jake Clemons. It was a sprawling, jazzy jam that recalled the breadth of Springsteen’s musical ambition from the start.

“I Know You’re Not Alone”

Springsteen surprised fans last November with the release of Only The Strong Survive, a collection of cover versions of classic soul and R&B songs. From that set, his choice of “Nightshift” — a tribute to the late, great Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, which the Commodores brought to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 — fit perfectly with the tenor of the night. And Springsteen’s duet with Curtis King Jr., joined by backing vocalists Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore and Ada Dyer, was the most soulful performance of the show. Staring upward, straight into the spotlight, Springsteen sang: “You found another home/ I know you’re not alone/ on the nightshift.”

“So Many More Goodbyes”

Throughout the night, in comparison to other tours, Springsteen said little between songs. But to introduce “Last Man Standing,” he spoke of joining his first rock’n’roll band, The Castilles, on a summer afternoon, at age 15, at the invitation of a high school friend, George Theiss. “The greatest adventure of my young life. This was in 1965, ’66 and ’67. We lasted for three years! Teenagers! It was the all-time School of Rock! An explosive time in American history — and an amazing time to be in a rock group.

“But if you cut forward 50 years from that summer afternoon, to another summer day, I found myself standing at the side of George’s deathbed,” he said. “He fought lung cancer for the last years of his life and he only had a few days left to live. And I realized that his passing would leave me as the last surviving member of that first small group of guys that put that little band together.

“The dead’s great and final gift to the living is expanded vision,” Springsteen said. “At 15, everything is tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and hello and hello. And later on, through so many more goodbyes… Now, it just makes you realize how important living every moment is. So be good to yourselves and be good to those you love and be good to this world around you.”

“We Swore Forever Friends”

Springsteen’s set choices draw connections for his fans across the years. From “Last Man Standing,” he led the band into “Backstreets.” Roy Bittan’s cascading piano was followed by Max Weinberg’s drums rolling in like heavy surf. It was a majestic performance, made all the more poignant as Springsteen riffed on the lyric “we swore forever friends, on the backstreets until the end” by repeating the line, “to the end, to the end, to the end.” He told of “saving the box of 45s” of his beloved friend, of the photos “of the two of us sitting on your porch.” And “everything else,” he intoned, “I’ll carry right here,” clutching his fist to his heart.

“Come On Up For the Rising”

In New York City, no performance by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band would feel complete without “The Rising,” Springsteen’s tribute to the firefighters who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, carrying “a 60-pound stone” and “a half-mile line” — until the towers collapsed upon them. Starkly lit, half in shadow and half in bright light, Springsteen sang, accompanied by Lofgren’s slide guitar, while spotlights shining from the floor evoked the Tribute In Light that continues to shine from the site of the towers every September. Springsteen’s juxtaposition of songs again was key — as “The Rising” gave way to the life-affirming blast of “Badlands” to conclude the pre-encore segment of the show.

“Beneath the City Two Hearts Beat”

“Something special for New York City,” said Springsteen, as the show’s extended encore began with the epic “Jungleland,” the nine-minute-plus song that closed the Born to Run album in 1975, with its tale of the Magic Rat, the barefoot girl and “soul engines running through a night so tender.” Although he has masterfully performed it many times before, when Jake Clemons soared through the extended saxophone solo of “Jungleland,” originated by his late uncle, E Street Band founding member Clarence Clemons, Springsteen gave Jake a shout-out.

“Living in a Dump Like This”

The encore continued with “Thunder Road” then — house lights, ignition! — the anthemic “Born to Run,” followed by the wild romp of “Rosalita,” during which Springsteen and Van Zandt mugged like two of the Three Stooges. The pure goofiness of Springsteen onstage should never be understated. “Glory Days” led into “Dancing in the Dark” and a moment where Springsteen pulled open his shirt to reveal a still-muscular bare chest, declaring “I don’t want to go home! I just don’t want to go home!”

“Scooter and the Big Man”

Ramps allowed Springsteen to strut midway out into the arena floor for “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out,” where he declared to the crowd, “This is the important part!” As he sang of that long ago night when “Scooter and the Big Man” promised to “bust this city in half,” Springsteen pointed up to the video screens. Images of the departed members of the E Street Band, Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici, crossed the scenes, joined by an impossibly young Bruce Springsteen.

“When All the Summers Have Come to an End”

The show closed in on the three-hour mark as Springsteen came out alone, carrying his acoustic guitar. As he has done for years, in one of the most modest, effective and enduring steps of activism by a touring artist, Springsteen drew the crowd’s attention to the volunteers collecting donations from a local food pantry, “our friends from the Saint Francis Food Pantries and Shelters,” based around the corner from The Garden. “They provide food, clothing and shelter for New York City neighborhoods in need,” he said.  

Then he began to sing. And for many in the audience, memories flowed with tears, thinking of loved ones lost to age, illness or the pandemic; of friends who shared books and films and music — and other Bruce Springsteen concerts in years gone by. Springsteen sang: “We’ll meet and live and love again/ I’ll see you in my dreams/ Yeah, up around the river bend/ For death is not the end/ And I’ll see you in my dreams.”

Here’s the setlist for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band at MSG on April 1:

“No Surrender”

“Ghosts”

“Prove It All Night” 

.“Letter To You”

“Promised Land”

“Out In The Streets”

“Candy’s Room”

“Kitty’s Back”

“Night Shift”

“Trapped”

“E Street Shuffle”

“Johnny 99”

“Last Man Standing”

“Backstreets

“Because The Night”

“She’s The One”

“Wrecking Ball”

“The Rising”

“Badlands

ENCORE

“Jungleland”

“Thunder Road”

“Born To Run”

“Rosalita”

“Glory Days”

“Dancing In The Dark”

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”

“I’ll See You In My Dreams”

02 Apr 2023

Here’s When Suga’s Debut Solo Album ‘Day-Day’ Is Dropping

BTS‘ Suga is gearing up for the release of his first solo album.

The K-pop superstar announced on Sunday (April 2) that his debut solo release, D-DAY, will drop on April 21 at 1 p.m. KST/12 a.m. EST. Suga, who wrote and produced songs on the forthcoming project, is dropping D-DAY under the name Agust D, according to a news release.

D-DAY marks the final release of the rapper-dancer’s mixtape trilogy. Suga’s debut mixtape, Agust D, arrived in 2016, highlighting his hardcore rap and underground influences with help from writer-producers Slow Rabbit, June, Pdogg and Supreme Boi. The BTS star followed up with 2020’s D-2 mixtape, which charted at No. 9 on the Top Rap Albums chart and No. 11 on the Billboard 200.

In late March, Suga shared a 30-second teaser for an upcoming solo documentary, titled Road to D-Day, slated to air on Disney+ and Weverse. An air date for the special had not yet been announced as of publication.

Suga has already revealed the dates for his first-ever solo world tour, which is scheduled to launch on April 26 at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. He will play a series of shows across the U.S. in early/mid May before visiting Jakarta later that month, then playing Japan in early June, followed by Bangkok, Singapore and two hometown shows in Seoul, South Korea, on June 24-25.

Check out the announcement about Suga’s D-DAY on BIGHIT MUSIC’s twitter page below.

02 Apr 2023

Morgan Wallen’s ‘One Thing at a Time’ Spends a Month at No. 1 on the Billboard 200

Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time logs a fourth straight and total week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated April 8). The title earned 197,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending March 30 (down 6%), according to Luminate. One Thing at a Time debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 18 and has held the top spot ever since.

Across Wallen’s two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album — he has now spent a total of 14 weeks atop the chart. That ties Bad Bunny for the second-most weeks at No. 1 this decade, trailing only Taylor Swift’s 20 weeks (across five No. 1s). Bad Bunny’s 14 total weeks at No. 1 has come from two chart-toppers: Un Verano Sin Ti (13 weeks) and El Ultimo Tour del Mundo (one week).

The last album by a male act to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 was Wallen’s own Dangerous, which spent 10 weeks in total atop the chart — all from its debut week (Jan. 23-March 27, 2021).

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 chart, BTS’ Jimin bows at No. 2 with his debut solo album, FACE; Lana Del Rey notches her ninth top 10 with the No. 3 arrival of Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd; Luke Combs claims his fifth top 10 set with the No. 4 debut of Gettin’ Old; and Fall Out Boy achieves its seventh top 10 effort with the No. 6 launch of So Much (for) Stardust.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new April 8, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 4. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of One Thing at a Time’s 197,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 30, SEA units comprise 177,500 (down 8%, equaling 235.76 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 36 songs), album sales comprise 17,000 (up 36%) and TEA units comprise 2,500 (down 14%).

BTS’ Jimin sees his first solo album, FACE, bow at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The last artist to enter as high with a first charting effort was Olivia Rodrigo, with Sour, which debuted at No. 1 on the June 5, 2021-dated chart.

FACE was led by Jimin’s first top 40-charting song as a soloist on the Billboard Hot 100, “Set Me Free, Pt. 2,” which debuted at No. 30 on the April 1-dated chart. FACE, performed largely in the Korean language, includes six total cuts: “Face-off,” “Interlude: Drive,” “Like Crazy,” “Alone,” “Set Me Free, Pt. 2” and “Like Crazy (English Version).”

FACE starts with 164,000 equivalent album units earned — the second-largest debut week of 2023 after Wallen’s One Thing at a Time’s launch of 501,000 units. Of FACE’s opening-week sum, album sales comprise 124,000 — marking the third-biggest sales week of 2023 and the largest for a solo act this year). SEA units comprise 13,500 (equaling 19.51 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs).

TEA units comprise 26,500, the largest TEA figure for any album in four months. Most of FACE’s TEA units come from the album’s current single, “Like Crazy” — which was available in five different versions (the album version — performed in the Korean language, an English-language version, two dance remixes and an instrumental) during the tracking week. All versions of the song are combined for tracking and charting purposes.

The last time an album had a bigger TEA figure in a single week when Swift’s Midnights tallied 34,000 TEA units on the Nov. 19, 2022 chart, after she released seven new hot-selling remixes of “Anti-Hero” (joining its two previously released versions — an original version and an instrumental).

Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of FACE was issued in five collectible CD packages (including exclusives for Target and the Weverse webstore) each containing a standard set of items and randomized elements (photo cards and postcards). It was also available as a standard digital download album, plus two late-in-the-week alternative cover digital download variants that were sold exclusively through his official webstore. 79% of FACE’s first-week sales were CDs, while the remaining 21% were digital album downloads.

Jimin is the third member of seven-member South Korean pop group BTS to chart on the Billboard 200, following RM and J-Hope, who have each placed two albums on the chart. RM’s Indigo peaked at No. 3 in December 2022 and Mono. hit No. 26 in 2018. J-Hope’s Jack in the Box reached No. 17 in July 2022 and Hope World hit No. 38 in 2018.

BTS announced that it was taking a break last summer — and since then — three of its members have released solo albums (FACE, RM’s Indigo and J-Hope’s Jack in the Box). FACE is the first of the three to have CDs available the same day that the album was released to streaming services and as a digital download. J-Hope’s Jack in the Box has not been issued on CD, while RM’s Indigo got a CD release two weeks after its streaming and digital debut. (Indigo debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 15, fell off the chart the following week, and re-entered the next week at its peak of No. 3 — powered by its CD sales).

K-pop artists typically sell well with CD albums, bolstered by their collectability. In 2022, seven of the year’s top 10-selling albums on CD in the U.S. were K-pop releases, including the year’s No. 2-seller, BTS’ retrospective compilation Proof. Further, BTS was the No. 2-selling act on the CD album format in 2022, with 917,000 copies sold of its albums on CD last year. (Swift was 2022’s top-selling artist in terms of CD albums, with 923,000 sold. She also profits from the collectability of her CDs. Her most recent album, 2022’s Midnights, was issued in a range of CD iterations — including autographed editions.)

Lana Del Rey collects her ninth top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 as Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd debuts at No. 3. The set earned 115,000 equivalent album units in its opening week. Of that sum, album sales comprise 87,000, SEA units comprise 28,000 (equaling 36.14 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs — Del Rey’s biggest streaming week yet) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

Of the set’s first-week sales, vinyl LPs comprise 67% (58,500 — the largest sales week for a vinyl album in 2023 and Del Rey’s best sales week on vinyl ever). Did You Know was issues in six vinyl variants: a standard black vinyl, a picture disc and four color vinyl editions (pink, green, red and white) all with different covers, exclusive to Amazon, independent retailers, Target and her webstore, respectively. Did You Know was also issued in nine CD iterations (a standard edition, four with alternative covers, and four deluxe boxed sets exclusive to her webstore containing either a T-shirt and a CD or a hoodie and a CD). Del Rey even dropped the album on cassette tape — in five different color variants (black, white, pink, green and red).

Did You Know was previewed by three charting tracks on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart: the title track (peaking at No. 23 in December), “A&W” (No. 10 in March) and “The Grants” (No. 45 on the April 1 chart).

Luke Combs arrives at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with Gettin’ Old. It follows his 2022 release Growin’ Up, which debuted and peaked at No. 2. The new 18-song set is Combs’ fifth top 10, all earned consecutively, on the chart.

Gettin’ Old starts with 101,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week — surpassing the 74,000-unit bow of Growin’ Up. Of the new set’s first-week sum, SEA units comprise 66,000 (equaling 85.4 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 18 songs — Combs’ biggest streaming week ever and the third-biggest overall streaming debut of 2023), album sales comprise 32,500 and TEA units comprise 2,500.

Gettin’ Old was supported by eight physical variants of the album — two CDs (a standard version and a signed edition exclusive to his webstore), five vinyl LPs (standard black, a deluxe black edition containing a slipmat [either signed or unsigned, exclusive to his webstore], an opaque white-colored edition exclusive to Amazon and a blue-colored edition exclusive to Walmart), and a red-colored cassette tape.

Gettin’ Old is the second country album of 2023 to score a 100,000-unit-plus week, following the opening frame of Wallen’s One Thing at a Time (501,000). No country albums in 2022 posted a 100,000-plus week. In 2021, Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) and Wallen’s Dangerous all landed multiple 100,000-plus weeks.

Gettin’ Old was led by four charting tracks on the Hot Country Songs chart: “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” (No. 20), “Love You Anyway” (No. 3), “Joe” (No. 22) and “5 Leaf Clover” (No. 15) — all through the most recently published list dated April 1.

With the Nos. 1-4 albums all exceeding 100,000 units earned on the latest chart, it’s the first time since the Aug. 8, 2020-dated list that four albums have cleared 100,000 units in a single week.

SZA’s former No. 1 SOS falls 2-5 on the new Billboard 200, earning 70,000 equivalent album units (down 3%).

Fall Out Boy’s So Much (for) Stardust debuts at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 64,000 equivalent album units earned, earning the band its seventh top 10-charting set. The new set is the group’s first new studio album since 2018’s chart-topping MANIA.

Of Stardust’s first-week units, album sales comprise 49,000, SEA units comprise 14,500 (equaling 18.65 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 500. Stardust was supported by a hefty number of physical formats — one standard CD, two cassettes, nine stand-alone vinyl LPs in assorted colors, eight deluxe vinyl boxed sets (each containing a different color vinyl LP and branded merchandise) and 11 deluxe CD boxed sets (seven containing a CD edition of the album and branded merch — and four consisting of an autographed CD along with merch).

In February, Stardust’s lead single “Love From the Other Side” became Fall Out Boy’s first-ever No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart — nearly 18 years after the band’s debut on the tally in 2005. The band had previously gone as high as No. 2 with “Dance, Dance” in 2006.

Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 are four former No. 1s: Midnights falls 3-7 (59,000 equivalent album units; down 4%), Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains is a non-mover at No. 8 (45,000; up 14%), Wallen’s Dangerous dips 7-9 (43,000; up 3%) and Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito descends 6-10 (40,000; down 12%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

02 Apr 2023

Marco Antonio Solis Pours 40 Years of Hits at El Buki Tour Stop in Miami

A night dedicated to “jovenes romanticos” (young romantics) and “cincuentones” (50 year olds), Marco Antonio Solís delivered a nearly three-hour-long concert for all generations on Saturday night (April 1) at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. 

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After starting a little past 9:00 p.m. with songs “No Puedo Olvidarla” and “Tu amor o tu desprecio, Solís — who’s currently on his El Buki solo tour — greeted the nearly 20,000 crowed that was formed mainly by millennials accompanying their parents or grandparents. 

“Let us thank the heavenly father for this moment. We are here for a reason. There is nothing like being present. Today with technology, what I value most is presence,” the Mexican balladeer said. 

Wearing a shimmery, sequined pant and blazer set, Solís continued to sing songs such as “Nada Que Me Recuerde a Ti,” “Dios Bendiga Nuestro Amor,” and fan-favorites from Los Bukis’ such as “Falso Amor” and “Y Ahora Te Vas.” 

“I have little academic studies,” he admitted during his show. “My studies are from the street. I love music and lyrics, and it’s truly a beautiful career blessed by the grace of God.” 

Celebrating a 40-year trajectory, Solís’ “street [music] studies” shined far beyond his powerhouse vocals: he played the guitar, played the piano, played timbales, and danced to every rhythm. 

During the concert, where he was accompanied by a 15-member band and four beautiful dancers, Solís performed some of his all-time corta-pulso classics such as “Invéntame,” “Como Fui a Enamorarme de Tí,” “Si Te Pudiera Mentir,” “Mi Eterno Amor Secreto,” “Tu Cárcel” (which he wrote during difficult times), and “La Venia Bendita” (which he says was the fastest song he’s written — in just three hours — because he was, and still is, in love),” among others. 

El Buki Tour is not only charged with heartfelt ballads but it’s also equipped with hip-swaying, shoulder-shaking dancing tunes liked “Morenita,” “El Perdedor” and “Más Que Tu Amigo,” to name a few. 

Just minutes after the clock hit 11:30 p.m., and following two of his biggest titles “Si No Te Hubieras Ido” and “Donde Estará Mi Primavera,” Solís thanked his loyal fans for singing with him and wished the crowd “a lot of inner peace.” 

Tickets for the Live Nation-produced trek can be purchased here.

02 Apr 2023

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Oscar-Winning Composer & Yellow Magic Orchestra Member, Dies at 71

Ryuichi Sakamoto, a Japanese musician who scored for Hollywood movies such as The Last Emperor and The Revenant, has died. He was 71.

Japan’s recording company Avex said in a statement that Sakamoto died on March 28.

Sakamoto, who had suffered from cancer in recent years, had also acted in films, including playing a Japanese soldier in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.

He was a pioneer in electronics music of the late 1970s, founding the Yellow Magic Orchestra with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. He has been nominated several times for the Grammy Award, and won an Oscar for his work in The Last Emperor.

02 Apr 2023

Lil Yachty Performs ‘the BLACK seminole.’ & ‘drive ME crazy!’ With Diana Gordon in ‘SNL’ Debut: Watch

Lil Yachty took viewers on a trip during Saturday Night Live on April 1.

For his musical guest debut on the iconic sketch comedy show, the 25-year-old rapper — who appeared on Billboard‘s cover in March — performed a pair of tracks from his mind-bending psychedelic album, Let’s Start Here., which dropped earlier this year.

Yachty transformed the Studio 8H into a swamp-like atmosphere for his performances of “the BLACK seminole.” and “drive ME crazy!” The moody nighttime performances featured backing by singer-songwriter Diana Gordon and a full band.

Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson served as host during the April 1 episode of SNL.

Let’s Start Here., Yachty’s foray into the rock world, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums in early February. The set peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200.

“I did what I really wanted to do, which was create a body of work that reflected me,” Yachty told Billboard of Let’s Start Here. “My idea was for this album to be a journey: Press play and fall into a void.”

Watch Lil Yachty’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.