Music

16 Feb 2023

Behind the Scenes of Country Music’s Rolling Stones Tribute Album With Producer Robert Deaton and BMG’s Hartwig Masuch

On early ’70s cuts like “Wild Horses” and “Dead Flowers,” The Rolling Stones showed their affinity for American country music. Now, some of top country artists are returning the love — with the 14-track set Stoned Cold Country, out March 17 on BMG.

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Featuring Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, Brooks & Dunn and Ashley McBride, among others, the set is an often-raucous salute to what many consider the world’s greatest rock band on the group’s 60th anniversary.  Lainey Wilson’s slow-burning “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” drops tomorrow (Feb. 17), following last month’s release of Elvie Shane’s ominous “Sympathy for the Devil.”

The concept for the album was born over “three bottles of white wine at Angelini [Osteria] in Los Angeles,” says BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch, as his dining companion, producer Robert Deaton, put forth the concept. (It helped that BMG is also the publishing company for Rolling Stones’ main songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.) 

As publisher, “obviously one of your main mandates is to say, ‘Okay, here’s a great catalog of songs’ — and, we all know, there is already one great version,” Masuch says. “’So, what do we do to extend the relevance of those songs in a couple of a dimensions? Here’s an audience, a different genre and a different generation.’ I think that’s a core task of a publisher.”

Even so, Masuch says, the quality of the project was more of a defining factor than the dollars. “A music company should be committed to the cultural DNA it’s based on, not just always looking at things and saying, ‘How much can I make my money back?’ — because that’s a little bit too cynical,” he says. “Of course, we all have to make money and it’s important this will be successful, but I think what drove our discussion was more so the chemistry of the whole thing than having a calculator out [and getting] the publishing royalties on [14] songs.”

Deaton adds that the next step, even though they didn’t need it, was getting Jagger and Richards to sign off on the project. “I feel like we have such reverence for them and their song writing,” he says. “They’re the soundtrack of our lives. I don’t think anybody would want to go as deep on something as we put towards the project without have the blessing and permission from Mick and Keith.” 

stoned cold country

Courtesy Photo

With the duo’s deep love of country music, it wasn’t a tough sell. “From the early days country music made a real impression on us. There’s an authenticity about country that’s always appealed to me, whether it be Hank Williams, Merle Haggard or a Willie Nelson record,” Richards tells Billboard in a statement. “Also, of course, Gram Parsons was a major player and influence,” he adds of his close friend, the pioneering country rock singer/songwriter.

Deaton, who dubbed the album “a Nashville love letter to the Stones,” says many of the artists, like Church, have long histories with the music: “[Church] said that when he was nobody and just playing guitar in front of 10 people, he got more tips when he played ‘Honky Tonk Women.’  The Stones have been so important to him for so long that it’s been an honor just to be able to say ‘thank you’ on this record.”

Masuch says BMG’s position is to look at such projects in a comprehensive way. Though there is no official word on a documentary, Deaton says, “there were six or seven cameras on every session that we did,” and Masuch brings up the idea of “maybe turning [the album] into a live event, if possible, at a certain point. It would be [amazing] to have those artists in a big venue, performing their favorite songs, and maybe getting one or two members of [the Rolling Stones] to be around.”

But all ancillary projects were secondary to making the album that served the music, Deaton says. Starting in January 2022, he listened to Stones’ songs “over and over, 100 times, so that I could get the right artists with the right songs … And then I thought about, how do I make it different? How do I make this a tribute to them and also still unique?”

To do so, Deaton had to ensure he had unfettered freedom to make the project he wanted. “Hartwig is one of my dearest friends, and I told him, ‘Listen, I’m getting ready to go deep on this and I need to ask you one question from a business standpoint before I go under here: how many BMG artists do I have to have on the record?’” Deaton recalls. “And he said, ‘Go make the best record you can make. There’s no minimum, there’s no maximum.’” The album ended up with three BMG artists: Wilson, Jimmie Allen and Shane. 

As Deaton began casting the album, he says 95% of his attempts to match artists with songs ended up working out. “The only song that I left open was for Zac Brown Band, because they can do so many different things and so many different styles,” Deaton says. On their first conversation, Brown picked “Paint It Black.” Deaton and Wilson also went back and forth on four or five songs and had a false start, cutting “Get Off of My Cloud” before switching to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” 

“I went to BMG and said, ‘You know what, I think we got the wrong song’ because it wasn’t country enough,” Deaton says. “When I was trying to put together the record, I found that anything of that era was really hard to fit into our album because we’re being unapologetically country and we’re making a country record. It was very hard. ‘Get Off of My Cloud’ just didn’t fit in the overall arc of the record.”

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” resonated strongly with Wilson. “The Rolling Stones are global music icons, from the musicianship to the swagger to the relatable perspective with songs like ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’” she tells Billboard. “Man, if I haven’t had to learn that lesson time and time again. I know that feeling of resisting your fate, that struggle, but I also know that sense of pride and peace when you understand the tough times made way for something better. I try not to take myself too seriously — I’ve heard you can’t be great if you do — so I love the way the production builds into a light-hearted cathartic jam at the end. This song leaves me shaking my head, smiling at myself, and feeling grateful. And that’s what The Stones always did. They made you feel something, and they made you feel good.”

Understandably, Deaton had to occasionally contend with artists’ nerves when tackling the classic rock songs. “Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town said, ‘The only thing I’m concerned about is that Mick is going to hear all this, and I hope he doesn’t go, ‘Well, that sucks,’” he recalls. “Every artist wanted to put all their love into it, which was incredibly refreshing.”

The sessions were recorded without click tracks and with all the musicians playing live together, including the backing vocalists. To increase the authenticity, long-time Rolling Stones touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell played on “Shine A Light,” recorded by Koe Wetzel.   

“I wanted everybody in the same room together so that they all could feed off of each other and [have] it be as organic and as real as possible,” Deaton says. “Whatever that Stones thing is that they have [whenever] they’re in a room, I wanted to be able to create that and get as close to it as we possibly could.”

Throughout the album, there are nods to great musicianship, even beyond the Stones. For example, Mickey Raphael, who has played harmonica with Willie Nelson for more than 50 years, opens “Miss You,” covered by Allen. “It ended being a tribute to what I feel are the best musicians in the world,” Deaton says. 

A number of tribute albums by country artists have become best sellers, including 1994’s Common Threads: Songs of the Eagles, which the RIAA has certified triple platinum, and Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee, a 2012 platinum set that paired him with top country artists remaking his biggest hits. 

Masuch sees Stoned Cold Country having a similar, if not wider, appeal, given the Rolling Stones’ global fandom and “the fascination in nearly all European countries for country music,” he says. Access can be lacking to country acts outside the US, so Masuch says it’s important that the project “will get onto [people’s] iPhones and can create much more excitement for some of the musicians outside of North America than ever before.”

Extending country’s reach has been one of Germany-based BMG’s goals ever since it bought Broken Bow Records in 2017, giving the company an instant foothold in Nashville.  “I think it’s imminent that some of these artists will have big international careers,” Masuch says, “and hopefully this project can be one of the triggers in achieving that.” 

Stoned Cold Country Track list

  • “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” – Ashley McBryde
  • “Honky Tonk Women” – Brooks & Dunn
  • “Dead Flowers” – Maren Morris
  • “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)” – Brothers Osborne & The War And Treaty 
  • “Miss You” – Jimmie Allen
  • “Tumbling Dice” – Elle King
  • “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” – Marcus King
  • “Wild Horses” – Little Big Town
  • “Paint It Black” – Zac Brown Band
  • “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – Lainey Wilson
  • “Sympathy for the Devil” – Elvie Shane
  • “Angie” – Steve Earle
  • “Gimme Shelter” – Eric Church 
  • “Shine A Light” – Koe Wetzel

16 Feb 2023

Festivals Around the World Celebrating Music From Ibero-America and Beyond

As Latin music continues to soar across the world in various facets of the industry — from breaking historic records on the global pop charts to setting new ones in music streaming — stateside festivals are also seeing a significant boom of Latin performers.

For instance, Coachella hosted more Latin acts than ever last year, which signaled a new era for the south-of-the-border genre. Anitta, Karol G, Ed Maverick and Grupo Firme were among the almost 20 Latin music performers who graced the global stage. “[Coachella] can no longer be exclusive to any genre, and it looks like they are now understanding the value of our music,” Sergio Lizárraga of Banda MS told Billboard.

Last year also saw the birth of several brand new Latin-focused festivals across the United States. Of the giants were Chicago’s Sueños y Más Flow, which highlights mainly urban music, and Los Angeles’ Bésame Mucho, with a nostalgic ’90s-era roster.

Just as American institutions are visibly beginning to embrace more sonic entertainment coming from Latin America and Spain, those regions continue to host thriving music festivals of their own, thus elevating their own game.

This year sees the return of many iconic brands, such as the Latin rock-centric Vive Latino and the Norteño pride festivity Tecate Pa’l Norte in Mexico. The Lollapalooza franchise, originally from Chicago, also continues to reach various corners of the world with installments in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. London indie fest La Línea also returns to showcase Latin music exclusively.

While this might not be a complete list of some of the most compelling Ibero American and Latin music-centric festival listings around the globe, it should be a great starting point. See our list below, arranged in sequential order.

16 Feb 2023

A Cappella Group Says Concert at Florida Christian College Canceled Over Member’s ‘Lifestyle’

In the half-century history of a cappella vocal group the King’s Singers the acclaimed British vocalists have only cancelled shows due to bad weather, the pandemic or war. But on Saturday (Feb. 11), the choral singers say that they were informed that the final show on their four-city U.S. tour, at Pensacola Christian College in Florida, was scotched with just two hours’ notice due to what the school said was its concerns about the “lifestyle” of the group’s members.

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“It has become clear to us, from a flood of correspondence from students and members of the public, that these concerns related to the sexuality of member of our group,” the six-member group said in a statement. The letter on the Singers’ site noted that they have performed at PCC before and that they signed a contract to play there again “in the knowledge that this is a fundamentalist Christian institution,” adding that their belief is that “music can build a common language that allows people with different views and perspectives to come together.”

In an email statement to Billboard, the college — described as a “religious liberal arts institution founded upon and guided by the Bible, as reflected in our Articles of Faith” — said that it cannot “knowingly give an implied or direct endorsement of anything that violates the Holy Scripture, the foundation for our sincerely held beliefs. At the same time, the college also recognizes everyone is created in the image of God and should be afforded the dignity of kindness.”

The statement added that PCC cancelled the show “upon learning that one of the artists openly maintained a lifestyle that contradicts Scripture,” though it did not specify that the decision affecting the all-male group who perform pop, classical and sacred music was based on at least one unspecified member’s sexuality. “The highly talented musicians were treated with dignity and respect when informed of the cancellation,” it continued. “The artists stated their understanding and acceptance of the change and were given full remuneration.”

The school’s articles of faith contain a section specifying that they believe that “God has commanded that sexual activity be exclusively reserved to a man and a woman who are legally married to each other,” adding that scripture forbids, “sexual immorality including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography.”

According to the New York Times, the singers had led a workshop on campus before the scheduled show and had begun rehearsing for the event expected to draw 5,000 students when they were “pulled aside by college officials and informed of the cancellation.” The paper also noted that member Jonathan Howard confirmed that two of the group’s singers are gay, though the statement only alluded to one.

In addition to noting that only catastrophe and war have caused cancellations since the group’s founding in Cambridge, England in 1968, the Singers said that they were disappointed that they could not share their music and “our mission of finding harmony with over 4,000 students of the college and the wider Pensacola community. We hope that any conversations that follow might encourage a greater sense of love, acceptance and inclusion.”

The Singers are continuing their North American tour and said they look forward to making their way back to northern Florida soon, “in a context where we’re celebrated for who we are, as well as for the music we make.”

The two-time Grammy-winning group has received an outpouring of support on their socials, including Facebook comments on their statement in which fans wrote, “Appalling! I’m so sorry to read this, I really hoped that people could be more accepting in this day and age. I’m sorry for all those loyal fans who didn’t get to enjoy your wonderful music making,” as well as, “We love you exactly as you are. I’m sorry this happened to you all and I’m sorry for the people who for no acceptable reason missed the opportunity to hear you sing” and “May your music continue to be the uniting bond of people through generations, regardless of race, religion, or identity. Love is the only answer.”

Billboard reached out to both the Singers and PCC for additional comment, with both responding with links to their official statements.

WEAR News reported that the cancellation has provoked a fierce debate on campus, with a student who preferred to remain anonymous telling the outlet, “It’s a pretty toxic situation right here currently. It’s just getting very stressful with this situation going on.” The student added that there have been arguments and “mini protests” since Saturday and that “it’s just been a very hostile environment” since.

Supporters of LGBTQ rights have grown increasingly concerned over what appears to be Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hostile stance against the community. The state’s Republican leader — widely expected to take on one-term former president Donald Trump for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential race — signed a bill in 2022 commonly referred to by opponents as “Don’t Say Gay” that prohibited any classroom discussion or instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten-third grade.

GLAAD also noted in January that DeSantis sent a survey to his state’s 12 universities and 28 state and community colleges asking which of them provide services to transgender students asking which are “spending on any transgender services, information including student ages, hormone descriptions, and medical procedures including surgeries.”

16 Feb 2023

Ask Billboard: Where Does ‘Flowers’ (Already) Rank Among Miley Cyrus’ Biggest Hits?

Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.

Or, tweet @gthot20.

Let’s open the latest mailbag.

Miley Cyrus’ Career Streaming, Airplay & Sales Totals

Hi @gthot20 to celebrate @MileyCyrus ‘Flowers,’ could you update Miley’s best-selling albums and most-streamed songs and most-heard hits on radio? Thank you so much!

Miley Cyrus Charts
@CyrusOnStats

As of the latest Billboard Hot 100, dated Feb. 18, “Flowers” is Miley Cyrus‘ newly crowned longest-leading No. 1, surpassing the three-week command of “Wrecking Ball” in 2013.

Just four weeks into its Hot 100 run, “Flowers” is also already surging up the ranks of her biggest career hits, in both streaming and radio airplay.

Let’s recap Cyrus’ top songs in those metrics. As for her best-selling albums, three have each passed 1 million in U.S. sales, according to Luminate (through Feb. 9): 2008’s Breakout (1.6 million), 2009’s EP Time of Our Lives (1.5 million) and 2013’s Bangerz (1.2 million).

Miley Cyrus’ Most-Streamed Songs (on-demand, official) in the U.S.:
970 million, “Party in the U.S.A.” / 898 million, “Wrecking Ball” / 759 million, “We Can’t Stop” / 468 million, “Malibu” / 463 million, “23” (Mike WiLL Made-It feat. Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & Juicy J)

363 million, “The Climb” / 356 million, “Midnight Sky” / 316 million, “Adore You” / 233 million, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” (Mark Ronson feat. Cyrus) / 220 million, “When I Look at You”

203 million, “Prisoner” (feat. Dua Lipa) / 196 million, “Slide Away” / 182 million, “Flowers” / 169 million, “Mother’s Daughter” / 167 million, “Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angel)” (with Ariana Grande & Lana Del Rey)

Miley Cyrus’ Most-Heard Radio Songs in the U.S. (audience impressions):
3.6 billion, “Party in the U.S.A.” / 3 billion, “The Climb” / 2.5 billion, “Wrecking Ball” / 1.2 billion, “See You Again” / 943 million, “We Can’t Stop”

774 million, “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” (Billy Ray Cyrus with Miley Cyrus) / 422 million, “Malibu” / 365 million, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” / 360 million, “23” / 297 million, “Midnight Sky”

233 million, “Flowers” / 221 million, “Prisoner” / 216 million, “Adore You” / 162 million, “Can’t Be Tamed” / 155 million, “7 Things”

Thus, just a month after its release, “Flowers” is already Cyrus’ 11th biggest hit in total radio airplay audience and her 13th biggest in on-demand streaming.

Could Valentine’s Day give the song an extra boost? Some stats from a source that we don’t regularly cite: the Society of American Florists, the U.S. floral industry trade association, reported last year that the day is the top holiday for buying flowers (ahead of Christmas/Chanukah and Mother’s Day, each in second place). “Flowers” could even impact the breakdown of who is given Valentine’s bouquets, as, per a 2022 poll, “spouse” was the top choice for recipients, followed by “mother” and “significant other.” Next up? “Self.” “Women even treat themselves on Valentine’s Day,” the report noted, previewing Cyrus’ own purchase this year.

Speaking of her collab “23” …

23 More No. 23 Hits for ’23

Thanks, Jake! Good memory: “Absence of Kid Rock’s radio hit in the digital space opens the door for knock-off version” by Hit Masters, Billboard pointed out when the latter debuted on the Hot 100. That cover hit No. 5 on the Digital Song Sales chart, while Rock’s original climbed to No. 3 on Radio Songs (with top five peaks at pop, country and adult formats). On the Hot 100, they reached Nos. 19 and 23, respectively, in 2008.

For New Year’s Day, we looked at 23 enduring No. 23-peaking Hot 100 hits for 2023, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run,” No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” and Taylor Swift’s “15.”

In addition to those and yours, how about 23 more? From The Beach Boys to The Beatles, and Rihanna to more Swift, here are another 23 No. 23-peaking Hot 100 hits that remain prominent in ’23.

“In My Room,” The Beach Boys, 1963
One of the iconic group’s 35 top 40 Hot 100 hits, a list extended by “Little Saint Nick” this past holiday season.

“Rain,” The Beatles, 1966
“Sun” broke through after “Rain”: “Here Comes the Sun,” written by the band’s George Harrison, was released in 1969 (and, despite its classic status, was not made a single from Abbey Road and has never hit the Hot 100).

“Mustang Sally,” Wilson Pickett, 1966
Not only was the song a hit in 1966, but that year’s Ford Mustang remains the best-selling of any year for the sleek car.

“Tell Mama,” Etta James, 1968
The beloved singer’s legend likely outshines her Hot 100 history: she tallied nine top 40 hits, with “Tell Mama” her highest-charting.

“Rocky Mountain Way,” Joe Walsh, 1973
The song brought Walsh to the Hot 100, where he went on to hit a No. 12 high as a soloist in 1978 with “Life’s Been Good.” Plus, The Eagles, with Walsh as a member, notched three No. 1s in 1977-79, including “Hotel California,” punctuated by Walsh and Don Felder’s famed dual-guitar outro.

“Follow You Follow Me,” Genesis, 1978
The single became the band’s first top 40 Hot 100 hit, and 16 more followed “Follow.” In 1981, frontman Phil Collins scored his first of 21 top 40 entries as a soloist.

“Come Together,” Aerosmith, 1978
The second John Lennon-Paul McCartney composition on this list, after “Rain.” “Come Together” was released from the soundtrack to the kitschy film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring, among others, the Bee Gees, George Burns, Peter Frampton and Steve Martin.

“Stranger in My House,” Ronnie Milsap, 1983
One of Milsap’s 49 top 10 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart, it won the Grammy Award for best country song. It was written by Mike Reid, a former NFL Pro Bowler who went on to notch his own No. 1 on the survey as a recording artist with “Walk on Faith” in 1991. (Having also co-penned songs including Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” Reid received the NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award in 1996.)

“Moonlighting (Theme),” Al Jarreau, 1987
TV theme songs boast their own built-in promotion: Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis, was the ninth-most watched show of 1987.

“When We Was Fab,” George Harrison, 1988
Following two Beatles songs above, this song, as evident in its title, recounts the Fab Four’s early days.

“Rock and a Hard Place,” The Rolling Stones, 1989
The second single from Steel Wheels marks the band’s most recent top 40 Hot 100 hit. (It followed the No. 5-peaking “Mixed Emotions.”)

“Moneytalks,” AC/DC, 1991
Among the group’s classic catalog, three songs have crossed over to the Hot 100’s top 40 – with this track the band’s highest charting. It followed two other essentials: “You Shook Me All Night Long” (No. 35, 1980) and “Back in Black” (No. 37, 1981).

“U.N.I.T.Y.,” Queen Latifah, 1994
The song, the entertainer’s highest reaching of seven Hot 100 hits, contributed to the Grammy Awards’ high-profile hip-hop celebration Feb. 5.

“Your Woman,” White Town, 1997
The song returned as the basis of Dua Lipa’s 2021 hit “Love Again,” while its history dates back (much) further: Its signature instrumental hook was widely popularized in Lew Stone and His Monseigneur Band’s “My Woman” in 1932.

“Smooth Criminal,” Alien Ant Farm, 2001
The track amped up Michael Jackson’s No. 7-peaking 1989 hit, the sixth and final top 10 from his album Bad. As Madonna then tallied three top 10s that year (“Like a Prayer,” “Express Yourself” and “Cherish”), the King and Queen of Pop wrapped the ’80s with a leading 17 top 10s each during the decade.

“Hands Clean,” Alanis Morissette, 2002
Following Morissette’s haul of hits from 1995’s Jagged Little Pill and 1998’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, this song stands as her biggest since, having also risen to No. 3 on both Adult Alternative Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay. By 2002, she told Billboard, she had learned “when to say ‘no’ and take a step back. It’s not a matter of wielding power; it’s a matter of understanding your limits and controlling the quality of your life.”

“Brave,” Sara Bareilles, 2014
The singer-songwriter and actress has scored three top 40 Hot 100 hits, with this empowerment anthem following “Love Song” (No. 4, 2008) and “King of Anything” (No. 32, 2010).

“Prayer in C,” Lillywood & Robin Schulz, 2015
The song by the respective French and German acts became a major global hit, reaching No. 1 on charts in (deep breath) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.

“The Man,” Taylor Swift, 2019
Swift told Billboard in 2019 of the song’s inspiration, “When I go online and hear the stories of my fans talking about their experience in the working world, or even at school, the more we talk about it, the better off we’ll be. And I wanted to make it catchy for a reason – so that they would end up with a song about gender inequality stuck in their heads.”

“Believe It,” PARTYNEXTDOOR & Rihanna, 2020
Rihanna’s most recent Hot 100 hit until “Lift Me Up,” which reached No. 2 upon its debut this past November. What might be her next career move?

“ily,” Surf Mesa feat. Emilee, 2020
The song reinvented (the chorus of) Frankie Valli’s No. 2-peaking 1967 classic, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

“The Next Episode,” Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, 2000
“Still D.R.E.,” Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, 2022
Two of Dr. Dre’s signature songs have reached No. 23 on the Hot 100. The latter soared past its prior No. 93 high in late 1999 following the all-star Super Bowl halftime show last year. “You’re talking about at least 3,000 people that you have to depend on to get this show right for 13 minutes,” he said (while offering advice to Rihanna ahead of this year’s concert). “So, it is an extreme amount of pressure, but it’s fun at the same time. When it’s done … I got goosebumps.”

16 Feb 2023

Red Hot Chili Peppers Tie Foo Fighters for Most Alternative Airplay Top 10s

Red Hot Chili Peppers tie Foo Fighters for the most top 10s in the history of Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, as “The Drummer” lifts 13-10 on the Feb. 18-dated ranking.

The song becomes the Chili Peppers’ 28th top 10.

The band previously had sole possession of the record before Foo Fighters tied it at 25 in 2020 and surpassed it in 2021, eventually rattling off two more through 2022 to put themselves at 28.

The Chili Peppers caught back up on the strength of “Black Summer,” a four-week No. 1 last year, followed by one-week ruler “Tippa My Tongue” last year and now “The Drummer.”

Most Top 10s, Alternative Airplay

  • 28, Foo Fighters
  • 28, Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • 24, Green Day
  • 23, U2
  • 21, Weezer
  • 19, Pearl Jam
  • 18, The Offspring
  • 17, Linkin Park
  • 17, Muse
  • 17, The Smashing Pumpkins

The Anthony Kiedis-fronted Chili Peppers first reached the Alternative Airplay top 10 in 1989 with “Knock Me Down.” The group is currently the only act in the chart’s 34-year history to have appeared on the survey in each decade of the list’s existence, from the ’80s through the ’20s.

Concurrently, “The Drummer” jumps 28-21 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 1.6 million audience impressions, up 21%, according to Luminate.

The song is the second single from Return of the Dream Canteen, the band’s 13th studio album. It debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums charted dated Oct. 29, 2022, and has earned 130,000 equivalent album units through Feb. 9.

16 Feb 2023

Beyoncé, Berry Gordy, Clive Davis & More Among 2023 Nominees for Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame

Beyoncé, Berry Gordy, Clive Davis, Anita Baker and George Clinton are among 60 nominees for the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

More than 230 artists and others have been inducted since 2013. The roster includes James Brown, Prince, B.B. King, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson and Whitney Houston.

Most of this year’s nominees are Black, but the list also includes Davis, who has signed and championed many Black artists, including Sly & the Family Stone, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, throughout his long career; Burt Bacharach, the peerless composer who wrote hits for Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle, Chuck Jackson and many more; Daryl Hall & John Oates, the blue-eyed-soul duo that topped Hot Soul Singles (as the chart was called in 1982) with “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” and Average White Band, which had such hits as “Pick Up the Pieces” and “Cut the Cake.”

Most of the nominees are primarily known as artists, but the list also includes record executives Gordy, Davis and Dick Griffey; songwriters Bacharach, David Porter and Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff; radio personalities Jeff Fox, King Arthur and Jae The Gospelkidd; music and event producers and promoters Robert Brown and Sweet Boogie Productions; Malaco Records, the Mississippi-based indie label that signed Johnnie Taylor Bobby Bland, Denise LaSalle, Dorothy Moore, Tyrone Davis and more; and The Recording Academy.

The latter nomination will be welcome news to the Academy, which has been criticized by such major figures in the culture as Magic Johnson and Spike Lee for perceived disrespect. The criticism flows from frustration that Beyoncé has been nominated four times for album of the year (as a lead artist), but has yet to win what is widely regarded as the Grammys’ top award.

Most of the nominees are individuals, but the list includes 14 groups – New Edition, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, The Isley Brothers, Bell Biv Devoe, SWV, Xscape, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Stubbs Girls, Blue Magic, Jodeci and The Controllers – as well as Hall & Oates and AWB.

Fans may vote now at rbhofvote.com. Voting is set to run through April 24. This year’s inductees will be announced at a press conference on May 1.

The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Foundation had its groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 30, 2022, in Marks, Miss.

The foundation will honor four individuals with the following awards, to be given annually — The LaMont D. Robinson Founders Award, The Aretha Franklin Lifetime Achievement Award, The Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Living Legend Award and The Mary Wilson Global Music Industry Award.

The foundation has also developed another annual musical event coming in 2024, the R&B Music Honors, that will honor and showcase the best of today’s R&B music.

Here’s the complete list of 2023 nominees for the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. The capsule descriptions of each nominee are provided by the organization.

  • Beyoncé – singer
  • Jay-Z – rapper/producer
  • John Legend – singer/songwriter  
  • Berry Gordy – music executive/songwriter
  • Burt Bacharach – composer/songwriter/producer
  • David Porter – singer/songwriter/producer 
  • New Edition – group
  • Recording Academy – Grammys
  • Clive Davis – music executive
  • Aaliyah – singer 
  • Mary J. Blige – singer
  • Morris Day – singer
  • Dee Dee Warwick – singer 
  • Dick Griffey – music executive
  • Gerald Alston – singer 
  • Anita Baker – singer
  • Roz Ryan – singer
  • Carla Thomas – singer/songwriter
  • Daryl Hall & John Oates – group 
  • Janet Jackson – singer  
  • Robert Brown – music & event promoter
  • Malaco Records – record company
  • George Clinton – performer/songwriter  
  • Clyde McPhatter – singer 
  • Brook Benton – singer
  • Jr. Walker & The All Stars – group  
  • Rufus Thomas – singer 
  • The Isley Brothers – group 
  • Frankie Beverly – singer 
  • Mavis Staples – singer  
  • Ruby Andrews – singer
  • Jeff Fox – radio personality
  • Jermaine Dupri – music executive/producer
  • Chaka Khan – singer
  • Bell Biv DeVoe – group
  • Dee Dee Sharp – singer
  • SWV – group
  • King Arthur – radio personality
  • Xscape – group
  • Latimore – singer  
  • Willie Clayton – singer
  • Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – group
  • Earth Wind & Fire – group
  • Peabo Bryson – singer
  • Tyrone Davis – singer
  • Sweet Boogie Productions – music production & events
  • Deniece Williams – singer 
  • Luther “Skywalker” Campbell – rapper/music executive/songwriter  
  • The Stubbs Girls – group 
  • Priscilla Price – singer    
  • Freddie Jackson – singer
  • Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff – songwriters 
  • Jae The Gospelkidd – radio personality  
  • Average White Band – group 
  • Blue Magic – group
  • Babyface – singer/songwriter  
  • Jodeci – group 
  • G.C. Cameron – singer 
  • Al Lindsey – singer
  • The Controllers – group

16 Feb 2023

Kimbra is Busier Than Ever After a Five-Year Recording Break: ‘I’m Growing as a Person’

Kimbra is very aware of how big things became.

“Let’s be honest: me and Gotye’s names kind of became household names for a period of time,” the New Zealand-bred, New York City-based singer-songwriter reflects after catapulting to unlikely superstardom with their Hot 100-topping, Grammy-winning 2012 smash “Somebody I Used to Know. The duet went on to become one of the longest-charting hits in Hot 100 history, and remains one of the best-selling digital singles ever.

Over a decade later, however, Kimbra now finds herself picking up the pieces from a particularly turbulent period of her life since her last studio album, 2018’s Primal Heart. The title of her new album — A Reckoning, which was released last month — came to her before the songs did, as a perfect summation of what happened to her following a personal loss, the end of a relationship and a deal dissolution with longtime label home Warner Records, all amidst the pandemic.

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A Reckoning is the result of choosing to turn inward and confronting her own emotions and thought patterns head-on. Co-crafted with Son Lux’s Ryan Lott, with features from Erick the Architect, Pink Siifu and Tommy Raps, the honest, genre-blending body of work twists aggressive beats, R&B-influenced melodies and shape-shifting organic sounds around vulnerable confessions, prayers and empowering declarations. “Replay!” is an ode to compulsive thoughts partially inspired by Kelis’ vocal delivery on “Caught Out There,” while “Foolish Thinking” is a moving piano ballad composed as a letter to her future daughter.

“We love people going through the rough, and then emerging to tell us what the war was like,” she says. With a renewed confidence in herself as a storyteller and in her purpose as an artist, Kimbra is ready to share what she calls a “redemption story.”

It’s been a while since 2018’s Primal Heart. What’s happened since?

We’ve all been through so much. The Primal Heart campaign came to an end, and I began to think about what I want to say next. I went through a stage of really struggling to write. Maybe it was because I was struggling to articulate what I was feeling. I hadn’t landed on something that felt honest. I don’t want to sell people something I don’t really believe.

I wrote “Save Me” in 2020 as things were really collapsing. My relationship at the time was coming to an obvious end as well. I was breaking up with my label. My team was changing. I moved upstate. I lost my best friend out of nowhere back in New Zealand. Some real lows.

I think, sometimes, our greatest breakthroughs happen at rock bottom. “Save Me” was a bit of a breakthrough – that feeling of hopelessness and being stuck with yourself. I struggle with a lot of anxiety and difficult thoughts. If I hold them in, it gets dangerous. I named something in me that I needed to get out. That’s where A Reckoning began. I had titled it before I even had all the songs.

Did the thought ever come that music wasn’t going to be the space for you anymore?

No, and that’s the biggest fear of all: that music won’t save me, and I won’t be able to get out what I want to say. When you keep turning up and believing that there’s something there, it comes through. It took other people — like Ryan Lott, the co-producer — to help identify what the sounds were going to be to tell the story. It’s an act of faith to make an album. You can turn a s—t sandwich into a beautiful liberation. [laughs]

Was there a sonic mood you were striving for?

I think the cohesion in my work is often the storyteller at the center, the voice that leads you through these different worlds. There’s a juxtaposition in the aggression of certain sounds against something very soft and tender, which is really me in a nutshell. I have all these conflicting things that live within me. My art is an attempt to translate my inner world to be understood, like all of us. The sonic identity is ever-changing, because I’m ever-changing.

When you talk about longing to be understood, does that extend to your former label?

Yeah. They wanted to extend my deal. It was already at six albums. They wanted to go to eight. They wanted to pick the producer. I can’t work that way. I need to have the agency in my work to put the right people in place to tell the story. I don’t do this to just sell a product. It’s my life.

It was a rock to my confidence. That’s another kind of reckoning: How bad do you want it? Are you gonna fight to get your music out there, form the right team, and keep turning up when you don’t have also someone breathing down your neck saying, “When’s the record done?” Now you have to motivate yourself.

How did you assemble a team of collaborators on your own?

I met Ryan doing a co-headlining tour with Son Lux. He has such a strange sound world to his music. I bring these catchy melodies – an almost R&B thing. That was an intriguing combination. I often bring people in when I’m struggling to finish a song, or there’s something not quite right. Bringing rappers on to jump on songs, or bringing Questlove in to help the rhythm section of the track — who’s doing this in their own work that could throw another color into the canvas? I’m hunting for the moment when I go, “Ah, that captures something I haven’t yet said.”

“Gun” was written in a Rihanna writing camp. Are you writing for others often?

I’ve done a little bit, not a ton. The whole place was dedicated to writing, every person in the studio. Her vocal coach would come through and guide me on how to perform the demo as her. I’m trying to embody the strength I see in Rihanna.

I’m just a kid from New Zealand. I still can’t believe I have a billboard up in Times Square. I look at a lot of the pop stars as being a lot more strong and badass than I am.

Fake it ’til you make it.

Exactly. And that’s what I did for that song. I don’t feel like I’m the s—t right now, but I’m gonna sing “I’m the s—t, so shout my name,” because I know Rihanna would say that and sell that.

There’s a certain kind of oppression that happens to artists, where you start to believe that you are a product of the people. I had to confront the fact that a lot of people I trusted had broken that trust. It’s about building yourself back up again and realizing there’s this inner strength that deserves to be spoken out loud. I just needed to wait until I was at the time of my life where I could sing a song I wrote for Rihanna. I think it was meant to be mine all along.

Can you talk about the collaborative doors that opened after “Somebody I Used to Know”?

I mean, let’s be honest: me and Gotye’s names kind of became household names for a period of time. There was a lot of respect that came from that song. When I would reach out to my favorite guitarist, they would know my name and have an interest in working together. And it wasn’t just, “Oh, you’re that girl with the random, massive song.” It was, “You made something that I really felt.” What a blessing that I got to penetrate the hearts of millions of people all over the world.

Are there sessions that didn’t see light of day that you wish had?

Yeah, there are songs lying around with various people. I just don’t know whether to name them, because it might still come out. The mysterious thing about music is you make things, and they may not reemerge for another 10 years. That’s another act of faith, to just keep making things, regardless of what timeline they’re on.

Are there plans for a musical reunion with Gotye?

Gotye has been working very hard on music. I’m sure he’ll come out the cave at some point to talk about it. It is not my place to talk on that, unfortunately. I’ll leave that up to him. But, let me tell you… anything is possible in this world. [laughs]

Do you retreat from popular music when you’re making music?

That’s a good question. I do take intentional breaks. Maybe just instrumental music for a while. I think constantly listening to vocals is a lot of stimulus for a vocalist. If you listen to SZA all the time, you might be writing a lot like SZA. Sometimes I will just listen to Philip Glass records or something, so I can work out what is my most genuine melodic perspective right now.

I’m really inspired by artists that are very ambitious in their records. I think Kendrick Lamar is one of those artists. He takes on a spirit of jazz that I think is very important — being able to jump around a lot, but have a very clear message and vision. He knows why he’s here and what he’s doing. It’s aggressive, it’s tough, but he can really speak truth to a lot of things in the world, in a very prophet-like way. Frank Ocean has been one of those groundbreaking songwriters in the last 10 years that I still go back to, with some of the most timeless songs.

Do you feel you still grapple with imposter syndrome?

Totally. I have that mentality still of being a young kid, insecure in high school. The only way I try to combat that is to remember that everyone feels that to a certain extent. You got to accept that you never really feel, at any point of your career, that you’re deserving of that place, or that you’ve done enough work to get there. It’s trusting something I’ve done connects with the world. It’s bigger than me.

I try to be humble about that. If they believe I am this person that’s really helped them through it, then let me turn up to that. Even though I feel s—tty today, that’s the service of the work.

What is your approach to feedback about your music online?

More and more, I’ve realized that anytime you take a risk and try to do something slightly daring, there will be people who don’t like it. There are people who like you to stay small, especially with women. Sometimes when I receive negative feedback, I almost take it as an affirmation that what I’m doing is pushing into something new. It makes sense that someone hates that version I did of a Beyoncé song, or something. Don’t get me wrong: it can really deflate me when I get something negative. People can be very cruel. But f—k, it’s just part of it, man. Every job has its thing that you have to be able to armor against.

So many artists who have come before me have experienced people not giving a s—t when their records came out. They were reviewed terribly. And then years later, they’re heralded as absolutely game-changing. People’s perception of you is always going to be changing. You’re not in control of that. At least there’s a reaction! Better than people kind of being like… eh.

You mentioned covering Beyoncé – you recently took on “Break My Soul.”

I’m always looking to find a new angle on something. I love the dissection process of a song that we all know really well. It comes back to wanting to have fun with music. If I’m always thinking about what other people want to hear, it’s not very fun. But if I’m loving it, then chances are someone else is probably going to feel that same way.

You have a Soundfly vocal arrangement and production class. What are your thoughts on the amount of female engineers in the studio? Has there been a shift?

I’ve seen the conversation change most among men. That’s where it’s important. Women have always been talking about this, but if we’re not being heard or respected by the people that have the power, nothing changes. It’s the same with the #MeToo movement. What we really needed was men to be in the conversation, rather than just being outside of it. I’ve seen a shift there.

There’s a musicality that comes from women in production and technical roles that is different. The feminine in all of us is very healing. We’ve been living in a patriarchy for so long. I think people are sensing we need a shift. It starts with conversations. If more people talk about it, we’re going to be more open to our cultural settings changing as well.

As the dust settles after releasing this record, what goals do you have, personally and professionally?

I really want to take this music to people one-on-one, and lift people up after all this s—t we’ve been through. I’m excited for that.

I’ve written more music in the last five years than I think have in my f—king entire career. I have more bodies of work that I’m currently working on: one is highly collaborative, and one is super dance floor with BRUX, the producer who did “Replay!” We started writing a lot of celebratory, anthemic dance tracks. I’m working on a lot of very heavily leaning R&B stuff. And then I want to make a very organic band record.

As I approach thinking about motherhood in the future, it would be cool to get as much out in this time of my life so I can take a break for a bit.

Personally, I’m always on a journey to keep healing. I make music so that I can better myself, and to be a more empathetic person in the world. That’s always my hope, through the vehicle of music, that I’m growing as a person, and hopefully helping people.

16 Feb 2023

John Legend & Chrissy Teigen Reveal First Photo as Family of 5

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen just celebrated their first Valentine’s Day as a family of five. Almost exactly a month after the couple welcomed their third child, a baby girl named Esti, the “All of Me” singer shared an adorable family portrait on Instagram Wednesday (Feb. 15) in honor of the day of love.

In the photo, Legend wears a bright red sweater to match his oldest daughter, 6-year-old Luna, and 4-year-old son Miles, posing for the camera in front. Luna wears a festive headband with heart-shaped baubles, meanwhile Teigen stuns in a pink dress embellished with roses on the neckline.

And, in her arms, lies 1-month-old baby Esti, looking just a little sleepy in her heart-patterned blouse. “I had the best Valentine’s dates last night,” Legend captioned the post, adding a heart emoji for each member of his family.

The cookbook author also shared the photo in a carousel. “Excuse the spit up!!” she captioned her post, which features more images of her family. “we are doing the best we can over here lol.”

Little Esti was born exactly one month and one day before V-Day, on Jan. 13 — an occasion Legend first announced while performing at a private concert. Teigen later shared a photo of their new addition on Instagram, confirming the news and revealing their baby girl’s name.

“She’s here! Esti Maxine Stephens – the house is bustling and our family could not be happier,” the model wrote at the time. “Daddy sheds nightly tears of joy seeing Luna and Miles so full of love, and I am learning you still need diapers with a c section!? We are in bliss.” 

Earlier this month, the Voice coach gave an update about how his first two kids are adjusting to being older siblings on The Jennifer Hudson Show. “We were worried ’cause they seemed a little jealous when Chrissy was pregnant, and I was worried that they wouldn’t be excited to welcome her home,” he said Feb. 9. “But they’ve exceeded our expectations of how loving and excited they are. They’re truly thrilled to be older siblings now.”

See John Legend’s and Chrissy Teigen’s adorable portrait as a family of five below:

16 Feb 2023

DJ Hanzel Goes In on His Nemesis Dillon Francis: ‘I Hate You’

For as long as Dillon Francis has been a fixture in dance music, so, too, has his arch rival DJ Hanzel been around telling anyone who will listen why Dillon is actually terrible.

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Now DJ Hanzel (who keen eyes will notice in fact looks a lot like Francis), raised the stakes in this longstanding rivalry with his debut album, Anti Everything. Released in late January via Hanzel’s own One Deeper Records, the album features eight slick cuts of house music, all intended to fulfill DJ Hanzel’s mission of taking listeners one deeper, and then one more deeper.

To mark the album’s release, DJ Hanzel made a rare appearance at the Billboard News studio, where he sat down to discuss his rivalry with Francis, the many DJs who are “very not deep” and the deepest artist of all time. Watch the interview above.

“Here’s my quick message to Dillon Francis,” Hanzel declared without prompting during this conversation. “You’re a cheat, you’re a lie, I hate you. You’re one of the worst people to ever exist in the world. Just a walking sack of bile.”

Additionally, Hanzel ran down the list of DJs he considers “really not deep” — jokingly, of course — including David Guetta, Martin Garrix (“he’s also a baby”), Kygo (“stay in Norway”), Zedd (“like, very not deep”), Dom Dolla (“wow, a mullet, so original”) and Steve Aoki (“I don’t think he plays any music; he’s just a baker.”)

Hanzel also revealed that he doesn’t actually listen to music, that rather than eating, he absorbs nutrition through the light of the sun (“I’m like a solar panel”) and Francis’ 2021 album Happy Machine made him throw up “three times.”

16 Feb 2023

Nipsey Hussle’s ‘Victory Lap’ Goes Double Platinum on Album’s 5-Year Anniversary

The legacy of Nipsey Hussle remains strong, even after his 2019 death. On Thursday (Feb. 16), on the fifth anniversary of his major label debut album, Victory Lap, Hussle’s Grammy-nominated effort receives a bevy of RIAA notifications, including a double-platinum plaque for the 2018 project.

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Along with Victory Lap going double platinum, the album tracks also received accolades, notably “Double Up” featuring Belly and Dom Kennedy. According to the RIAA, “Double Up” is now triple platinum, while “Hussle & Motivate” and “Grinding All My Life” stand tall at double platinum. “Victory Lap,” “Dedication” featuring Kendrick Lamar,” “Blue Laces 2,” “Last Time That I Checc’d” with YG and “Rap N—as” all went platinum. “Real Big,” “Keyz 2 The City 2,” “Right Hand 2 God,” “Young N—a” and “Status Symbol” with Buddy raced their way to gold.

In November, Marathon Films announced Nip’s docuseries Hussle, which explored the legacy of the acclaimed rapper. “Crenshaw-Slauson, in the Crenshaw District, well that’s where, really, the Nip Hussle story,” the rapper’s voice narrates over footage from his lifetime, later adding, “Faith is a required element on your marathon to success and on your marathon of life. It’s your footprint in the sand, your dent in the universe, the impact on the world around you. I want ’em to say that he wasn’t afraid to live. Chasing a dream.”

Springhill — NBA superstar LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s media company — are financing the film. Said James in a statement: “It’s an incredible honor for SpringHill to have a part in sharing Nipsey’s story and legacy with the world. He used his gift to give back to his community and lived what it means to inspire, empower, and uplift others along the way. His words, his ambition, and his actions stick with me to this day as he continues to inspire myself, our company, and people everywhere.”