Music

15 Feb 2023

Bizarrap & Shakira Crown Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Chart for a Fourth Week

Bizarrap and Shakira add a fourth week atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” rules the Feb. 11-dated ranking. It’s the third “Music Session” by BIzarrap to crown the chart for at least four weeks, after “Vol. 38,” with L-Gante (seven weeks, 2021), and “Vol. 52,” with Quevedo (eight weeks in charge, July-Sept. 2022).

Titles No. 2 through No. 5 hold steady at their same rankings, starting with Luck Ra’s “Ya No Vuelvas,” featuring La K’Onga and Ke Personajes, at No. 2, “Muñecas” by TINI, La Joaqui and Steve Aoki, at No. 3, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” at No. 4, and Cris Mj, Duki and Nicki Nicole’s “Marisola,” featuring Standly, at No. 5.

Further, Big One, Emilia and Callejero Fino each add a new career top 10 to their Billboard Argentina accounts with “En La Intimidad,” their first collaboration and the Hot Shot Debut of the week, at No. 9.

Argentinian Lil Cake secures her first top 10 as “Mercho,” with Migrantes, which also features Nico Valdi, climbs 14-10. It’s the second top 10 for cumbia-based band Migrantes who scored its first champ with first chart entry “Si Me Tomo Una Cerveza,” with Alicos, in 2021. Valdi concurrently claims his first top 10 with first chart visit.

Further, Callejero Fino’s “Que Te Vaya Bien” notches the Greatest Gainer honors as it rallies 95-57 (a 38-position climb).

Lastly, the chart boats three other debuts starting with “Quiero Creer” by Luck Ra, La T Y La Ma and Rusherking at No. 38, “Christian Nodal and TINI’s “Por El Resto De Tu Vida” at No. 63, and Feid’s “Normal” at No. 92.

15 Feb 2023

Madison Beer Announces Debut Memoir ‘The Half of It’: ‘Can’t Wait to Reintroduce Myself’

Madison Beer shared the news on Wednesday (Feb. 15) that she’s coming out with her first-ever memoir, The Half of It.

“It feels truly surreal to be announcing this book and i am so excited to share my story with you in a way i never have before,” she posted on Instagram of the memoir, which hits bookshelves April 25 via HarperCollins. “From the reality of being signed at twelve, to everything that followed, where i am now, and my journey of reconciling with everything that came before. it has taken me a lot of extremely dark times to get here but i feel incredibly ready to tell you these chapters of my story. i hope you love it. i can’t wait to reintroduce myself to you.”

Showing a glimpse of The Half of It‘s title page, Beer shared the book’s dedications, which read: “For my mother, my brother, and my father—thank you. I know it hasn’t been easy. For the younger Madison I’m writing this about—thank you for getting me here. I hope I’ve made you proud.”

The pop singer’s mom, Tracie Beer, gave a sweetly emotional show of support for her daughter’s venture into autobiography in the comments section of the post, writing, “Me bawling like a baby… So incredibly proud of you & to be part of this journey alongside of you through it all!!!” and adding the hashtag, “#proudmom.”

Beer dropped her debut studio album, Life Support, back in Feb. 2021. When discussing the book reveal in an interview with People, she opened up about working on her soon-to-be-released sophomore follow-up.

“I am so excited for this next album which will be coming soon,” she teased. “Music has always been my first love; it’s what lead me to this memoir and what drives me daily. I am really excited for what is next with my music this year.”

Check out Beer’s memoir announcement — and get a first look at its vulnerable cover — below.

15 Feb 2023

Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Spurs 140% Streaming Gain for Her Catalog

Rihanna’s catalog of songs surged 140% in official U.S. on-demand streams after her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance (Feb. 12), according to initial reports to data tracking firm Luminate (which provides data for Billboard’s charts). On Sunday and Monday (Feb. 12-13), her collected songs (on which she is the primary artist, according to Luminate) tallied 62.2 million on-demand official streams – up 140% from 25.8 million on the two days prior (Feb. 10-11).

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Plus, Rihanna’s on-demand official streams have increased weekly since the top of the year, as anticipation built towards the big game.

In the week ending Dec. 29, 2022, her songs generated 42.3 million on-demand official streams, and in the six subsequent weeks they grew each frame, to: 48.9 million (week ending Jan. 5), 51.5 million (week ending Jan. 12), 53.4 million (week ending Jan. 19), 55.1 million (week ending Jan. 26), 57.1 million (week ending Feb. 2) and 65 million (week ending Feb. 9).

In the first four days of the current tracking week (ending Feb. 16), Rihanna’s songs have generated 88 million clicks, so the full seven days is bound to be robust once the final numbers are available on Feb. 20.

Sales Story: Rihanna’s catalog of songs (again, those where she’s the primary artist, per Luminate) also gained. They sold 42,000 downloads in the U.S. on Sunday and Monday (Feb. 12-13) – up 473% compared to what they sold on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 10-11): 7,500.

Halftime Tunes: The dozen songs (see below) that Rihanna performed during the halftime show (excluding snippets heard briefly) collectively garnered 27.7 million on-demand official streams in the U.S. on Sunday and Monday – up 219.6% compared to the two days prior, when they collected 8.7 million.

The most-streamed halftime-performed song following the Super Bowl was “Umbrella,” with 3.8 million official on-demand streams on Sunday and Monday (up 177% compared to the 1.4 million it snared on Friday and Saturday). “Diamonds” was the second-most streamed halftime tune after the show, with 3.2 million on Sunday and Monday (up 231% compared to 954,000 on Friday and Saturday). “Umbrella” (from 2007) and “Diamonds” (2012) were the final two songs, respectively, that Rihanna performed during the halftime show.

The 12 halftime-performed songs sold 27,000 downloads on Sunday and Monday – up 976% compared to the 2,500 they sold on Friday and Saturday.

Rihanna’s catalog of songs and albums could post sizable gains on Billboard’s weekly charts dated Feb. 25, reflecting the sales and streaming tracking week ending Feb. 16. News of such impact will be reported on Billboard.com in the coming days.

Here are the songs that Rihanna performed (excluding snippets) during the Super Bowl halftime show (with original artist chart credits noted if other than Rihanna): “Bitch Better Have My Money;” “Where Have You Been;” “Only Girl in the World;” “We Found Love,” featuring Calvin Harris; “Rude Boy;” “Work,” featuring Drake; DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller; “Pour It Up;” Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi; Jay-Z, Rihanna and West’s “Run This Town;” “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z; and “Diamonds.”

15 Feb 2023

Even Rihanna’s Super Bowl Dancers Didn’t Know She Was Pregnant

Rihanna shocked the world when she appeared onstage for the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 12), appearing in a stunning red outfit that highlighted her stomach curving with maternity. But as it turns out, none of the “Work” singer’s dancers for the Halftime Show were knowledgeable about her pregnancy either.

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Back-up dancers Laila Hayes and Luhnyae Campbell revealed to Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday (Feb. 15) that Rihanna’s pregnancy was kept under wraps during rehearsals, due to her bundling up because of cold weather. The pair noted that all of the dancers did not find out about the pop star’s pregnancy until watching footage from the televised event.

“We were all confused watching it during the real thing when she went up there and was showing her stomach,” Hayes said. “She wore the same outfit for one of the dress rehearsals but it was zippered up.”

“I never saw a bump,” Campbell added. “Not even the day of. I had to rewatch the performance on YouTube to realize.” In a Feb. 13 TikTok video, Campbell further elaborated on the matter, and said Eih “came into rehearsals with big fur coats, or Fenty sets all the time — like the big sweatshirt ones … I was surprised too.”

Shortly after Rihanna’s Super Bowl spectacle, a representative of the pop star confirmed she and boyfriend A$AP Rocky were expecting their second child together. The Fenty Beauty founder welcomed her first child — a boy — with A$AP Rocky in May.

Watch Campbell discuss Rihanna and the pop star’s Super Bowl pregnancy reveal below.

15 Feb 2023

BSS (SEVENTEEN) Debuts at No. 1 on Japan Hot 100

BSS’ “Fighting,” feat. Lee Young Ji, blasts in at No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Feb. 15. BSS consists of three members — SEUNGKWAN, DK, and HOSHI — from the 13-member South Korean boy band SEVENTEEN.

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The lead single off the trio’s project SECOND WIND performed well in a balanced way on this week’s charts, coming in at No. 3 for sales, No. 7 for video views, No. 9 for downloads and No. 13 for streaming. The track is the group’s first new song in five years.

NCT DREAM’s “Best Friend Ever” launched at No. 1 for sales this week with 348,133 copies sold, and HKT48’s “Kimi wa motto dekiru” followed at No. 2 for the metric with 178,889 copies. But these two tracks couldn’t support that lead with other metrics — for example, “Best Friend Ever” came in at No. 54 for downloads and No. 90 for video — and were unable to overtake “Fighting” at No. 1 and the long-running hit “Subtitle” by Official HIGE DANdism at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100. “Best Friend Ever” bows at No. 3 while “Kimi wa motto dekiru” debuts at No. 4 this week.

Rising singer-songwriter YU-KA’s “Hoshizukiyo,” the theme of the ongoing TV drama series Hoshifuruyoruni starring Yuriko Yoshitaka and Takumi Kitamura, debuts at No. 9 on the Japan Hot 100. The track is off to a good start, ruling downloads this week with 14,816 units, and also coming in at No. 4 for radio, No. 45 for streaming and No. 72 for video.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, YouTube and GYAO! video views and karaoke data.

For the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, head here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account. 

15 Feb 2023

Rihanna Reveals First Photo of ‘Perfect’ Son With A$AP Rocky

He’s finally here! Rihanna unveiled the long-awaited first look at her baby son with partner A$AP Rocky in a new cover story for British Vogue published Wednesday (Feb. 15).

“My perfect baby!!!” the superstar captioned the photo on her Instagram, which features the tot — whose name she and the rapper still have yet to share publicly — smiling the camera as he lays on his back with his teeny tiny feet in his hands.

In the associated profile, Rih dished on how motherhood has changed her entire perspective, telling the magazine, “It’s everything. You really don’t remember life before, that’s the craziest thing ever. You literally try to remember it – and there are photos of my life before – but the feeling, the desires, the things that you enjoy, everything, you just don’t identify with it because you don’t even allow yourself mentally to get that far, because…Because it doesn’t matter.”

Of course, the “Diamonds” songstress is currently readying her world for baby number two following that epic baby bump reveal during her Super Bowl LVII halftime show performance. The 13-minute set featured the Savage x Fenty mogul running through her massive back catalog of hits including the likes of “Where Have You Been,” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Work,” “Umbrella” and more.

Rihanna also teased the likelihood of finally releasing her long-awaited ninth album in the British Vogue interview, saying, “I want it to be this year. Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos.”

See the first look at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s baby boy below.

15 Feb 2023

Camila Cabello & Lox Club CEO Austin Kevitch Break Up Months After Sparking Dating Rumors

In Camila Cabello‘s own words, “That’s just life, baby.” After first sparking dating rumors in June, the “Bam Bam” singer and Lox Club founder/CEO Austin Kevitch have ended their relationship after eight months together.

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Though Cabello and Kevitch did not speak on the allegations themselves, the news was confirmed in a recent newsletter sent to Lox Club (a membership-based dating app primarily for Jewish people) members. “Austin is single again,” the newsletter read.

The former Fifth Harmony member was first linked to Kevitch in June, when the pair were spotted on an outing together in Los Angeles. By August, things starting heating up between the two when paparazzi caught the singer and dating app founder kissing and holding hands during a coffee run. Cabello previously dated Shawn Mendes; the “Señorita” collaborators dated for two and a half years before ending their relationship in November of 2021, stating they “will continue to be best friends.”

Cabello previously spoke about her experiences with dating apps during an October appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. (She did not clarify if the dating app was Lox Club.)

“I was on a dating app for like 24 hours then I left,” she told the host. “Because the first guy that DM’ed me was like an aspiring singer-songwriter from Nashville and I was just like, I feel weird because somebody could be using me. Does that make sense?….You don’t know their intentions. But even that, I’m like, I don’t even know. When you are just trying to make friends, you’re going to meet guys that are vetted by your friends, which is amazing.”

15 Feb 2023

SZA’s ‘Shirt’ Tops Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart

SZA’s SOS era keeps unlocking achievements for the hitmaking singer-songwriter, who captures her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “Shirt” tops the tally dated Feb. 18.

The single pushes from No. 5 after a strong 19% jump in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the week ending Feb. 9, according to Luminate. Its sizable week-over-week improvement earned the track the weekly Greatest Gainer honor for the biggest play count increase among the chart’s 40 songs. KNDA-FM in Corpus Christi, Texas, led the way with the most plays this week, followed by KHTE-FM in Little Rock, Ark. as the second-biggest supporter and KBDS-FM in Bakersfield, Calif. in third.

With “Shirt,” SZA finally finds the right fit for a No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay after seven previous top 10 efforts. She first broke the barrier in 2017 with her breakthrough hit, “Love Galore,” featuring Travis Scott, which reached No. 4, and became a staple at the format thanks to six more top 10s from her next 10 chart appearances. Here’s a full recap of SZA’s top 10 collection on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay:

Song Title, Artist (if other than SZA), Peak Date, Peak Position
“Love Galore,” featuring Travis Scott, No. 4, Sept. 2, 2017
“The Weekend,” No. 4, Dec. 9, 2017
“All the Stars,” with Kendrick Lamar, No. 9, March 31, 2018
“Broken Clocks,” No. 8, May 12, 2018
“Hit Different,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, No. 10, Dec. 12, 2020
“I Hate U,” No. 2, March 12, 2022
“No Love,” with Summer Walker, No. 5, June 4, 2022
“Shirt,” No. 1 (one week to date), Feb. 18, 2023

The count could grow in the very near future, as SZA’s latest hit, “Kill Bill,” repeats at No. 13. At just five weeks on the chart, it’s the youngest title in the top 15. And, despite the non-movement in rank, it improved 4% in plays in the latest tracking week.

Back to the current champ: In addition to securing SZA’s first chart-topper on the radio ranking, it returns one of the track’s co-writers and co-producers, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, to the summit for the first time in 23 years. The hitmaker last reigned for his songwriting and production contributions with Destiny’s Child “Say My Name,” a three-week champ in 2000.

Elsewhere, “Shirt” rallies 7-3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs based on combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the song reached 19 million in audience, a 22% from its prior week’s total. Plus, “Shirt” climbs 4-3 on Rhythmic Airplay (up 10%) and flies 28-18 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart (up 21% to 34.2 million in total audience).

15 Feb 2023

Demi Lovato Gushes Over Boyfriend Jutes in Valentine’s Day Tribute: ‘My Best Friend, Soul Mate, Twin Flame’

Demi Lovato‘s Valentine’s Day Instagram post just made her followers’ hearts grow two times in size. On Tuesday (Feb. 12), the “29” singer shared a series of photos with her singer-songwriter boyfriend Jutes in celebration of the romantic holiday.

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“Life has become so enriched by you. Life has become a dream come true. I’m so beyond grateful to have found my person in you,” they captioned photos of their intimate moments with Jutes, including rides in the backseat of a car, vacation pictures and spending time at home with dogs. “Falling asleep and waking up next to my best friend has made me so filled w joy I can’t even begin to explain.. my best friend, soul mate, twin flame, honeybun.. and the list goes on… the fun and laughs never stop w you.”

The Disney Channel alumn continued, “I can be my weirdest goofy self and you never judge me. Thank you for making me the happiest lil thing on earth.. happy first Valentines day together.. I love you @jutesmusic.”

Jutes was touched by his girlfriend’s sweet message, and took to the comments section to write, “who let all these butterfly in here!?!? so grateful that i found u again. love u so much.”

But the love didn’t stop there. The couple — who made their relationship Instagram official in August — continued to gush about each other on Jutes’ respective Valentine’s Day Instagram post in a carousel of his own that also featured intimate moments in his relationship with Lovato. “To my best friend twin flame soulmate sugar pie sweet pea honeybun ladybug dream girl… u make me so happy,” he captioned the post. “Ur the sweetest hottest funniest weirdest most talented human on earth and i’m very lucky u choose to spend ur time w me. happy first vday together baby. love u forever.”

Lovato hopped in the comments section of Jutes’ post to continue the love parade. “You took all the names!!! So to MY best friend twin flame soulmate sugar pie sweet pea honeybun babybel dream man… YOU make ke so incredibly happy and fulfilled.. I can’t imagine life without you.. I’m so grateful for you baby.. happy first Valentine’s Day!!!! Here’s so so many more,” she added.

Valentine’s Day news aside, Lovato is gearing up to release a song for Scream VI. The singer shared a poster of her holding a knife closely to her face that holds Ghostface’s reflection to her Instagram page. “What’s your favorite scary movie? Still Alive 3.3.23,” the singer captioned the photo.

See Lovato and Jutes’ recent Instagram posts below.

15 Feb 2023

The Contenders: How Will Paramore’s Sales Compete With SZA’s Streams on the Billboard 200?

Welcome to The Contenders, a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated Feb. 25), as SZA’s SOS starts to approach double-digit weeks atop the Billboard 200, it faces new challengers from a pair of veteran rock bands, as well as an artist whose comeback gig was just watched by over 100 million people.  

Paramore, This Is Why (Atlantic): One of the year’s most-anticipated rock releases comes from longtime hitmakers Paramore, who are finishing out their Atlantic Records tenure with its sixth album, This Is Why. The band’s first full-length in six years is led by the hit title track, which recently became its first-ever Alternative Airplay No. 1, and comes on the heels of a media blitz that includes features in NPR and The New Yorker, as well as a Billboard digital cover story. (The group’s last album, 2017’s After Laughter, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, while their 2013 self-titled album topped the chart.)  

This Is Why is expected to sell a significant number of physical copies, with six different vinyl variants available, as well as deluxe boxed sets that contain a T-shirt, along with either a CD or vinyl option. It will need robust sales to make up for the streaming gap between it and SZA’s SOS, which will otherwise score its ninth week atop the Billboard 200. That would break a tie to make it the longest-running No. 1 album from a female artist this decade.  

Pierce the Veil, The Jaws of Life (Fearless): Pierce the Veil were one of the most commercially successful post-hardcore bands of the 2010s, and its 2016 set, Misadventures, reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The Jaws of Life arrives in the wake of the 2022 lead single “Pass the Nirvana” — which tied 2015’s “The Divine Sorry” as the group’s highest-ever entry on the Hot Rock Songs chart with its No. 21 peak. (It also follows a viral moment for their decade-old Kellin Quinn collaboration “King for a Day,” which took off on TikTok last August.) Jaws‘ sales should be helped by over a dozen vinyl variants available on the band’s webstore.  

Rihanna, Anti (Westbury Road/Roc Nation) & Good Girl Gone Bad (Def Jam): As you may have heard, Rihanna recently broke a five-year drought of public performances with a small gig Sunday night. Her Super Bowl Halftime performance, which included over a dozen of her biggest hits was watched by 118 million viewers, many of whom unsurprisingly took to streaming services and music retailers to re-listen to several of the classics she played – and even some she didn’t, based on the way her songs are blanketing the Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes charts. 

The impact of the bump for these songs will be felt on the Billboard 200, where five of her albums look set to appear this week – most, if not all, in the chart’s top half. They will likely be led by Rihanna’s two perennial biggest albums: The 2016 Anti (from which she played parts of “Work” and “Kiss It Better”) and 2007’s Good Girl Gone Bad (“Umbrella”). The two releases rank at No. 50 and No. 137 on the current Billboard 200, having spent 354 and 103 weeks on the chart, respectively.  

IN THE MIX

Post Malone, Twelve Carat Toothache (Mercury/Republic): Posty’s 2022 album has remained on the Billboard 200 since its No. 2 debut in June , and it’s now at No. 99 in its 36th week on the chart. It should see big gains next week, thanks to its debut on vinyl, which is now available in multiple variants. (Post has also been all over ads for the NBA’s upcoming All-Star Weekend, held in his current home state of Utah, and the and his visibility there could help as well.)