Music

30 Jan 2023

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Gloss Up, Flo Milli, Cordae & More

Happy Monday! Before we get lost in the whirlwind of Grammy Week, we’re here to highlight some of the best new music by emerging R&B/Hip-Hop artists from the past couple of weeks. Rap girlies like Gloss Up, Kari Faux and Flo Milli caught our ears this week along with smooth cuts by JGrrey and Maesu. Don’t forget to spread the wealth with our Spotify playlist, linked below.

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Freshest Find: Cordae feat. Anderson .Paak, “Two Tens”

Overtop a nostalgic hip-hop beat produced by none other than J. Cole and Grammy-winning producer Dem Jointz, Anderson .Paak opens “Two Tens” vivaciously, declaring, “Two friends and they both tens, lookin’ nice/ Too bent, I should call it quits but I’m not.” Both .Paak and Cordae toss the mic back and forth perfectly, displaying enviable synergy that leaves fans craving more collabs from the lively pair.

Gloss Up, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes”

Gloss Up is on your head, shoulders, knees and toes. The nursery rhyme-inspired standout track appears on the rising Memphis rapper’s debut mixtape Before the Gloss Up — which also houses her single “Bestfrenn,” featuring real-life best friend GloRilla. The Quality Control signee is carving a lane for herself in the rap game, and is already proving to be a mainstay with her bars and wordplay, highlighted here.

JGrrey, “Theirs13”

With “Theirs13”, rising U.K. singer JGrrey touches on her various complexities through vocals similar to that of Macy Gray. The intoxicating single is a hazy meditation on love, identity, adoption and the transitional periods she’s faced as an artist and person, as she ponders the same question throughout: “Who am I?”

Taylor Hill, “i want you to know.”

After earning credits with big names like Justin Bieber, BTS, Summer Walker, producer/songwriter Taylor Hill is honing in on his own artistry. His funk-inspired new single “i want you to know.” explores the dichotomy of his personal point-of-view and God’s, sprouting from an argument he had with his now-wife at church.

Jordan Ward feat. Ryan Trey, “White Crocs”

“White Crocs” is the second single off of Jordan Ward’s upcoming debut album FORWARD. The rising singer tapped fellow St. Louis native Ryan Trey for the Lido-produced track, which sees the two trade thoughts on balancing a relationship while satisfying a partner’s expensive tastes. FORWARD, which will be released March 3, holds layers of significance for the artist both artistically and personally. “FORWARD, not only pushing our sound and creativity, but pushing to evolve and break cycles,” Ward says of the album title. “FOR WARD, a dedication to my family and our future. FOUR-WARD, my fourth project, but also a FOREWORD in my story being the debut album!”

Kari Faux, “Me First”

Kari Faux is putting herself first … as she should. “Me First” sees the Arkansas native expressing über-confidence as she delivers a self-love bop to set the tone for all the girls this year. Faux is one of many rap girls running laps around their male counterparts right now, with “Me First” being the latest addition to her arsenal.

TRAETWOTHREE, “Outside Like This”

On the precipice of Grammy Weekend, Cali upstart TRAETWOTHREE scripts a gripping tale set at a Grammy party, which could double as a Tyler Perry flick. “Outside Like This” is a cautionary tale about TRAE running into his ex-girlfriend at the awards-week festivities. The biggest blow? Seeing her chat it up with another dude right in front of his eyes.

Flo Milli feat. Lola Brooke & Maiya the Don, “Conceited”

As if the original wasn’t epic enough, Flo Milli’s “Conceited” is back, with a few new it-girls. Enlisting buzzing Brooklyn newcomers Lola Brooke and Maiya the Don, Milli breathes new life into her viral summer 2022 anthem. All three distinct voices shine through, from Milli’s theatrical tone to Brooke’s husk and Maiya the Don’s laid back approach.

Maesu, “Sex on GPS”

“Sex with me on location please/ I’ve been away for weeks,” croons L.A.-based singer, songwriter, and producer Maesu, providing a simple enough plea to catch the attention of listeners. The afro-fusion number is smooth and sensual with tons of replay value thanks to Maesu’s addictive flows and Tejiri Akpoghene’s silky production.

midwxst & Denzel Curry, “Tally”

Indiana rapper midwxst channels his inner Old Hollywood crime boss in the visual for his latest single, “Tally.” Produced by Charlie Heat and Kennedy Sabin and centering latin guitar and horn melodies, the track’s emphatic production adds to the visual’s theatrics, perfectly underscoring midwxst and Denzel Curry’s loaded verses.

30 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus Celebrates Another Week of ‘Flowers’ Atop Hot 100, Thanks Fans for ‘Connecting in Such a Positive Way’

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” is spending a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Feb. 4, 2023) after it previously soared in at the summit. To celebrate, the singer took to social media to share some film-style photos of herself dancing and having fun.

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“Celebrating ‘Flowers’ being #1 around the world again this week,” she captioned the post. “I love that this record is connecting in such a positive way & it’s a pleasure to continue creating music for you. These milestones are only made possible by the listeners & my incredible fans. Endlessly thankful.”

Celebrating “Flowers” being #1 around the world again this week! I love that this record is connecting in such a positive way & it’s a pleasure to continue creating music for you. These milestones are only made possible by the listeners & my incredible fans. Endlessly thankful. pic.twitter.com/fuA2DvU324

— Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) January 30, 2023

Cyrus first announced during her Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party NBC special that “Flowers” would be released Jan. 13, which fans recognized as her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. That narrative and interaction on TikTok have helped grow the profile of the song, which leads Cyrus’ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, due March 10.

Last week, “Flowers” became the most streamed song in a week in Spotify history for the second week in a row. While Spotify didn’t share specific numbers, the hit single first achieved the feat in the week of Jan. 19, making it all the more impressive that Cyrus managed to outdo herself for a second consecutive week. It also fed the streaming numbers of Bruno Mars’ “If I Was Your Man” — which “Flowers” slyly plays on without sampling or interpolating any of the No. 1 torch song melodically.

30 Jan 2023

10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through The Week: Rita Ora, Stephen Sanchez, Quinnie & More

Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.

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These 10 tracks from artists including Rita Ora, Stephen Sanchez, Quinnie and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.

Stephen Sanchez, “Evangaline”

Rising singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez had a breakout hit with “Until I Found You,” which introduced the world to his warm and vintage tone. “Evangaline” continues down that path, sounding entirely timeless as Sanchez croons over Evangaline — there’s even a crackle of a record to close out the track, further cementing the idea that Sanchez holds a bit of the past, present and future. — Lyndsey Havens

Samia, “Honey”

Alt-pop artist Samia paints a specific picture for a specific crowd (New York-based indie music fans) on “Honey,” singing: “Do you wanna go to Baby’s? / It’s been a long week and I don’t want to think / and Porches is playing.” Even more engaging is the end, when Samia repeats the refrain “it’s all honey” over and over again — as if willing everything around her to be just as sweet, and asserting she won’t have it any other way. — L.H.

Elle King, “Lucky”

Rock-country-pop star Elle King recently released her latest album Come Get Your Wife, which includes a particularly touching song inspired by her son, Lucky Levi. “Lucky” details the various lows in King’s life — “I’ve been a runner / I’ve been a fighter … It’s a bad reputation, but it’s damn well earned,” she sings — setting the scene for her to admit she got to where she is today but sheer luck. The catchy track is made even better with Lucky’s giggles, which wisely appear at the end — pretty hard to top that. — L.H.

Riovaz, “u neva”

It’s not the music Riovaz makes that shows his age, but rather that fact that the music can hardly fit into any one box. Seemingly inspired by hip-hop, alterantive, dance and pop, the teenage newcomer is not only eager to explore it all, but on tracks like “u neva” he’s proving he can deliver it all, too. – L.H.

Quinnie, “Flounder”

Introduced by melodic-sounding footsteps and quick-picking instrumentation, “Flounder” instantly creates some creative tension — an unexpected stage-setter for Quinnie’s delicate vocals. The single shows a slightly edgier side to the rising artist — compared to hits like “Man” and “Touch Tank” — and sets her up for an exciting year ahead. — L.H.

Rita Ora, “You Only Love Me”

At this point in her career, Rita Ora is an expert in the type of sleekly designed, electro-tinged pop on display in “You Only Love Me,” a finely crafted ode to complicated romance. Listen to the internal rhyme of “Whiskey’s! Pouring! Four in! The morning!” in the chorus, or the supportive harmonies of the verses, or the strobe-light shimmer of the post-chorus breakdown — Ora makes all of these sumptuous details sound effortless, and serves up another sturdy addition to your pop playlist. – Jason Lipshutz

Jessika, “Her”

UK-born, NYC-based singer-songwriter Jessika strikes a tropical pose on “Her,” which basks in the dejected feelings of seeing a former flame be the one to move on first. Over relatively sparse production, Jessika lets her vocal tone tell the story — at moments she sounds like she’s about to crawl back into bed, and others like she’s ready to huff, puff and blow her ex’s whole house down — and turns “Her” into a striking introduction. – J. Lipshutz

Jordy, “Story of a Boy”

Even if Nine Days’ pop-rock confection “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” didn’t soundtrack countless radio sing-alongs in your teen years, Jordy’s “Story of a Boy,” which cleverly interpolates the 2000 single, is a welcome retrieval of a bulletproof melody. Jordy turns the hook into a snapshot of flustered male infatuation — “In short, this song is what I needed as a kid,” the singer-songwriter says in a statement — and gives us a sunny, effective queer anthem in the process. – J. Lipshutz

SOFY, “L-Plates”

Percolating with the incisive wit of Lily Allen and the lo-fi melodicism of C86, buzzing British artist SOFY delivers a delectable pop treat in the form of new EP Bored In Colour (Pt. 2). Highlight “L-Plates” is a self-deprecating account of struggling to put down the phone and “get out of bed” that shimmers with wee-oooh synths and effortless songcraft. – Joe Lynch

Cassie Marin “ptsd”

Of her first offering of 2023, Los Angeles-based artist Cassie Marin said new track “ptsd” was written “to remind us that we are not wandering through this alone,” a sentiment captured by the electropop track’s foreboding, borderline scientific production. Throughout, Marin uses her voice as an instrument, guiding the listener through vast instrumentals as she ponders if she’s real, or just a product of a simulation suspended in time. Elements of breakcore and autotune provide a welcome twist to the track’s conclusion. – Starr Bowenbank

30 Jan 2023

The Truth About Alice Cooper’s Name: Exclusive Book Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from Gary Graff’s new book Alice Cooper @ 75 (Motorbooks, pre-order here), a lavish, comprehensive look at the game-changing shock rocker, which comes out Tuesday (Jan. 31), days ahead of Cooper’s actual 75th birthday on Feb. 4. Below, Graff – a veteran rock journalist and longtime Billboard contributor – tells the real story behind the name Alice Cooper.

The Alice Cooper band had been through a couple of names, including the Earwigs and the Spiders, before settling on the Nazz when it moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles. But during the fall of 1968, another Nazz out of Philadelphia, led by Todd Rundgren, released its first album and had a hit with “Open My Eyes,” nixing the name for Cooper (then still Vincent Furnier) and company. Discussions were soon under way about a new moniker.

During this time, some of the band members joined then-manager Dick Phillips at his mother’s house. She was reputed to be a medium and pulled out a Ouija board to have a little fun. When Furnier asked the spirits whom he’d been in a previous life, the board led him toward the spelling of A-L-I-C-E-C-O-O-P-E-R.

A great story. But not a true one.

That actual adoption of the Alice Cooper name was more mundane. “I just kind of said, ‘Alice Cooper.’ It just came out of my mouth. That was it,” he said. “It had a quality to it—a little deranged, a little wholesome, a little spooky maybe. And . . . I felt like it would make people go, ‘Wait . . . what?! Alice Cooper? They’re all guys. Who’s Alice Cooper?’”

In Alice Cooper: Golf Addict he elaborated, “There was something about it. I conjured up an image of a little girl with a lollipop in one hand and a butcher knife in the other. Lizzie Borden. Alice Cooper. They had a similar ring.”

The moniker opened a wealth of conceptual possibilities for a group of long-haired rock ’n’ rollers who were already exercising their theatrical creativity on stage. They got help from friends in the groupie-cum-band GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) and turned to the movies for inspiration. Tapping Bette Davis’s disturbing look in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Cooper began applying black mascara to roughly circle his eyes. “I had absolutely no qualms about it,” Cooper told Behind the Music. “I had to build a reputation somehow in this city.” Barbarella’s Great Tyrant (played by Anita Pallenberg) and The Avengers’ Emma Peel, meanwhile, were sources for futuristic leather and glam costuming that was both flashy and foreboding. It all struck a not-so-delicate balance between a soft femininity that complemented the band’s brand of counterculture vaudeville and the more aggressive aspects of its performance art.

“A guy, not a girl,” Cooper wrote. “A group not a solo act. A villain, not a hero or an idol. A woman killer. Weird. Eerie. Twisted. Ambiguous. It all came together—and nobody was doing anything remotely similar. On top of it all, everyone in the band was straight.”

Alice Cooper was never supposed to be one person, however. It was conceived solely as the band’s name, with Vince Furnier as a member of the band. But the singer’s name became Alice, as the song says—perhaps inevitably. “I was Vince,” said Cooper, who would change his legal name before the band’s first album. “But when we became Alice Cooper, everyone was like, ‘You’re Alice . . .Hey, Alice!’ ‘Oh . . . you mean me?’ It just stuck, and pretty soon I was Alice.”

The Ouija board myth hung around, however. And the original band would continue to reference it throughout its time together, including in guitarist Mike Bruce’s memoir No More Mr. Nice Guy. “It gave us a myth, a great story,” Cooper said. “People loved it even better than the truth.”

30 Jan 2023

‘Rihanna’s Road to Halftime’ Has Come to Apple Music Ahead of Her Super Bowl Performance

This year marks the first that Apple Music will take over Pepsi’s role as sponsor for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and it’s going all out for the occasion. In addition to securing the one and only Rihanna to perform as headliner, the music streaming service will count down the next two weeks before game day with a multimedia “Rihanna’s Road to Halftime” launch, as announced Monday (Jan. 30).

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“Rihanna’s Road to Halftime” includes Apple Music features tailored specifically to the star’s music and fans. For example, subscribers can now listen to the Fenty Beauty founder’s catalog with Spatial Audio in Dolby Atmos, or they can take center stage by singing along with the new Apple Music Sing feature, compatible with iPhone and iPad models as well as the new Apple TV 4K.

Leading up to Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 12, Apple Music Radio will also celebrate the Barbados superstar’s career with “Rihanna Revisited Radio,” an eight-episode roundtable exploring the cultural impact of her music. Plus, a collection of 32 playlists featuring the top songs listened to by each NFL team in the locker room, the weight room and on game day will be made available to subscribers.

“Rihanna is one of the most prolific artists of our time, and we, along with her many fans across the globe, cannot wait to see her take the stage at the first Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a statement. “We are excited to celebrate Rihanna, and give her fans a new way to experience her music with Spatial Audio, as well as exclusive content from Apple Music.”

Other special programming will include “Halftime Hype Radio,” a 10-part series reflecting on some of the most notable past Super Bowl Halftime performances and “Live from Super Bowl LVII,” a series of daily live broadcasts co-hosted by Zane Lowe that will capture the excitement in Arizona leading up to kickoff in Glendale’s State Farm Stadium. The day after the Super Bowl, Apple Music Radio will celebrate the debut of Apple Music’s Halftime Show sponsorship with a program called “Halftime Recap Radio.”

30 Jan 2023

Colombian DJ Valentina Trespalacios Found Dead at 23, Boyfriend Charged With Murder

Valentina Trespalacios, a trailblazing DJ whose career was about to take off, was found dead on Sunday (Jan. 22). Her boyfriend, John Poulos, was arrested and charged with the alleged murder at Panama’s Tocumen International Airport, the Panamanian National Police said, according to CNN.

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Her body was found in a blue suitcase in a garbage container on the outskirts of Bogota, the news network reported.

Poulos denied the charges during a hearing in Bogota, according to CNN, and his defense is arguing that due process was not respected. Another hearing is set for Jan. 31.

A DJ deeply engaged in the world of guaracha, a Colombian dance genre, Trespalacios emerged at 23 as one of the country’s promising DJs.

“We are shocked by the violent death of Valentina. She was a dreamer, a skilled DJ and potential producer who was working on several projects, including an album,” David Sarria, creator of Black & White, one of Colombia’s most memorable electronic festivals, tells Billboard.

Poulos, a 35-year-old U.S. citizen, fled Colombia but was detained Jan. 24 as he was about to board a flight to Turkey. The National Police of Panama shared video on Twitter of him being escorted by law enforcement, noting in a subsequent tweet that he was trying to head to Istanbul.

La Policía Nacional informa que Interpol Panamá detectó la presencia del ciudadano estadounidense Poulos John Nelson, tras la alerta dada por la República de Colombia, por el homicidio de la DJ Valentina Trespalacios. pic.twitter.com/fDkaE65gRj

— Policía Nacional (@ProtegeryServir) January 25, 2023

His arrest followed a swift investigation by the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office, which collected evidence against him — including Trespalacios’ cell phone, which was recovered at Bogota’s El Dorado Airport, according to Colombia’s El Tiempo — and obtained his extradition to Colombia. He has been charged with aggravated murder and obstruction, modification and disappearance of evidence, according to the paper.

CNN reports that per Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine, Trespalacios died from mechanical suffocation, and that it appeared her body had been subjected to force before she died. El Tiempo also reported that her autopsy report showed signs of strangulation, and that her head, chest and other body parts had experienced blows.

The murder of Trespalacios has shocked the country and the music industry. She debuted in 2019 in the local electronic music scene, winning a prize at the Colombia Dance Awards, which has recognized the best DJs in the country for 12 years.

“She was one of the most explosive rising stars in Colombia’s clubs,” Pablo Silva, the awards’ creator, tells Billboard. “In 2019 she took home the Breakthrough DJ of the Year trophy and never stopped.”

Trespalacios made her way in tech house, and had been doing guaracha, the dance genre from Colombia that combines tribal house, cumbia and Latin. The genre is a phenomenon in the country’s youth parties.

Though she was young, Trespalacios had the opportunity to perform with some of her idols, such as Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Erik Morillo and Markus Schullz.

Trespalacios was laid to rest on Jan. 26.

30 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard Global Charts

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” remains the biggest song in the world, as it adds a second week at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. As it gains in streams, it notches the biggest worldwide streaming week for a soloist, and the second-greatest week overall, since the Global 200 began in September 2020.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

‘Flowers’ Logs Second-Biggest Global 200 Streaming Week

“Flowers” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 217.1 million streams (up 21%) and 107,000 sold (up 12%) worldwide in its second full tracking week, Jan. 20-26 (after it arrived Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. EST).

A week after the song claimed the greatest global streaming week for a soloist, and the third-biggest frame among all acts, since the Global 200 began in September 2020, it now boasts the second-biggest week overall.

Biggest Worldwide Streaming Weeks in Global 200 History:
289.2 million, “Butter,” BTS, June 5, 2021
217.1 million, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Feb. 4, 2023
212.1 million, “Pink Venom,” BLACKPINK, Sept. 3, 2022
179.1 million, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Jan. 28, 2023
178.2 million, “Easy on Me,” Adele, Oct. 30, 2021
170.8 million, “Permission To Dance,” BTS, July 24, 2021
169.8 million, “Butter,” BTS, June 12, 2021
152.8 million, “Shut Down,” BLACKPINK, Oct. 1, 2022
152.6 million, “Lalisa,” Lisa, Sept. 25, 2021
152.5 million, “Life Goes On,” BTS, Dec. 5, 2020

Cyrus first announced during her Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party NBC special that “Flowers” would be released Jan. 13, which fans noticed doubles as her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. That juicy narrative and fervent interaction on TikTok have helped swell the profile of the song, which introduces Cyrus’ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, due March 10.

Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” holds at its No. 2 Global 200 high; SZA’s “Kill Bill” keeps at No. 3 after two weeks on top; Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” repeats at No. 4 after reaching No. 3; and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” rises 6-5, after it notched four weeks at the summit in October.

Cyrus Also No. 1 for Second Week on Global Excl. U.S.

As on the Global 200, “Flowers” crowns the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a second week, with 162.4 million streams (up 26%) and 45,000 sold (up 20%) outside the U.S. Jan. 20-26.

The rest of the Global Excl. U.S. chart’s top five also holds in place, with Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” at its No. 2 best; SZA’s “Kill Bill” at No. 3 after reaching No. 2; Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” at No. 4, after two weeks at the summit; and David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” at No. 5, after it hit No. 2 in September.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Feb. 4, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 31). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard‘s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

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.

30 Jan 2023

Diane Warren’s 14 Oscar Nominations for Best Original Song: History in the Making

Diane Warren is getting up there on the all-time list of top Oscar nominees for best original song. Her nod this year for “Applause,” sung by Sofia Carson in Tell It Like a Woman, is her 14th — a tally equaled by only seven other songwriters in the 89-year history of the category).

Moreover, this is the sixth year in a row she has been nominated, the longest continuous run streak of nominations in this category since Alan Bergman and his late wife Marilyn Bergman were nominated six years running from 1968-73. (Their streak was bookended by two winners – “The Windmills of Your Mind” and “The Way We Were.”)

Only two other songwriters in Oscar history have had six or more consecutive nods. Mack David, the older brother of Hal David (of Bacharach & David fame), was nominated every year from 1961-66. He never won. Sammy Cahn holds the all-time records both for the most consecutive years with a best original song nod (eight, from 1954-61) and most total nods in that category (26). Cahn won a record-tying four Oscars in the category.

If you’re looking for a common denominator among Warren’s best original song nominees – besides quality – good luck. Three of them reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but several others didn’t even crack the chart. Three are from blockbuster action films, but several others are from smaller indie films that barely made a dent at the boxoffice.

Four of the 14 songs, including the current one, are from films directed by women. That’s far higher than the industry-wide percentage of films directed by women. The only director Warren has worked with on two nominated songs is Michael Bay. She wrote songs for his blockbusters Armageddon (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) and Pearl Harbor (“There You’ll Be”).

Warren received an honorary Oscar in November. She’s only the fifth person in Oscar history – and the first person from the world of music – to receive an honorary Oscar and a competitive Oscar nomination in the same awards year. Warren, 66, has the work ethic of a songwriter half her age, one still trying to make her mark. That could be her secret.

Let’s take a closer look at Warren’s best original song nominees. The films’ worldwide box-office receipts are taken from boxofficemojo.com (rounded off to the nearest million). In two cases where the film grossed less than $1 million, we show the exact tally.

30 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ Holds at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, JVKE’s ‘Golden Hour’ Hits Top 10

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, reigning for a second frame a week after it soared in at the summit, as it continues its dominance in both streaming and sales.

Meanwhile, David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue),” at No. 6 on the Hot 100, becomes the most-heard song on radio, reaching the top of the Radio Songs chart, and JVKE scores his first Hot 100 top 10 as “Golden Hour” rises from No. 11 to No. 10.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Feb. 4, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 31). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

“Flowers,” released on Smiley Miley/Columbia Records, drew 59.8 million streams (up 14%, good for the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer award) and 40.8 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 22%) and sold 65,000 (down 6%) in its second full tracking week, Jan. 20-26, according to Luminate (after it arrived Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. EST).

The single spends a second week at No. 1 on both the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts and surges 18-11 on Radio Songs.

Cyrus first announced during her Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party NBC special that “Flowers” would be released Jan. 13, which fans recognized as her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday. That narrative and interaction on TikTok have helped grow the profile of the song, which ushers in Cyrus’ eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, due March 10.

Propelled in part by that buzz, “Flowers” boasts the greatest weekly streaming sum since Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug, totaled 67.3 million (Sept. 18, 2021).

“Flowers” is also the first song with consecutive weeks of 50 million or more streams in two years, since Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” arrived with 76.1 million and followed with 59.7 million (Jan. 23, 30, 2021).

Plus, with its gain from 52.6 million to 59.7 million weekly streams, “Flowers” is the first song to post at least 50 million streams in a week and gain the following frame in over three years, since Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” increased from 68.2 million to 77.2 million (Jan. 18, 25, 2020).

SZA’s “Kill Bill” ranks at its No. 2 Hot 100 best for a third week, with 38 million in radio reach (up 29%), 34.1 million streams (down 2%) and 2,000 sold (down 17%). It tops Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs, which use the same methodology as the Hot 100, for a seventh week each. The song is from her album SOS, which adds a seventh week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” repeats to No. 3 on the Hot 100, after leading for a personal-best eight weeks; Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” is steady at its No. 4 high, as it wins the chart’s top Airplay Gainer trophy (67.2 million, up 16%); and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” keeps at No. 5, after it ruled for a week in October.

David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” holds at No. 6 on the Hot 100 after reaching No. 4, as it ascends to No. 1 on Radio Songs (85 million, up 2%). Guetta claims his first Radio Songs leader (among seven top 10s), while Rexha earns her second (among four top 10s), after “Meant To Be,” with Florida Georgia Line, dominated for five weeks in 2018. (The song that “I’m Good” prominently interpolates, Eiffel 65’s “Blue [Da Ba Dee],” hit No. 6 on Radio Songs in 2000.)

“I’m Good” tops the Pop Airplay chart for a second week and rises to No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay, where it becomes Guetta’s first champ and Rexha’s second (likewise after “Meant To Be”). “I’m Good” leads the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for a 19th week.

The Weeknd’s “Die for You” keeps at No. 7 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 6; Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex” is a non-mover at No. 8, after it reached No. 2, as it tops the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart for an 11th week; and Harry Styles’ “As It Was” rebounds 10-9 on the Hot 100, following 15 weeks at No. 1 beginning last April, the fourth-longest reign in the chart’s history.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top tier, JVKE achieves his first top 10, with his initial entry, as “Golden Hour” climbs 11-10 with 29.1 million in radio reach (up 4%), 14 million streams (essentially even week-over-week) and 2,000 sold (up 2%).

Released on JVKE’s eponymous independent imprint, the ballad is being promoted by Sony Music Entertainment’s AWAL label, which notches its first Hot 100 top 10. Prior to “Golden Hour,” AWAL hit a No. 27 best via Lauv’s “I Like Me Better” in 2018.

“Golden Hour” concurrently becomes the first top 10 for Rhode Island native JVKE (born Jake Lawson), who broke through thanks in part to traction on TikTok, on the Pop Airplay chart (11-10). It’s his second title to make the tally, after “This Is What Falling in Love Feels Like” reached No. 35 last July.

(Small state, big hits: Other acts to score chart success with Rhode Island origins include Bill Conti, whose Rocky theme song “Gonna Fly Now” topped the Hot 100 for a week in 1977; John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, whose “On the Dark Side,” from the film Eddie and the Cruisers, rose to No. 7 in 1984; and Blu Cantrell, whose “Hit ‘Em Up Style [Oops!]” reached No. 2 in 2001.)

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Feb. 4), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 31).

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