Music

02 Dec 2022

BLACKPINK Shares ‘Pink Venom’ Behind-the-Scenes Moments in ‘Born Pink Memories Roll #1’

BLACKPINK‘s Born Pink era is still in full swing, but the group — which consists of members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — is taking a walk down memory lane. The K-pop group previously teased “Born Pink Memories” on Thursday (Dec. 1), and followed up with an eight-minute short of behind-the-scenes footage from the “Pink Venom” video shoot on Friday (Dec. 2).

The video kicks off the the quartet preparing the “Pink Venom” teaser concept photos, with scenes of each girl posing solo and later convening inside the photo’s large — and artfully cracked — glass box. in between fierce poses, they have cute friendship moments dancing, playing together and making silly faces.

Each scene from the larger-than-life video got a few dedicated moments of attention, starting with Jennie’s car scene, which she shared that at one point on set, she drove the car through the wall; Rosé’s black water scene, which she revealed she conceptualized; Jennie and Lisa’s joint rap; Lisa’s “tomb raider dome” that was built with actual cracked mirror glass for the floor, and more.

While it’s unclear when the second “Born Pink Memories” episode will arrive, the video concluded with a note that read “to be continued,” meaning BLINKs have more memories to look forward to.

BLACKPINK is currently on the European leg of its Born Pink World Tour. The trek’s first stop was on Nov. 30 at the O2 in London, and will make stops in Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and more before heading back to Asia in 2023 for a series of dates in January, March and May.

Watch BLACKPINK’s first episode of “Born Pink Memories” above.

02 Dec 2022

Powfu Talks Taylor Swift ‘Mine’ Cover, New Album & More

Powfu unveiled his nine-song debut album, Surrounded by Hounds and Serpents, on Friday (Dec. 2), and to celebrate the release, the 23-year-old star sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to discuss his musical journey.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“My first memory was walking into the living room, and my parents bought me a drum set,” he shares of when he first started getting into music and how he was inspired by his father, who is also a musician. “When I was 12, that’s when I really started trying to write stuff and I was into poetry a lot. My dad built a studio beside our house, so I would go in there and watch him make music. I stole a microphone from my dad, took it into my bedroom and downloaded GarageBand. I just got addicted to it, basically. Then I started getting numbers pretty quick.”

After blowing up on TikTok with the success of his 2020 Beabadoobee collab, “Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head),” Powfu has been continuously putting out music, even dropping a punk rock version of Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now hit, “Mine.” “I really like Taylor Swift. I think she’s awesome,” he says.

Of his new album title, he explains, “In my life, there’s a lot of people that I met that are fake or only want you for the wrong reasons. Over the years, I think I’ve gotten better at being weary and looking at my surroundings and spotting out who those people are.”

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Powfu above.

02 Dec 2022

First Spin: The Week’s Best New Dance Tracks From The Martinez Brothers, Nocturnal Sunshine & More

This week in dance music: Kygo announced that his Palm Tree Music Festival will debut in Aspen with co-headliner Jack White in February, Drake made a rare showing as Billboard‘s top dance chart artist of 2022, LCD Soundystem paid homage to the late Christine McVie amidst their Brooklyn Steel residency and Sam Smith’s and Kim Petras’ unstoppable “Unholy” hit No. 1 over on the Dance Mix/Show Airplay chart.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

You want more? We’ve got more. Let’s dig in.

The Martinez Brothers & Tokischa, “Kilo”

Back in 2016, The Martinez Brothers linked up with Miss Kittin on “Stuff in the Trunk,” an after hours-type heater on which Miss Kittin half-sings, half-chants suggestively over frenetic percussion. The duo’s’ newest track, “Kilo,” is its spiritual successor. “Kilo” channels that same 4:00 a.m., blurred-vision vibe while dipping into the Brothers’ oft-visited Latin roots, mixing their groovy tech house with reggaetón into an alluring track with frenzied, hard-hitting drums and trippy melodies. On vocals this time is Dominican artist Tokischa, whose melodic rap conveys a playfulness with a glint of mischief. A summer favorite throughout The Martinez Brothers’ Hï Ibiza residency, “Kilo” has staying power for fall and winter’s dark days and darker nights. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ

Nocturnal Sunshine feat. Cha$ey Jon£s, “LDN”

Did you know before Maya Jane Coles was a known queen of deep house, she was cooking up nasty hip-hop beats with her boy Cha$ey Jon£s? “How long have we been friends, like 20 years?” the producer recently asked in an Instagram video. “24 to be exact,” her masked friend replied. “Yeah, we’re basically family.”

The pair first started making music when they were 14, and four years ago, they reconnected in the studio to produce LDN, a five-track EP that Coles calls “just the beginning of a new chapter.” Released under her Nocturnal Sunshine alias, the titular lead track is a dark and brooding bit of grimy goodness; a beautiful blend of her sensibilities to build a complex mood and a very clear understanding of golden era boom bap style. Cha$ey Jon£s delivers a smooth and mean performance on the mic. It’s an inspiring sound, a little bit evil and a little bit sexy, and we’re very happy to hear there’s yet more to come. – KAT BEIN

WayOfLife, Insides Outed

WayOfLife is the artist name of Russell Wardlow, otherwise known as resident #78756 of Nebraska State Penitentiary. A longtime musician currently serving a 14-year sentence, Wardlow spent a two-week period of solitary confinement (due to a covid outbreak) making music, which found its way to Eli Goldstein of Soul Clap, who’d become acquainted with Wardlow via the non-profit Give a Beat, which uses music to fight mass incarceration and recruited musicians, including Goldstein, to recite Wardlow’s lyrical poetry for a radio series.Initially passing on the solitary confinement tracks, Goldstein took a deeper listen and found that the lyrics brought him to tears. He then professionally produced the music and is now releasing the nine track album via Soul Clap Records. Revenue from the album will go towards a fund for Wardlow’s eventual reentry to life outside of prison.

“The poem was about fatherhood and my first child had just been born so I connected deeply with his words,” Goldstein tells Billboard. “We started talking on the phone during his incarceration in Nebraska and built a deep relationship… When we got to re-connect, we agreed to release the music as an album on Soul Clap Records. Over the last few months I’ve been working with BK based producer Taylor Bense to make beats worthy of the raps, and it’s an honor to take a new step for myself and the label with this supremely talented artist!” 

“My desire is to grow in my personal development, as a father of two great sons, and in my creative works to be an effective messenger and bridge from prison to the world,” Wardlow says. “There are stories behind these walls the world needs to hear; until that can happen, I will have my ‘insides outed’ to create that insight of the strife of those inside.” — KATIE BAIN

RL Grime & Nero, “Renegade”

A hot track ID since RL Grime debuted the song in his annual Halloween mix, “Renegade” marks the first original music from Nero since 2018, and the group’s first collaboration with Grime. While Nero has indeed been out of the spotlight for a minute (besides a handful of remixes, including one of deadmau5′ 2021 single “XYZ”), there’s no forgetting the voice of Nero vocalist Alana Watson, whose chromatic wail glistens above a tough electro production. “Renegade” is out via Grime’s Sable Valley imprint. — K. Bain

Lachi, “Black Girl Cornrows”

There’s nothing better in this world than feeling good in your own skin, and Lachi’s latest single “Black Girl Cornrows” has a bumpin’ beat and self-love lyrics that can build you up to a higher state. The song is released in celebration of International Disabilities Day, a cause championed by the legally blind singer and producer, whose work with Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD) and other organizations has brought her to meet President Biden and help reshape the inclusion riders at this year’s upcoming Grammy awards. Outside of its positive and important message, “Black Girl Cornrows” simply bangs, with co-production on its energetic grooves from Black Caviar and two ferocious features from Question ATL and Yvie Oddly. When you put this song on, you’ll be ready to hit the streets in your weirdest look, stalking the sidewalk proudly and joyously for all to admire. – K. Bein

Snakehips feat. Lucky Daye & BIA, “Solitude”

U.K. duo Snakehips are ending 2022 with some exciting news: their debut album, never worry, is finally headed our way early next year. (“Probably shoulda done this years ago but better late than never,” they joked on Twitter.) With the announcement, they’ve shared their latest track, “Solitude” featuring Lucky Daye and BIA. Sweet yet wistful, “Solitude” is a plea from one lover to another to take the leap: “Come and break my solitude, ‘cause I wanna share it all with you,” BIA sings. It’s the type of song you play when you’re missing that special someone in the flesh, and texts and FaceTime no longer cut it. In addition to “Solitude,” never worry will feature previously released singles “Who’s Gonna Love You Tonight,” “All Around The World” and “Water.” — K.R.

02 Dec 2022

GloRilla & Cardi B’s ‘Tomorrow 2’ Hits No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart

GloRilla and Cardi B both return to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “Tomorrow 2” races 5-1 to lead the list dated Dec. 3. The coronation traces to the song’s 8% jump in spins that made it the most played song of the week at U.S. monitored R&B/hip-hop radio stations, according to Luminate.

As “Tomorrow 2” seizes the top slot, GloRilla goes two-for-two in terms of having her first two chart appearances both reach No. 1 on the radio ranking. Her debut entry, “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” with producer Hitkidd, topped the list for one week in August. With the feat, she’s the first artist to do so since Tems, whose first three appearances – a featured turn on Wizkid’s “Essence,” another guest spot alongside Drake on “Wait for U” and her own “Free Mind” – all reigned on the list. Among lead acts, GloRilla is the first to open her Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay account with two No. 1s since Ella Mai in 2018. That year, the R&B singer-songwriter sent both “Boo’d Up” and “Trip” to the top of the list.

For Cardi B, “Tomorrow 2” is her 10th No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and grants her entry as the ninth member of a select club of acts with double-digit career totals. Here’s a refreshed leaderboard of the artists with the most No. 1s on the list since it launched in 1993:

  • 43, Drake
  • 20, Lil Wayne
  • 17, Chris Brown
  • 16, Usher
  • 13, Beyoncé
  • 11, R. Kelly
  • 10, Cardi B
  • 10, Jay-Z
  • 10, Rihanna

And as “Tomorrow 2” joins the roster, here are the rapper’s 10 No. 1s on the radio ranking:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Cardi B), Weeks at No. 1, Peak Date

  • “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” nine, Sept. 16, 2017
  • “No Limit,” G-Eazy featuring A$AP Rocky & Cardi B, five, Dec. 9, 2017
  • “I Like It,” with Bad Bunny & J Balvin, one, July 28, 2018
  • “Ring,” featuring Kehlani, one, Nov. 17, 2018
  • “Money,” five, Feb. 2, 2019
  • “Backin’ It Up,” Pardison Fontaine featuring Cardi B, one, March 9, 2019
  • “Please Me,” with Bruno Mars, six, April 13, 2019
  • “Up,” one, March 27, 2021
  • “Wild Side,” Normani featuring Cardi B, three, Jan. 1, 2022
  • “Tomorrow 2,” with GloRilla, one (to date), Dec. 3, 2022

Elsewhere, “Tomorrow 2” pushes 5-2 on Rap Airplay after a 14% burst in audience in the week ending Nov. 27 and steps 6-4 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay with a 15% hike to 15.2 million in weekly audience. Plus, it rises 15-14 on Rhythmic Airplay, following a 6% gain in weekly plays at the format.

02 Dec 2022

From RM to Lewis Capaldi, What’s Your Favorite New Release of the Week? Vote!

Happy December! It may be the last month of 2022, but that doesn’t mean new music is stopping any time soon. This week’s new releases include albums from RM, Metro Boomin and more, and Billboard wants to know which release you’ll have on repeat as you kick off the holiday season.

The BTS leader’s long-awaited solo full-length, Indigo, features guest turns from a wide array of global stars including Erykah Badu (album opener “Yun”), Anderson .Paak (“Still Life”), Epik High’s Tablo (“All Day”), South Korean singer-songwriter Kim Sawol (“Forg_tful”) and more.

On Heroes & Villains, Metro Boomin enlists everyone from John Legend (“On Time”) and Travis Scott (“Raindrops [Insane]”) to Don Toliver (“Around Me”), Young Thug (“Metro Spider”) and The Weeknd and 21 Savage (“Creepin’”). Plus, album cut “Feel the Fiyaaaah” with A$AP Rocky features an assist from the late Takeoff, recorded before the Migos rapper’s tragic murder in November.

As far as new singles go, Lewis Capaldi drops another preview of his forthcoming sophomore album Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent in romantic ballad “Pointless,” and Latto taps GloRilla and Gangsta Boo on the club-ready “FTCU.”

Morgan Wallen also floats out the first taste of his follow-up to 2021’s massive Dangerous: The Double Album with three-track sampler One Thing at a Time containing the title track, “Days That End in Why” and “Tennessee Fan,” doubling down on his rustic country sound as he seeks to regain his footing following his racial slur controversy early last year.

And it wouldn’t be the greatest time of year without some new holiday fare — this week in the form of a live recording of Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande‘s stellar 2021 duet “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me.”

Vote for you favorite new release in Billboard‘s latest poll below!

02 Dec 2022

Kane Brown, Wife Katelyn Share First Concert Performance of Hit ‘Thank God’: Watch

Fans of Kane Brown and his wife Katelyn have long wanted the two to perform a song together — and they got their wish on Brown’s latest album, Different Man, with the track “Thank God.” The song is also becoming a sturdy radio hit, currently residing at No. 13 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

On Thursday evening (Dec. 1), the couple made their first live performance of the song, onstage during a concert in Ottawa, Canada. Brown shared the sweet performance on social media, as the couple stays close for the first verses. Then, as Katelyn begins singing her verse, her husband breaks into a big grin, looking at his wife proudly. The couple then walks the catwalk together, waving to fans.

“My baby’s first time on stage singing our song together … she killed it of course and I’m so proud of you!!!! (Thank god)!!!!! Ottawa Canada y’all slayed,” Brown said in the caption of an Instagram post.

Katelyn replied, saying, “Speechless. Thanks babe for making me as comfortable as possible and for everyone being so kind.”

Other artists also chimed in with comments, with Walker Hayes saying, “Dang she crushed it,” and Chris Lane saying, “Freakin’ awesome.” Carly Pearce added, “Yes @katelynbrown !!!!”

During a previous interview with Billboard, Brown relayed their plans to perform the song together during some of his shows.

“We’ll have a nanny that can watch the kids while they are sleeping, and then Katelyn can be onstage and sing with me,” he says. “We’ll do ‘Thank God,’ and she’ll sing Lauren [Alaina]’s part on ‘What Ifs.’ Katelyn hasn’t done anything musically since she left Orlando, so we just gotta get her bearings, like learning how to use the in-ears [monitors] onstage. She’s never used those before.”

Of course, this is far from her first foray into music. Under the name Katelyn Jae, she previously recorded pop songs including 2014’s “24KT.”

02 Dec 2022

Chris Brown Ties Bruno Mars for Third-Most No. 1s on Rhythmic Airplay Chart

Chris Brown moves into a tie for the third-most No. 1s on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart as “Under the Influence” crowns the list dated Dec. 3. The single climbs from the runner-up spot after a 6% increase in plays made it the most-played song the week at U.S. monitored rhythmic radio formats in the week ending Nov. 27, according to Luminate.

As “Under” tops the chart, Brown logs his 13th career No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay. With the new leader, he equals Bruno Mars’ total for the bronze medal among all acts since the list began in 1992. The pair trail only Drake, who holds the gold with 36 No. 1s (23 of which bill him as a lead artist) and Rihanna, who is runner-up with 17 champs.

“Influence” returns Brown to the Rhythmic Airplay summit for the first time in almost two-and-a-half years, since his and Young Thug’s “Go Crazy” earned a week in charge in August 2020. Plus, as his first champ, “Run It!,” captured the crown in November 2005, he extends his span of Rhythmic Airplay leaders to 17 years and two weeks.

Here’s a rundown of Brown’s 13 No. 1s on the radio ranking:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Chris Brown), Weeks at No. 1, Peak Date
“Run It!,” seven, Nov. 19, 2005
“Kiss Kiss,” featuring T-Pain, five, Nov. 17, 2007
“With You,” six, March 1, 2008
“Get Like Me,” David Banner featuring Chris Brown, two, Aug. 2, 2008
“Look at Me Now,” featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, one, May 7, 2011
“Show Me,” Kid Ink featuring Chris Brown, three, Feb. 8, 2014
“Loyal,” featuring Lil Wayne & French Montana, Too $hort or Tyga, two, May 10, 2014
“New Flame,” featuring Usher & Rick Ross, one, Nov. 15, 2014
“Post to Be,” Omarion featuring Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko, one, July 4, 2015
“No Guidance,” featuring Drake, four, Aug. 3, 2019
“Heat,” featuring Gunna, one, Nov. 23, 2019
“Go Crazy,” with Young Thug, one, Aug. 1, 2020
“Under the Infleunce,” one (to date), Dec. 3, 2022

“Influence” caps an unusual journey to the top of rhythmic radio, as it was first released on the extended version of Brown’s 2019 LP, Indigo, but never promoted as a single. Its resurgence began earlier this year thanks to TikTok, where it went viral and soundtracked hundreds of clips on the social media app. As it leapt from TikTok to streaming services, the song climbed onto the Streaming Songs chart in early September, and given renewed fan interest, was serviced to rhythmic radio in early October. The song’s dual threat on both streaming and radio has made it a significant hit in Brown’s catalog. The track has reached No. 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and, this week, achieves a new No. 14 high on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

In addition to its success at the rhythmic format, “Influence” maintains steady progress in both the R&B/hip-hop and pop arenas. On the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay list, it pushes 23-19 after a 16% weekly boost to 6.6 million in audience, while it holds at No. 30 on the Pop Airplay chart, though with a 7% improvement in weekly plays.

02 Dec 2022

IFPI Further Boosts Arab Music Market With Launch of MENA Regional Song Chart

With interest growing in the fast-developing Middle East music industry, global labels body IFPI has launched a weekly streaming chart to track the popularity of singles among listeners in the region.

Charts compiler BMAT is preparing the chart, which will cover 13 countries in the MENA region: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and United Arab Emirates. Those markets collectively represent more than 300 million people.

IFPI is making the chart publicly available, with a top 10 announced via Instagram and Facebook, and the top 20 released every Tuesday on the Official MENA Chart website (www.theofficialmenachart.com).

IFPI says its Official MENA Chart is the first music streaming chart in the world to track music in a particular region and the first ever official chart in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). While other music charts, including those put out by Luminate, have tracked the popularity of music in individual countries, such as India, a chart looking at streaming performance in a region is less common.

The new chart will bring more legitimacy to the Middle East’s music market, which has been historically plagued by piracy. Anghami, the first legal streaming service in the Arab world, which went public on the Nasdaq last year, offers daily and weekly charts tracking the most-streamed songs in the region.

The MENA singles chart is supported by IFPI and includes chart-eligible streams from Apple Music, Spotify, Anghami, YouTube and Deezer. IFPI says that in accordance with its global chart principles, streams from each market are “weighted to take into account the difference in economics between the free and paid tiers of streaming services and are also weighted to account for the differences in economics across countries, using IFPI’s global market measurement expertise.” Unlike many charts, the IFPI chart also lists each song’s label affiliation.

An IFPI spokesperson tells Billboard that IFPI has no plans to offer more regional charts at this time, nor to make the chart positions below No. 20 available, even as a subscriber product.

For the MENA chart’s first official week, covering Nov. 18 to Nov. 24, Nigerian artist Rema claimed the top spot with “Calm Down.” (The Virgin Music artist entered the Billboard Hot 100 on Sept. 17 for the first time with a remix of the song with Selena Gomez, which is at No. 82 on the most recent list). Five of the top 10 songs were by Arab artists, with Egyptian artist Farid at No. 2 with “بأمارة مين,” while countryman Ahmed Saad took the No. 4 position with “Wasa3 Wasa3.” (Saad held three spots in the top 20, also taking No. 8 with “El Youm El Helw Dah” and No. 19 with “Aleky Eyoun.”)

IFPI, in a press release, says that the influence of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar can be clearly seen on the MENA chart’s debut. Two songs from the official tournament soundtrack — “Arhbo” at No. 3 and Jungkook’s “Dreamers” — featured in the top 10, while Shakira’s classic “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” — originally released for the 2010 World Cup — charted at No. 9 and “Tukoh Taka” by Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares came in at No. 11.

Other international artists in the MENA Chart’s top 20 include “Unholy” by Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras at No. 6, “Under The Influence” by Chris Brown at No. 13 and “Rich Flex” by Drake and 21 Savage at No. 14.

02 Dec 2022

Billboard Launches Seasonal Holiday Songwriter & Producer Charts

Billboard expands its charts offering by introducing the Holiday 100 Songwriters and Holiday 100 Producers charts (dated Dec. 3), based on weekly activity on the seasonal Holiday 100.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The Holiday 100 chart ranks the top seasonal songs of all eras via the same formula used for the Billboard Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay and sales data, and runs during the holiday season (December-January). The Holiday 100 Songwriters and Producers charts will run during the same seasonal period as the Holiday 100.

Billboard’s weekly songwriter and producer charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on a specific chart. The Holiday 100 Songwriters and Producers charts join Billboard’s 26 other songwriter and producer rankings, covering all “Hot”-named genre charts. These encompass the Hot 100 and the country, R&B/hip-hop, R&B, rap, rock & alternative, rock, alternative, hard rock, Latin, Christian, gospel and dance/electronic genres.

On the inaugural Holiday 100 Songwriters chart, Johnny Marks (who died in 1985 at age 75) rules thanks to seven songwriting credits on the Holiday 100. His seven placements encompass multiple recordings of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (which leads his haul at No. 2), “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Here’s a look at all seven of Marks’ songwriting credits on the latest Holiday 100:

Rank, Artist Billing, Title (co-writers in addition to Marks)
No. 2, Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
No. 4, Burl Ives, “A Holly Jolly Christmas”
No. 17, Gene Autry, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
No. 27, Chuck Berry, “Run Rudolph Run” (Marvin Brodie)
No. 40, Burl Ives, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
No. 44, Michael Bublé, “Holly Jolly Christmas”
No. 82, LeAnn Rimes, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

Thanks to holiday hits annually re-entering the Hot 100, Marks has also topped the all-genre Hot 100 Songwriters chart in each of the past three years, dating to the launch of Billboard’s songwriter and producer charts in 2019.

Rounding out the top five on Holiday 100 Songwriters, Meredith Willson places at No. 2, thanks to four charting versions of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”; George Michael follows at No. 3, thanks to Wham!’s “Last Christmas”; Irving Berlin ranks at No. 4, via “White Christmas” and “Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season”; and Mariah Carey starts at No. 5 powered by “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Lee Gillette (who died in 1981 at age 68) leads the inaugural Holiday 100 Producers chart, thanks to six production credits on the Holiday 100, led by Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” at No. 7 and Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” at No. 9.

Here’s a look at Gillette’s six production credits on the latest Holiday 100:

Rank, Artist Billing, Title (co-producers in addition to Gillette)
No. 7, Nat King Cole, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)”
No. 9, Dean Martin, “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow”
No. 18, Nat King Cole, “Deck the Halls”
No. 48, Dean Martin, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
No. 55, Nat King Cole, “O Come All Ye Faithful”
No. 91, Nat King Cole, “Joy to the World”

Rounding out the top five of Holiday 100 Producers, Owen Bradley is No. 2 (“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bell Rock”); Robert Mersey, No. 3 (“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season,” “Silver Bells,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” “The First Noel”); Phil Spector, No. 4 (“Sleigh Ride,” “Christmas [Baby Please Come Home],” “Happy Xmas [Was Is Over],” “Winter Wonderland”); and David Foster, No. 5 (multiple covers recorded by Michael Bublé).

02 Dec 2022

Paramore Tease ‘The News’ Single By Mailing CD to Fan

Paramore peeled back another layer of their upcoming This Is Why (Feb. 10) album on Thursday (Dec. 1) when the Hayley Williams-led band posted a snippet of the song “The News.” on TikTok. The 14-second clip was accompanied by an image of a pair of hands writing the song’s title on a burned CD and then placing it in a package addressed to fan who goes by “GWizzle.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The accompanying mid-tempo track features jazzy drums and Williams crooning “turn off… the news.” In response, GWizzle then posted a video in which she is listening to the snippet of “The News” before being interrupted by a knock the door, only to find the aforementioned package featuring the CD. “I can’t, I can’t be the only one,” she says with trepidation after putting the disc in her boombox and hovering over the play button. She then walks away as the screen promises that the first listen of “The News” will take place on TikTok at 8 p.m. ET on Friday night.

In another video, GWizzle stares in awe as the CD is addressed on the other side of the split screen, dramatically dropping vinyl copies of all the band’s albums before running off.

In addition, the group’s Instagram teased the Feb. 8 release date for the song with a picture taken by drummer Zac Farro of Williams seated on a red carpeted floor in front of a white door. Williams, Farro and guitarist Taylor York will launch a 2023 arena tour in support of their sixth full-length album on May 23 with a show in Charlotte, N.C.; they will also join Taylor Swift on a number of dates on her 2023 Eras North American stadium tour.

The band’s first LP in almost six years includes the lead single/title track, which dropped in September.

Check out “The News” previews below.