Music

07 Nov 2022

Jimmy Kimmel Set to Host 2023 Oscars

Jimmy Kimmel will return to host the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023. This will be the funnyman’s third time as host, which will put him in a tie with Billy Crystal and Steve Martin for hosting the most Oscar ceremonies in this century. Kimmel hosted back-to-back broadcasts in 2017 and 2018.

“We’re super thrilled to have Jimmy score his hat trick on this global stage,” executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner said in a statement. “We know he will be funny and ready for anything!”

Kimmel was characteristically irreverent in his remarks. “Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap,” he said in a statement. “Either way, I am grateful to the Academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no,” said Kimmel. 

Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which bowed on Jan. 26, 2003. He recently signed a three-year contract extension, making him one of the longest running talk show hosts in American television history.

Kimmel has also hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards the last three times ABC has broadcast the show – in 2012, 2016 and 2020. (The Emmys rotate among the three legacy networks and Fox.)

Bob Hope remains the top Oscar host of all time, with 19 appearances as host or co-host. The legendary comedian is followed by Crystal (nine times), Johnny Carson (five) and Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon (four each).

Molly McNearney will also serve as an executive producer of the Oscars, alongside Weiss and Kirshner.

The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

07 Nov 2022

Craig Dunn Launches One Spark Entertainment in Partnership With mtheory

Artist and brand manager Craig Dunn has launched One Spark Entertainment, in partnership with mtheory. Dunn’s longtime client Sara Evans will join One Spark Entertainment, while Broken Bow Records duo Everette also joins the new roster.

Dunn has more than two decades of experience in areas including artist management as well as digital marketing, merchandising, label operations and revenue development. Prior to launching One Spark Entertainment, Dunn served as vice president at Collective Artist Management beginning in 2012, and worked as sr. vp at digital marketing and merchandise company Music City Networks, where he oversaw digital marketing, websites, fanclubs and more for artists including Lady A, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town and Toby Keith.

“The idea behind the name of One Spark Entertainment came to me in the middle of the night as I was unable to sleep, excited about starting the new chapter of leading my own management company. The phrase of ‘it only takes one spark to start a fire’ popped into my head and just wouldn’t leave, no matter how many other ideas I considered,” Dunn said via a statement. “It just takes one spark of imagination or an idea to start a fire. I’m excited to bring my years of artist management, digital, event management, merchandise, road experience, and revenue generation across music, touring, TV and literary to One Spark Entertainment as we service the current roster and grow the company strategically, partnering with multi-talented artists that share the same creative passion and drive to create, innovate and grow as a team to reach the next level of success. Having known and previously worked with most of the senior team at mtheory, I’m thrilled to call them partners and bring their expertise and creative thinking to the roster.”

Founded in 2010, mtheory handles artist development, marketing, strategy and operations infrastructure designed for artist managers. Recently, mtheory also teamed with CMT to launch the Equal Access Development Program, year-long program designed to provide access and training for underrepresented demographics — including Black, Native and Indigenous, Latino, LGBTQ+ and female artists and managers — in the country music industry. 

“The senior Nashville team at mtheory have known Craig for more than a decade and could not be more excited to be part of his new venture,” added mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson. “His forward-thinking approach to management and spirit of teamwork are exactly what we look for in our manager partnerships. Being able to add strategy and marketing resources to the incomparable Sara Evans and up-and-coming superstars Everette is just icing on the cake!”

In addition to new clients, One Spark Entertainment also welcomes Nicole Lewis as management coordinator.
 

07 Nov 2022

Lionel Richie to Receive Icon Award at 2022 American Music Awards

Lionel Richie will receive the Icon Award at the 2022 American Music Awards. Richie, who hosted the show in both 1984 and 1985, at the peak of his career, will take the stage to look back on his most iconic songs and AMA achievements over the years. He will become the only artist to be featured on the AMAs stage in every decade since the show’s inception in 1974.

The Icon Award honors an artist “whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry.” Rihanna was the first recipient of the award in 2013.

Hosted by Wayne Brady, the 2022 American Music Awards will air live from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. The show will stream the next day on Hulu.

More than just about any other artist, Richie’s career has played out on the AMAs stage. The show launched in 1974, the same year Richie landed his first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with Commodores’ instrumental hit “Machine Gun.” Richie won his first two AMAs with Commodores and the rest for his solo career. The Icon Award will be his 18th AMA. He holds the record for most wins for music videos (six).

In January 1984 Richie became the first person to solo-host the AMAs. He returned as a solo host the following year for what was surely one of the most memorable nights of his life. He won a then-record six awards that night. And immediately following that night’s telecast, he and many of the other performers on the show headed to A&M Studios in Hollywood to record the humanitarian anthem “We Are the World,” which Richie co-wrote with Michael Jackson.

“I’m immensely grateful for a career that has taken me to places I never imagined that I’d go, from arenas worldwide to studio sets to the AMA stage,” Richie said in a statement. “I can recall one of the first times I got to perform at the AMAs. It was to sing ‘We Are the World’ among the most iconic musicians of my generation, so it is surreal to be receiving this recognition 36 years later.”

“Lionel Richie has had a profound impact on countless people around the world and on the music industry as a whole,” executive producer and showrunner Jesse Collins said in a statement. “From the millions of dollars raised due to ‘We Are the World’ to the global influence his unique sound still has today, Richie is the definition of a living legend and honoring him with the AMAs Icon Award is a no-brainer.”

Richie has received numerous other awards including an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best original song for “Say You, Say Me” and four Grammys, including album of the year for Can’t Slow Down and song of the year for “We Are the World.”

In 2016, Richie was named MusiCares’ Person of the Year and was the recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s top award, the Johnny Mercer Prize. In 2017, Richie received the Kennedy Center Honors and in 2022, was awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Richie has amassed five No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 as a solo artist and two more fronting Commodores. He has landed three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 – Can’t Slow Down (1983), Dancing on the Ceiling (1986) and Tuskegee (2012).

Richie launched his Las Vegas headlining residency show “Lionel Richie – All the Hits” in April 2016. Richie extended his “Back to Las Vegas” residency in 2022 at the Wynn Las Vegas Encore Theater, and will continue the residency into 2023. Richie is currently in the midst of his sixth season as a judge on ABC’s American Idol.

As previously announced, this year’s AMAs will feature performances by Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons, J.I.D., P!NK, Tems, Wizkid and Yola. Additional performers will be announced.

Last year’s AMAs stands as the most social telecast of 2021 with 46.5 million interactions, according to the show.

As the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, the AMAs will air globally on both linear and digital platforms in more than 120 countries and territories.

Fan voting is now open via VoteAMAs.com and Twitter in all award categories.

Nominees are based on key fan interactions – as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay, and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partner Luminate, and cover the eligibility period of Sept. 24, 2021, through Sept. 22, 2022.

The 2022 American Music Awards are produced by dick clark productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment. Jesse Collins is showrunner and executive producer. Dionne Harmon, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Larry Klein are also executive producers.

Tickets are now on sale now at www.axs.com.

07 Nov 2022

Ashanti, Yung Miami Talk ‘Queens Remix,’ New Music and More

When Ashanti and Yung Miami of the City Girls teamed up for the “Queens Remix” of Diddy’s “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller, the R&B top five hit was transformed into a no-holds-barred women’s anthem.

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“What makes it [“Queens Remix”] so dope is how Diddy flipped it from the original version’s male perspective about moving on,” says Ashanti. “For the remix, it’s the female telling him to move on. It just gives the song a whole new light.” And of the pairing with Yung Miami, she adds, “Yung Miami just makes sense. You know, they have their thing going on, and me writing from real-life experiences … the timing was absolutely perfect.”

Dishing on her studio session for the remix, Yung Miami says that Diddy turned out to be a stern collaborator to the point where cell phones were banned. “I was like, ‘Diddy, you’re a serious producer; you don’t play,’” she recalls of laying down her verse. It reads in part: “Step one, I can’t stress me a n***a (Yeah) / Forty-point necklace, I could buy me a n***a (That’s right) / DeLeón sippin’ but my new n***a richer (Facts) / He hit like this tequila, I could feel him in my liver.”

But the results were worth it, Yung Miami adds. “I’ve been reading the reviews and people have been like, “That’s the best verse she ever did … Diddy really got her on beat.”

Ashanti’s remix lyrics seemingly address producer/industry executive Irv Gotti’s recent comments about having a relationship with her, which the Grammy winner has denied. “It’s givin’ ‘Obsessed’ / It’s givin’ you stressed / It’s givin’ you pressed / It’s givin’ this n***ga missin’ the best …,” she sings in the second verse.

“It just organically came together,” says Ashanti. “My name was all over the place. But sometimes it’s really cool to be able to express yourself through your art. Sometimes we get into situations where people need to move on instead of being bitter or talking ill or negative about a person. It’s better to just let go and move on.”

Since the release of “Queens Remix,” its accompanying video has garnered 3.8 million YouTube views. It’s one of four remixes — including one by Cool and Dre — comprising the “Gotta Move On” bundle that Diddy’s Love Records/Motown released in mid-October. “Gotta Move On” continues to rank at No. 3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, No. 4 on Adult R&B Airplay and has climbed to No. 25 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally.

Moving on beyond the remix, both queens are currently busy with other projects. Ashanti released her new single, “Fall for You,” on Oct. 28.  Produced by Bleu, who also co-wrote the song with Ashanti, its accompanying video has logged 1.3 million YouTube views. While the title may suggest the mid-tempo tune is about the start of a romance, Ashanti says it’s quite the opposite.

“Immediately you think the record is about falling for someone,” she explains. “But it’s actually titled that because I’m not falling for [the person] anymore. It’s very Ashanti 2022-esque. From [pre-release] snippets I dropped on Instagram, people were like ‘I need this. This is my life.’  I love those connections that come with writing from a real place.”

Earlier this year, Yung Miami made her debut as an executive producer, along with City Girls mate JT, on Issa Rae’s recently renewed HBO Max series Rap Sh!t — inspired by the pair’s own career.  Yung Miami also launched her own talk show this year, Revolt’s Caresha Please, which tied with fellow Revolt show Drink Champs for the best hip-hop platform award at the BET Hip Hop Awards in early October. The accolade, which she describes as an honor and blessing, is another step toward her dream of being the “next Oprah.”

“I’m not gonna lie, I was very nervous,” says Yung Miami of doing the show’s first episodes with Diddy and Kevin Gates. “I was the one doing the interviewing and coming up with the questions, so I was just shaking in my boots.” But now that she’s been honing her talk-show skills, Yung Miami is setting her sights on a new goal: having Beyoncé as a guest on the show next season.

“Beyoncé, if this interview reaches you, please!” she says.

In the meantime, next up for the rapper is joining the cast of BMF, along with comedian/actress Mo’Nique. The Starz series begins its second season in January. Also coming next year: a new City Girl album. As for what fans can expect, Yung Miami hints only that the album will feature two love songs. “It’s still going to be fun,” she assures. “But it’s also going to give you another side of us.”

07 Nov 2022

Britney Spears Describes Permanent Nerve Damage to Her Body: ‘It Stings and It’s Scary’

Britney Spears revealed on Sunday (Nov. 6) that despite the slick moves in her fan-favorite dance videos she is suffering from a physical pain on an almost daily basis due to nerve damage. “I’m dancing in time now Victoria … yes … nerve damage on the right side of my body … there’s no cure except God I guess … nerve damage is caused sometimes when you don’t get enough oxygen to your brain,” she wrote alongside a clip in which she’s dancing to Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” while rocking a red crop top and black shorts.

While Spears, 40, did not specify what caused the nerve damage or what she described as a brain oxygenation issue, she did try to explain to her followers how it manifest. “Your brain literally shuts down,” she wrote of the dire consequences of not getting enough oxygen to your brain. “In that place I didn’t breathe when I was there … nerve damage causes parts of your body to go numb. I wake up like 3 times a week in bed and my hands are completely numb … nerves are tiny and it feels like pins and needles from the right side of my body it shoots up to my neck and the part that hurts the worst is my temple on my head … it stings and it’s scary … the last 3 years since I got out of that place I’ve been in a mild unconscious state … I couldn’t face it.”

The good news, Spears said, is that when she dances she doesn’t feel the pain, which might explain why she posts so many dance videos. “It’s like my mind literally goes to a place of my inner child. And although I don’t move like I use to … I truly believe my faith in it gave me strength,” she wrote. “By the grace of God I finally found a medication where I actually feel oxygen going to my brain and through my neck … my eyes are more open now and I can hold my head up correctly.”

Spears — who is one week away from the one-year anniversary of the end of her restrictive 13-year conservatorship — said hopefully that she is getting “a lot better, I can breathe … I feel smarter because well, Jesus I can breathe now … either way, I’m breathing now and I can dance in time.”

Spears and Elton John recently released a video for the Joel Corry remix of their hit collaborative single, “Hold Me Closer.”

Check out Britney’s video below.

07 Nov 2022

Keith Urban Talks His New Las Vegas Residency, Making New Music and Creating His ‘Say Anything’ Moment

When Keith Urban kicked off his first Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in 2019, he wasn’t sure how he’d feel about it. 

“I resisted a residency in Vegas for a few years. We got asked to come there quite a few years ago,” Urban says. “I just didn’t think I would like it because in my head, it just seemed like the word residency just felt like, ‘Oh, you just doing the same show in the same place night after night after night’ and that just sounded like an episode of Severance to me. But when we saw the Colosseum, I was ‘Oh my god, I think we’ll have a blast in here.’ I was surprised how much I loved it.”

He loved it so much that he is beginning a new Vegas residency March 3 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino’s Zappos Theater. Tickets for his 16-date run go on sale Nov. 12. 

Before he heads back to Las Vegas, Urban will appear on Good Morning America Wednesday (Nov. 9) from Nashville’s Bridgestone Plaza to help kick off the Country Music Association Awards, which take place that night at Bridgestone Arena and air on ABC. “I love playing on the plaza, but I don’t know that I’m ever going to get used to getting up at 4:30 in the morning to sing,” he says. 

Then, he will take his The Speed of Now World Tour to Australia in December.  But first, he talked to Billboard about the new Las Vegas run, his new music and more.

Why the move from the Colosseum to Zappos Theater?

It’s all the Caesars corporation, so it’s still in the family. That room is a little bit bigger than Colosseum (4,600 versus Colosseum’s 4,100 seats). I haven’t played in there yet, but I’ve been in there and it felt a little more geared towards the kind of energy that I was trying to create at the Colosseum. It was just a collective agreement that the move would be really good so we just jumped at it.

How is the preparation for Zappos going? 

I’m bringing in this guy called Roy Bennett [who] has put together shows for me in the past, I can’t recall which tour we did, it might have been around the Light the Fuse tour or Ripcord.  Roy designed that whole production for me and I loved working with him so I brought him in to help me conceptualize what we’re going to do at Zappos. We’re gonna take advantage of the space. 

Some of the artists with Vegas residencies put on a more elaborate production show than they take on the road. Are you doing that or do you feel your shows should have the same production no matter where the fans are? 

Somewhere in the middle is hopefully where we can land it. I want to take advantage of being able to build certain things that you can’t disassemble and move and reassemble easily night after night. I want to take advantage of being able to build stuff that’s just going to stay, but the spirit of my show, I’m never going to change that. I’m going to have a certain way of playing that isn’t going to be too dependent upon behemoth props and production that kind of sweeps and drowns me. I’ve never been a fan of that for what I do.

So we’re not going to see you descend from the ceiling in feathers?

Well, there that goes that idea.

Did you notice any difference in your Vegas audiences from your run at the Colosseum from other shows? 

Yeah, probably a little bit drunker on certain nights, which is right up my alley. I love a drunk audience. I’m all about it. But one of the things that I noticed was I’d always say, “Who lives here in Vegas?” and I would see a lot of hands go up. I love the fact that a lot of the locals wanted to come out and see us play. Obviously, they can go and see everything and they’ve seen everything and the fact that they they’re seeing us really, really moved me.

You put out a new song, “Street Called Main,” a few days ago. It’s written by Chris LaCorte, Josh Miller and Scooter Carusoe. What did you think when you first heard it? 

That one to me was just immediate. I was thinking when I hear a song that I didn’t write, say [current single] “Brown Eyes Baby” or any of these songs, I realized that I love it for the same reason that any of us love a song the first time they hear it on the radio or streaming, whatever it is. There’s just something that we love about a song and in that moment I’m just the person listening to a song that I either love or don’t immediately.  “Street Called Main” just had that thing about it — the melody, the lyric… I was in right out of the gate. I love that song.

So you’re listening as a fan first. 

It’s got to be a feeling and it drives some of the song pluggers nuts because they go, “What are you looking for?” And it’s not what I’m looking for, it’s what I’m feeling for. 

The artwork for “Street Called Main” is an homage to the classic scene in Say Anything when John Cusack’s character holds a boombox over his head as “In Your Eyes” plays. Did your daughters even know what a boombox was and what you were referencing? 

They don’t know what I was referencing. They haven’t seen Say Anything yet. But I wanted to recreate that look for years and years. I just had to wait for the right song. And I just felt “Street Called Main” had that thing about it that if we could find similar clothes …. So I was like rummaging through my closet trying to find an overcoat that looks similar to the one John was wearing, sneakers and a T-shirt, and I was trying to replicate it as best I could. I didn’t quite nail it. Well, I got pretty close, but I love that movie. And I love that scene. It’s so iconic.

And did you have the boombox at the ready?

Oh yeah, I’ve got a few boomboxes here. I love tape. And already there’s been quite a strong cassette through-line on this album because the very opening of the “Wild Hearts” video is me putting a cassette into a boombox. And then of course the cover of “Brown Eyes Baby” is a cassette. The video that we just shot for “Brown Eyes Baby” features her using a cassette, and then of course “Street Called Main” [has] the boombox and on the cover. I love cassettes because they don’t skip.

Are you and co-producer Dan Huff in the studio right now working on the new album?

I was with him yesterday. Yeah, working on another song that’s more of a jamming, stomping up-tempo, summer, windows down anthem. So we were feverishly working away to try and finish out the rest of this body of work, which I hope will come out early mid next year.

You are headed to Australia, where you grew up, to play after touring the U.S. this past year.  Is there anything in particular you’ve noticed about your audience since you were able to get back on the road? 

This tour has really been a much bigger thing. I knew it was going to be a big year of touring, but I think it’s been beyond that. In interesting ways, the tour has been really revelatory for me in the people we’ve played to, the energy that we’ve played to, the diversity and the audiences. I’ve been shocked night after night of how many new people were there. And early on, I started asking people, “Hands up. Who’s never seen us play before?” And sometimes a third of the hands would go up. It was amazing. I’ve never seen that before. And I would see them not knowing tons of my older songs, but singing everything off Ripcord and Graffiti U and definitely The Speed of Now.  I wasn’t expecting that and it was a really beautiful surprise.

What do you attribute it to? 

I got to hear different ways of feedback from people. Sometimes I would send my videographers out to interview the audience afterwards, because I’m curious about what people like about the show and maybe what songs they missed and that sort of thing. I started doing that a few tours [ago] because it helps me figure out if there’s some songs people want to hear that we didn’t do. One of the questions I would ask of people that have never seen us was what made you want to come and hear us, and a lot of times it was, “Well, my friend told me I really needed come see the show.” So it was people dragging people along that created this new audience. And then other people, it was just word of mouth. I heard a lot of people saying that they heard great things about the tour and they wanted to come out and see it. So whatever the reason was I was elated, and this whole tour has been that the whole time. It’s been an unexpected gift this year for me.

07 Nov 2022

Nandi Bushell Honors New Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Eminem With Ripping ‘Rap God’ Cover

Nandi Bushell picked the perfect time to pay tribute to a rap god. In fact, on the eve of Eminem getting formally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the 12-year-old British drummer phenom tipped her hat the only way she knows how: by ripping through a killer cover of Slim Shady’s 2013 anthem “Rap God” just hours before Marshall Mathers joined the ranks of rock royalty.

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“Guess who’s back? My first new cover in almost 6 months! #rapgod by @eminem!,” Bushell tweeted, noting that her stick-spinning, booming version was inspired by HAL, the drummer for Japanese rockers CVLTE. But there was even better news. After years of expertly covering other people’s songs — and picking up new pals like Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl in the process — Nandi said she’s got big things in store.

“I am still working on my original songs. Coming soon!,” she added. “I can’t wait for you to hear them. Working on my speed and consistency.”

In the video, a smiling Bushell bounces her sticks off the floor, hits a pummeling double-kick drum and blasts out double-time beats to go along with the track of Em’s verbal blitzkrieg.

Longtime friend and collaborator Dr. Dre inducted Eminem on Saturday night, recalling how just about nearly everyone tried to discourage him from working with the then-unknown rapper, saying no one believed or saw the vision. “I knew that his gifts were undeniable,” Dre said during his speech. “Each of us was what the other one needed — and I was willing to bet my entire career on it.”

Em took his place this weekend alongside a 2022 Hall of Fame class that also included Dolly Parton, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon.

In September, Spin spoke to Bushell about her upcoming debut EP, Into the Abyss, which will feature her first collection of original songs after years of posting viral cover videos and jamming with the Foos on “Learning to Fly” at the London Taylor Hawkins tribute concert earlier in the month. She’s already released the first single from the five-song effort, “The Shadows,” as well as “Forsaken,” which was inspired by a song she was invited to sing on by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello to help Afghan girls and young women at a school learn to play guitar under the repressive Taliban government.

Bushell said her originals are inspired by everyone from Billie Eilish to Slipknot and Twenty One Pilots. “I also wrote everything and I played everything,” she said.

Check out Bushell’s cover below.

07 Nov 2022

Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ on Pace For Third Week Atop U.K. Chart

Taylor Swift is on the brink of her longest-running No. 1 in the U.K., as “Anti-Hero” takes pole in the race to the top.

The Midnights number has led the Official U.K. Chart for two consecutive weeks, equaling the reign of her 2017 single “Look What You Made Me Do.”

Based on early sales and streaming data compiled by the Official Charts Company, “Anti-Hero” is on target for a third week at No. 1, while “Lavender Haze” (6-12) and “Snow On The Beach” (8-15), featuring Lana Del Rey, are set to tumble out the top tier.

“Anti-Hero” leads the First Look chart, ahead of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” while Rihanna’s comeback track “Lift Me Up” appears set to slip 3-9.

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The big takeaway from the chart blast is the impact of Drake and 21 Savage’s collaborative album, Her Loss. Three tracks from the new LP, which dropped last Friday (Oct. 4) are set to impact the top 10: “Rich Flex” (No. 3), “Major Distribution” (No. 4) and “On BS” (No. 5).

Should the trio of tracks maintain momentum, Drake’s total of U.K. top 10 singles would rise to 37, the OCC reports, while 21 Savage could boast five.

Meghan Trainor is eyeing a rare top 10 appearance with “Made You Look,” which is on the climb in the early stages of the chart cycle. The U.S. pop singer’s latest single is set to climb 14-10, for Trainor’s fourth top 10 appearance, and first in seven years, since 2015’s leader “Marvin Gaye” with Charlie Puth.

Finally, British rapper and songwriter K-Trap appears set to be the week’s big gainer, according to the OCC, with “Warm” ready to vault into the top 20, at No. 19, what would be a peak position.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday (Nov. 11).

07 Nov 2022

Ed Sheeran Sets Another U.K. Chart Record


Ed Sheeran breaks records like the rest of us kick back on a weekend — with monotonous regularity.
His 2017 hit “Shape Of You” is the most-streamed song ever on Spotify, he’s the only artist to sell one million tickets on a single tour of Australia, he’s behind the longest climb to No. 1 in the U.K. (19 weeks with 2014’s “Thinking Out Loud”).

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Sheeran establishes another new mark, this time in his homeland where he becomes the first artist to have four albums chart inside the Official Albums Chart Top 10 for a year.

Those albums, Sheeran’s studio collections + (Plus), x (Multiply), ÷ (Divide) and = (Equals), have now all charted for 52 weeks or more inside the top 10 of the Official U.K. Albums Chart.

He’s the first artist to ever achieve this feat, the Official Charts Company reports.

Since the weekly tally was published for the first time on July 22, 1956, only one other act has had more than one album go the distance — Simon and Garfunkel, with two LPs.

Sheeran has an impressive five-from-five leaders on the national albums survey – 2019’s No. 6 Collaborations Project also hit the target. He also has a grand total of 13 No. 1 singles, level with Madonna and behind only Cliff Richard and Westlife (14), the Beatles (17) and the all-time chart king, Elvis Presley (21).

The Englishman last week teased the 2023 release of a new album, which Sheerios are speculating could be called Subtract, in keeping with the mathematical theme of those previous hit album titles.

Sheeran is facing a busy year. Aside from the prospect of new music, he’ll hit the road for a major international stadium jaunt, dubbed the “+ – = ÷ x Tour,” due to kick off Feb. 2 at Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, followed by dates across Australia and North America.

07 Nov 2022

Rihanna Blasts to Best U.K. Chart Position In 10 Years

It’s another week, another U.K. No. 1 for Taylor Swift as “Anti-Hero” (EMI) logs a second stint at the summit, while Rihanna enjoys a comeback to savor.

“Anti-Hero” pulls in 7 million U.K. streams for its second cycle atop the Official Chart, ahead of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” (EMI), holding at No. 2.

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Swift earns a second consecutive chart double, with Midnights extending its reign on the albums survey for a second week, and two more tracks from it impact the singles chart top 10 – “Lavender Haze,” down 3-6, and “Snow on the Beach” featuring Lana Del Rey, down 8-4.

Rihanna’s return to music is an instant hit with British music fans, as “Lift Me Up” (Def Jam), lifted from the Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, opens at No. 3. That’s the week’s highest debut, and RiRi’s highest charting solo single in 10 years, since “Diamonds” led the survey in 2012.

Meanwhile Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz’s EDM tune “Miss You” (Atlantic) lifts 8-3 for a new peak position, while Beyoncé’s Renaissance number “Cuff It” (Columbia/Parkwood Entertainment) bounces 11-9, and venbee & goddard’s “messy in heaven” (Columbia) lifts 14-11 for a peak position in its sixth week.

Further down the list, Meghan Trainor’s “Made You Look” (Epic) cracks the top 20 for the first time, lifting 28-14, while close behind, SZA bags her fifth U.K. top 20 with “Shirt” (RCA/Top Dawg), new at No. 17.

Australian singer and songwriter Dean Lewis is on the move with his tear-jerker, “How Do I Say Goodbye” (Island Records Australia), up 31-23, while Dermot Kennedy’s “Kiss Me” is also on a high, up 34-28.

Halloween has come and gone, though some ghoulish favorites are making their presence felt on the top 40. Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” (Arista) theme blasts to No. 32, and Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash” (Themonstermash.com) returns at No. 38.

The highest climber on the Official Albums Chart, published Nov. 4, belongs to British producer Fred Again, with “Delilah (Pull Me Out of This)” (via Atlantic), soaring 71-35. “Delilah” appears on Fred Against trilogy-completing LP Actual Life 3, which appears at No. 4 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart this week, for a career high.