Music

04 Nov 2022

First Spin: The Week’s Best New Dance Tracks From John Summit, Shouse & Jason Derulo, Blond:ish, Gryffin & More

This week in dance music: The scene went international, with the MTV EMAs announcing that David Guetta and Bebe Rexha will perform at the awards happening in in Düsseldorf, Germany on November 13. (The pair is nominated for best electronic and best collaboration for their unstoppable collab “I’m Good (Blue),” which they will also presumably perform.) Even further afield, Tiësto and Tate McRae partnered on the single “10:35,” which was created in partnership with Dubai’s new ultra-luxury resort Atlantis The Royal. The song is accompanied by a music video highlighting the new high-end destination, and will appear on Tiësto’s upcoming album Drive, due out Feb. 24 via Atlantic Records.

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Whether you yourself are getting out this weekend or hanging closer to home, we’ve got the tunes to fill your headphones. Let’s dig in.

John Summit feat. Hannah Boleyn, “Show Me”

Few dance artists have had as big a 2022 as John Summit, the hard-partying mega-productive house wunderkind who’s been tearing through clubs and festivals in a post pandemic blaze of glory. The latest from the Chicago producer is “Show Me,” a wind-up house-leaning electropop heater with an intoxicating earworm vocal loop from London singer Hannah Boleyn. “from edc to coachella to ultra and more, Show Me has been my go to track all year and it’s finally out,” Summit wrote upon the track’s release at midnight. Now available for your on-demand listening pleasure, “Show Me” comes in at just under three minutes as a petite but mighty slice of peak time intensity. That said, we recommend the five and a half minute extended mix, both of which are out via Summit’s own Off the Grid imprint. — KATIE BAIN

Jason Derulo & Shouse – “Never Let You Go”

Have you been yearning for the big room anthems of the peak EDM era? This new one from Jason Derulo and Shouse taps a bit into that epic feeling, but with a modern and tempered R&B twist. Mr. “Want to Want Me” delivers a silky-smooth and sultry vocal performance over the Australian-New Zealand duo’s synth-heavy house rhythms. “Never thought the legend Jason Derulo hearing our music evrywhere [sic] in Ibiza would lead to a collab like this,” Shouse writes on Instagram, “but love what he’s done!” Let this one play loud when you’ve got to dance yourself clean of a heartbreak, or are just looking to let loose from Friday to Sunday. – KAT BEIN

Mount Kimbie, MK 3.5: Die Cuts | City Planning

The setup of Mount Kimbie’s latest double-album, MK 3.5: Die Cuts | City Planning, is a bit unusual. In the vein of OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, the LP is presented in two halves, each half produced by one of members Dom Maker and Kai Campos. No surprise then that they’re also stylistically different. Maker’s Die Cuts, inspired by his move from London to L.A., takes advantage of his new collaboration-ready environment to build a feature-stacked (slowthai, Danny Brown, James Blake, Kučka, et al.) record swirling with rap, R&B, and soul. 

Meanwhile, Campos’ City Planning goes deeper into electronic music’s futuristic roots, producing almost sketch-like, textured instrumental loops, each some combination of driving, dreamy, and industrial. In its entirety, City Planning could be the soundtrack to a 4:00 a.m. drive, perhaps on the way home from a warehouse party. Somewhere between the drum-focused drive of opener “Q” and the white-noise ambient of closer “Human Voices,” “Transit Mat (Flattened)” plays out like a tense highway trip in pouring rain. With its relentless rhythm, waterlogged atmosphere and blunt blockiness, it instantly evokes stark, grayscale images of concrete, metal and bright headlights softened by the storm. MK 3.5: Die Cuts | City Planning is out now on Warp Records — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ

Skream & Jansons, “World Is Empty”

Lace up your roller skates and put on your blacklight reactive neon. Skream and Jansons just dropped a freestyle bass banger that feels like adult night at the entertainment-plex. A beautiful vocal sample from The Surpremes complements a haunting vibe, thanks to the deep, dark and minimal production, matching the emptiness of Diana Ross’ broken heart. Truly, the synth organ breakdown is downright spooky, but the bumpin’ ‘80s beat pits this night time tune squarely in the dance floor space. It’s a cool one, and it’s out now on CircoLoco Records. We even think the extended seven-minute version is the proper way to catch the electro groove. – KAT BEIN

Hugel & Blond:ish feat. NFasis, “Tra Tra”

After Hugel remixed Blond:ish’s single “Sete” earlier this year, the two producers have teamed up for their own collaboration, “Tra Tra.” Like on the former song, Blond:ish continues to explore different cultural influences alongside international collaborators, this time pulling up with the Latin house-loving Frenchman as well as Dominican rapper NFasis. Together, the three made a total bump-and-groover of a track: the production seems most at home in an Ibiza superclub, with a bass-heavy rhythm that’s as melodic as it is hip-grinding, and as dark as it is sexy, while NFasis’ gravelly vocal delivery feels like a command to dance and never stop moving. With a recent shout by Pete Tong on his BBC Radio 1 Dance show, “Tra Tra” already has a big stamp of approval. — K.R.

The Toxic Avenger, Yes Future

The Francophile vibes are strong on the latest from French producer The Toxic Avenger, who’s back with his first album in 15 years. The all-around excellent Yes Future gives heavy French Touch, synth and electro vibes, giving equal parts Justice, Kavinsky and the best of The Toxic Avenger himself. Released in September, the album’s lead single (the aptly titled “Getting Started“) is a stunner, and the rest of the LP is also equally tough and sensual and tres, tres cool. — K. Bain

Gryffin & Maia Wright, “Sometimes You Know”

Gryffin has long been a purveyor of brightly massive bangers big enough to fill the large-scale venues he frequently plays. No surprise then that the producer’s latest LP, Alive, is absolutely full of them, with the high-energy, high-emotion LP containing a flurry of previously released singles including the recent and exceedingly sleek Tinashe collab “Scandalous” along with the pop-forward chest-beater “Sometimes You Know” featuring Swedish singer Maia Wright. Alive is the San Francisco producer first album since his 2019 debut Gravity, which hit No. 1 on Dance/Electronic Albums, and the fanbasae that sent him to the top spot is still clearly here for Gryffin, who this weekend plays a pair of headline shows at Los Angeles’ 20,000 capacity State Historic Park. — K. Bain

04 Nov 2022

Arctic Monkeys’ ‘The Car’ Zooms to No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums Chart

Arctic Monkeys return to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart dated Nov. 5 with the debut of their first album in four years, The Car.

In its first tracking week dated Oct. 21-27, The Car earned 38,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. The set is Arctic Monkeys’ third to top the chart, following 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino and 2013’s AM.

The Car also debuts at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums rankings. Concurrently, The Car starts at No. 6 on the all-genre Billboard 200, tying AM for the band’s best rank and marking its fourth top 10, dating to its first, the No. 7-peaking Favourite Worst Nightmare, in 2007.

Two songs from the new album reach the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am” debuts at No. 36 (1.9 million official U.S. streams) and “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball” re-enters at No. 39 (1.7 million).

The tracks concurrently place at Nos. 22 and 25, respectively, on Hot Alternative Songs, and “Quite” is bubbling under Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

In all, the band has three songs on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs. “505,” the closing track on 2007’s Nightmare, is currently charting due to TikTok virality over the past few months, putting it at No. 10 on the latter and No. 13 on the former. In the Oct. 21-27 tracking week, “505” accumulated 4.7 million streams, down 3%.

04 Nov 2022

From Selena Gomez to Drake & 21 Savage, What’s Your Favorite New Release of the Week? Vote!

As spooky season gives way to the lead-up to Thanksgiving, we’re grateful, as always, for the new slate of music the end of each week brings. And Friday (Nov. 4) is no exception.

With tunes ranging from an emotional new Selena Gomez single to a collaborative album by Drake and 21 Savage, we want to know which new release will be soundtracking your first weekend of November.

The two rappers team up on Her Loss, a 16-track joint effort that features Travis Scott on “P—y & Millions” and takes a jab at Megan Thee Stallion in the lyrics of “Circo Loco,” on which Drake spits “This b—h lie ’bout getting shots, but she still a stallion. She don’t even get the joke, but she still smiling” over an interpolation of Daft Punk‘s “One More Time.”

Meanwhile, Gomez lays her mental anguish bare on “My Mind & Me,” the spare, vulnerable ballad that shares its title with her new Apple TV+ documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me, which delves into the pop star’s mental and physical health problems, from the cancelation of her 2016 Revival Tour to the present day.

Other new albums include Joji‘s Smithereens, a follow-up to 2020’s Nectar that contains singles “Glimpse of Us,” “Yukon (Interlude)” and “Die For You,” as well as the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with contributions from Rihanna (“Lift Me Up”), Tems (“No Woman No Cry”), Burna Boy (“Alone”), Stormzy (“Interlude”) and others.

Plus, P!nk comes raring back with “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” her most upbeat single since 2016’s “Just Like Fire,” and Lindsay Lohan finally cements Christmas classic “Jingle Bell Rock” into her discography with a post-Mean Girls cover from her upcoming Netflix holiday movie Falling for Christmas.

Vote for your favorite new release in Billboard‘s weekly poll below!

04 Nov 2022

The ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Soundtrack Is Here: Stream It Now

Wakanda forever! The soundtrack to Black Panther‘s latest installment arrived on streaming on Friday (Nov. 4), ahead of the movie’s release in theaters across the globe on Nov. 11.

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The soundtrack — officially titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By — features a star-studded list of contributors, which was unveiled on Wednesday (Nov. 2). Tems, Fireboy DML, OG DAYV, Future, CKay, PinkPantheress, E-40 and more are on the OST, including Rihanna and her glimmering track, “Lift Me Up.”

“Lift Me Up” — the lead single from the soundtrack — is a tribute to the late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 at 43 after a battle with colon cancer. The song sees the pop star going the ballad route, accompanied by an acoustic guitar as she sings “Lift me up/ Hold me down/ Keep me close/ Safe and sound” on the chorus.

Following the Oct. 28 release of “Lift Me Up,” the track landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s relaunched Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Xfinity Mobile, dated Nov. 5.

“Ryan [Cooler] and I talked about the importance of creating an immersive journey of sound and voice,” said the soundtrack’s co-producer, Ludwig Göransson, in a press release. “If we used a song in the film, we wanted it to be the entire song, and to be connected to the story. Thematically, we wanted to move the audience from grief to celebration. When you listen to the soundtrack, you can close your eyes and relive the experience of the movie. That was the intention.”

Listen to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By below.

04 Nov 2022

Iluminati Hotties’ Sarah Tudzin on the Importance Of Tapping Into The Independent Community

As part of our annual Indie Now package, we asked notable figures in the independent scene to offer advice on how to succeed in the industry. Below, Illuminati Hotties’ Sarah Tudzin talks to Billboard‘s Jason Lipshutz.

I think the label “DIY” is a little misleading — like you’re out on this island, fighting your way toward some sort of success or fame. To me, it’s really about doing it with all the people around you. The DIY community is what sends artists into the next levels of their careers, so it’s about surrounding yourself with people whom you believe in, who believe in you and want to support you. For me, that was mostly going to shows, meeting people who liked music that I liked [and] being open to new situations.

When you place yourself in a community, you learn about your own skill set and what other people are really good at — you realize you’re not an A-plus graphic designer but know how to record a band. Being able to produce and write with people comes naturally to me, and I like being around musicians, so it becomes this endless feedback loop of, “How can we help each other?”

Recording is more accessible than ever [right now] — if you have a laptop, or even an iPhone, you can do so much. It’s so easy to jump in with a limited set of tools, and the best way to get comfortable in that setting is to just do it over and over again: Practice, sit in your room with a guitar, record yourself, and listen back. Some of the music that I’m most blown away by is from high school kids with Ableton on their laptops, making crazy stuff. Or someone who went to a Goodwill, got a tape recorder and started there.

There’s a lot of talk on the internet now about the sustainability of the music industry — it’s hard to tour, and it’s often not fiscally rewarding while also taking a lot of time and energy. With live music feeling a little tenuous, I think DIY could come back stronger than ever because nothing beats a basement show. And that’s what will come back if middle-tier artists can’t afford to put on shows at a 500-capacity venue with sound and lights. We’ll get to go back to the basics of finding a warehouse and a community and feeding the scene.

This story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.

04 Nov 2022

Paul Rosenberg Reflects on Eminem’s Place in the Rock Hall Ahead of Rapper’s Induction

Eminem’s manager is the first to acknowledge that the rapper is not exactly rock n’ roll by definition — but also that he deserves his upcoming spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“In the traditional sense does Marshall [Mathers] do rock n’ roll? Of course not,” says Paul Rosenberg of Goliath Artists, who met Eminem in 1995 at Detroit’s famed Hip Hop Shop and began managing him shortly thereafter. “But I think if you look at what rock n’ roll came from and what hip-hop was created from, they stem from the same musical roots, the same musical tree — but at the same time very different in style, form, culture. If you think about those aspects and just the emotion, and then you combine that with how many rappers there already are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I would say that he certainly fits.”

Eminem will be part of the Rock Hall’s class of 2022, inducted on Saturday (Nov. 5) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. He’ll join the other performer inductees that night — Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon — and he’ll become part of the Hall’s hip-hop corps that also includes Run-D.M.C. (whom Eminem inducted in 2009), LL Cool J (whom he performed with during last year’s ceremony), The Notorious B.I.G., N.W.A, Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z.

In doing so, he also becomes part of the ongoing discussion about whether rappers belong in the Rock Hall.

“It’s an odd sort of thing, sure,” the New York-based Rosenberg, who partners with Eminem in the Shady Records label and clothing line and other endeavors, tells Billboard. “It’s something that I think a lot of people are struggling with, especially as time goes on because the face of music has changed a lot, and it continues to evolve. If it were just strictly rock n’ roll by traditional standards I think they would be hard-pressed to find enough people to induct 10, 15, 20 years from now. So I think they have to change with the times and not bend their beliefs but change their way of thinking a bit. I think the fact that they have inducted people like LL and Run-D.M.C. is great. I think (Eminem) would like to see a lot more rappers get recognized in the same fashion.”

Rosenberg — who is careful to state that he does not speak for Eminem — says the two of them first thought about the rapper getting into the Rock Hall back when he inducted Run-D.M.C. “We had thought about it – ‘Wait a minute, eventually this is maybe gonna be you…’,” recalls Rosenberg. But the thought quickly faded. “I didn’t even think about something like this for many years,” he says, “until at some point somebody mentioned to me, ‘Y’know, eligibility for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is 25 years after you release your first album.’ This is probably three, four years ago, and I was like, ‘Wait a minute…Oh boy, that’s not too far away.’”

Eminem’s credentials are certainly manifold – five No. 1 Hot 100 hits, 22 top 10 Hot 100 hits, 10 albums that have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, 15 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award and an Emmy (which means he’s just a Tony Award shy of an EGOT).

To Rosenberg, meanwhile, the Rock Hall induction is “not just one of the trophies in the case — it’s one of the big trophies in the case. It’s a significant milestone. It’s a big part of somebody’s legacy, I think, to get that recognition. And it was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is the first time on the ballot.’ That’s a big honor. When you look back at your resume it’s up there with saying you won an Oscar, that level of recognition.” And without putting words in the rapper’s mouth, Rosenberg does acknowledge that Eminem was not displeased.

“As you know Marshall is an extremely humble guy and he doesn’t love people fawning over him in that way,” explains Rosenberg, who was also CEO of Def Jam Recordings from January 2018 to early 2020 and now heads Goliath Records in joint venture with Universal Music Group. “But like anybody else who works hard at what they do, he appreciates being recognized for it. So he felt good about it. To say what it means to him, you have to hear him when he gets up on stage.”

The induction caps a busy 2022 for Eminem that’s included a Super Bowl LVI halftime performance (which brought him the aforementioned Emmy), collaborations with Snoop Dogg, DJ Khaled, Cordae and CeeLo Green (the latter a Dr. Dre-produced track for the Elvis film soundtrack), a second greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2, and a recently announced 20th anniversary edition of the 8 Mile film soundtrack. “It’s sort of a big, celebratory, legacy year,” Rosenberg notes, “but at the same time Marshall is continuing to be a frontline recording artist. You don’t want to look like you’re always looking back when at the same time you’re trying to create and move forward. It’s a little bit of a difficult balance, and for him it can get a little frustrating. He doesn’t want to seem like he’s done being a current recording music artist, because he very much is. It’s just about figuring out the right way to walk that line.

“If you look back in most recent years, his output has been pretty significant in terms of how many albums he’s released. I don’t think he needs a reason to continue to record. He’s very consumed with the process of creating, and he never really stops recording.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be simulcast Saturday (Nov. 5) on SiriusXM’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Radio channel (310) and on Volume on the SXM App. HBO will film the event to air at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 18.

04 Nov 2022

First Stream Latin: New Music From Jenni Rivera, Mora and More

First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

Jenni Rivera, “Misión Cumplida” (Jenni Rivera Enterprises/Sony Music Latin)

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The song was written in 2008 by Jenni Rivera but it isn’t until now that fans can listen to “Misión Cumplida,” one of the last songs penned by Rivera before her untimely death in 2012. Produced by Sergio Lizárraga, the track is a quintessential Jenni Rivera song. A Sinaloan banda at its core, “Misión” finds an emotional Jenni who sings about falling head over heels for someone who she had rejected in the past. “My mom was very picky with musical arrangements,” Johnny Rivera, said of why Lizárraga was the perfect hitmaker to helm his mother’s project. “She loved la banda sinolasense and Sergio’s a master of that. He was able to maintain her essence not only in her voice but also in the music.” The song is part of Rivera’s forthcoming album, set to be released before end of the year. — GRISELDA FLORES

Paulo Londra feat. Feid, “A Veces” (Warner Music Latina)

Paulo Londra has been releasing new music left and right since his comeback earlier this year. Following eight singles, including collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Duki, the Argentine artist presents “A Veces,” for which he reels in Colombian artist Feid. A surprising yet much-needed collaboration, the single meshes Londra’s dulcet, raspy vocals with Feid’s Medallo swagger, bringing to life lyrics about a man who’s unsure of his relationship status with the girl he’s dating. “Sometimes you ask me to stay until the morning/ Other times I call and you disappear,” says the chorus. A music video shot by Ballve oozes the bromance between Londra and Ferxxo in the studio. — JESSICA ROIZ

Mora, PARAISO (Rimas Entertainment)

If paradise was indulging our forbidden dreams and setting off into nights of revelry and excess, then we’ve come to the right place. Welcome to the unabashed EDM-laden euphoria of PARAISO, Mora’s third full-length album, where the Puerto Rican provocateur explores the different facets of pleasure. Mora unleashes his wanderlust and steers further away from reggaetón reliance, while never quite abandoning the formidable rhythm. Instead, he invites spectators to enter a world of ecstasy against hard-hitting electronic music galore.

Although Mora mostly shines on his own, he invites a few peers. He teams up with Spanish rapper Quevedo on “Apa’,’ where they turn on their location for their debaucherous encounters; gets lusty with upcoming singer paopao; and journeys to Ibiza with Danny Ocean on “Eivissa,” over minimal techno beats. Hypnotic synthwave (“Malafama”) and chill Afro beats (“Como Has Estau?”) make delightful appearances. As if releasing two full-length albums this year (coupled with a Bad Bunny cosign) wasn’t enough, the rising and flirtatious star is sure set on amplifying the demanding and dominating sounds of música urbana, while reimagining the promised land where temptations are embraced. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Thalía, “Psycho B**ch” (Sony Music Latin)

Thalía shows her playful and irreverent side in her new pop single, “Psycho B**ch” (Sony Music Entertainment.) With a catchy beat, a short rap segment, and a chorus that goes “Oops I warned you / I’m a bit hit or miss / Half psycho bitch / Psy Psyco Bitch / Oops what’s up here? / How do you control me when you have me like this / I’m crazy, I’m crazy”, the English-sprinkled Spanish song will surely make you dance. Its music video shows the Mexican star in a disco club setting, complete with mirror balls and neon lights, accompanied by a group of dancers. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Paola Jara, “Ve y Dile” (YT Rocket)

In Sin Ti (Without You), a three-track EP, Paola Jara narrates the emotions after a heartbreak. The set opens with the original single “Ve y Dile,” produced by Ricardo Torres, where the Colombian artist has a deep conversation with the moon. “With tearyed-eyes and looking at the sky, I asked the moon about your whereabouts,” she sings backed by a live mariachi. “Tell him that he took my soul/ Tell him that he took my peace/ Tell him that he took my desire to love again,” she continues in the chorus. In the other two tracks, Jara performs a pair covers: a Caribbean-cumbia fusion for “Después de Ti” by Alejandro Lerner, and a ranchera version of Vanessa Martí’s “No Te Puedo Retener.” — J.R.

04 Nov 2022

Yung Gravy Says He ‘Had a Nice Couple of Dates’ With Addison Rae’s Mom & They ‘Keep in Touch’

Everything’s coming up just gravy. Yung Gravy sat down with Billboard News to discuss his recently released fourth studio album, Marvelous, and also addressed his relationship with Addison Rae’s mother, Sheri Easterling. The 26-year-old rapper, who made headlines when he took Easterling as his date to the VMAs in August, said he “didn’t expect” people’s reaction “to be that crazy.”

Gravy’s original plan was to have a different woman entirely be his date that night. “[Sheri and I] flirted a little bit over the internet and then I got invited to the VMAs, needed a date. I hit up Martha Stewart, she couldn’t make it,” he told Billboard News host Tetris Kelly. “Sheri and I had been talking. I said ‘You know what? Come be my date.’ We had never met in person. It was a good time. I’ve seen her twice since then. She lives in Louisiana.”

“A lot of people ask if we’re dating,” he added. “There’s been rumors that she’s pregnant. She’s not pregnant. We’re not dating, but a good friend. We had a nice couple of dates and we keep in touch.”

The rapper also chatted about the Marvelous’ breakthrough track “Betty (Get Money)” — which made the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 (No. 39) and Hot Rap Songs top 10 (No. 9) in late August.

“Betty” features a sample of Rick Astley’s signature hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” but Gravy assured that he was not trying to RickRoll his fans with the track.

“Nah, I just love that song,” he explained to Billboard News host Tetris Kelly. “Great song, I’ve always been a fan. I wanna say my mom was blasting it when I came out the womb. It’s a good songs and I just figured I wouldn’t be able to clear it. Obviously it’s been on my mind as a sample.”

The rapper also touched upon how an oldies radio station and his friendship with Waka Flocka Flame contributed to album single “Dancing in the Rain.”

Gravy shared that he worked extensively on the song with producer Dwilly. “We were listening to this radio station that you can basically pick any era and country and see what was playing there, and we found this Cuban song from 1972, got inspired to play something like that,” he shared. As for how Wacka Flocka inspired the track, Gravy revealed Flaka “actually called me, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna pay you a little homage on this.’ And that’s how the hook came together. I was just hyped on it, he inspired me in that moment with that phone call.”

Of Marvelous, the Minnesota rapper adds, “It’s the most refined gravy I’ve dropped to this day. The recipe has been effective and I’ve really put together something that I think is music I’ve made and experimental stuff all spread out. It’s dope.”

Watch Yung Gravy’s full interview with Billboard News in the video above.

04 Nov 2022

First Country: Brothers Osborne, The War and Treaty, Maren Morris, Hailey Whitters & More

First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.

Brothers Osborne with The War & Treaty, “It’s Only Rock N’ Roll (But I Like It)”

A pair of duos, Brothers Osborne and The War & Treaty, take on a Rolling Stones classic. It’s part of the upcoming tribute album Stoned Cold Country, honoring the 60th anniversary of the Rolling Stones. TJ’s basement-deep vocal, commingling with the raw, vibrant vocals from The War & Treaty’s Tanya Trotter and Michael Trotter Jr., make for an electrifying, swaggering musical moment. They will perform the song live at the upcoming CMA Awards on Nov. 9.

Maren Morris, Humble Quest: In Rare Form

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Morris is offering fans a new, raw look at seven songs from her album Humble Quest (which dropped earlier this year), including “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” “Tall Guys” and the title track. Accompanying the release is a short film, featuring Morris, accompanied by piano and drums, performing stripped-down renderings of these songs — illuminating lyrics that scour through a range of emotions, from maturing love (“I Can’t Love You Anymore”) to searching for the balance of self-fulfillment (“Humble Quest”).

Bowen * Young, “Dangerous Love”

Former Nashville actress/vocalist Clare Bowen teams with her husband, Brandon Robert Young, to form this new Americana duo. A spectral melody heightens the tension, trepidation and determination in the pair’s exquisite harmonies, as does the fact that the song was written two days after they experienced a harrowing home invasion. A promising release from this new duo.

Hailey Whitters, “New Baby for Christmas”

The onslaught of holiday-inspired tunes is upon us, but “Everything She Ain’t” singer Whitters offers a shining take on this 1957 George Jones track, ably taking on the traditional country melody and fusing it with her own twangy spin. Further capturing the fiddle-drenched, retro vibe of the song, Whitters recorded it at revered RCA Studio A in Nashville, where artists including Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn have recorded.

Mickey Guyton, “I Still Pray”

Guyton’s commanding voice heightens the spiritual element to this piano-based track, which encourages those who are striving through any number of heartbreaks and painful situations. “When it rains it loves to pour/ That’s when my knees hit the floor,” she sings in this comforting mesh of spirit and song.

Brittney Spencer, if i ever get there: a day at blackbird studio

The newly signed Elektra artist releases her new three-song EP, if I ever get there: a day at blackbird studio. Known for songs including “Compassion” and “Sober & Skinny,” Spencer is also an honorary member of The Highwomen, and has opened shows for artists including Reba McEntire and Jason Isbell. She takes no prisoners on the sassy, frank and vulnerable “Better Than Friends,” and offers a relaxed version of The Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away,” her intimate vocal high in the mix and supported by subdued instrumentation. The stately “A Hundred Years Old” is marked by the introspective musings of one learning permanent lessons from a broken heart.

Phil Vassar and Deana Carter, “Brand New Year”

Pianist-vocalist-songwriter Vassar teams with “Strawberry Wine” hitmaker Carter to offer this holiday track, which they co-wrote together with Steve Dorff. This elegant piano ballad is a quietly optimistic toast to an anticipated year of hope, love and goodness, bolstered by their smooth, easygoing vocal collaboration. A polished track worthy of addition to any holiday playlist.

Jason Aldean, “Christmas in Dixie”

Seventeen years into his recording career, Aldean releases his first holiday song, a cover of the 1982 Alabama hit “Christmas in Dixie.” The instrumentation is respectful of the original, though it builds into kind of sleek production Aldean’s records are known for. His warm vocal comes across as capable and comfortable, infusing the lyrics with his signature vocal twang, though the track of course lacks the front-and-center group harmonies that round out the Alabama original. Still, this is an sincere updating of a country holiday classic.

04 Nov 2022

Why bbno$ Says He’s ‘Rich Forever’

Alexander Gumuchian, aka bbno$, always felt called to help people. After his initial dream of professional swimming ended, he wanted to become a chiropractor. The Vancouver, B.C., native did graduate with a degree in kinesiology, but solidified his future in music upon completing his education. Since, successful albums like recess, eat ya veggies, and most recently, bag or die have earned the 27-year-old agency to fulfill his original purpose — both in his music and in giving back to his community. “I’m definitely helping more people than I ever could have touched,” he says.

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Foundation

Growing up home-schooled by his mother, bbno$ was encouraged to learn how to read music and play piano. In 2008, as a young teenager, his brother’s friend suggested music production, too. But it wasn’t until high school, when he broke his back and derailed his aspirations of professional swimming, that he considered it. Soon enough, playing around with AutoTune during a casual hang with a friend led to an “epiphany” for bbno$ — and helped ease his depression following the injury. “I wish I had started earlier,” he says, “because I didn’t know there was this much fun in creating.”

Discovery

While studying at the University of British Columbia in 2017, bbno$ started writing two songs a day and releasing one a week. The momentum, he says, was fueled by the success of his now-friend and collaborator Yung Gravy, who bbno$ initially cold DM’d. (The two have since created two full projects and numerous singles together, including recent releases “touch grass” and “C’est La Vie.”) “I was like, ‘I’m going to spend every breathing moment trying to make [music] work.’ ” The payoff came two years later, when he released his cheeky, melodic rap single “Lalala” with producer Y2K on his college graduation day. By the summer of 2019, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 21 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 55. The song’s success earned him five record deal offers, though he ultimately remained independent.

Future

“My financial adviser just told me I am essentially rich forever,” says bbno$, who in October released his seventh project since 2018, bag or die. He’s now thinking about his impact beyond music, including a desire to create a nonprofit organization on the downtown east side of Vancouver to combat the city’s opioid crisis. But don’t expect his output to slow: He’s already working on music for next year, starting with a project full of ballads that he hopes will draw in listeners outside of his current fan base. His 2023 goal, he says, is simple: “Drop as much music as I humanly can.”

This story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.