Music
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Bruno Mars is reportedly rounding up his girl gang for his newest collaboration! The singer is teaming up with Sexyy Red this week for a fun new single tentatively titled “Fat, Juicy & Wet,” and it seems like he’s including his recent collaborators in the corresponding music video. In a leaked teaser clip circulating social […]
Barry Michael Cooper, the journalist who coined the term “New Jack Swing” to describe the music Teddy Riley was making during the ’80s and wrote the screenplays for influential movies like New Jack City featuring Wesley Snipes’ iconic role as Nino Brown, Above the Rim starring 2Pac in one of his most memorable roles as street hustler Birdie, and Sugar Hill (also starring Snipes) passed away Tuesday (Jan. 22).
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Nelson George, another influential hip-hop journalist, broke the news on his Substack. “Barry Michael Cooper died today in Baltimore, according to his son Mathew,” he wrote. “It’ll take me a minute to gather all my thoughts, but just wanted to thank him for recommending to Robert Christgau at the Village Voice when I was trying to write for the Riffs section back in 1981. It was a key moment in my career and life.”
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Adding, “Barry helped define pop culture in the ‘80s and ‘90s with his early reporting on crack, by naming Teddy Riley’s sound ‘new jack swing’, and writing star vehicles for Wesley Snipes (New Jack City, Sugar Hill) and Tupac (Above the Rim.) Though he lived much of the last decades of his life in Baltimore, he was Harlem to his core.”
Michael A. Gonzales, who co-wrote the important Bring The Noise: A Guide to Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture with Havelock Nelson, tweeted out the Village Voice article profiling Teddy Riley where the term New Jack Swing was invented and referred to Cooper as one of his “main inspirations.”
A&R extraordinaire Dante Ross wrote a lengthy caption on Instagram about how much of fan he was of his writing and acknowledged the influence his movie scripts had on the hip-hop genre and community. “His Harlem trilogy of flicks, New Jack City, Sugar Hill and Above The Rim were beyond influential in terms of Hip Hop cinema, they literally changed the game,” he said.
New Jack City, Above the Rim, and Sugar Hill continue to be referenced by rappers and meme’d online by fans 30 years later.
So far, no cause of death has been announced. He was 66 years old.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” continues to rule the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the fifth week, on the chart dated Jan. 22.
Downloads, streams and video views for the Oblivion Battery opener are down to 67%, 89%, and 95%, respectively, compared to the week before, but karaoke is up to 104%. The track holds at the top spot for the third consecutive week and for fifth time in total, with a huge lead over the track at No. 2 and below.
At No. 2 is Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT,.” also holding for the third week. While the track is slowing down in downloads, streams and video, it gained slightly in radio and karaoke.
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STU48’s “Chiheisen wo miteiruka?” debuts at No. 3. The title track of the girl group’s 11th single sold 165,727 copies in its first week to hit No. 1 for sales.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Que Sera Sera” slips a notch to No. 4. Streams are down to 93% and downloads to 50% week-over-week, but radio and karaoke are up to 170% and 105%, respectively.
“CBZ (Prime time)” by BSS, a group consisting of members SEUNGKWAN, DK, and HOSHI of SEVENTEEN, bows at No. 5. The lead track of the trio’s second single “TELEPARTY” sold 63,797 copies to come in at No. 2 for sales, while also hitting No. 94 for downloads, No. 86 for radio and No. 41 for video. “’Shohikigen,” by SEVENTEEN released last year, also came in at No. 3 for sales, and the track rises to No. 20 on the Japan Hot 100 after six weeks.
In other chart moves, a number of rapper Chanmina’s tracks have climbed the Japan Hot 100 again, due to the final judging of the audition project she’s producing, No No Girls, airing on Jan. 11. “Harenchi” came in at No. 51 and “Never Grow Up” at No. 79. Also, after the movie 366 Days hit domestic theaters on Jan. 10, the song the story was inspired by, HY’s “366 Days,” has returned at No. 84. The last time this classic ballad charted was about six months ago, in July 2024.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Jan. 13 to 19, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Future laments over the loss of his friend to fentanyl in the new “Lost My Dog” music video that he dropped on Thursday (Jan. 23). Henri Alexander Levy directed the black-and-white accompanying visual for the poignant penultimate track from Future’s Billboard 200-topping Mixtape Pluto last year. Future, who typically conceals his face behind a dark pair […]
The Brothers Clipse were at Paris Fashion Week for Pharrell‘s Fall/Winter 2025 Louis Vuitton Men’s collection runway show dipped in custom LV and were stopped by social media style account @thepeoplegallery_. First, No Malice was asked for styling advice, with the Virginia rapper giving a simple answer: “Being comfortable, being you.” The brothers were then […]
ROSÉ totally shredded at the skatepark recently — but not on a skateboard. Instead, the BLACKPINK star delivered gnarly vocals while performing a live version of her song “3am,” setting up shop with her band at Channel Street Skatepark in Los Angeles. A video of the performance posted Thursday (Jan. 23) opens with an overhead […]
KCON is back!
Entertainment company CJ ENM announced on Thursday (Jan. 23) its official dates for the K-pop festival’s Japan and United States shows this year. KCON JAPAN 2025 will take place in the country’s Chiba prefecture from May 9 to 11. Shortly after, KCON LA 2025 will take place from August 1 to 3.
Venue information, performing artists and ticket sales will be announced at a later date.
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KCON, which launched in the United States in 2012 and has since expanded to all over the globe, combines “masterfully produced K-pop shows with a convention where fans can experience every aspect of Korean culture – from music and fashion, to television and food,” per the event’s description.
KCON LA 2024, which took place at Crypto Arena, L.A. Convention Center and Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, featured performances by Alexas, A.CE., Apoki, Bibi, Boynextdoor, Craxy, Drippin, Dxmon, Enhyphen, god, Hyolyn, INI, Isaac Hong, Jeon Somi, Jo Yuri, Kep1er, Katseye, Kim Soo Hyun, Me:I, NCT 127, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Park Min Young, Pow, Stayc, Taemin, TWS, Tiger JK, Zerobaseone and Zico.
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Last year’s festival marked an incredible success for the company, with KCON JAPAN notching a record-breaking crowd of 140,000 and attracting over 5.9 million fans worldwide for KCON LA 2024 both at the festival site and via its digital platforms. KCON also made U.S. history with the first-ever national primetime broadcast of a K-pop show with CW Network’s live broadcast.
Argentinians La T y La M and Malandro de America continue its domination on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart, as “Amor De Vago” adds a third week at No. 1 (chart dated Jan. 25).
The song, released Aug. 23 through Zelaya Producciones/Grace Music, earned both artists their first champ when it jumped 2-1 on the tally (dated Jan. 11), three weeks ago. It also earned Malandro de America his first appearance to date.
Bad Bunny’s new album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart, yields new career records. In addition to activity stemming from 12 songs already on the chart, five others debut. “DtMF,” which leads this week’s multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, also leads the recruits, as it flies 62-3 with the Greats Gainer weekly honors.
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In sum, Benito places 18 songs on the chart, 17 from the Debí Tirar Más Fotos plus a collab with Rauw Alejandro, ““Qué Pasaría…,” at No. 23. With 18 simultaneous titles, he outdoes himself, and sets a new record for the most concurrent songs since the chart launched in 2018.
Here’s Bad Bunny’s collection of songs on the current chart:
No. 3, “DtMF”No. 6, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”No. 9, “NUEVAYoL”No. 10, VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR”No. 12, “WELTiTA,” with ChuwiNo. 13, “VELDá,” with Omar Courtz & Dei VNo. 21, “EL CLúb”No. 22, “Qué Pasaría…,” with Rauw AlejandroNo. 25, KLOuFRENSNo. 29, PERFuMITO NUEVO,” with RaiNaoNo. 33, “EoO” (debuts)No. 39, “KETU TeCRÉ”No. 50, “TURISTA” (debuts)No. 52, “BOKeTe”No. 59, “PIToRRO DE COCO”No. 61, “CAFé CON RON,” with Los Pleneros De La Cresta (debuts)No. 65, “La MuDANZA” (debuts)No. 80, “LO QUE LE PASÓ a HAWAii” (debuts)
Two other songs bow this week, starting with Danny Ocean and Kapo’s “Imagínate” at No. 89, and Sebastián Yatra and Bad Gyal’s “2AM” at No. 95.
Welcome to Billboard‘s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: Performers at President Trump’s second inauguration are up in sales but static in streams, Hozier takes over streaming with a new-old cover and a couple generation-separated indie singer-songwriters go viral for very different songs.
Inauguration Performances Spur Modest Sales Gains (But Streaming Dips) for Carrie Underwood, Nelly & More
The presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday (Jan. 20) included multiple events with a variety of musical performances — many of which earned criticism from fans of artists aligning themselves with Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency, as well as statements by those artists defending their appearances. Chief among them were Carrie Underwood, who sang “America the Beautiful” after Trump delivered his inaugural address, and Nelly, who performed at the Liberty Inaugural Ball.
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Although both the former American Idol winner and the St. Louis rapper made headlines for their performances connected to the inauguration, neither experienced much movement in their daily streaming totals as a result. Underwood’s catalog earned 1.46 million U.S. on-demand streams on Monday, down nearly 6% from the previous Monday (1.55 million on Jan. 13), according to Luminate. Nelly’s streaming catalog was also down 5%, from 1.63 million on Jan. 13 to 1.54 million on Inauguration Day. However, both artists experienced upticks in digital sales those days, with Underwood and Nelly moving a couple hundred extra daily downloads (although still posting fewer than 1,000 downloads for the day).
So how did a more politically outspoken performer fare? Kid Rock, a longtime Trump supporter who played a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. the night before the inauguration, posted the slightest uptick in catalog streams on Inauguration Day (1.08 million, up from 1.07 million the previous Monday), as well as comparable gains in digital sales as Underwood and Nelly. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Fans ‘Wanna Know’ About Hozier’s 2014 Arctic Monkeys Cover
It feels like a fever dream of mid-’10s Tumblr alt-rock: Hozier, singer-songwriter behind one of the biggest and best-loved alt-rock hits of 2014, covering one of the year’s other biggest and best-loved hits in Arctic Monkeys’ “Do I Wanna Know.” The Irish crossover star did indeed do just that a decade ago, with a sweetly tender BBC Live Lounge rendition of the stomping late-night staple. Hozier’s version was never released as a single, but it did make an appearance on the special edition of his self-titled debut album, released in 2015.
Now, the song has taken on new life, as Hozier fans – who have multiplied in number over the past decade, especially following the release of his Hot 100-topping “Too Sweet” last year – have rediscovered the yearning cover, making it go viral all across social media, and on YouTube where the 10-year-old performance clip currently rates as one of the channel’s top 50 videos. The cover has particularly exploded over the last five days, amassing over 1.4 million combined official on-demand U.S. streams, up 3,941% from the same period the previous week, according to Luminate. And of course, the Arctic Monkeys original is feeling the spillover love too: The U.K. band’s original “Do I Wanna Know” racked up 3.5 million streams for the week ending Jan. 16, up 44% from the prior frame. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Beabadoobee’s ‘Real Man’ Becomes Her Latest Viral Hit
Beabadoobee has spent the past half-decade successfully braiding traditional indie-pop album releases and promotion with viral moments, as songs like her Powfu collaboration “Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)” and her own “The Perfect Pair” have earned hundreds of millions of streams after blowing up with the TikTok set. The British singer-songwriter has now done it again with “Real Man,” the smoky, piano-laced standout from last year’s full-length This is How Tomorrow Moves.
The chorus line of “I guess no one ever taught you how to be a real man” has inspired a flex-inflected TikTok dance and wave of lip synchs, helping “Real Man” break through on streaming platforms. A month ago, the track earned 1.84 million U.S. on-demand streams for the week ending Dec. 26, according to Luminate; that number has now nearly doubled, to 3.67 million for the week ending Jan. 16. Meanwhile, “The Perfect Pair,” which went viral back in 2022, is going viral again (re-viraling?) thanks to “Real Man” listeners discovering the older track, with 3.68 million streams for the week ending Jan. 16 — up nearly 30% from a month ago. – JL
Julie Doiron Sets Her Calendar for a Surprise Viral Hit
A breakout hit would’ve been something close to unforeseeable for Julie Doiron even at the peak of her ‘90s hipness. The Canadian lo-fi indie singer-songwriter (and bassist for underground favorites Eric’s Trip) had never made significant impact on the Billboard charts during her now three-decade recording career, releasing a consistent stream of well-received albums but never really even threatening a crossover moment. That’s changed in the last couple months, however, as Doiron has scored one of the surprise streaming hits of the early year: “August 10,” from 1996’s Broken Girl.
The slow, sad and still determinedly un-pop ballad has taken off on TikTok – not due to any particular trend or synch or influencer endorsement, but just through a series of popular recreations (of both Doiron’s vocals and her bare-bones guitar playing) and emotional videos set to the pleading verse. The striking song has hit enough of a nerve – seasonal sadness, perhaps – that it has exploded to over four million official on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending Jan. 16, according to Luminate, part of a steady climb that’s seen the song rise a little every week going back to last November. The streaming activity has even powered the song to a debut on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs listing, reaching a No. 12 peak. If it’s doing this well in January, imagine what might happen when we actually get to August. – AU
Cynthia Erivo is defying gravity with her Oscars nomination.
The Academy unveiled its 2025 nominees on Thursday (Jan. 23), with Erivo snagging a nod in the best actress in a leading role category for her portrayal of Elphaba in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked. To celebrate, the star took to Instagram to share a series of photos from the film, along with a heartfelt caption expressing her gratitude for the honor. “Moments like this don’t come along very often, and when they do, it is sacrilege to let them pass by without a moment of gratitude. I am grateful, grateful to @theacademy, grateful to be a part of something that makes people feel seen, grateful to be a cog in the wheel of a piece that makes us believe in magic, grateful to have experienced a dream come true, and deeply deeply grateful for this unbelievable recognition,” she wrote.
Erivo continued, “I often get asked what I would say to my younger self. Well today there’s nothing to be said. She is smiling, beaming, glowing from ear to ear. That speaks volumes.”
She went on to congratulate her co-star Ariana Grande, who received her first-ever nomination for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Glinda. “To my sister, @arianagrande, what a joy it is to be here with you watching as you ascend and amaze and become the actress you were meant to be. Congratulations first time nominee, I’m so so proud of you!! There is no one in the world I would have wanted to do this with more than you.”
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Erivo also thanked Chu, who she deemed, “our fearless leader whose kindness provided us with the room to play,” adding, “you are deserving of all good things and I’m lucky to call you my brother.”
See her full post here. The actress was previously nominated for best actress in 2020 for her role in Harriet, as well as best original song for the film’s “Stand Up.”
Erivo is up against Emilia Pérez‘s Karla Sofía Gascón, Anora‘s Mikey Madison, The Substance‘s Demi Moore and I’m Still Here‘s Fernanda Torres. Earning 10 nods total this year, Wicked ties with The Brutalist for second-most nominated project at the 2025 Oscars. Only Emilia Pérez has more, scoring 13 total.