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Trending on Billboard On Monday (Nov. 3), Billboard announced the launch of Billboard India to serve one of the world’s most rapidly growing music markets and showcase its talent to the world. In partnership with Other Side Ventures Pvt. Ltd., Billboard India will debut a host of offerings, including Billboard’s iconic charts, lists, music awards, […]
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Metallica’s long-awaited M72 World Tour stop in Perth took an unexpected turn over the weekend when two concertgoers were arrested and charged with trespassing after allegedly scaling a central tower inside Optus Stadium during the band’s performance.
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According to Western Australia Police, the incident occurred on Saturday (Nov. 1) during Metallica’s first Australian show since 2013. The two men — a 20-year-old from Carey Park and a 23-year-old from Australind — were removed from the venue and will face court for the dangerous stunt.
Police confirmed that a 20-year-old man from Carey Park and a 23-year-old man from Australind were arrested and charged with trespassing after scaling the structure.
“It will be alleged the men climbed up the central tower inside the bowl at the Metallica concert held at Optus Stadium on Saturday,” a WA Police spokesperson said, according to news.com.au.
The concert marked the band’s first return to Australian soil in over a decade. Their last local appearance was headlining the now-defunct Soundwave Festival in 2013, where they shared the bill with blink-182, Linkin Park, Slayer and Paramore.
Support came from Suicidal Tendencies and Evanescence, while fans lined up earlier in the week at a dedicated M72 pop-up shop in Perth, offering exclusive merch, screen-printed posters, vinyl, and tour-themed skateboards.
Metallica has enjoyed remarkable success on the Billboard charts, with their 1991 self-titled album, known as The Black Album, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and becoming one of the longest-charting albums in the chart’s history.
The band’s Australian tour continues with upcoming shows in Adelaide (Nov. 5), Melbourne (Nov. 8), Brisbane and Sydney over the next week. After wrapping their Australia and New Zealand shows, the rockers will continue the tour with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Their current M72 World Tour will wrap in July 2026, following dates in Europe and the U.K.
Full tour details are available on the band’s official website.
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Spotify has unveiled its most extensive out-of-home (OOH) and on-platform campaign to date in support of the 2025 ARIA Awards, spotlighting nominated Australian talent across more than 800 high-impact placements around the world — from major Australian cities to international landmarks including Times Square in New York and Leicester Square in London.
The campaign, launched in partnership with the ARIA Awards, aims to engage fans both locally and globally by integrating public voting directly into Spotify’s platform.
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Voting-enabled playlists are embedded within the app across four major categories: Best Australian Live Act, Song of the Year, Best Video and Most Popular International Artist. Fans are directed to the ARIA Awards hub via homepage banners, curated nominee spotlights, and QR codes displayed on select billboards.
According to Spotify, more than 250,000 Australians have already cast their votes through the platform, with engagement surpassing the past two years combined. Billboard placements across the U.S., U.K., and other key territories will continue to promote nominees in the lead-up to the ceremony, while winners will be celebrated globally after the ARIA Awards air on Nov. 19.
“The ARIA Awards 2025 campaign is Spotify’s most extensive local on-platform promotion ever — from in-app voting to high-impact OOH celebrations,” said Rosie Rothery, head of marketing at Spotify ANZ. “We’ve flexed the power of our platform and global footprint to put Australian artists and their success stories front and center.”
In addition to digital integrations, Spotify’s campaign includes a social media rollout, an ARIA Awards Spotify Artist Party, and the “Best of the ARIAs” collection — a curated shelf highlighting iconic Australian albums and past winners.
Annabelle Herd, CEO of ARIA, added: “The ARIA Awards 2025 are shaping up to be the biggest global platform to date for the incredible Australian artists making waves in culture around the world. As part of the ARIA Awards’ partnership with Spotify, we are thrilled to bring this year’s nominees to the streets that countless Australians travel day-in, day-out… before lighting up some of the world’s most iconic locations. This is what Aus music looks like on the world’s stage!”
The campaign continues Spotify’s 13-year commitment to promoting local music and complements its broader “Turn Up Aus” initiative focused on uplifting Australian artists.
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Sony Music announced Saturday (Nov. 2) that Vanessa Picken is stepping down as chair and CEO of Sony Music Australia and New Zealand, ending a three-year tenure marked by structural modernization, artist-first initiatives and industry-first milestones.
“It has been a privilege to lead such a dedicated and talented company, collaborating with so many inspiring artists and their teams,” Picken said in a statement. “Supporting their growth, creativity, and bold visions has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. With my term now complete, I feel this is the perfect time to embrace my next opportunity.”
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Picken was appointed in June 2022, becoming the first woman to lead the major label’s operations across both countries. She officially began in September 2022, succeeding former CEO Denis Handlin, who exited in 2021 following an external investigation into workplace culture. Her appointment was widely seen as a reset moment for the company.
Over the past three years, Picken spearheaded efforts to modernize the company’s internal operations and improve artist relations. Under her leadership, Sony Music ANZ invested in digital innovation, experiential brand opportunities and new licensing models, while placing increased emphasis on artist well-being and transparency.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together over the past three years, particularly during this transformative period for our Australia and New Zealand operations,” Picken continued. “We’ve modernized our organizational structure, enhanced our digital and marketing capabilities, and fueled new growth through experiential and licensing ventures. Throughout it all, we’ve placed a renewed focus on artist wellbeing and deepened their connection to the team.”
“As I move on from being the first woman to hold this role, I do so with great excitement for the future,” she added. “I’m confident I won’t be the last, and I hope that in the process, I’ve inspired others to follow their own paths.”
Rob Stringer, chairman of Sony Music Group, thanked Picken for her contributions in a statement to Billboard: “We extend our thanks to Vanessa for her time at Sony Music and for her commitment to guiding our artists’ careers and championing local creative talent. We wish her every success in the next chapter of her journey.”
No successor has been named, and Sony Music has not announced who will lead the company in the interim.
Trending on Billboard Ariana Grande‘s time with the Fockers and Byrnes has come to a close. The singer/actress, who’s slated to appear in the John Hamburg-directed comedy Focker In-Law for Universal, shared a sweet message to her co-stars and photos from the set of the film on Instagram Friday (Oct. 31). Explore See latest videos, […]
Trending on Billboard Cardi B made an appearance at Gillette Stadium on Sunday (Nov. 2), a month-and-a-half after revealing she’s expecting a baby with football player Stefon Diggs, wide receiver for the New England Patriots. The rapper was spotted seated next to Robert Kraft as the Patriots played the Atlanta Falcons in Foxborough, Mass. In […]
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Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl spends its first month atop the Billboard 200 chart, as it racks up its fourth straight week at No. 1 (on the chart dated Nov. 8). It earned 146,000 equivalent album units (down 25%) in the United States in the week ending Oct. 30, according to Luminate.
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The Life of a Showgirl is only the second album in 2025 to spend its first month at No. 1, following Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem (which spent its first eight weeks atop the list, of its total 12 at No. 1). Swift’s own The Tortured Poets Department spent its first 12 weeks at No. 1 in 2024, of its total 17 weeks atop the list.
With The Life of a Showgirl spending a fourth week at No. 1, Swift adds her 90th career week at No. 1 on the chart, extending her record among soloists. Elvis Presley has the second-most among soloists, with 67. The total encompasses her 15 No. 1 albums, the most among soloists. Only The Beatles have more weeks at No. 1 (132) and more No. 1 albums (19) among all artists.
Also in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, new releases from Daniel Caesar, Brandi Carlile and Demi Lovato all debut.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new, Nov. 8, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Nov. 4. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of The Life of a Showgirl’s 146,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise 121,000 (down 22%, equaling 157.82 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks — it’s No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums for a fourth week), album sales comprise 22,000 (down 41%; it falls 1-3 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise 3,000 (up 411%).
The chart-topping KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is a non-mover at No. 2 on the latest Billboard 200 (84,000 equivalent album units earned, down 12%), while I’m the Problem is also stationary at No. 3 (76,000, down 8%).
Daniel Caesar collects his first top 10 album as Son of Spergy debuts at No. 4 with 43,000 equivalent album units earned — his best week by units ever. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 26,000 (equaling 34.11 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks, marking his best streaming week ever; it debuts at No. 10 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 17,000 (his best sales week ever; it debuts at No. 4 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Son of Spergy is Caesar’s fourth charted effort on the Billboard 200 in total, and all of them have reached the top 40. Previously, he charted with Never Enough (No. 14 peak in 2023), Case Study 01 (No. 17 in 2019) and Freudian (No. 25 in 2017).
The new album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across five vinyl variants (including one signed), two CD iterations (one of them signed), alongside a standard digital download album.
Son of Spergy was preceded by three charting entries on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart: “Have a Baby (With Me)” (No. 17 peak in August), “Call On Me” (No. 17 in September) and “Moon” (featuring Bon Iver) (No. 16 in October).
Sabrina Carpenter’s former leader Man’s Best Friend holds at No. 5 on the latest Billboard 200 (42,000 equivalent album units earned, down 3%), while Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving rises 7-6 (39,000 units, up 5%).
Brandi Carlile captures her fifth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as Returning to Myself debuts at No. 7 with 35,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 32,000 (it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 3,000 (equaling 4.31 million on-demand official streams of the album’s tracks) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
In total, Returning to Myself is Carlile’s 10th charted effort on the Billboard 200. Of those, five have reached the top 10: Returning to Myself, Who Believes in Angels? (her collaborative album with Elton John; No. 9 in April); By the Way, I Forgive You (No. 5 in 2018), The Firewatcher’s Daughter (No. 9 in 2015) and Bear Creek (No. 10 in 2012).
The new album was preceded by its first radio-promoted single, its title track, which reached No. 12 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart in October.
Returning to Myself’s first-week sales were bolstered by the set’s availability across five vinyl variants (including one signed edition), two CD iterations (including one signed), a commentary edition of the album at digital retail, and a standard digital download album.
Cardi B’s former No. 1 AM I THE DRAMA? falls 6-8 with 32,000 equivalent album units earned (down 20%).
Demi Lovato scores her 10th top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as It’s Not That Deep debuts at No. 9 with 31,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 24,000 (it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 7,000 (equaling 9.78 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
The album was preceded by two of its tracks that reached Billboard’s Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart: “Fast” (No. 8 in August) and “Here All Night” (No. 13 in September).
It’s Not That Deep’s first-week sales were enhanced by its availability across six vinyl variants (including one signed), two CDs (one signed), a cassette, an artist webstore-exclusive download album with three bonus tracks, an iTunes Store-exclusive edition with one bonus track, and a standard digital download album.
Closing out the new top 10 on the latest Billboard 200 is SZA’s former No. 1 SOS, which falls 8-10 with nearly 31,000 equivalent album units earned (down 2%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
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Everybody Scream, the new album from Florence + The Machine, tops this week’s fan-voted music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Oct. 31) on Billboard, choosing Florence Welch’s latest work as their favorite new release.
Everybody Scream was let loose on Halloween, in a week that also saw new releases from Tyler, The Creator, Reneé Rapp, Brent Faiyaz and more. Florence + The Machine’s sixth full-length studio album brought in 53% of the vote.
The timing of the set’s release is fitting: “For this album, I didn’t realize how close death was,” Welch recently said in a cover-story interview with L’Officiel. “It was sort of like, Oh, death is just a doorway. Also, if the last album [Dance Fever] was a fairy tale, this one is a horror film, so it all made sense.”
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The frontwoman was referring to her experience suffering an ectopic pregnancy onstage — which caused her fallopian tube to rupture and required emergency surgery — in 2023. “As you can see, I have this well of grief that I’m trying to find ways to navigate,” she said. “I was in this fog, and I had to find meaning and my own belief system.”
“This is the most personal album I’ve ever made, but it’s also my most mythological in a sense. I wanted to create my own folk horror songs within it,” she explained in the interview.
The 12-song tracklist of Everybody Scream is led by its title track followed by “One of the Greats,” both of which were previewed ahead of the full collection’s release.
Looking ahead to performing the music from Everybody Scream live on tour, Welch told NPR that the stage is her place “to let how big the feelings are out, you know? Like, if I feel deranged, which sometimes I often do, and if I feel like I want to scream but I can’t, or I want to weep but I can’t, or just to move my body, like, violently almost, to get something out of me. That is my favorite thing about songs is they hold so many different things at once, and that’s my favorite thing about performance. You know, it is endless.”
Among the new releases trailing behind Everybody Scream are Tyler, The Creator’s “Mother,” with 15% of the vote; Reneé Rapp’s “Lucky,” with 6% of the vote, and Brent Faiyaz’s “Have To,” with 2% of the vote. Twenty percent of voters chose “other,” meaning their personal pick was not on the list.
See the final results of this week’s poll below.
Getty Images / Los Angeles Dodgers / Drake
The Los Angeles Dodgers squeaked out a Game 7 World Series comeback victory for the ages against the Toronto Blue Jays, and somehow Drake is catching all the strays.
The Toronto Blue Jays watched the World Series title slip through their hands after leading most of the game following Bo Bichete’s impressive home run off Shohei Ohtani. Their hopes and dreams of becoming champions vanished after Will Smith crushed a hanging slider in the 11th inning, giving the Dodgers their first lead and eventual Game 7 victory.
The final out came on a double-play ball on more masterful pitching from Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched in Game 7 on 0 days’ rest and was named World Series MVP.
Somehow, The Blue Jays Losing The World Series Became Drake’s Fault
After the Dodgers became the first team since the 2000 Yankees to go back-to-back, one person began catching all the strays on social media —and no, it wasn’t a member of the Blue Jays; it was none other than Drake.
The writing was on the wall: the Blue Jays lost two straight home games, and the common denominator was Drake being at both. When the final out was called and the Dodgers began celebrating on the Rogers Centre field, the trolling of Drake on social media started.
Interestingly enough, Nike, which has both Kendrick Lamar and Drake on their Nike family roster, with the latter having his own signature collection with Noctis, ran an ad congratulating the Dodgers with Lamar’s song “Squable Up” as the soundtrack.
The MLB on Fox account on social media got in on the fun, posting a photoshopped meme of Kendrick Lamar driving away in a GNX with the World Series title on the roof of the vehicle while blowing exhaust smoke on Drake with “They Not Like Us” written on the field.
The caption for the post… “DAMN.”
Of course, some fans are also attributing the loss to the dreaded Drake curse —if that’s even a thing, and it seems like it is.
Drizzy might want to stay off social media for a while. You can see more reactions below.
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Brandi Carlile returned to Saturday Night Live on Nov. 2 with a commanding performance of “Church & State” and “Human,” both from her newly released solo album Returning to Myself.
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This marks Carlile’s fourth time as musical guest on SNL and her second appearance this year, following an April duet with Elton John promoting their joint project Who Believes in Angels?. On Saturday’s show, she took center stage solo, delivering two emotionally charged performances.
Opening with “Church & State,” Carlile sang of a “failing empire” and sociopolitical unrest in a haunting arrangement co-written with producer Andrew Watt and longtime collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth.
She followed with “Human,” a soaring ballad that reflects on vulnerability and resilience — also the name of her upcoming Human Tour, which kicks off in February 2026.
The two songs are from Carlile’s eighth studio album, Returning to Myself, released Oct. 25. It marks her first solo LP since 2021’s In These Silent Days, which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, topped the Rock and Americana/Folk charts, and won multiple Grammy awards, including Best Americana Album and awards for “Broken Horses.” It also received seven Grammy nominations overall.
Since her last solo project, Carlile has remained a central figure in American roots and rock music — curating music festivals (Girls Just Wanna Weekend, Echoes Through the Canyon), forming the country supergroup The Highwomen, and collaborating with legends like Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Tanya Tucker.
Her SNL appearance follows a busy October that included performing at Mitchell’s Joni Jam at the Hollywood Bowl and announcing her return to Europe in fall 2026 after the North American leg of her tour.
Carlile also appeared in the episode’s promos, stealing the scene with a joke about noticing co-star Ashley Padilla’s haircut before Top Gun: Maverick actor Miles Teller, who hosted this week’s episode. “The second I saw you, I knew you had that new-haircut glow,” Carlile deadpanned — leading Padilla to declare her the new host.
