News
Page: 22
Lady Gaga is in a new era, and while her upcoming album is called Mayhem, she has found peace at home thanks to her fiancé Michael Polansky.
The superstar sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe to discuss her eighth studio album, where she revealed that she’s been “healthier” recently. “I have good people in my life. I fell in love with Michael,” she explained, before sharing a special moment with Polansky that inspired a song on Mayhem. “As a songwriter you need life to inspire your writing and if everything is promotion, then I’ll write about promotion and I won’t write about that special moment I shared with you where Michael asked me how I would want him to propose to me one day. We were in our backyard and I said, ‘Just take a blade of grass and wrap it around my finger’ and then I wrote ‘Blade of Grass’ because I remembered the way his face looked and I remembered the grass in the backyard and I remember thinking he should use that really long grass that’s in the center of the backyard.”
She continued of now feeling confident in her artistry, “I needed to go live life to have a full life and also to give back to my true gift. That’s one of the sweetest things that I think Michael ever said to me as my partner is he was like, ‘You who you are is that you’re an artist. That’s the thing that makes you the most happy, so we need to nurture that part of you.’ He reminded me that the other stuff was maybe sometimes hard for me and making it more difficult, so keeping me away from what I love.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The “Rain on Me” singer and businessman started dating shortly after meeting at a party in 2019, five years after which Polansky proposed in April 2024. The Joker: Folie à Deux actress has previously credited her fiancé with pushing her to make a new pop album, and while speaking to Elle in January, she revealed that Polansky helped pen “like, seven songs” on Mayhem — including single “Disease,” on which he’s credited as a songwriter.
Trending on Billboard
“My home used to only be the stage,” she told Lowe. “It was so lonely. And also it is so much more fun to take somebody up there with you, someone that loves you, that knows what you’re capable of in all the various aspects of life. I think that there’s nothing that could bring a tear to my eye than knowing that I mean so much to somebody in a way that isn’t about what I’m doing on stage or my song or what I’m wearing. He’s so grateful if I make him a double decaf espresso over ice because that’s his favorite, and that’s a huge part of who I am.”
Gaga concluded, “Mattering to somebody just for being me, like a girl, that means a lot. […] He just wants me to be OK and he’s my real friend.”
Watch the full interview below via The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music 1. Mayhem arrives on Friday (March 7).
Billboard Unfiltered returned on Wednesday (March 5) with another live episode, but the guys added a special guest into the mix — Hot 97’s DJ Drewski makes his debut on the newest iteration of the show.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Wiz Khalifa’s recent run of fiery freestyles and features has the crew feeling nostalgic as they discussed Wiz possibly forcing his way back into the mainstream, which led to a debate surrounding The Blog Era.
“There is a commercial appetite for Wiz,” senior charts & data analyst Trevor Anderson said. “I would love to see Wiz get another hit … Just to cap off this era, how crazy would it be if there was a comeback single that made its way… If he was able to sneak back into a top 40, top 20 kind of hit, that, to me, would only solidify when you look at that 15-year run.”
Trending on Billboard
For deputy director, editorial Damien Scott, he appreciates that Wiz has found what fans love about him, and is continuing to fill the void.
“It’s good to see an artist realize what people love about them and understand there is something they could still give to the game,” Scott added. “Wiz sounds like he wants to rap again. He got so successful … I don’t think he has anything to prove, but he sounds reinvigorated and wants to prove to people that he can still do this.”
The fellas highlighted a Blog Era artist they’d like to see make a comeback: Damien Scott went with Charles Hamilton while Trevor Anderson highlighted B.o.B. Carl Lamarre went down to Atlanta for Ace Hood and Drewski chose Asher Roth.
Scott got another discussion going when recalling a viral tweet comparing Jay-Z, Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. as the best lyricists. “I would go with Biggie as a lyricist,” Scott said. “I think Big had everything. I think he had every aspect of rap. Big was so nasty, I don’t think rap has dramatically moved on from what he’s done.”
Lamarre chimed in with a spicy take when claiming that “from a dexterity level,” J. Cole could go “toe-to-toe” with Biggie and hold his own on a track. “I think he could go toe-to-toe with a Jay,” he said. “Especially this new version of Cole we’re getting.”
Another heated discussion came off of the theory of Drake being planted in the ’90s and seeing how much success he’d have with his singing-rapping hallmark in the Golden Era. Drewski believes Drake would’ve thrived on a Bad Boy Records under Diddy’s tutelage, while Damien Scott isn’t so confident.
Scott thinks Drake owes a series of thank-yous to Kanye West for paving the way and breaking down sonic barriers in the years prior to his ascension. “The change that took place because of Kanye, Drake benefitted from greatly,” he said. “Back then, that s–t wasn’t flying.”
Watch the full episode below:
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
50 Cent wasted no time clowning after Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ 30-fight winning streak came to a stop with a draw.
Always on his troll game, 50 took to social media to blame Jim Jones and Juelz Santana for bringing bad energy to the fight. Instead of talking about boxing, he roasted them, saying, “One person teeth falling out, the other got a full grey beard, trying to show a chrome heart scarf.” Basically, 50 was saying Tank set himself up by letting them walk him to the ring.
Cam’ron was the one to spark a reaction out of the biggest troll (50 Cent) in the game. He joked that Tank needed to burn some sage after being around Jim and Juelz, saying that negative energy stuck with him during the fight. Whether they were serious or just trolling, the jokes flew all over social media. Tank is still technically undefeated, but this draw had everybody talking. Fans expected another W, but instead, they got 50 turning it into a comedy show.
Of course, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana got caught in the crossfire. This is just another example of how hip-hop and boxing stay connected—whether it’s rappers walking fighters out or throwing shots after the fact. One thing’s for sure: when 50 gets in troll mode, nobody is safe.
50 Cent just wrapped up his back-and-forth with Big Meech and Lil Meech over Big Meech linking up with Rick Ross after getting out of jail. 50 stirred things up by posting a pic of a rat, quoting Rick Ross’s “BMF” song, “I think I’m Big Meech,” hinting at some shady business.
50 Cent posts a rat pic on IG with the caption ‘I think I’m Big Meech’ and says the biggest mistake Big Meech made was not sustaining his relationship with Tammy Cowins, an alleged FBI informant.
50 Cent wrote the following caption:
“The biggest mistake he ever made was not… pic.twitter.com/I0q6Mlq3Sc
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) February 3, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
It seemed like a jab at Big Meech, who’s straight-up denied any betrayal. The online beef got spicy, but now 50’s backing off. Meanwhile, Big Meech is sticking to his story, shutting down the rumors and keeping his name clear in all the drama.
California’s largest rock festival has released its lineup, featuring some of the biggest names in metal, hardcore and punk. 2025’s Aftershock Festival at Discover Park in Sacramento will include 115 bands, headlined by four of the biggest artists in the genre — pop-punk legends Blink 182, hard rock pioneering band Deftones, nu-metal veterans Korn and British hardcore legends Bring Me The Horizon.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Aftershock is the biggest rock, punk, and metal festival on the West Coast, and this year, it lined up perfectly for California fans. We’ve got legendary reunions, rare performances, and more California bands on this lineup than any Aftershock before,” said Aftershock promoter Danny Wimmer, who has staged the festival for 13 years, in a statement. “Year after year, we’ve broken attendance records, and this one is set to be the biggest yet. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it. I hope to see you there.”
Trending on Billboard
Other big names appearing at this year’s festival include pop-punkers Good Charlotte and All Time Low performing on the opening Thursday for Aftershock, Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan’s band A Perfect Circle and east coast hardcore outfit Turnstile performing Friday. Saturday will feature performances from Bad Omens and Gojira, while Sunday boasts sets by hard rock legends Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson.
This year’s festival features more than a dozen reunion shows, including the first West Coast performance for recently reunited East Coast hardcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan, as well as a 40th anniversary celebration for gross-out rock legends GWAR.
Tickets are on sale now at Aftershock’s website for both general admission and VIP. This year, Aftershock is continuing to offer layaway ticket purchases with just $1 down, as well as discounted four-day and single day passes to first responders, active duty military and medical professionals and nurses. A full lineup for this year’s festival can be found below:
Aftershock
Courtesy Photo
In the new “The Stars Behind the Stars” franchise, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors share stories that have yet to be told, directly from those who aren’t often in front of the spotlight. Think “todo lo que no se ve detrás de cámaras” or “everything that happens behind the scenes.” These unsung heroes are essential to an artist’s team and its foundation. Today, we highlight CEO Juan Martín Salazar, creative director of 9F agency.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
9F’s CEO and creative director, Juan Martín Salazar, has directed campaigns for such game-changing albums this decade as Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Cowboy Carter albums and Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. He was also in charge of the exhibition of Mañana será Bonito by Karol G in Madrid, and the pop-up of Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos in New York (at the Caribbean Social Club in Toñitas) and Miami in association with Amazon Music Latin.
Trending on Billboard
In addition, he was in charge of creating a spectacular event during the week of the Latin Grammys 2023 in Spain with Carín León, at the cultural landmark Setas de Sevilla. Salazar and his team designed a backdrop from the entrance stairs, leading to an “acoustic” stage and creating a welcoming atmosphere, surrounded by colonial buildings.
“For me it was like a Louis Vuitton show,” Salazar tells Billboard Español. “That was the goal, and I always told the home team, ‘This has to be Louis Vuitton-type.’ They didn’t want to do the carpet-lined ladder thing, and I’m super-exaggerated in some things. There are many agencies that do many things. Still, there is always that ‘rainbow touch’ that makes things look much better — and that they don’t necessarily have to be very expensive or giant; it’s like that little detail.”
The CEO began his career studying business administration in Colombia, and then spent a stage of his life in Argentina. Years later, he moved to Miami to work directly with labels such as 5020, Sony Music Latin, Amazon and Columbia Records.
“My first project was for Becky G,” he recalls. “She released a song called ‘Dollar’ with Myke Towers, and I came up with a super crazy idea — that, to this day, I sometimes say, ‘What was I thinking about doing something like that?’ It was installing an ATM on a corner, and of course, the fans came and took out bills. In other words, the ATM worked perfectly; it was not connected to the bank, but people could put their card, and Becky G bills would come out with a receipt that said: “Becky G and Dollar…’ When you listen to the song, it talks about a guy who was always pretending, and in the end, it was all super fake.”
One of the moments that Juan has also enjoyed has been being able to create campaigns for English-language artists. Another opportunity opened up after doing a project for Rosalía: “There was a time when someone from Columbia Records asked Sony, the regional company, for help to do Rosalía’s Motomami project,” he explains. “Because of that, at Columbia, we’ve been recommended internally — and ended up doing both Beyoncé campaigns for Cowboy Carter and Renaissance.”
Salazar adds, “When the Renaissance campaign came to me, for the first time, it was like, ‘Wow! Already.’ God, I mean, I’m an immigrant. I come from Colombia, and never in my life I thought I would do something for Beyoncé.” He is preparing something special with Oscesa, for the 10 sold-out shows that Shakira will soon have in Mexico City. A museum that opens on March 19 will be open for the 10 days of Shakira’s show in Mexico City.
After seven years of positioning itself within the U.S. entertainment industry, 9F Agency took a crucial step in its international expansion with the opening of operations in Mexico, led by the prominent Spanish executive Cristina Martín.
Juan Martín Salazar tells us a little about the creative process behind some of these great projects.
How do you come up with inspiration for each project?
I like to go to fairs that don’t have to do with music, for example, exhibition fairs. Just last year, I was there — because my husband is an architect, and I accompanied him to Milan for the furniture fair. I always go to exhibitions, and there I go.
Many things, that fair, that one, were biotechnical things that had transparent fabrics, and when I came back here, I said, “Let’s do [something] with fabrics.”
How much do you get involved with each artist?
Well, almost not. It’s like the team. In the case of Karol, for example, I always work with Luis Mesa, the Marketing Director. He is like the intermediary between the artist and that. For me, there is no need to speak directly to them. I respect the communication channel very much. And in the case of a label, I always go to the project manager.
What has been your favorite project?
For me, one of the highlights was Beyoncé’s. I don’t know if you’ve seen the one at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. That was wild.
The Cowboy Carter album was coming out and we were asked to do some screenings. So, she wanted to make some projections in emblematic places of Black culture. When I went in to see, I said, “This doesn’t make any sense… They’re in Alabama, they’re in Mississippi.” I say to her team: no one is going to see it there.
So, I said, “Why don’t we do it at the Guggenheim, at the New Museum, at the Whitney Museum, in [this place and that place]? So, they said, all at once, “Let’s do it there.” When we started doing the rehearsal at the Guggenheim on the computer, they sent us a file, but they didn’t want to send us the final file. Afterward, they did not want to send the file through WeTransfer. Then, they sent someone on a plane from Los Angeles to New York with the flash drive.
This was the day we had to go out with the ad. It was 4:00 in the afternoon, and the person did not land in New York… In other words, the plane was delayed, I have no idea what happened, and they sent it on WeTransfer. And when I opened the file, it was a completely different file than the one we had rehearsed with. And this was at 6:00 in the evening, and we had to go live at 8:00. And in the end, it went super well.
[The museums] were like, “We’re so glad that Beyoncé is interested in art and black art.” Because there were art exhibitions by Black artists in museums.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
During Fender‘s 79th anniversary, the guitar company is celebrating the brand’s iconic guitars, including the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster, with a massive online sales event with deep discounts in nearly all categories.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
We rounded up the best deals on all sorts of electric and acoustic guitars, as well as bundles and amps, at Fender’s website. You can save up to a whopping 60% on all sorts of guitar gear, including cases, cables, picks, straps and more with prices starting at just $4.49 (reg. $4.99) for a pack of acoustic bridge pins. Even ukuleles are on sale for up to 30% off at Fender.
A good amount of the active deals are also web exclusive, which means you can’t find these deep discounts in stores. In fact, Fender has a number of starter bundles for aspiring rock stars looking to buy their very first guitar. Bundles include an electric guitar, a small practice amp, cables, extra guitar strings, a guitar strap, a stand, an assortment of guitar picks and more.
Scroll down to shop our recommendations for the best deals at Fender.
Fender
Fender Sonic Stratocaster HT Frontman Electric Guitar Bundle
$345.99
$406.92
15% off
Fender
Fender Sonic Telecaster HT Frontman Electric Guitar Bundle
$345.99
$406.92
15% off
Fender
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster
$2,119.99
$2,649.99
20% off
Fender
Fender American Professional II Telecaster
$1,569.99
$1,749.99
10% off
Fender
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster
$1,569.99
$1,749.99
10% off
Fender
Fender Mustang LT25 Bundle
$196.99
$230.96
15% off
Fender
Fender Redondo Player Dreadnought Case Bundle
$509.99
$599.98
15% off
Fender
Fender Montecito Tenor Ukulele
$199.99
$279.99
29% off
Fender
Fender Tie Dye Leather Straps
$24
$59.99
60% off
Meanwhile, you can get free shipping to your home on all orders over $50, while Fender offers easy returns and exchanges within 30 days of purchase. Learn more about Fender’s return and exchange policy here.
Want more? You can shop more deep discounts on guitars, amps, cables and other accessories at Fender’s website.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Naniwa Danshi’s “Doki it” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated March 5.
The J-pop boy band’s eighth single is being featured as the theme song for AOKI’s “Freshers Fair” commercial starring the seven members. The single launched with 336,529 copies to rule sales, while coming in at No. 4 for downloads and No. 9 for radio airplay. This is the band’s third single after “UBU LOVE” and “The Answer” to hit No. 1 (and the fourth week, as “UBU LOVE” stayed atop the chart for two weeks). and “The Answer”).
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” follows at No. 2. Streaming and video for the track are down from the previous week, but downloads gained by 104%, radio by 117%, and karaoke by 107%. The Oblivion Battery opener has coasted along in the top 5 for the 46th consecutive week, with six of them at No. 1.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Sakanaction’s “Kaiju” slips a notch to No. 3. While overall points for the Orb: On the Movements of the Earth opener have decreased, streaming rises 3-2 (up 119%) and radio jumps 4-1 (up 147%).
Trending on Billboard
=LOVE’s “Tokubechu, shite” shoots to No. 4 from No. 56. The track marked the girl group’s highest first week sales with 302,589 copies, coming in at No. 2 for the metric.
timelesz’s “Rock this Party” debuts at No. 5. This is the first new song by the now eight-man group formerly known as Sexy Zone, after five new members joined through the audition called timelesz project. It’s also the first digital release by the boy band since their debut as Sexy Zone. The buzz around the new-member audition powered the track to No.1 for downloads, No. 8 for streaming, No. 53 for radio, and No. 86 for video. In addition, the release of the introductory digital compilation album Hello! We’re timelesz including songs from the group’s Sexy Zone years has sent “RUN” and “Jinsei Yugi” back into the Japan Hot 100. It’s been about four and a half years since the former entered the charts (No. 57 this week), and about a year and three months for the latter (No. 95).
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 Feb. 24 to Mar. 2, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
“Don’t leave when you’re hot, that’s how Mase screwed up.”
We all remember that famous line from Ye’s (formerly Kanye West)= “Devil in a New Dress” — a line he has since apologized for — and on Wednesday (March 5), the Harlem rapper talked about his meteoric rise after he signed to Bad Boy.
During an episode of his sports talk show It Is What It Is, co-host Trysta Krick asked Mase what was the first moment in his rap career that gave him confidence during a conversation about athletes becoming more confident after winning a championship. “For me it was instant,” he answered. “I worked so hard behind the scenes that when I did hit the scene, it was instant. To people, it looked like it happened overnight.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
He then recalled a moment when he went to check out a Junior M.A.F.I.A. show at Nassau Coliseum with a friend and couldn’t get in. “That moment lit a fire in my belly,” he said. “A year later, I just started working on my flow, working on my bars, working on my delivery, and I worked on it for like six months. I studied people like Method Man. I studied people like LL. I got my waves from Nas. I got my bounce from Method Man. I got my songwriting from LL.”
Trending on Billboard
However, it wasn’t until The Notorious B.I.G. decided to let him hit the stage during a show at the Apollo that he really took off. “And then one day, he was performing at the Apollo and he brought me out and that was the part that changed everything,” he remembered. “What else can you be solidified by other than the greatest rapper ever to bring you out on stage and say that you’re the next one? And once he said I was the next one, I never looked back. I got better every day. I got better on every song. Every freestyle was great. It was like I couldn’t miss for like two years straight. Anything I got on was just gone. It was nonstop.”
He added: “My hand was hotter than probably Drake‘s. I’m not gonna lie to you. I mean from the beginning. Now Drake has had a way better career, did major things, but I’m saying, my initial start was hotter than Drake’s.”
Mase started his rap career as a member of Harlem rap group Children of the Corn alongside the late Big L, Cam’ron, Herb McGruff, the late Bloodshed and producer Six Figga Digga. He made his Bad Boy debut on 112‘s “Only You (Remix)” and his debut Harlem World sold 273,000 copies in its first week and is certified four times platinum.
Watch the full episode of It Is What It Is below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The Los Angeles Lakers vs. the New York Knicks is gearing up to be one of the most exciting NBA games of the week. Tipping off at Crytpo.com Arena in Los Angeles, LeBron James and Luka Dončić will defend their home court against Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The star power on the court will surely bring Hollywood’s biggest stars courtside, including many musicians who root for the Lakers, such as Snoop Dogg, Flea, Adele, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube and Lil Wayne.
Since acquiring Luka in a blockbuster trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, all eyes have been on the purple and gold. The unexpected duo of Dončić and James has been a gift that keeps on giving for NBA fans. Since the trade, the Lakers are 11-2, climbed up to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, James was named the NBA Western Conference player of the month and has become the first player in NBA history to reach 50,000 points.
Trending on Billboard
The Knicks may not be making as many headlines as the Lakers, but the New York squad is just as impressive. Sitting at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have a deep roster of talent led by Brunson and the newly acquired Towns, and already has 40 wins in the season.
Could this matchup be a preview of a potential NBA finals? Keep reading to learn how you can watch the Lakers vs. Knicks game online.
When and Where Is the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Game?
The Knicks and Lakers will square off on Thursday, March 6, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The game will broadcast live on TNT and available to stream on Fubo TV, Max (via Prime Video and Hulu), Sling TV and DirecTV.
How to Watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Game Online
To watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks game online, Fubo TV offers a seven-day free trial to new users. With the streaming service, subscribers can stream hundreds of cable, network and sports channels with Fubo’s Pro package, which is $84.99 a month for 145 channels such as CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, FX, TLC, AMC, MSNBC, ESPN, FS1 and Nickelodeon. But you don’t have to sign up right away: Try it out with a weeklong free trial with no commitment to livestream the NBA game online free.
Max will also be livestreaming the Lakers vs Knicks game, starting at $9.99 per month via Prime Video. It’s streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. However, you’ll need a subscription to Prime Video (or an Amazon Prime membership) to add Max to your account (no free trial available).
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video; Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more. Learn more about Amazon Prime here.
Sling Orange is another affordable streaming choice, especially for sports fans. Watch TNT, ESPN and other sports, news and entertainment channels for just $23 for the first month ($45.99/month afterwards).
You can watch local networks such as TNT, ABC and NBC, as well as many cable networks, including Lifetime AMC, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Fuse, CNN, Food Network and many others.
The Lakers vs Knicks game will also be available on Hulu + Live TV. The subscription gets you access to more than 90 live channels, including Max, and loads of on-demand content that you can stream at home or on the go for $82 a month. With the subscription, you’ll also gain access to Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with TNT gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $74.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC, Fox and PBS, as well as many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Get Last-Minute Tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Game
Want last-minute tickets to the Lakers vs Knicks game? There are plenty of affordable tickets available on Vivid Seats (get $20 off purchases of $200 and over with code BB30), SeatGeek (your first purchases can get $10 off ticket order $250 and with code BILLBOARD10), StubHub and GameTime (score $20 off ticket orders of $150 and over with code SAVE20). Prices vary depending on the city and seats available.
Moreover, you can save $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code BILLBOARD150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code BILLBOARD300 at TicketNetwork.com.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’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.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week: The Oscars leads to gains for songs from winners Anora and Emilia Perez, Bob Dylan gets another wave of A Complete Unknown gains (as does the guy who plays him in the movie), and listeners say farewell to one of the greatest pop, soul and jazz singers of the 20th century.
Oscars Boost ‘El Mal,’ Take That’s ‘Anora’ Anthem And… Indie Band Yuck
The 97th Annual Academy Awards may have been the rare Oscars telecast to shrug off any performances of the best original song nominees, but that doesn’t mean some wide-ranging tunes didn’t benefit from their ties to Hollywood’s biggest night. For one, the song that actually did emerge victorious in that category — “El Mal,” from Emilia Pérez — did earn a major streaming bump. The spiky rap-rock track, performed in the French musical by Zoe Saldaña and written by Clément Ducol, Camille and director Jacques Audiard, experienced more than a 2,000% increase in official on-demand U.S. streams thanks to the Oscar win, according to initial data from Luminate – from fewer than 1,000 streams on the Monday before the awards ceremony (Feb. 24) to nearly 20,000 streams the day after the Oscars (Mar. 3).
Trending on Billboard
Meanwhile, the enormous night for indie dramedy Anora — five Academy Awards, including Best Picture — coincided with an uptick for Take That’s “Greatest Day”: the 2008 single received a euphoric remix from Robin Schulz and Calum Scott in 2023, and the reworked version appears multiple times in Anora. As director Sean Baker enjoyed his “Greatest Day” with a record-tying four Oscar wins in a single night, the updated Take That track shot up 500% in daily streams, from 6,000 on Feb. 24 to 41,000 one week later. Elsewhere, Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever” earned a similar percentage bump thanks to Doja Cat’s performance of the classic during a James Bond medley at the Oscars; “Diamonds” was up 441% on the day after the Oscars, from over 3,000 streams to over 18,000 streams.
Yet the most surprising recipient of an Oscars streaming increase is Yuck, the noise-rock-leaning indie band that released three albums between 2011 and 2016; as astute blogosphere scholars pointed out on Sunday night, Daniel Blumberg, the composer who won the Best Original Score Oscar for his work on The Brutalist, used to be Yuck’s frontman before he pivoted to the film world. As a result, Yuck’s streaming catalog soared 432% post-Oscars, from 7,000 total streams on Feb. 24 to nearly 39,000 streams on Mar. 3. That’s probably not quite enough to convince Blumberg for a reunion, but indie rock diehards can dream. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Despite Oscars Shutout, ‘A Complete Unknown’ Continues to Boost Tracks From Its Stars – And From Bob Dylan Himself
Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown may have lost all eight of its nominations at Sunday night’s Academy Awards (March 2), but the film is pulling off a few notable wins on streaming and in sales.
According to initial data from Luminate, streams for Dylan’s catalog rose 15% during Oscar weekend. From Feb. 21-24, Dylan’s catalog earned 7.02 million official on-demand U.S. streams. For the similar period the following week (encompassing Oscars weekend), his catalog pulled 8.11 million streams. His digital song sales also nearly doubled over that period, shooting from 1,600 to over 3,200.
A Complete Unknown was accompanied by an official soundtrack, featuring covers of Dylan and Joan Baez classics sung by Oscar-nominated stars Timothée Chalamet and Monica Barbaro. “It Ain’t Me Babe,” the 1964 classic notably performed by the duo in the film, has steadily risen in streams over the past month. During the period of Feb. 7-13, the cover pulled just 177,000 official on-demand U.S. streams. Two weeks later, that figure exploded by 310% to over 727,000 streams earned during the period of Feb. 21-27.
And it’s still rising, as both the song and the movie continue to find new fans. Over that Feb. 28-Mar. 3 period, the song’s streams leapt nearly 80% over the equivalent period the prior week, from 315,000 to over 565,000. – KYLE DENIS
Roberta Flack’s Catalog Up Over 400% in Streams, 4,600% in Sales Following Her Death
The great pop, soul and jazz singer Roberta Flack died from cardiac arrest at age 88 on Feb. 24. Flack was a four-time Grammy winner – including back-to-back record of the year wins in 1973 (“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”) and 1974 (“Killing Me Softly With His Song”), making her the first artist to ever win the award in consecutive years. She also topped the Billboard Hot 100 with both of those singles, in ‘72 and ‘73, respectively, as well as with “Feel Like Makin’ Love” in ‘74 – making her the first woman to score No. 1s on the chart in three straight years.
Following her passing last week, fans of course flocked to DSPs and retailers to stream and buy her classic hits. Her catalog more than quintupled in official on-demand U.S. streams for the tracking week ending Feb. 27 – up from just over a million streams the week before to over 5.4 million, according to Luminate – and also rose nearly 4,600% in digital sales, from under 400 total to over 18,000. The biggest risers included those two record of the year winners, “The First Time” (up 284% to 769,000 streams and over 5,000% to 5,900 in sales) and “Killing Me Softly” (up 220% to 1.3 million streams and nearly 4,900% to 6,700 in sales), as well as one of her signature Donny Hathaway duets, 1978’s “The Closer I Get to You” (up 244% to 584,000 streams and over 4,600% to 1,900 in sales). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Bhad Bhabie Rides New Feud to a Catalog-Reviving Surprise Hit Diss Track
Seven years after scoring her first Billboard Hot 100 entry, Bhad Bhabie could be gearing up for her first appearance of the 2020s on the chart. Taking a page out of Kendrick Lamar’s book, Bhad Bhabie has spun a legitimate streaming hit out of her beef with Alabama Barker, daughter of blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
On Feb. 25, Bhad Bhabie dropped “Ms. Whitman,” a blistering diss track that samples Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” and accuses Barker of a litany of things, including an unconfirmed abortion from a Tyga pregnancy. During its first full week of release (Feb. 25-March 3), “Ms. Whitman” earned 7.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to initial data from Luminate – essentially working out to a little over a million streams a day.
“Ms. Whitman” is also boosting Bhad Bhabie’s back catalog, which includes the Hot 100 hits “These Heaux” (No. 77), “Gucci Flip Flops” (No. 79, with Lil Yachty) and “Hi Bich” (No. 68). During the week of Feb. 14-20, Bhad Bhabie’s discography pulled 1.7 million official on-demand U.S. streams. The following week (Feb. 21-27), streaming activity for her catalog more than doubled to over 3.57 million streams. With streams still pouring in and the beef still active, “Ms. Whitman” could very well threaten to become Bhad Bhabie’s highest-peaking Hot 100 hit yet. – KD