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31 Jan 2024

Grammy Week 2024: Jordin Sparks, Jelly Roll, Kylie Minogue & More Stars at Events

It’s Music’s Biggest Week, haven’t you heard? As the 66th Grammy Awards draw nearer (Feb. 4), the stars have descended upon Los Angeles for a week jam-packed with events, galas, panels and performances in celebration of Music’s Biggest Night.

This year, SZA leads all nominees with nine nods for her 10-week Billboard 200 No. 1 album SOS. That record boasts the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Kill Bill” — up for record and song of the year — as well as additional Grammy-nominated top 10 hit “Snooze” (No. 2). R&B breakout star Victoria Monét, Boygenius member Phoebe Bridgers and engineer/mixer Serban Ghenea tie for the second-most nominations of the night with seven each. All three artists are up for record of the year for “On My Mama,” “Not Strong Enough” and “Worship,” respectively. Finally, seven additional artists racked up six nods each: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Jon Batiste and Brandy Clark.

So far, a genre-spanning spread of performers has been announced for Sunday night’s telecast, including Eilish, Rodrigo, SZA, Billy Joel, Burna Boy, Dua Lipa, Luke Combs, Travis Scott, U2 and Joni Mitchell in her debut Grammy performance. In addition, this year’s lifetime achievement honorees include, Donna Summer, Gladys Knight, Laurie Anderson, N.W.A, Tammy Wynette and The Clark Sisters.

From Coco Jones‘ illuminating conversation with Billboard’s Gail Mitchell at the Grammy Museum L.A. Live on Jan. 29 to James Fauntleroy‘s address at the Grammy Week 1500 Sound Academy Panel that same day, see photos from across every star-studded Grammy Week event so you can keep track of where your favorite celebs are celebrating.

31 Jan 2024

Zach Bryan Reveals Matthew McConaughey Will Star In His ‘Nine Ball’ Music Video

Zach Bryan has dropped more details about a project with actor Matthew McConaughey, which Bryan had previously teased on social media.

On Tuesday (Jan. 30), the “I Remember Everything” singer revealed that McConaughey is set to appear in the upcoming music video for his song “Nine Ball,” which was included on his 2023 EP Boys of Faith. In a post to his Instagram, Bryan shared artwork styled like a movie poster, featuring McConaughey’s face front and center. The poster’s tagline, “My father was a betting man,” comes directly from the song’s lyrics. “Coming soon and written with care,” Bryan wrote in the caption.

Two weeks ago, Bryan shared a photo on Instagram of himself with McConaughey in a bar in Sagebrush, Texas, taking to his caption to thank the actor for his constant support. “thank you for being so kind and open-hearted these past few days @officiallymcconaughey,” he wrote. “For all the advice and believing in something I cared enough to write about, you’ll always have a friend in me and for once it was an honor to meet a hero.”

“Nine Ball” centers on a boy whose relationship his father isn’t quite the norm, as the father places gambling bets on his son’s games of pool.

Currently, Bryan’s collaboration with Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything,” is at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, having previously topped the Hot 100 back in September; the song has also spent 18 weeks atop the Hot Country Songs chart. At the recent Billboard Music Awards, Bryan picked up wins for top new artist and top rock artist, while his song “Something in the Orange” was named top rock song and his album American Heartbreak was named top rock album.

Check out Bryan’s official teaser for the “Nine Ball” music video featuring Matthew McConaughey below:

31 Jan 2024

Showtime Sued Over ‘George & Tammy’ TV Series by Real-Life Heirs of ‘Villain’ Character

Showtime is facing a lawsuit over its 2022 television series centered on country music legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette, filed by the estate of Wynette’s late husband over allegations the show unfairly turned him into “the villain.”

The case, filed Wednesday (Jan. 31) in Delaware court, claims that “George & Tammy” conveyed a “negative and disparaging portrayal” of the late George Richey, a songwriter and producer to whom Wynette was married for decades after her split from Jones.

“The series depicts Richey as a devious husband who abused Wynette and Richey’s prior wife, facilitated and encouraged Wynette’s addiction to prescription painkillers, and engaged in financial and managerial manipulation of Wynette,” write attorneys for Richey’s daughter, Sheila Slaughter Richey.

Though the allegations sound like a defamation lawsuit, they’re not. Instead, the case actually accuses Showtime of violating a 2019 settlement agreement that allegedly barred Wynette’s daughter, Georgette Jones, from making disparaging statements about Richey.

Since George & Tammy was based on Georgette’s 2011 memoir about her parents, the lawsuit claims that Showtime committed so-called tortious interference with contract — meaning the network essentially encouraged Georgette to breach her settlement with Richey’s estate.

“The defendant [was] specifically told, in a written letter delivered prior to the broadcast of the Series, that the Series was based on and featured disparaging information that was the ill-gotten product of Georgette’s violation of the agreement,” the estate’s lawyers wrote. “Nonetheless, Showtime chose to broadcast the Series anyway.”

The case was filed by estate executor Sheila Slaughter Richey, who married Richey in 2001 after Wynette’s 1998 death, and by their son Tatum Richey. In a statement to Billboard, Sheila and Tatum’s attorney, Todd McMurtry, said the case raises “many serious issues” and that he and his clients “look forward to addressing them with the court.”

“Showtime transformed George Richey into the villain of its story, raking in profits and views,” McMurtry said. “Showtime unjustly benefitted from Georgette’s violation of her prior contractual promise to never again disparage or encourage the disparagement of the Richey family.”

A spokesperson for Showtime did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.

Released in December 2022, George & Tammy was well-received by critics — particularly Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain’s respective portrayals of Jones and Wynette. Both were later nominated for Emmy Awards for their performances.

The six-episode limited series was based on The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George, Georgette Jones’ 2011 memoir, and she’s listed in credits as a “consulting producer” on the series. In an August interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Georgette said she had “many, many conversations with the creative team” ahead of the production.

According to Wednesday’s lawsuit, Georgette was tightly restricted in what she could say about Richey.  That’s because Sheila previously sued her in 2015 over allegations that she made “false accusations” about Richey and his family. That case settled in 2019, with Georgette allegedly signing a strict non-disparagement clause.

Under the terms of that deal, she agreed to not make “any statements, written or verbal, or cause or encourage others to make any statements, written or verbal, that defame, disparage, or in any way criticize the personal or business reputation practices or conduct” of Richey or his heirs.

But despite that agreement, the lawsuit claims that Showtime “repeatedly disparages” Richey in
George & Tammy. The lawsuit claims that in the series, Richey — portrayed by Steve Zahn — encourages Wynette’s drug addiction, is physically abusive toward her and manipulates her to maintain complete control over her career.

The lawsuit takes particular exception to the series finale. In one scene, Jones appears to find a will that Wynette has written on a yellow note pad. Later, a series of text epilogues flash on screen, telling viewers that “George Richey inherited the vast majority of her estate” and that “Tammy’s yellow note pads were never found.”

“The obvious implication is that Richey destroyed the yellow note pads that contained Wynette’s will,” the estate’s lawyers write.

31 Jan 2024

Cemetery Where Megan Thee Stallion’s Mom Is Buried Asks for More Security

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Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty

Could Nicki Minaj’s Barbz fanbase be as rabid and vengeful as that of Donald Trump’s MAGA cult 45? We don’t know but some people down in Texas certainly seem to think so.

According to TMZ the Texas cemetery where Megan Thee Stallion’s mom, Holly Thomas was laid to rest has asked local authorities for extra security as Nicki Minaj referenced Megan’s deceased mother in her struggle diss record “Bigfoot.” After the record dropped, fans of Nicki took to social media and began to murmur about ways to get back at Megan Thee Stallion for slandering their Queen which included desecrating her mother’s gravesite. Knowing such a disgusting act was possible, the cemetery alerted authorities to the threat.

TMZ reports:

What’s more … we’re told PSC will continue to monitor the situation as they take all matters regarding safety and security seriously — and lately, things have been getting too real.

They do add … as of yet, thankfully nothing has happened to the gravesite, but they emphasize they’re on high alert regardless.

The extra precautions come after some of Nicki’s “Barbz” — AKA, her army of fiercely loyal supporters — first leaked the location of Holly’s burial site on social media … encouraging others to go and desecrate her grave as a way to get back at MTS for her OG diss.

Doxing locations is such a MAGA thing to do these days. Just sayin.’

We really hope that no one out there actually goes out and disrespects Ms. Holly’s resting place just in the name of Nicki Minaj, but the way people have become so tribal these days over political views and pop culture even, you just never know what they’re capable of.

All of this just because Megan Thee Stallion took a subliminal shot at Nicki’s husband being a convicted sex offender. Hip-Hop beef in 2024 SMH.

What do y’all think of this situation? Let us know in the comments section below.

31 Jan 2024

Drake Stars in New Fragrance Commercial for Oils That Smell Just Like Him: Watch

When Drake originally dropped his Carby Musk candles in 2020, they were marketed as being his personal scent for fans to smell just like the 6 God.

The OVO hitmaker’s Better World Fragrance House returned on Wednesday (Jan. 31) with the launch of its new fragrance oils, and Carby Musk was the first to become available.

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However, much to the chagrin of the OVO faithful hoping to adopt Drizzy’s scent, the 10 ML Carby Musk fragrance oil — which retails for $195 — quickly sold out on the company’s website.

Although, fans were greeted with a funny Better World Fragrance House commercial starring Drake as he dusted off his acting chops for the ad posted to his Instagram.

Soundtracked by For All The Dogs’ infectious “BBL Love,” different women in various social settings become intoxicated by the Carby Musk aroma from the new fragrance oil.

Drake pops into his closet looking for a specific garment and becomes baffled when he can’t seem to locate it. Leaving the bedroom, Drizzy gets startled when he bumps into one of his housecleaners taking a deep sniff of his Carby Musk-sprayed shirt.

“What are you doing?” he asks the maid. She replies in broken English after the scent puts at her ease: “It smells so good.”

While the debut fragrance oil isn’t available, all of the candle options from the collection are still for sale at the Better World online store.

Fans can purchase Drake’s Carby Musk scent as well as the 2023-released Sweeter Tings, the warm Williamsburg Sleepover, Good Thoughts and Muskoka. All of the candles besides Carby Musk ($80) retail for $48.

Watch Drake’s Better House ad below.

31 Jan 2024

MGMT on Naming New Album ‘Loss of Life’ — And the ‘Wildness’ of That ‘Saltburn’ Synch

Two decades since forming MGMT as Wesleyan University students, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser haven’t lost their psychedelic puckishness. Despite its grim title, their fifth album, Loss of Life (out Feb. 23), contains some of the duo’s most sincere, hopeful music yet. “Coming out of the pandemic, there was a whole wave of super doom-oriented art and music and apocalyptic shit,” VanWyngarden says of MGMT’s first album since 2018’s Little Dark Age.

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Recorded in 2021 and 2022, Loss of Life is also the act’s Mom + Pop debut (after leaving longtime label Columbia Records) and features “Mother Nature,” MGMT’s first hit on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart since its 2007 smashes “Time To Pretend” and “Kids.” As VanWyngarden says, “This album is more reflective and existential and sort of philosophical. But at the core, it’s about always going back to [the idea of] love being something that you can depend on — and that is sort of indestructible.”

How did you settle on Mom + Pop as your new label home?

Goldwasser: It was after the album was completed. We got to shop the record around – it was the first time we’ve ever really done that. One of the people works at the label went to Wesleyan, where we also went, and her faculty advisor was the same as ours. We bonded of that the first time we met, just talking about weird stuff that we did in college.

VanWyngarden: We kind of did, like, label speed dating. Everyone we talked to was super, super cool. It could have been great to go with any of them. In the end, Mom + Pop had this sort of ethos that was at the foundation of their label that we were attracted to and related to. Goldie, as [Mom + Pop founder/owner Michael Goldstone] is affectionately known, had been in the music industry for decades before for major labels and came out of it kind of wanting to do something [at Mom + Pop] that was trying to change things up and be more all about the artists, like in a true sense. So we liked that.

You’ve said that your last two records, 2013’s MGMT and 2018’s Little Dark Age, dealt with the paranoia and anxiety of living through the modern era. What was your headspace when making this one?

VanWyngarden: We both turned 40 while making this album, and we wanted to find a way to retain our light-hearted, playful approach to things but to challenge ourselves to have more of a sincere and hopeful message. Coming out of the pandemic, there was a whole wave of super doom-oriented art and music and apocalyptic shit. A common condition for humans for, like, the entire history of humanity is that you feel like the world is ending – and it’s probably because you know you’re gonna die. Mortality is an apocalypse that’s common to every human. It’s sure, it’s certain. This album is more reflective and existential and sort of philosophical. But at the core, it’s about always going back to love being something that you can depend on – and that is sort of indestructible.

You reteamed with Little Dark Age producer Patrick Wimberly and longtime studio collaborator Dave Fridmann. What do they bring to the table?

Goldwasser: Those are the human beings that we feel most comfortable existing with in the creative process. We just want to feel like uninhibited and natural in the whole process of creating music. Especially having worked with Dave Fridmann since our first record, we just have this level of understanding and communication with him. I don’t know how we would ever build that up with anybody else.

VanWyngarden: Considering how naive and new to everything in the music industry we were when we first met [Dave], he’s almost like a dolphin trainer. Like we were these dolphins that came to his complex and he trained. Everything we know traces back to Dave Fridmann. Patrick’s the same, really. He’s a peer; he’s a producer, but more so in the sense of helping preserve the atmosphere and the vibe.

For Loss of Life, you also widened your creative circle compared to your previous albums. Tell me about that decision and how it impacted the record.

Goldwasser: Part of that’s a result of us being less precious about the way that we make music. It had been hard for us at a lot of points in time, wanting to be recognized more as producers ourselves and wanting people to know that we’re responsible for the sounds on the records – maybe we’ve had a chip on our shoulder about that in the past. With time and experience, we’ve learned to let go of some of that. The most important thing is to make good music.

“Mother Nature” has a cool lineup: Oneohtrix Point Never, Danger Mouse and Nels Cline. It’s also your first charting hit on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart since “Time To Pretend” and “Kids.”

VanWyngarden: I didn’t even know that.

How’d it come together, and how have you been reacting to its success?

VanWyngarden: I’ve driven around so much listening to classic rock radio, and I recognize that now, in terms of time having passed, we’re like eligible to be on classic rock stations. Along with ’90s Britpop, there’s a lot of classic rock influence [on “Mother Nature”]. When we were first working out the piano riff at the beginning, I always felt like there was a Supertramp feeling to it. It all really came together very naturally and organically on that song. We had known Brian Burton [Danger Mouse] for a really long time and we were we were working in his studio. He was there giving us advice and his opinion and helping work through sections. Then once we developed the song out and invited Oneohtrix Point Never on, he and Ben did a session where they just went hog wild with guitars and made this sort of shoegaze-y bridge. Then we got the song closer to where it ended up when we were working at Sean Lennon’s studio in September 2022. It was in upstate New York and Nels and Yuka [Honda] live close by, and then Oneohtrix Point Never was up there. There was this smorgasbord of amazing musicians. We had Nels go in and just fool around on the guitar and we were like, “Wow, this is incredible.”

Oneohtrix Point Never worked on five of this album’s tracks. Artists from The Weeknd to Soccer Mommy have been collaborating with him lately. How’d you connect with him? What did he add to Loss of Life?

Goldwasser: Andrew met him at a party in New York – and didn’t know who he was at the time. They just ended up having a really cool hang. After that, they hung out again. And then we thought it would be fun to get together with him and see what happened. It turned out we have a lot of the same musical references. We just got along really well. He got where we were going with the record. The way that he works is very curatorial – he mines sounds and has an encyclopedia of sounds that he knows, like, this is how you get this sound. I always get a kick out of seeing people’s different approaches to how they work.

“Time To Pretend” features prominently in Saltburn. How did that synch happen?

Goldwasser: We were approached by the filmmakers. I had been a fan of [director Emerald Fennell’s] Promising Young Woman — so I knew it was going to be something a little out of the ordinary.

VanWyngarden: I don’t remember exactly when it was brought to us; I don’t think I was paying too close of attention. I was like, “OK, another [person] who wants to use ‘Time To Pretend’… I wish they would use one of our newer songs.” But then I saw Saltburn and I was like, “Oh, this is set in 2007, this totally makes sense.” It’s really great to be kind of passively participating in another cultural phenomenon. I’m impressed that there’s Georges Bataille-level wildness happening in this massive pop cultural film — that’s not very common. To have a song in that is cool, because we like being subversive and irreverent too.

You debuted with Oracular Spectacular almost two decades ago – and played it in full at Just Like Heaven festival last year. How do you look back on that time?

Goldwasser: It’s pretty wild how things get put into context, the stories that people tell about things over the years. At the time, we weren’t thinking about how people were going to be writing about it 20 years later. We were young and dumb and somehow we…

VanWyngarden: Wait, how are you going to finish that?

Goldwasser: …are still here.

A version of this story originally appeared in the Jan. 27, 2024, issue of Billboard.

31 Jan 2024

How 310babii Danced His Way Up the Hot 100 With ‘Soak City (Do It)’

If you asked 310babii what school was like after he nailed his first Hot 100 hit, he would probably say it was just another day. 

“It wasn’t too crazy,” he says months after watching his viral song “Soak City (Do It)” climb the charts. “Underclassmen would sing my lyrics in the hallway and be childish, but everybody else would be chill to the point where they didn’t make it weird. They knew what was going on with my music, but they didn’t like to fan out to me and yell. They were pretty regular and chill.”

Released last June, “Soak City” became an instant favorite on TikTok, courtesy of 310’s buoyant energy and simple dance instructions. Encouraging listeners to showcase their best moves, all that’s required is footwork and attention to detail. “Left, do it. Right, do it,” chants 310 on the hook like a playful drill sergeant on the playground. Football stars Travis Kelce and CJ Stroud joined in on the action by performing an adapted version of the Squabble Dance during their respective football games. The earworm also got the stamp of approval from LeBron James, Travis Scott and famous Twitch streamer Kai Cenat.

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“When I saw CJ Stroud dancing after scoring and they put my song behind him doing The Squabble, I was like, ‘Oh. I think it’s out of here,’” says 310. “That was the first big step to being a hit record. I just needed that push.”



According to 310, the whole creative process only took him 15 minutes.

“I was making songs in my room, doing my regular recording like I would everyday at that time and I just felt good about the song at the moment,” he remembers. “It seemed like everything I said was butter. I wouldn’t say that it seemed like ‘the one,’ but I thought that it seemed like a song that was going to be good. I didn’t think it was going to be on the Billboard Hot 100 and change my life the way it did, but I knew it was a good song. It’s catchy.”

310 also didn’t use fancy studio equipment to make “Soak City.” All he needed was his phone, as he used the app BandLab, a straightforward music recording program, to create the track. According to him, the song wasn’t mastered until months after its release. “Soak City (“Do It”) debuted at No. 100 in September and currently sits at No. 61 on the Hot 100 this week, a new peak.

“I feel like BandLab offers exactly what the kids want and wanna hear,” says 310. “Right now, I’m speaking on behalf of my generation; we don’t want the million-dollar mixes or the Drake mixes. We want s–t that’s not low quality, but it doesn’t need to be too crisp and epic. Sometimes, the 808s are gonna be a little distorted, or the voice is going to sound like [it came from] a cheap mic, but that’s the beauty of it. I think that’s what it was for me,” he says. 

He adds: “For so long, the kids didn’t even hear the mixed version of the song, bro. It was just straight off the phone, and that’s what they like. BandLab is just the new wave. They have some presets on there that big industry guys are aware of. It’s for sure a hidden gem.”

“Soak City (Do It)” received the remix treatment with West Coast all-stars Tyga, DJ Mustard, Blueface, OhGeesy and BlueBucksClan jumping on the song. The track’s popularity also allowed 310 to meet Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, the athlete who made him first realize that his music was gaining traction. They met before the Texans’ AFC Divisional Game in Baltimore this month.

“I’m motivated after seeing my song on the Hot 100,” he relays to Billboard. “My mental is just like, ‘Keep going.’ If I can get that one, I can get another by working hard. [It’s] motivation for working on my album and having the determination and work ethic to keep going harder and trying to improve.”

31 Jan 2024

Dead & Company Announces Las Vegas Residency at the Sphere

They’re baaaack! Dead & Company is reuniting after wrapping up what was their “final tour” last summer. The group shared in a video on its social media accounts on Wednesday (Jan. 31) that it is heading to Las Vegas for a residency at the Sphere.

Over a black screen, white text appears to share the news: “In 2023, Dead & Company played their final tour. “But there are other ways to make sure the music never stops,” the video begins as audio of screaming fans can be heard. “And it’s gonna be a ball.”

Music kicks in, and a nighttime view of the Sphere appears with the band’s red, white and blue skull logo slowly appearing on the side of the massive, 20,000 capacity state-of-the art venue.

The teaser did not reveal any details about the residency’s dates or when tickets would go on sale.

Dead & Company — which is made up of Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, as well as John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge — formed in 2015. (Bill Kreutzmann was originally part of the band as well, but exited in 2023, before the band kicked off its last trek.) Its final tour last year grossed nearly $115 million, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, and sold nearly 850,000 tickets across 28 shows. That made the trek the supergroup’s highest tour gross, with its previous best being the $53.7 million earned during the Fall Tour 2021.

U2 opened up Las Vegas’ Sphere in September with its U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere show. The Irish band’s residency ends March 2. Phish is set to play the venue April 18-21. The Sphere’s website also does not indicate when Dead & Company is set to begin and end its just announced residency.

See Dead & Company and Sphere’s announcement below:

31 Jan 2024

Next Week’s Hot 100: Megan Thee Stallion vs. Nicki Minaj vs… Ben Shapiro?  

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated Feb. 10), the year’s biggest new rap beef may power the next No. 1 debut, if a conservative pundit doesn’t elbow his way into the race. 

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Megan Thee Stallion, “Hiss” (Hot Girl Productions) / Nicki Minaj, “Big Foot” (Young Money/Cash Money/Republic): Megan Thee Stallion set the rap and pop worlds ablaze on Friday with her incendiary “Hiss,” striking back against haters and foes who have plagued her drama-filled past few years. No specific names were mentioned, but certain bars were popularly interpreted to be directed at Nicki Minaj – who took the insult personally, firing back at her fellow MC over social media all weekend before dropping her own pointed response to Megan, “Big Foot.”  

With the battle between the two inevitably turning into a chart war, many will be looking to next week’s Hot 100 to ultimately crown a victor. It’s not a particularly fair fight, since “Hiss” has a three-day head start on “Big Foot,” having been released at the very start of the tracking week, rather than Sunday at midnight. Nonetheless, with both now out for multiple days, “Hiss” currently leads “Big Foot” by most real-time metrics – it’s atop both Spotify and Apple Music’s daily US streaming charts (“Foot” is right behind it on Apple but about 20 spots lower on Spotify) and claims both the No. 2 and No. 3 spots on the iTunes Top 100 with its multiple versions (“Foot” is No. 4, with both songs also now boasting multiple other variants throughout the top 25).  

Will it be enough to pass Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” for the top spot on the Hot 100? It could be close: “Lovin” remains a strong performer in all chart factors, even still gaining in radio as it spends his second week atop the Radio Songs listing. But with “Hiss” given a jolt by all of the extra publicity over the weekend, it’s not only maintained its release momentum, it’s still been growing – and if it continues to do so over the final couple days of the tracking week, it could have a real shot at nabbing Megan both the first Hot 100 No. 1 debut as a lead artist and the first unaccompanied No. 1 of her career.  

Tom MacDonald feat. Ben Shapiro, “Facts” (Self-released): Yes, really: After right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro helped propel multiple songs to No. 1 this decade (including Megan’s own “WAP” back in 2020) with either his endorsement or his disavowal, he’s now in pursuit of a Hot 100-topper of his own. He even admits as much on “Facts,” his collab with “anti-woke” rapper Tom MacDonald, as he directs audiences during his own rap verse – again, yes, really — “All my people download this, let’s get a Billboard No. 1.”  

He’s likely to get a No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart, anyway, as “Facts” has held the lead on iTunes essentially since its Jan. 26 release date, even amidst the Nicki/Megan beefing. The song’s streaming numbers are relatively small compared to “Hiss” and “Lovin on Me,” though, and it has no real radio support, so to even challenge for No. 1 it will still have to post a pretty stratospheric sales number in its debut week. Shapiro’s certainly banking on getting bragging rights over one of the week’s primary contenders, at least: “Nicki, take some notes, I just did this for fun,” he also taunts in his verse.  

Justin Timberlake, “Selfish” (RCA): In a less wild week, Justin Timberlake’s comeback single would likely be the most buzzed-about debut – though with Timberlake’s commercial fortunes declining fairly steadily over the past decade, “Selfish” was probably always something of a long shot for a No. 1 entrance.  

The love song, whose bow will also be hurt by its release coming last Thursday (meaning its first day of consumption totals will count towards the previous chart week), has nonetheless sold consistently and streamed somewhat steadily. It also has been embraced immediately on pop radio, with the song debuting at No. 33 on Pop Airplay this week after just a single day’s airplay. It might not be in the hunt for No. 1, but it could challenge the No. 25 debut of *NSYNC’s “Better Place” last year for the highest-charting JT-related song on the Hot 100 this decade.  

IN THE MIX 

Morgan Wallen, “Spin You Around (1/24)” (Honeyhole/Big Loud/Mercury/Republic): With Taylor Swift recently raising the commercial ceiling on re-recordings of decade-old songs, it’s hardly shocking to see Morgan Wallen’s acoustic re-do of this early-career ballad – successfully intended to overshadow his old label’s unsanctioned deluxe reissue of early-career debut EP Stand Alone – be received commercially like a brand new single. “Spin You Around (1/24)” may not have the longevity of Wallen’s One Thing at a Time hits, but the combination of curiosity streams and sales for a song many newer fans might not even be familiar with should get it a notable Hot 100 debut.  

Ice Spice, “Think U the Shit (Fart)” (Dolo Entertainment/10K/Capitol): Something of a “yes, really” in its own right, Ice Spice’s purposefully goofy latest single has divided the internet into those who find it to be frivolous, winking fun and those who think it’s just too silly for serious listening. The song might not be too long for the charts – the rapper just announced her imminent debut album, so she may be moving on fairly quickly herself – but initial interest in “Shit (Fart)” should be enough for a good Hot 100 debut, perhaps good enough to become her first unaccompanied top 40 hit.

31 Jan 2024

Kris Lamb Elevated to EVP/GM at Big Machine Records

Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) has elevated Kris Lamb to executive vp/GM of Big Machine Records, effective immediately.

Lamb, who will report directly to BMLG chairman/CEO Scott Borchetta, most recently served as senior vp of promotion and digital, where he led radio and digital strategy for the Big Machine Records imprint, which includes artists Tim McGraw, Carly Pearce and Midland. In his new role, Lamb will focus on breaking, building and retaining Big Machine Records’ roster of artists and focus on fan acquisition and engagement.

“Kris has been with the label group for 13 years; he started with us as a regional promotions director and I’ve loved watching him work his way up through our system, excelling at each new level. I am so proud that he is now leading the charge for our flagship imprint, Big Machine Records,” Borchetta said in a statement. “There is an added pressure being the imprint that founded the company and I’m thrilled he has accepted the challenge to take it even higher. Game On, Lamb Chop… GAME ON!”

“I am beyond honored to represent this remarkable roster of culture-shaping storytellers and blessed to lead this team of forward-thinking executives at Big Machine Records,” Lamb added. “BMR has always been the tip of the spear and I look forward to elevating our impressive roster of artists even higher as a team and making an impact on the future of this imprint, its talent and the country music genre.”

With Lamb’s promotion comes more shifts at the Big Machine Records imprint, with the elevation of Brooke Diaz to national director of promotion and marketing.

Lamb says, “Brooke is one of the most multi-dimensional promotion executives in the field and her passion, ideation and execution is next to none. I am so thrilled to watch her, along with Erik as VP, guide our radio promo team and strategy to the highest level.”

Additionally, Bill Lubitz has been promoted to senior director of West Coast promotion and national strategy. The promotion team also includes vp of promotion Erik Powell, director of Midwest promotion Jane Staszak, director of Southeast promotion Jay Cruze and promotions coordinator Sara Barlow.

Lamb’s promotion follows Tuesday’s (Jan. 30) news that Big Machine Label Group has promoted Mike Rittberg to COO and Clay Hunnicutt to executive vp of label operations.