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25 Oct 2023

Drake Replaces Himself Atop Streaming Songs Chart for His 20th No. 1

Drake replaces himself at No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart, as “IDGAF,” featuring Yeat, rises to the top of the Oct. 28-dated tally.

“IDGAF” reigns with 26 million official U.S. streams earned in the Oct. 13-19 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song was down 36% from its opening week sum of 40.8 million streams, but it dropped by a smaller percentage than the previous ruler, “First Person Shooter” featuring J. Cole, which falls to No. 4 (20.3 million streams, a 52% drop).

“IDGAF” is the first song to spend its first week at No. 1 on Streaming Songs while being down in streams since Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which first reigned on the Jan. 7 ranking despite a 3% drop to 46.9 million streams that week.

“IDGAF” is Drake’s record-extending 20th Streaming Songs No. 1, the most since the list’s 2013 inception. Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift remain the next-closest acts with six rulers apiece.

Most No. 1s, Streaming Songs
20, Drake
6, Justin Bieber
6, Taylor Swift
5, Travis Scott
4, Ariana Grande
4, Cardi B
4, Lil Baby
4, Miley Cyrus

Drake is the first act to replace himself at No. 1 on Streaming Songs since he did it previously with “Nonstop” (July 14, 2018) followed by “In My Feelings” (July 21, 2018).

Meanwhile, “IDGAF” marks Yeat’s first Streaming Song topper. The rapper made the chart one time previously, with “Talk” debuting and peaking at No. 17 in September 2022.

Concurrently, “IDGAF” falls 2-4 on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100. Its parent album, For All the Dogs, ranks at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 164,000 equivalent album units earned in its second week.

25 Oct 2023

Dua Lipa, Michael Stipe & More Stars Sign Open Letter to President Biden Urging for Ceasefire in Gaza

As the Israel-Hamas war continues and the subsequent death toll rising, a number of high-profile stars have joined together to sign an open letter urging President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

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Dua Lipa, Michael Stipe, Caroline Polachek, Killer Mike, Vic Mensa, Miguel, Kaytranada, Macklemore, Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, John Cusack, Lena Waithe and more are among the signees of the letter, which reads in part, “We urge your administration, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages.”

The letter adds: “More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” before continuing, “Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.”

See the full open letter here.

The conflict between Israel and Palestine escalated after the horrific Oct. 7 terror attack on the Supernova Music Festival at Kibbutz Re’im by Hamas militants. The assault by air and land by the militant arm of the terrorist organization that governs the more than two million Palestinians who live in the Gaza Strip included the killing of more than 260 revelers and many more kidnapped at the Paralello Universo Supernova Sukkot Gathering electronic dance music festival celebrating the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah.

As of Wednesday (Oct. 25), per the Washington Post, Israeli authorities said more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since then and more than 5,400 injured. Palestinian authorities said Israeli attacks have killed at least 6,546 people in Gaza and wounded more than 17,400.

25 Oct 2023

How to Score Tickets to Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour

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Bad Bunny is headed back on the road, and fans are eager to see the him hit the stage. Tickets for his upcoming Most Wanted Tour officially went on sale on Wednesday (Oct. 25) via Ticketmaster.

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The “Tití Me Preguntó” singer will be hitting the road next year in support of his new album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. The tour launches in Salt Lake City on Feb. 21, 2024 and will stop in dozens of cities including Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Houston and Miami, with more dates to be announced later.

Read on for details on how to get tickets without spending a fortune.

How to Get Cheap Tickets to See Bad Bunny

To help combat bots and scalpers, Ticketmaster allowed fans to register for early access to general admission tickets. Those who pre-registered last week received a code (through random selection) to buy tickets on Wednesday. Click below to access pre-sale tickets.

If you missed an opportunity to register, you still have time to sign up for early access. The next round starts Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT. General registration and registration for VIP packages will be open from then until Thursday, Oct. 26 at 2:59 a.m. ET/11:59 p.m. PT. Click here to register.

How much do Bad Bunny tickets cost? According to several fan posts on social media, general admission tickets range from approximately $200 to more than $1,000.

Tickets are also available on StubHub, Vivid Seats and Seat Geek (take $10 off eligible purchases of $250+ at Seat Geek with code BILLBOARD10. Valid on first purchases only).

Prices range from around $135 and up, but most of the tickets are priced in the $250-$450 range. Tickets for Bad Bunny’s Las Vegas concerts are selling fast at Vivid Seats and they’re priced as high $853 to more than $1,000 for certain shows.

Another top seller, Bad Bunny’s Los Angeles show on March 15, 2024. StubHub tickets for the concert at Crypto Arena are priced at $431 to more than $3,800.

Bad Bunny’s return to the stage follows a successful tour in 2022. The 81-date tour raked in a record-breaking $435 billion.

25 Oct 2023

Miranda Lambert’s ‘It Takes Balls’ MuttNation Campaign Awards More Than $175,000 in Grants

Academy of Country Music Triple Crown winner Miranda Lambert‘s MuttNation Foundation has awarded 48 Tennessee organizations more than $175,000 in grants as part of the foundation’s It Takes Balls campaign.

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The It Takes Balls campaign launched earlier this year to raise awareness around the importance of spaying and neutering pets, with a special focus on rural areas. MuttNation is aiding spay and neuter clinics and shelters that offer low-cost surgeries, as well as supporting Spay Tennessee, which helps mobilize spay and neuter programs throughout the state.

Among the organizations that the funds will help are Bent Whisker Ranch (Davidson County, Tennessee), A Time For Paws (Cumberland), CASA Clinic (Maury), Critter Fixers (Robertson), People for Animals (Lewis), Wags and Whiskers Pet Rescue (Putnam) and Beesley Animal Foundation (Rutherford).

“We’ve been so excited by the great response we received to our new spay and neuter program and know that the organizations we’re supporting with It Takes Balls grants will make a meaningful difference in helping curb pet homelessness across Tennessee,” Lambert said in a statement.

The country star and her mother, Bev, launched MuttNation in 2009. Since then, the 501c(3) nonprofit has raised more than $8 million to support its mission of promoting the adoption of shelter pets, and advancing animal spay and neuter efforts. MuttNation also provides financial support and works with transport partners to assist and relocate animals during times of natural disaster.

Lambert also launched a line of pet toys and supplies, MuttNation Fueled by Miranda Lambert, that are sold at Tractor Supply Company stores to benefit the foundation.

25 Oct 2023

‘Basketball Wives’ Star Brittish Williams Sentenced To 4 Years In A St. Louis Prison For Fraud

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Brittish Williams Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison For Fraud

Source: Robin L Marshall / Getty / Brittish Williams

Basketball Wives star Brittish Williams is learning the hard way that if you do the crime, you will have to do time.

Spotted on the Riverfront Times, Williams will have to do time and was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to 15 counts of “various types of fraud.”

According to the RFT, Williams’ crimes she was accused of included not paying taxes and under-reporting the income of her businesses.

Williams also allegedly used other people’s identities to open bank accounts without their knowledge.

Williams, who starred in Basketball Wives and Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars and former co-host of the St. Louis radio station Hot 104.1, asked a judge for leniency during her sentencing, but Judge Henry Autrey was like nah.

Per Riverfront Times:

In court today, Williams and her attorney Beau Brindley asked Judge Henry Autrey for leniency in sentencing.

“I knew better, and I did wrong anyway,” Williams said, adding that the idea of being separated from her daughter was “heartbreaking.”

Judge Autrey seemed largely unswayed, telling Williams that he believed she possessed a “fraudster mentality.” He pointed out that in total, WIlliams’ various frauds led to her taking in $150,000 a year from 2017 to 2020.

“That’s a pretty damn good wage,” he said.

Autrey also suggested that Williams’ fame impacted his sentencing decision, saying, “Not only are you out there for people to watch your entertainment, but also for people to watch you. … That’s a big obligation.”

The website reports Williams dodged a bullet because it was recommended she do 63 years in prison. Still, her punishment was significantly more than the 18 months in jail or probation suggested by her attorney.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke pointed out that Williams was still committing fraud well after she was indicted and counseling people, telling them they don’t have to pay taxes the first few years of running a business.

After her indictment, she was still collecting pandemic-related rent relief under false pretenses and submitting bogus medical bills to an insurance company.

Williams also traveled without permission while still on pretrial monitoring, according to Klocke, who also notes that her wearing of an ankle monitor was subplot during a season of Basketball Wives. 

Following her sentencing, one of her friends lunged at a reporter as they filmed her leaving court.

Welp.

—

Photo: Robin L Marshall / Gett

25 Oct 2023

Doja Cat Extends Record for Most No. 1s on Pop Airplay Chart This Decade With ‘Paint the Town Red’

With her latest hit “Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat continues to brush off all competition on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart. The rapper-singer solidifies her standing as the act with the most No. 1s on the survey this decade, as the song ascends to the top of the ranking dated Oct. 28.

The single, released via Kemosabe/RCA Records, becomes Doja cat’s seventh Pop Airplay No. 1 since her first chart-topper in 2020. She extends her record for the most leaders in that span, ahead of runners-up Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles, each with four No. 1s this decade.

(The Pop Airplay chart reflects plays on over 150 reporting mainstream top 40-formatted stations. Airplay is monitored by Mediabase and provided to Billboard by Luminate.)

Here’s a recap of Doja Cat’s seven Pop Airplay No. 1s:

  • “Paint the Town Red,” one week at No. 1 to date, Oct. 28, 2023
  • “Vegas,” four weeks, beginning Oct. 22, 2022
  • “I Like You (A Happier Song)” (Post Malone feat. Doja Cat), three weeks, beginning Oct. 1, 2022
  • “Woman,” two weeks, beginning April 9, 2022
  • “Need To Know,” one week, Feb. 5, 2022
  • “Kiss Me More” (feat. SZA), one week, July 10, 2021
  • “Say So,” six weeks, beginning May 16, 2020

Notably, “Paint the Town Red” samples Dionne Warwick’s standard “Walk on By,” which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. Thanks to its inclusion, late legends Burt Bacharach and Hal David each top Pop Airplay (which began in 1992) as songwriters for the first time.

“Paint the Town Red” concurrently spends a fourth week at No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay, where it became Doja Cat’s 10th leader.

The song also crowned the all-genre, multi-metric Hot 100 for three weeks earlier this month, marking Doja Cat’s second No. 1; “Say So” led for a week in 2020. It rules the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a seventh week and Hot Rap Songs for an eighth frame.

“Paint the Town Red” parent album Scarlet debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, marking Doja Cat’s third top 10 set on the chart, dated Oct. 7. Planet Her opened at its No. 2 high in July 2021 and Hot Pink reached No. 9 in May 2020.

25 Oct 2023

Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Richard Roundtree & More to Be Honored at 2024 Gordon Parks Foundation Awards

Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, the late Richard Roundtree and more are set to be honored at the 2024 Gordon Parks Foundation Awards. The annual awards dinner and auction celebrating Parks’ legacy and continuing his commitment to advancing social justice will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at Cipriani 42nd St. in New York City.

Keys and Kasseem Dean (aka Swizz Beatz) are set to receive the patrons of the arts award. The couple married in 2010 and have two children. Both are Grammy winners. Moreover, both have won for collaborations with Jay-Z. “Empire State of Mind,” Keys’ Billboard Hot 100-topping collab with Hova, won two Grammys in 2011. Jay-Z’s “On to the Next One,” on which Swizz Beatz was featured, won best rap duo/group performance that same year.

“We have co-chaired the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Gala for a decade now — and we are deeply honored to be receiving the Gordon Parks Patrons of the Arts Award in 2024,” Keys and Dean said in a joint statement. “We truly appreciate the foundation’s work providing scholarships and fellowships to the next generation of students and artists whose creative work reflects and extends Gordon’s important legacy.”

The evening will also posthumously honor Roundtree, who starred in Parks’ groundbreaking 1971 film Shaft; mixed-media artist Mickalene Thomas; and civil rights activist and former chairwoman of the NAACP, Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Along with the honorees and the Gordon Parks Foundation Fellows (to be announced in early 2024), the evening will pay tribute to Roundtree, who died on Tuesday (Oct. 24) at age 81, and highlight the enduring cultural impact of Shaft on both film and music. This event had been in the planning stages for months when Roundtree died.

“We learned the sad news that Richard Roundtree passed away this week just as we were set to announce him as one of our 2024 Gordon Parks Foundation honorees,” Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr., executive director of The Gordon Parks Foundation, said in a statement. “Richard was a real cultural force and a supporter of the important work that the foundation does year-round. We look forward to celebrating his legacy and his iconic portrayal of Shaft in Parks’ 1971 film, along with our other esteemed honorees, at our awards dinner next year.”

“Earlier this year when Richard learned that he would be honored at the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards event he was thrilled,” said Patrick McMinn, Roundtree’s longtime manager. “Working with Gordon was a highpoint in his long career. He often spoke about the lasting influence Gordon had on him not only as an actor in Shaft but as a man. His family and I will be working closely with the foundation to plan a memorable tribute to him that evening.”

Shaft is best remembered for two things — Roundtree’s strong, confident, assertive portrayal of a Black man, which was groundbreaking at the time, and Isaac Hayes’ brilliant scoring work. Hayes’ funky yet classy “Theme From Shaft” spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 and received a Grammy nod for record of the year. It also won an Oscar for best original song, making Hayes the first Black songwriter to win in that category, and also the first African-American to win a non-acting award.

Hayes’ score for Shaft was also Oscar-nominated for best original score. The Shaft soundtrack reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and wound up with a Grammy nod for album of the year.

Hayes died in 2008 at age 65. Parks died in 2006 at age 93.

The gala will include a live auction of Parks’ photographs. Co-chairs for the 2024 Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner & Auction are Kathryn and Kenneth Chenault; Agnes Gund; Judy and Leonard Lauder; Tonya and Spike Lee; Carol Sutton Lewis and William M. Lewis, Jr.; Crystal McCrary and Raymond McGuire; and Clara Wu Tsai and Joseph Tsai.

All proceeds from the evening will support year-round educational programming as well as the fellowships, prizes and scholarships provided by The Gordon Parks Foundation to the next generation of artists, writers and students whose work follows in Parks’ footsteps.

Tickets are available starting at $2,000. They can be purchased on the Gordon Parks Foundation website, or by contacting Buckley Hall Events at gpfgala@buckleyhallevents.com or 914-579-1000.

25 Oct 2023

Feid, Maria Becerra, Yandel, Young Miko & More to Perform at L.A.’s Calibash Festival

An all-star lineup of Latin music luminaries including Feid, Yandel, Farruko, Prince Royce, Young Miko, Maria Becerra and Darell are set to take the stage at the Calibash festival. The event will take place on Friday, Jan. 12, at the Crypto.com Arena in the heart of Los Angeles, and is presented by SBS Entertainment, LaMusica and Mega 96.3 FM.

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“Calibash is the iconic live concert event of the year for Latin music fans,” stated Alessandra Alarcón, president of SBS Entertainment, in a press release. “We could not be happier with the lineups and with creating a spinoff of Calibash that reflects the totality of where music stands today.”

SBS Entertainment is expanding its horizons with the launch of Calibash MX, a Mexican live music concert brand that promises to showcase the brightest stars in Mexican music. This inaugural counterpart is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13, and will feature a stellar lineup that includes Grupo Frontera, Edgardo Nuñez, Yng Lvcas, Yahritza y Su Esencia and Conexión Divina.

“Mexican music has taken global music charts by storm and our generation is breathing new life into some of the formats’ biggest subgenres,” continued Alarcón. “The corrido-boom, as we like to call it, inspired us to grow the Calibash franchise with Calibash MX, a live concert that will showcase some of the hottest artists who are adding a unique and special twist to the different kinds of Mexican music.”

Tickets for this event will go on sale Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 a.m. PT. Open the LaMusica app or tune in to KXOL-FM Mega 96.3 for more updates leading to Calibash 2024.

25 Oct 2023

Micah Tyler Scores His Second No. 1 on Christian Radio Charts With ‘Praise the Lord’

Micah Tyler attains his second No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay and Christian AC Airplay charts as “Praise the Lord” reaches the top of each tally dated Oct. 28.

The song lifts 2-1 on Christian Airplay as it drew 5.8 million audience impressions during the Oct. 13-19 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Concurrently, it ascends 2-1 on Christian AC Airplay, up 3% in plays.

Tyler co-authored the single with Jake Henry and Jeff Pardo.

“‘Praise the Lord’ is a song that came out of a season of trusting God in the midst of trial,” Tyler tells Billboard. “Our family has learned to give God glory even when our circumstances aren’t always what we want them to be. It’s been so special to see radio and listeners embracing this song and praising God ‘no matter what is gonna come’ our way.’ ”

For the Nashville-based Tyler — he’s originally from Buna, Texas — “Praise the Lord” is his second Christian Airplay chart-topper among seven top 10s. It follows “I See Grace,” which became his first leader this March, dominating for five weeks.

Before that, “Walking Free” peaked at No. 6 in March 2022. His rookie entry, “Never Been a Moment,” hit No. 2 in April 2017, followed by “Different” (No. 6, December 2017); “Even Then” (No. 3, February 2019); and “Amen” (No. 2, June 2020).

On Christian AC Airplay, Tyler has notched his two No. 1s among eight top 10s. He first led with “Even Then” for a week in December 2018.

The 40-year-old artist is currently touring with Matthew West on his My Story Your Glory Tour, which stops in Clarksville, Tenn., on Oct. 28.

25 Oct 2023

Jacob Elordi Says He Only Knew About Elvis Through ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Before Starring in ‘Priscilla’

Jacob Elordi is the latest actor to take on the role of Elvis Presley, as he stars in Sofia Coppola’s upcoming film Priscilla, but the 26-year-old actor had an unconventional introduction to the King of Rock n’ Roll.

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“[Elvis] wasn’t on my list of people to play,” Elordi shared of snagging the role during an appearance this week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “It was bit terrifying”

When Fallon asked if Elordi has been a lifelong Elvis fan, the Euphoria star replied with a laugh, “No, the most I knew of Elvis was in Lilo and Stitch.” In the popular Disney film, both Lilo and Stitch impersonate Elvis throughout their adventures.

However, Coppola helped Elordi get into the mind of the late icon. “I watched this clip of him, when he came back from the army in Germany, and I read the lines for like 15 minutes and then shot two takes, not thinking that it would go anywhere,” he recalled of the audition process. “But she liked it, you know? I mean, it’s Sofia Coppola.”

The film, starring Cailee Spaeny as Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley, shows the darker side of the couple’s storied romance. “It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love,” Priscilla herself stated during the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5. “Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could.”

Priscilla arrives in theaters on Nov. 3. Watch Elordi’s interview below.