News

18 Oct 2023

Kirk Franklin’s ‘Father’s Day’ Debuts at No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums Chart

Gospel music icon Kirk Franklin earns his 14th No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, as Father’s Day debuts atop the Oct. 21-dated list. In the tracking week dated Oct. 6-12, the set earned 9,000 equivalent album units, with 6,000 in album sales, according to Luminate.

Franklin boasts the most No. 1s on the chart since he led for the first time in December 1993, Kirk Franklin and the Family.

“I can’t explain how it feels after 30 years to still have the beautiful opportunity to do music that pushes people to the greatest love story ever told,” Franklin tells Billboard. “Thank you!”

Father’s Day follows Kingdom Book One, Franklin’s collaboration with the Atlanta-based collective Maverick City Music, which started at its No. 2 peak in July 2022. His last solo set before his new LP, Long Live Love, launched at the apex in June 2019.

Dating to Franklin’s first chart-topper, his 14 No. 1s outpace runner-up Fred Hammond, with 10. CeCe Winans follows with seven. Franklin’s 294 weeks at No. 1 in that nearly 30-year span also mark the most for any act.

The 10-song Father’s Day was recorded amid personal struggle for Franklin, as he dealt with his family history. Notably, the man that he grew up thinking was his father passed away and, shortly after, he discovered his actual biological father through a series of DNA tests. He chronicled those events in the documentary Father’s Day: A Kirk Franklin Story.

The Father’s Day album includes collaborations with Kelontae Gavin and Maranda Curtis; LeAndria Johnson; Tori Kelly; Jonathan McReynolds and Jekalyn Carr; and Chandler Moore.

The LP’s lead single, “All Things,” led Gospel Airplay for two weeks in September, becoming Franklin’s 10th No. 1 and tying him with Tamela Mann for the most in the chart’s history. On the latest streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart, it pushes 7-5 for a new best.

18 Oct 2023

Jekalyn Carr Claims Her Seventh Gospel Airplay Chart-Topper With ‘I Believe God’

Jekalyn Carr nets her seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay list (dated Oct. 21) as “I Believe God” ascends to the summit.

The song, which Carr wrote solo, marks her fourth Gospel Airplay leader in succession. It follows “My Portion,” which led for a week in June 2022; “Jehovah Jireh,” which dominated for two weeks in July 2021; and “Changing Your Story,” which topped the tally for a week in September 2020.

Carr first led Gospel Airplay in September 2016 when “You’re Bigger” began a four-week command. She subsequently led with “You Will Win” (six weeks, beginning in February 2018) and “It’s Yours” (nine, beginning in February 2019).

Carr has netted the fourth-most Gospel Airplay No. 1s among all acts, dating to the survey’s March 2005 inception. Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann are tied for first with 10 each, followed by James Fortune & FIYA (eight).

Meanwhile, as Carr rings up her fourth No. 1 in a row, she ties Mann for the longest active streak of leaders among women. Mann’s “Finished” ruled for three weeks beginning in March, becoming her fourth leader in as many tries dating to December 2020.

Among all artists, Todd Dulaney and Jonathan McReynolds are each working on active streaks of five No. 1s. Dulaney has a chance to make it six straight soon: His current single “It’s Working,” with Hezekiah Walker, rises to a new No. 4 high.

“I Believe God” is the first single from Carr’s self-titled album, due Friday (Oct. 20).

18 Oct 2023

Travis Kelce Reflects on His & Taylor Swift’s Surprise ‘SNL’ Cameos: ‘It Was Electric to Be Back’

Saturday Night Live’s season 49 premiere on Oct. 14 was one for the books, thanks in particular to two surprise appearances from Taylor Swift and her new beau, Travis Kelce. But in the Oct. 18 episode of his podcast New Heights, the Kansas City Chiefs tight reflected on their viral cameos, and revealed that the his actually came together somewhat last minute.

“We showed up at SNL having the idea of going to support Ice Spice,” Travis told his brother and New Heights co-host, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. “Her and Taylor are good friends. I always wanted to meet Pete Davidson — been a fan of his for quite a while.”

“I didn’t know what the skit was, like, which skits were coming up,” Travis explained on his podcast. “I’m pretty sure it was just ironic they were doing a skit on Swiftmania. I thought it was hilarious when they asked me to be a part of it. I was like, ‘Man I’d be honored.’”

 “I don’t even remember what I said — I blacked out,” he continued. “As soon as they cued to me, the entire place erupted, which was very overwhelming, and I’m not even sure if I said anything.”

Davidson, who hosted the program, starred in a skit that parodied the NFL’s Swift-centric coverage of the pop star’s recent attendance streak at Travis’ games. At the very end of the sketch, Keenan Thompson (playing NFL sportscaster Curt Menefee) declared, “When we get back, we are going to speak with someone who actually wants to talk football,” prompting cameras to pan to the Ohio native for the closing line.

“It was electric to be back in that place,” the tight end — who hosted SNL in March — added. “There is just something about being in that room and it just being their first episode this season. I had such a frickin’ blast, man!”

Later during the season premiere, Swift herself popped up to introduce Ice Spice, who made her debut as musical guest. “Absolutely killed it,” Travis added of the “Munch” rapper’s performance.

As jaw-dropping as Swift and Kelce’s unexpected appearances were, however, fans may have been even more excited to see the two holding hands on their way to the SNL afterparty. Photos and videos surfaced of the 6’5″ athlete pretty much taking over the role of Swift’s bodyguard, helping her in and out of the car and always keeping a hand or arm around her.

“I feel like whenever I’m on a date, I’m always having the sense that I’m a man in the situation,” Travis recalled to Jason. “I’m protective, yeah, for sure. You always have to have that feeling or self-awareness, I guess.”

Plus, the two brothers poked fun at their father over the much-talked-about moment Ed Kelce was spotted by NFL cameras making conversation with Swift at the Oct. 12 Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos game. “He shouldn’t be talking to Taylor Swift,” Jason said, laughing, as Travis added, “This is a terrifying conversation, I felt terrible for Taylor for being in this.”

“You can see in this picture all he’s doing is just pumping her up,” Travis continued. “He’s started listening to her music a little more.”

Watch the new episode of New Heights above.

18 Oct 2023

BMG Acquires Martin Solveig’s Catalog

BMG has acquired the recorded music catalog of French DJ and artist Martin Solveig in what the company calls its biggest such deal in France to date. The sale includes the rights to around 130 tracks, including hits like “Intoxicated” and “+1,” and Solveig’s studio albums from 2002’s Sur la Terre to 2011’s Smash.

Solveig’s work joins a BMG France roster that includes Jean-Michel Jarre (recordings and publishing), Yuksek (recordings and publishing) and Thylacine (publishing). The previous largest recorded music acquisition by BMG in France was more than a decade ago when it purchased Francis Dreyfus Music (Dreyfus), the label which owned Jarre’s first albums.

BMG declined to offer financial details of the Solveig sale, which was brokered by Maximilien Jazani of Catalogue Associates.

Solveig has topped the Dance Club Songs chart twice in his career, first with 2011’s Dragonette-assisted “Hello” and then a year later with “The Night Out.” He’s also placed five tracks on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, including “All Day and Night,” “Hey Now” and “Juliet & Romeo.” His biggest mainstream hit, “Hello,” topped out at No. 46 on the Hot 100.

The success of “Hello” led to Solveig’s work on Madonna’s MDNA album — he co-wrote and co-produced three songs, including “Give Me All Your Luvin’” and “Turn Up the Radio.”

“Martin Solveig has created some of the most potent and successful electronic music of the past decade with a career which straddles the end of the download era and the emergence of streaming,” said Maximilian Kolb, BMG’s evp of repertoire & marketing across continental Europe. “We see significant potential to bring his music to a wider streaming audience.”

Solveig added, “In the process of selecting a partner to host and preserve my recordings, it was imperative for me to associate myself with a company that understands the intrinsic value of this music and is just as passionate about its future potential as I was in creating it. BMG has demonstrated exceptional motivation, and a genuine desire to perpetuate the exploitation of the tracks that are dear to me.”

News of the deal arrives amid a busy 2023 for BMG. So far this year, the company has struck catalog and/or rights deals with Jet, Paul Simon, The Pointer Sisters and George Harrison. In 2022, BMG acquired rights and royalties for Tina Turner, John Legend, Mötley Crüe, ZZ Top, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, John Lee Hooker, Simple Minds, Primal Scream, and The Hollies, among others.

18 Oct 2023

Terrell Owens Got Hit With A Car After Pickup Basketball Game Argument

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USC v Colorado

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During his 15-season stint in the NFL, Terrell Owens proved to be one of the most polarizing superstars the game had ever seen, and it seems like his reputation has followed him over to the (recreational) basketball court. The Hall of Fame wide receiver got into an argument that could’ve easily cost him his life.

TMZ is reporting that this past Monday night (October 16), Terrell Owens got into an altercation on a Calabasas basketball court during a simple pickup game with another individual and after exchanging some heated words, the individual in question hopped in his car and went for Owen’s knees, allegedly. Though Owens is far removed from his NFL days, the man still needs his knees for getting around, but the assailant seemed to think otherwise.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says the incident unfolded around 9 pm in the 2600 block of Rondell Street, off Las Virgenes Road and though Owens was hit by the moving vehicle, he wasn’t injured and didn’t need any kind of medical attention.

TMZ reports:

Law enforcement says officers took a report for assault with a deadly weapon … though no arrests have been made. An investigation remains ongoing.

Owens, of course, has been involved in several, similar bizarre incidents since his retirement … back in 2022, he got into a wild argument with a female neighbor that actually led to criminal charges for the woman.

Then, later that year, he was involved in a fistfight with a heckler outside of a CVS.

Owens, who last played in the NFL in the 2010 season, has said in both cases he did nothing wrong.

Terrell Owens gotta stop beefing with people that have nothing to lose. Regardless if he didn’t start any of these altercations, that doesn’t mean he needs to add fuel to a fire that leads to any kind of unnecessary smoke. Just sayin.’

We’re just glad the man didn’t sustain any serious injuries as a result of the attempted hit-and-run.

What do y’all think of Terrell Owens getting into these kind of altercations in his post-NFL days? Is he inviting these things with his personality or are people picking on him for the heck of it? Let us know in the comments section below.

18 Oct 2023

Side By Side: 8 Unlikely Hip Hop Collaborations We Never Knew We Needed

The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Rehearsals - Day 4

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Hip Hop Collabs That Redefined The Genre

Who doesn’t love a good crossover? Even hip-hop heads like to hear a fresh sound from their favorite artist, and what better way to appeal to a larger demographic than to team up with other musicians who don’t share your audience?

Over the years, it’s become more common to see a rapper collab with a country artist or RnB singer collab with a reggaeton star. The cross-promotion and cultural consorting is real, and we’re not mad at it!

Here are some of our favorite collabs that might’ve been unlikely, but won the hearts of hip-hop fans worldwide.

The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show

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Numb/Encore – Linkin Park & Jay Z

There wasn’t an adolescent in the early 2000s who didn’t let off some teenage angst to the sounds of Linkin Park. The California-bred six-man rock band is comprised of Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn, Rob Bourdon, Dave Farell, Brad Nelson, and lead vocalist Chester Bennington. While the group already had hit singles like “In The End” and “Numb”, it wasn’t until the 2004 remix with Jay Z that the rock group rose to global stardom – a live performance at the Roxy Theater on YouTube accruing nearly 50 million views.

Nelly and Tim McGraw Team up for New Budweiser Commercial

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Over & Over – Nelly & Tim McGraw

We all remember the “Country Grammar” era when fans from the Midwest to the Southeast hailed Nelly for his consistent party bops. Similarly, in 2000, Tim McGraw was well into his reign as country King, releasing his first greatest hits album which charted for nine weeks and sold six million copies. There was no surprise when “Over & Over” from Nelly’s fourth album “Suit” performed so well in 2004.

2023 MTV Video Music Awards - Backstage and Audience

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Tusa – Nicki Minaj & Karol G

Carolina Navarro or Karol G is a Colombian singer out of Medellin. The reggaeton and Latin trap artist is widely known in the Afrolatina community as the voice behind hits such as “Provenza”, “Armargura”, and “Watati” from the Barbie album. In 2019 the 30-year-old reggae ton artist put out a collab with hip hop diva Nicki Minaj which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin chart and rested on the Hot 100 Argentina for six weeks! “Tusa” was definitely a timely bop that pleasantly surprised fans on both sides.

2018 American Music Awards - Inside

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I Like It – Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Cardi B

Now, if you haven’t heard the 2017 summer jam “I Like It” from Cardi B’s debut album “Invasion Of Privacy”, you may have quite literally been living under a rock. If that is the case, we’d be remiss not to put you on! The Bronx bombshell, best known her for reality TV come-up, paired up with J Balvin and Bad Bunny for this biddy-biddy-bum-bop! J Balvin & Bad Bunny are arguably the Latin music industry’s heaviest hitters of this generation. This collab, which sampled Pete Rodriguez’s “I Like It Like That”, reigned number own the charts for 51 weeks, becoming the first Latin trap song to top the Hot 100, according to Billboard.

BET Awards, Show, Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, USA - 23 Jun 2019

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Old Town Road Remix – Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus

Lil Nas X shot to fame in 2019 after releasing his viral country hip-hop song “Old Town Road” on YouTube. Naturally, the catchy hit started trending on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram causing the then 19-year-old’s following to grow exponentially. Controversy surrounded the song when it was removed from the Billboard country charts for being deemed not country enough. Just like that, Billy Ray Cyrus hopped on to country it up a bit more! The career-making record spent an unprecedented 18 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.

Justin Bieber Performs On NBC's

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As Long As You Love Me – Justin Bieber & Big Sean

11 years ago Justin Bieber serenaded the hearts of young Beliebers everywhere with “As Long As You Love Me” from his Believe album. The song is a testament to true love, proclaiming that nothing else matters. Detroit-bred rapper Big Sean was featured on the track which gave a hip-hop twist to a pop bop. The record spent 56 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart peaking at number 4.

61st Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show

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Havana – Camilla Cabello & Young Thug

Camila Cabello rose to stardom as a member of Fifth Harmony, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. After their split in 2016, Cabello began to release solo hits and created her own lane in American pop. In 2018 she partnered up with Atlanta native rapper Young Thug to conceive “Havana”, a hit that would garner one billion views on YouTube and earn her her first Billboard number one!

BET-SOS Saving Ourselves � Help for Haiti Benefit Concert

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Baby – Justin Bieber & Ludacris

Another Justin Bieber classic, “Baby”, was released in 2010 as the young Canadian prodigy was shooting to superstardom. The record featured Ludacris who was dropping bops like “My Chick Bad” and “How Low” in his club banger era. While the Biebs appeared to be another teenage pop star with a funny haircut, he had soul in his voice and funk in his music.

Naturally, he would start working with heavy hitters in the industry after being introduced to the world by the legendary prince of R&B Usher Raymond. “Baby” has 3 billion views on YouTube and debuted at number 5 on the Hot 100.

Which of these hip-hop collabs changed the game for you?

18 Oct 2023

White Exec Sues Nas’ Company Mass Appeal For Racial Discrimination

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Mass Appeal Records' 5 Year Anniversary Celebration

Mass Appeal, the company founded by legendary Queens rapper Nas, is the target of a lawsuit from a former white executive alleging racial discrimination among other issues. Melissa Cooper filed suit against Mass Appeal on Tuesday and added that a fellow white executive was also responsible for creating a hostile work environment.

The Daily Beast reports that Melissa Cooper, a longtime documentary producer whose credits include the upcoming Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, says that she faced racial discrimination and other hostilities while working at Mass Appeal as its head of development.

According to Cooper’s lawsuit, Peter Bittenbender, Mass Appeal’s chief executive and is a white man, and Jenya Meggs, the company’s senior VP for partnerships & content acquisition and a Black woman, “discriminated against her by removing her from several high value projects, creating a hostile work environment, and terminating her employment.”

As the outlet adds, terms like “White folks” and “crackers” rankled Cooper and there was evidence of tension between Cooper and Meggs in relation to the aforementioned Freaknik documentary.

From The Daily Beast:

In a series of these back-and-forth messages between Meggs and Terry Ross, a Freaknik executive producer who is Black and does not work for Mass Appeal, they discuss Meggs’ frustration at Cooper being brought on the project instead of her. Meggs texts, “I blame Alex for Freaknik,” referring to Alex Avant, an executive producer on Freaknik, who is Black and with whom Cooper had a long professional relationship. “Meggs was upset that Avant had decided to pitch the Freaknik project to Cooper and not Meggs, since Avant knew that Meggs was at Mass Appeal as well,” the complaint says. “Ross responded with surprise and said that this was ‘terrible.’ Meggs then texted that there were no hard feelings before qualifying Cooper’s selection for the Freaknik project as ‘Usual white folk behavior.’” In later messages, Meggs complains about Bittenbender’s decision not to hire a candidate she referred to Mass Appeal. Ross responded: “These white folk something else.”

Nas is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit despite his ownership.

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Photo: Johnny Nunez / Getty

18 Oct 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Mitch Rowland, Dogstar, Yeule & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts in its menu, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Oct. 21-dated charts.

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Mitch Rowland

Rowland has already forged a successful musical career, largely behind the scenes, but he’s now officially a Billboard-charting artist with his own solo work thanks to his new album, Come June. Released Oct. 6 on Erskine Records/Giant Music, the set debuts at No. 46 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 81 on Top Album Sales with 2,000 copies sold in its opening week, according to Luminate. The set also helps Rowland debut at No. 20 on the Emerging Artists chart.

Rowland — from Dublin, Ohio — has worked on all three of Harry Styles’ solo LPs, and has served as the touring lead guitarist in Styles’ band on both of his tours: Harry Styles: Live on Tour (2017-18) and Love on Tour (2021-23). Rowland is also credited as a co-songwriter on six Hot 100-charting songs by Styles, including the No. 1 “Watermelon Sugar” and top 10s “Sign of the Times” (No. 4) and “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” (No. 8). “Watermelon Sugar” took home the Grammy for best solo pop performance in 2021, earning Rowland his first-ever trophy. Rowland is gearing up for his solo North American Tour, which kicks off in February.

Dogstar

The alt-rock trio released its first two full-lengths, Our Little Visionary and Happy Ending, in 1996 and 2000, respectively, but the group scores its first Billboard chart appearance this week with its new comeback third LP, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees. The set, released Oct. 6 via Dillon Street Records, debuts at No. 6 on both Heatseekers Albums and Vinyl Albums, No. 17 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 19 on Top Album Sales with 6,000 copies sold. It also sends the band to No. 5 on Emerging Artists.

The Los Angeles-based group is comprised of Bret Domrose (lead guitar, lead vocals), Robert Mailhouse (drums, vocals) and Keanu Reeves – yes, that one (bass and vocals). In a recent interview with Billboard, Reeves shared that he had been hoping for some time that the band would reunite. “I missed playing together, I missed writing together, I missed doing shows together. It’s something I’ve always missed,” he said. “We came to a spot where we weren’t playing anymore, and I missed it. Once we started to play, and it felt good, and really positive and creative, that’s when it was like, ‘OK, let’s make this happen.’”

In May, the band made its first public performance in 20 years when it played the BottleRock Napa Valley music festival. Since going on hiatus, Reeves starred in numerous box-office hit films, including the John Wick and The Matrix franchises. Before that, he starred in the Bill & Ted trilogy, Point Break and Speed, among many other movies.

Dogstar is currently on its Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees Tour, which kicked off in August and runs through December.

Yeule

The Singaporean artist (real name Nat Ćmiel) arrives on Billboard‘s charts with their third studio album, Softscars. The set, released digitally Sept. 22 (and physically Oct. 6) on Bayonet Records/Ninja Tune, debuts at No. 49 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 88 on Top Album Sales with 2,000 copies sold. The album also drives yeule to a No. 25 debut on the Emerging Artists chart.

Before Softscars, Yeule released their first two LPs, Serotonin II and Glitch Princess, in 2019 and 2022, respectively. They had appeared on one Billboard chart before this week: Serotonin II reached at No. 7 on the Dance/Electronic Album Sales chart (which has since been discontinued) in 2019.

Yeule, whose name is derived from the character Paddra Nsu-Yeul in the Final Fantasy franchise, has a string of tour dates scheduled through the end of the year.

Bryan Fowler

Fowler has already forged a successful career on Billboard’s charts as a producer and songwriter, but he notches his first chart appearance under an artist billing thanks to his solo single “What I Really Need.” The song, released in February on Harmony Group, debuts at No. 50 on Christian Airplay (up 396% in airplay audience). A version of the song appears on his debut four-track EP Bryan Fowler Song Sessions, released in March. A remix of the song with Essential Worship and a radio edit are also contributing to the track’s airplay ascent.

Fowler has produced 49 Hot Christian Songs-charting hits, including 16 top 10s and three No. 1s: Ryan Stevenson’s “Eye of the Storm,” featuring Gabereal (2016), and TobyMac’s “I Just Need U” (2018) and “The Goodness” (featuring Blessing Offor, 2022). Thanks to his production work, he spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Christian Producers chart in 2020. As a songwriter, he is credited on 52 titles that have charted on Hot Christian Songs, including all three No. 1s that he produced.

Bloody Civilian

The Nigerian singer-songwriter (real name Emoseh Khamofu) achieves her first Billboard chart hit thanks to her new collaboration with ODUMODUBLVCK and Wale, “Blood on the Dance Floor.” The song, released Oct. 5 on NATIVE Records/Def Jam Recordings, debuts at No. 37 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

Bloody Civilian has released six other original solo songs, all of which are on her EP Anger Management, released June 8. She also landed a track on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack: “Wake Up” (featuring Rema), which she also co-produced with Ludwig Göransson.

Kenya Vaun

The Philadelphia-based R&B singer is a Billboard-charting artist thanks to her breakthrough single “Summer.” The song, released in May on 300 Entertainment/3EE, debuts at No. 29 on Adult R&B Airplay (up 87% in spins). Vaun has released four additional songs: “Movie Night” (in 2018), “Certified” (2019), “Bout’ Me” (2022) and “Overrated” (February).

Dani Flow

The Mexican artist hits Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new collaboration with Bellakath, “Perreo Champagne.” The song debuts at No. 133 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with 11.4 million streams earned outside the U.S. in the latest tracking week. The song appears on Dani Flow’s new LP Kittyponeo, released Oct. 5. TikTok has been a key factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion of its audio has been used in over 300,000 clips on the platform to date. (Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard’s charts except for the newly launched TikTok Billboard Top 50.)

Aaantonio

The Miami-based singer-songwriter arrives on Billboard’s rankings with his debut single “El Hotel.” The song, which he self-released Sept. 29, debuts at No. 23 on Latin Rhythm Airplay (up 21% in plays). The track is Aaantonio’s only one released on streaming services so far.

Lavaud & Kanis

Both artists make their first Billboard chart visits, thanks to their team-up with Tiwa Savage, Patoranking and Reekado Banks, “Roll on Me.” The track, released Oct. 6 on Saint & Citizen Music, debuts at No. 4 on World Digital Song Sales and No. 28 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

Lavaud, from Hackney, London, released her debut four-track EP King Vaud in 2021. She previously worked with Reekado Banks on a remix of his song “Rora” in 2019. Haitian-American rapper and singer-songwriter Kanis has released two studio albums: Eneji (2017) and REFLEXION (2021). Earlier this year, she released the songs “Follow Follow” with Nailah Blackman, “Marrakech” (plus two remixes, with Tafia, and Eyo-E and Zama) and “New Bag” with Young Grey, Fetty Wap and PKOLO.

18 Oct 2023

Daniel Caesar Makes Dazzling Madison Square Garden Debut With ‘Superpowers’ Tour: 5 Best Moments

Since scoring a pair of left-field slow jam hits in duets with H.E.R. (“Best Part”) and Kali Uchis (“Get You”) six years ago, Daniel Caesar has sidestepped the quest for the male R&B throne and has instead opted to focus on further developing his dedicated community of fans — one that has grown to the size of a sold-out Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night (Oct. 17).

The Grammy winner has come a long way since those controversial comments on race relations and the subsequent backlash, but a sobering, apologetic self-reflection and a string of major career moves kept the Caesar train chugging. In the time since “Best Part” emerged as Freudian’s breakout hit, Caesar found Billboard Hot 100 success as a songwriter for fellow Canadians Justin Bieber (“Peaches,” No. 1 — also with Caesar as a featured artist) and Shawn Mendes (“Monster,” No. 8), launched another acclaimed Grammy-nominated studio effort in Case Study 01, and released collaborations with Common, Brandy, FKA twigs and Omar Apollo.

On Tuesday night, the acclaimed singer-songwriter took over one of the world’s most iconic venues to perform the biggest show of his career thus far. His Superpowers World Tour — a global trek in support of his major label debut album, Never Enough, a stunningly introspective slice of R&B that peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 — is a terrific showcase of musical dexterity.

On the latest stop of his Superpowers Tour, Caesar tore through his lush discography, showcasing impressive vocal endurance and an intriguing yet entrancing approach to staging. Before he hit the stage, however, Grammy-nominated pop&B lothario Omar Apollo sparkled with an energetic set that dripped with sensuality and playfulness. Evoking Michael Jackson one second and Mick Jagger the next, Apollo swaggered through renditions of hits like “Evergreen,” “Tamagotchi” and “3 Boys.” Between a heartfelt tribute to Mexico (“En El Olvido”) and a hilarious streak of frankness — after he flubbed a riff, he quipped, “Oop, my fault!” before seamlessly executing an even harder falsetto riff — Apollo seemed incredibly comfortable in front of the packed arena.

Caesar began his set enclosed in translucent drapery, with a guest appearance from Mustafa the Poet — the pair performed their “Toronto 2014” collaboration — adding to the enigmatic tone of the night. Once he hit “Cyanide,” the drapes fell, revealing a close-up of a humbled Caesar, ready and excited to delight the crowd with a slew of songs off Never Enough, as well as some fan-favorites (“Entropy”) and a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” Not one for much banter, Caesar instead channeled his appreciation into a series of moving vocal performances that cast his greatest love songs in the context of the love story between him and his fans.

Here are the five best moments of Daniel Caesar’s Superpowers World Tour at Madison Square Garden:

18 Oct 2023

Cher Threatens to Leave the Country If Donald Trump is Re-Elected: ‘I Almost Got an Ulcer the Last time’

Cher has never been shy about her feelings about Donald Trump. The pop icon spent much of Trump’s one-and-done White House term calling out the now four-times indicted former reality TV star for his divisive policies and pronouncements, at one point dubbing DT “President Troll.”

But with Trump still holding a commanding lead over the large group of Republican rivals who are vying against him for the GOP’s nomination in next year’s presidential election — despite the Donald racking up 91 felony counts in four separate cases tied to alleged mishandling of classified documents, falsifying business records, obstructing justice and conspiring to overturn the 2020 election he lost — the “Believe” singer is already making contingency plans.

Speaking to England’s Guardian, Cher, 77, said she is horrified by the possibility that Trump, also 77, could potentially move back into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. if he wins re-election next year in a rematch with President Joe Biden. “I almost got an ulcer the last time,” she said of Trump’s tumultuous four-year term, which concluded with the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capital by Trump’s followers.

“If he get in, who knows?” Cher said. “This time I will leave [the country].” During the 2016 election, Cher threatened to “leave the planet” if then-political neophyte Trump was elected.

The singer who is gearing up to release her first-ever Christmas album, Christmas, also spoke to the Guardian about about the rise in anti-trans legislation. “It’s something like 500 bills they’re trying to pass,” the longtime ally of the LGBTQ community said about the raft of legislation being pushed by conservative lawmakers across the nation over the past year targeting trans people, drag queens and queer culture. “I was with two trans girls the other night – and of course my own child [Chaz is trans]. I was saying ‘We’ve got to stand together.’ I don’t know what their eventual plan is for trans people. I don’t put anything past them.”

The 13-track Christmas album — featuring guests Cyndi Lauper, Michael Bublé, Stevie Wonder and Tyga — is due out on Friday (Oct. 20).