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11 Sep 2023

What’s Your Favorite Song on Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’? Vote!

Olivia Rodrigo unveiled her long awaited follow-up to 2021’s Sour on Friday (Sept. 8) in the form of Guts, a rock-tinged project led by her Hot 100 chart topper, “Vampire.”

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The track became Rodrigo’s third to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100, and has since spent nearly every week post-release in the chart’s top 10. A promotional single titled “Bad Idea Right?” followed on Aug. 11. That song featured a markedly more frantic tempo to complement the ballad-rock opera fusion that was “Vampire.” “Bad Idea Right?” entered Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 1, becoming her second overall entry and second No. 1 single on the chart.

On September 12, Rodrigo will perform at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. This year, the “Traitor” singer boasts six nominations, including video of the year, song of the year and best pop (all for “Vampire”). 

In celebration of Guts, we want to know which track from the album is your favorite. Let us know by voting below.

11 Sep 2023

Could a Link to Organized Crime Spark a Crackdown on Streaming Fraud?

During his tenure at Google in the early 2000s, Shuman Ghosemajumder‘s official title was global head of product, trust and safety. But he also acquired a snazzier moniker, “click fraud czar,” thanks to his efforts to combat bad actors who try to fake online activity to inflate advertising payouts.  

“It was very surprising to us, almost 20 years ago, when we saw organized crime getting involved with online fraud,” Ghosemajumder says. “Ever since then, I’m never surprised: The idea of cybercrime or online fraud coming from an individual hacker sitting in their bedroom hasn’t been the case for basically 30 years.”

Criminal interest in a different type of click fraud drew the attention of the music industry this week, when the Swedish paper Svenska Dagbladet published a piece alleging that the country’s gangs use streaming manipulation as a way to launder money earned via illicit activities. “Spotify has become an ATM for them,” an anonymous police investigator told the paper. 

“That article appears to point to a really kind of ingenious way of laundering money,” says James Trusty, a former federal prosecutor who worked on cases involving both computer fraud and money laundering. “It seems to me to be a fairly invisible process right now, and that poses serious challenges to law enforcement.”

“It’s the usual chase,” he adds. “The robbers come up with something new, and the cops eventually catch up.”

In a statement to Svenska Dagbladet, a rep for Spotify told the paper that “manipulated streams are a challenge for the entire industry,” one that the platform “is working hard to combat” via “market leading” technology. On top of that, the rep said Spotify has discovered no evidence that it is being used as a money laundering tool.

If additional criminal activity is discovered on streaming platforms, could that bring new pressure to the music industry to address streaming fraud — something many believe is long overdue? 

The article arrives at a time when executives from around the music industry are calling for better monitoring of the streaming ecosystem. “As an industry, we need to do more to harden the defenses of platforms and deter bad actors from using music streaming for criminal purposes,” Beatdapp co-CEOs Morgan Hayduk and Andrew Batey said in a statement. (Beatdapp makes fraud detection technology.) 

Svenska Dagbladet‘s report is hardly the first time connections have been drawn between criminals and the music business. Industry history books are sprinkled with gangsters, especially in the earlier decades before it consolidated and became increasingly corporate. In one of the most infamous episodes, the longstanding practice of paying for airplay drew government scrutiny after a 1986 NBC report linked prominent radio promoters with members of the mafia. 

But the resulting investigation ended up having little impact and ultimately fizzled out. In the book Hit Men, which catalogs this period, Fredric Dannen wrote that the lesson for the record business was that “the government is incapable of sending any major music industry figure to jail.” Paying for airplay continued unchecked for more than a decade.

The practice of paying for artificial streams has only recently drawn public criticism in the U.S. music industry. Streaming manipulation has the potential to distort market share calculations and steer money away from the hardworking artists who are not gaming the system. Both Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge and Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer have expressed concern about fraud in calls with financial analysts this year. 

“Once someone like Lucian Grainge makes a statement about it, it’s necessarily going to get more prominence,” says one streaming service executive who agreed to speak about manipulation on the condition of anonymity. “That’s not to say we weren’t dealing with it behind the scenes before Lucian was making statements. But now there is broader recognition of the scope of the problem and the impact that it has on revenues and royalties that should be, but have not been, paid through to legitimate artists.” 

Potential connections between streaming manipulation and criminal elements were raised last year at a pair of music industry panels, first at South by Southwest and then at the Music Biz conference. Michael Pelczynski, who was then SoundCloud’s vp of strategy, participated in both discussions. “We were able to see signs of such activity” by collaborating with Pandora/SiriusXM and the cybersecurity company HUMAN, he says. “The benefit of creating a coalition with a third party was they could puzzle together certain patterns that we as individual platforms could not.” 

Streamers try to work backwards from anomalies in the data, trawling for “potential bad actor networks,” as Pelczynski puts it, and trying to prevent them from “migrat[ing] from platform to platform.” Svenska Dagbladet took a different approach, speaking to several criminals who claimed to have direct knowledge of the laundering scheme. 

The paper reported that Swedish gangs take criminal profits, convert them into cryptocurrency, use that to buy fake streams for artists they’re connected to, and then collect the royalties. They lose some money in the process by paying for fake streams, but the royalties they extract from the music industry are now “clean” — they can’t lead back to anything gang-related. 

“There is always a cost in money laundering,” Trusty explains. But even if it’s a really high transaction cost, it still puts you in a position where you have untraceable, usable profit. And so the key for any real money laundering operation is volume. The article seems to be pointing out that this is something that’s kind of an institutional mechanism for these gangs.” 

Trusty was not surprised to hear about the results of Svenska Dagbladet‘s reporting. “Anytime you have technological developments, somebody’s going to figure out a way to take advantage of those in a bad way,” he continues. “It’s eventually in the industry’s interest to lean forward and figure out how to work with law enforcement to close this gap that’s being exploited.”

11 Sep 2023

Amazon’s Must-Have Portable Monitor for Laptops Provides ‘Instant Gratification’ & Is 48% Off

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.

Remote or hybrid models still remain the dominate form of working even if some workplaces are starting to require employees to go back into the office. While you may already have the proper work from home items, you can’t always take your second screen with you on the days you want to switch up your remote office whether it’s at a café or from a beachside hotel room. That’s where a portable monitor for laptops comes in handy.

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Right now, Amazon is discounting its popular KYY Portable Monitor for 48% off, dropping the price down to $114.99 (originally $219.99). Not only does it have a foldable design, but it comes with a 4.5 star rating and is labelled an Amazon Choice for Computer Monitors by KYY.

The best portable monitors for laptops are not only versatile, but can easily fit in spaces like your tote bag or travel backpack. This model checks off both those boxes as it comes with a protective cover made from PU leather that’s scratch-proof and can be customized to choose what angle you want the monitor standing at.

Keep reading to shop the Amazon deal.

silver portable monitor with display screen on

Amazon

KYY Portable Monitor

$114.99 $219.99 48% OFF

No matter if you plan on gaming on the go or need to catch up on some work, the KYY Portable Monitor is compatible with most laptops, smartphones, PCs, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switches and more. It features two USB Type-C ports and a Mini-HDMI port to quickly plug-in your device and get to work.

The portable monitor comes with a lightweight design weighing about 1.7 pounds and has a 15.6-inch screen to help extend your viewing capabilities.

Reviewers are praising the monitor claiming it provides “instant gratification” and that “visually it’s fantastic!”

For more product recommendations check out our roundups of the best laptop deals, bluetooth earbuds and the best wifi extenders.

11 Sep 2023

Doja Cat’s ‘Paint the Town Red’ Becomes Her Second Hot 100 No. 1, First Rap Leader in Over a Year

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rises from No. 3 to No. 1 in its fifth week on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. It becomes the rapper/singer’s second career leader, following “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, in 2020.

Meanwhile, “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap Hot 100 No. 1 in over a year, ending the longest break for the genre atop the chart since 2001.

The Hot 100’s new No. 1 also brings late legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David back to the summit for the first time since 2004, thanks to its sample of Dionne Warwick’s classic “Walk on By.”

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Sept. 16, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Here’s a look at the Hot 100 coronation of “Paint the Town  Red” (released on Kemosabe/RCA Records), the 1,155th No. 1 in the chart’s 65-year history.

Streams, sales & airplay: “Paint the Town Red” drew 32.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 14%) and 27.7 million streams (up 10%) and sold 8,000 downloads (up 32%) in the Sept. 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate, as it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming and Sales Gainer awards.

The single holds at its No. 2 high on the Streaming Songs chart and pushes 6-5 on Digital Song Sales and 17-15 on Radio Songs, hitting new bests on the latter two rankings.

Doja Cat’s second Hot 100 No. 1: Doja Cat claims her second Hot 100 leader, following  “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, for a week in May 2020. Two weeks ago, “Paint the Town Red,” which has ridden a wave of virality on TikTok, became her seventh top 10.

The song is from Doja Cat’s fourth studio album, Scarlet, due Sept. 22.

First rap No. 1 in over a year: “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap track (defined as songs that have hit or are eligible to appear on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart) to lead the Hot 100 since Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which ruled upon its debut atop the chart dated Aug. 27, 2022. Doja Cat ends a 54-week break between rap No. 1s (during which three rap titles peaked at No. 2: Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole; Drake’s “Search & Rescue”; and Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex”).

Before the 2022-23 break, the last time the Hot 100 went without a rap champ longer was pre- and post-Y2K: after Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West,” featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, reigned for a week in July 1999, rap was absent from the top spot until Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me,” featuring Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent, began a two-week command in February 2001 – ending a drought of 79 weeks, or just over 18 months, and 22 No. 1s without a rap leader.

In the 54 frames between the dominations of “Super Freaky Girl” and “Paint the Town Red,” 15 songs topped the Hot 100, ranging from pop to R&B, country and rock/alternative. Click here for a deeper dive into key factors that contributed to rap’s shutout from No. 1 over the past year-plus until this week.

Country’s command halted: Meanwhile, with the return of rap atop the Hot 100, a streak for country ends, as “Paint the Town Red” stops a record run of four consecutive country No. 1s, over the past six weeks. On the Sept. 9-dated chart, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, debuted at No. 1, supplanting Anthony Oliver Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” after two weeks on top (Aug. 26 and Sept. 2). Before that, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” rebounded for its last two of 16 total weeks at No. 1 (Aug. 12 and 19), directly following Jason Aldean’s one-week reign with “Try That in a Small Town” (Aug. 5).

Five-week climb to No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” reaches No. 1 in its fifth week on the Hot 100, competing what’s become a rare multiple-week ascent to the top in 2023; it debuted at No. 15 on the Aug. 19 chart. The previous five new No. 1s (discounting “Last Night,” which logged a record-tying five distinct stays at No. 1 beginning in March) all debuted at the apex: “I Remember Everything”; “Rich Men North of Richmond”; “Try That in a Small Town”; Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto (July 29); and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (July 15).

Before the launch of “Vampire” (and 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for “Last Night” in May-July), SZA’s “Kill Bill” hit No. 1 in its 19th week on the chart (April 29) – helped in part by a remix released in that survey’s tracking week with Doja Cat (who did not receive billing on SZA’s song, as the remix did not account for a majority of its consumption that week).

Bacharach, David, back at No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” samples Dionne Warwick’s standard “Walk on By,” which hit No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1964. Thanks to its inclusion, legendary late songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David crown the Hot 100 for the first time since Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, ruled for a week in 2004; that song samples Luther Vandross’ cover of Warwick’s fellow 1964 release “A House Is Not a Home.”

Bacharach, who passed away Feb. 8, has now co-written eight Hot 100 No. 1s, which have reigned in five distinct decades – the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, 2000s and ‘20s – and spanned over 55 years.

Burt Bacharach’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

  • Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)
  • Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)
  • Dionne & Friends (Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder), “That’s What Friends Are For” (four, beginning Jan. 18, 1986)
  • Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, “On My Own” (three, beginning June 14, 1986)
  • Christopher Cross, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (three, beginning Oct. 17, 1981)
  • Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)
  • B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)
  • Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

David, who died in 2012, has now co-penned five Hot 100 No. 1s (over the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘00s and ‘20s), all with Bacharach. Notably, the Songwriters Hall of Fame annually presents – this year to Post Malone – the Hal David Starlight Award, which, according to the organization, is given to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.”

Hal David’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

  • Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)
  • Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)
  • Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)
  • B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)
  • Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

Adding to the new Hot 100’s No. 1 star power, Warwick’s voice appears atop the chart for the first time since “That’s What Friends Are For,” as noted above, in 1986. The ballad became her second leader, following her Spinners team-up “Then Came You” for a week in 1974.

‘Paint,’ ‘town’ & ‘red’ reigns: “Paint the Town Red” is the 11th Hot 100 No. 1 with either “paint,” “town” or “red” in its title. Here’s an eclectic recap of the others (with half the No. 1s with “town” in their titles having led since 2015).

  • “Paint It, Black,” The Rolling Stones, 1966
  • “Try That in a Small Town,” Jason Aldean, 2023
  • “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019
  • “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2015
  • “Funkytown,” Lipps, Inc., 1980
  • “New Kid in Town,” Eagles, 1977
  • “Poor Side of Town,” Johnny Rivers, 1966
  • “Downtown,” Petula Clark, 1965
  • “Red Red Wine,” UB40, 1988
  • “Roses Are Red (My Love),” Bobby Vinton, 1962

No. 1 on R&B/hip-hop charts: “Paint the Town Red” concurrently tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a third week each. It became Doja Cat’s second No. 1 on the former, following “Say So,” and her first on the latter list.

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100, a week after its premiere. Still, it leads Streaming Songs (31.7 million streams, down 6%) and the multi-metric Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a second week each. Plus, parent LP Zach Bryan tops the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week.

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s No. 6-peaking 1988 Hot 100 hit “Fast Car” dips to No. 3 after eight weeks at its No. 2 high. It leads Radio Songs for a second week (77.8 million, down 1%).

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rebounds 5-4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3; Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” descends 4-5, following 16 weeks at No. 1, the most ever for a non-collaboration; Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” shimmies 9-6 for a new high; and SZA’s “Snooze” repeats at its No. 7 best, as it leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for an eighth week.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Gunna’s “Fukumean” lifts 10-8, after hitting No. 4; Olivia Rodrigo’s former leader “Vampire” climbs 12-9; and Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” rises 11-10, after reaching No. 3, as it rules the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-extending 54th week.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 16), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

11 Sep 2023

10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through The Week: Leigh-Anne and Ayra Starr, Romy, Blondshell & More

Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.

These 10 tracks from artists including Leigh-Anne and Ayra Starr, Romy, Blondshell, Tirzah and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.

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Leigh-Anne feat. Ayra Starr, “My Love”

Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock has found an intriguing new lane for her solo career: “My Love,” co-starring rising Nigerian artist Ayra Starr and produced by Afropop connoisseur Magicsticks, values movement above all over the course of nearly three minutes, with both artists singing about relentlessly vibrating rhythms as the percussion follows their cue. “My Love” is designed to be bellowed among groups of friends on the dance floor, and succeeds in pushing Leigh-Anne’s sound into the future. Jason Lipshutz

Romy, “She’s On My Mind”

“She’s On My Mind” is a joy, as both the album closer to Romy’s recently released Mid Air and what the song represents in that spot: after Romy Madley Croft murmured her subtle magic with The xx, her debut solo album lets her spread out into sensual, often smile-inducing dance music. With its euphoric key plinks and whooping vocal hooks, “She’s On My Mind” ends the full-length triumphantly — but of course, the track works just as well on its own, the softness of Romy’s voice highlighting any dance break. – J. Lipshutz

Baby Queen, “Quarter Life Crisis”

Before the final five seconds of Baby Queen’s new single “Quarter Life Crisis” speeds up into a chaotic swirl and then crashes down, 25-year-old Bella Latham sings about living within that hurricane of post-teen uncertainty, asserting in the chorus, “I look at my face and I don’t recognize it.” A shakier writer might have trouble provoking empathy for mid-20’s ennui, but Latham understands how to make each line both biting and relatable — as well as deliver a hummable waltz of a hook. – J. Lipshutz

Morgan Saint, “It Hurts To Be Human”

The title of Morgan Saint’s sparkling new dance-pop track refers to post-breakup agony: as the bass hits a groove and the cymbals get tapped, Saint bemoans putting an untrustworthy partner’s needs before her own and ignoring clear-cut warning signs during a doomed romance. The tension between Saint’s sorrow and her self-produced, happily chattering track helps “It Hurts To Be Human” levitate above other dance floor cuts of its ilk, particularly when the song arrives at its elastic breakdown. – J. Lipshutz

Jolie Laide, “Pacific Coast Highway”

Jolie Laide is the new collaborative duo of Nina Nastasia and Jeff MacLeod, and after Nastasia unveiled Riderless Horse, her first album in 12 years, last year, “Pacific Coast Highway” suggests that we’ll be getting more moving songwriting from the beloved cult figure soon enough. “Pacific Coast Highway” possesses a stormy foundation, with a cracked guitar-and-drums arrangement that threatens to explode, although Nastasia also communicates a calmness while extolling the peace and freedom of her subject. – J. Lipshutz

iann dior, “You Don’t Even” 

iann dior topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks as the featured guest on 24kGoldn’s “mood,” and the Texas singer-rapper brings the same irresistibly melodic melancholy to his latest solo track, “You Don’t Even.” Dior melds sweetness and pain so breezily that it’s easy to overlook his knack for pop songcraft. – Joe Lynch  

Tirzah, “Promises” 

An album title like trip9love…??? doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but Tirzah isn’t the type of singer-songwriter to meet the audience halfway. Once again paired with producer Mica Levi, the English artist creates a strangely compelling mixture of minimalist piano, skittering 808s and gently haunted vocals on gems such as “Promises.” – J. Lynch  

George Riley, Elixir

The meaty beat and jangling metal that introduces “Elixir” are immediately grabbing. And once London singer-songwriter George Riley adds her vocals into the mix, it’s game over. Her syrupy sweet delivery paints the thumping dancefloor production with colors of R&B and pop, resulting in a track just as enticing as the elixir she sings of. – Lyndsey Havens

Blondshell, Street Rat

After teasing the fondly titled “Street Rat” online and in her live show, alternative artist Blondshell finally unleashed the track as part of the forthcoming deluxe edition of her self titled album (out Oct. 6). “Wouldn’t feed that / To a street rat,” begins the artist, doubling down on her knack for scorching one-liners delivered as softly as possible — which, somehow, makes them all the more painful. And when the chorus hits, during which she confesses certain circumstances to be “awful … and needed,” Blondshell reminds listeners that her greatest strength of all is her unrelenting honesty. – L.H.

Slothrust, “Pony”

Ginuwine’s “Pony,” a R&B classic and staple for the ’90s, is seen through a brand new lens in Slothrust’s latest cover of the track. The song goes grunge, trading the original winding bass instrumental for fuzzier and notably heavier guitar and drum work from duo Leah Wellbaum and Will Gorin. Wellbaum shines on the song, delivering the lyrics — which boasts of sexual prowess amid searching for a partner that can truly satisfy —  with a knowing wink and the perfect hint of seduction. – Starr Bowenbank

11 Sep 2023

From The Bronx to Berlin: Universal Inside Celebrates 50 Years of Hip-Hop

At 50, hip-hop is “as fresh, in demand and modern as ever,” declared Frank Briegmann, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon. He said this to open the Sept. 7 event Universal Inside, the annual label showcase that this year was “Dedicated to hip-hop” in honor of the genre’s 50th anniversary. Example No. 1 was the night’s first performance, from Kontra K, a German rapper who performed “Für die Himmel durch die Hölle” (For Heaven through Hell) and “Summertime,” a No. 1 hit that samples Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness.”

German-language rap, the very concept of which would have been hard to imagine in the 1970s Bronx, is now the country’s most popular genre.

After the rapper badmómzjay performed, Briegmann spoke about the vitality of hip-hop, as well as the state of the music business in Germany. To mark hip-hop’s anniversary, Briegmann announced that Universal will release the collection Hip-Hop At Fifty (50 Jahre Hip-Hop), plus reissue classic albums like LL Cool J’s Radio and Eazy-E‘s Eazy-Duz-It, and put out vinyl box sets dedicated to Eric B. & Rakim and Public Enemy. At this point, of course, Universal Germany also has its own roster of Deutschrap stars, including Kontra K, badmómzjay, Sido, Luciano, Chapo102 and DJ Desue — all of whom performed later in the evening.

Briegmann also spoke about the more technical parts of the business, including the idea that there are more places than ever where labels can connect artists with fans – including smart automotive audio systems, fitness machines and metaverse platforms.

“We have gone from being labels to architects and builders of these integrated worlds,” he said. “Together with our artists, we create experiences that go far beyond pure audio consumption.”

One will be Universal’s “YOUniverse,” an interactive platform developed by Universal Music Central Europe that does not seem to exist yet in the U.S.

The music industry’s potential could still be limited, Briegmann said. He spoke about how the “value gap,” which labels and industry groups once invoked to point out that user-upload platforms like YouTube paid less than Spotify and Apple Music, still applied to short-form-video platforms. In the case of YouTube, he said, negotiations eventually led to fairer pay-outs – and he was hopeful the same would happen with these newcomers.

Briegmann also spoke about how artificial intelligence would affect the music business, including Universal’s recent deal with YouTube to develop AI technologies and protect artists from their misuse. The new technology is here to stay, and “we are united by the desire to view and develop AI tools from an artist’s perspective,” Briegmann said. “At the heart of our shared vision is the goal to build a safe, responsible and profitable ecosystem for music and video content.”

11 Sep 2023

Watch the Moment Maluma Catches a Crutch Thrown at Him on Stage

Fans often throw gifts at their favorite favorite artists while they’re performing: bras, panties, roses, teddy bears, and now — crutches? That’s the case for Maluma, who’s currently on the North American leg of his 2023 Don Juan World Tour. 

In a video that’s going viral, the Colombian artist is performing his song “Mojando Asientos” (which he dropped with Feid in 2022) when someone in the crowd launches a crutch at him. What’s even more surprising was his very fast reflex to catch it with one hand in midair. 

Even more notable was his attitude toward the flying object. Instead of stopping the song and calling out the fan, Maluma laughed it off and used the crutch as a prop for his performance.

Maluma’s Don Juan tour kicked off its U.S. leg on Aug. 31 in Sacramento, Calif., and has made stops in Seattle, Los Angeles and Phoenix so far, among others. 

The 30-city stint — named after his latest studio album — is produced by CMN (Cardenas Marketing Network) and will wrap up on Nov. 4 in Miami’s Kaseya Center. Maluma is also expected to visit fans in Las Vegas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Orlando and more. 

The Don Juan World Tour follows his successful Papi Juancho World Tour, which traveled across the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East from 2021 to 2022. The also CMN-produced trek, where the “Felices Los 4” singer serenaded fans from the in-the-round — or 360-style stage — grossed $24,488,668, landing at No. 14 in Billboard’s Top Tours of 2021 list.

See the viral video of Maluma catching the crutch below:

11 Sep 2023

LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash & More to Appear in Big VMAs Finale — a 50th Anniversary Salute to Hip-Hop

The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards will close with a salute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and LL Cool J will join previously announced performers Lil Wayne and show emcee Nicki Minaj for the segment. The VMAs are set to air live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

This will be McDaniels’ first VMAs performance since Run-DMC’s historic pairing with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler to close the 1987 VMAs, where they performed their genre-blending smash “Walk This Way.” Run-DMC was the first rap group on MTV and was also the first to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. The trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2007), and also the first to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy (2021).

LL Cool J was one of three emcees of last year’s VMAs, along with Minaj and Jack Harlow, but this will be his first VMAs performance in more than 25 years. LL won a VMA for best rap in 1991 for “Mama Said Knock You Out.” In 1997, he became the first hip-hop artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. He was also the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honor (2017).

In addition to his role in the 50th anniversary of hip-hop spot, Lil Wayne will perform his new single, “Kat Food.” This will be his first VMAs appearance in more than a decade. Minaj will perform her latest single, “Last Time I Saw You.” Last year, she dominated the event as emcee, performer, winner of best hip hop, plus recipient of the coveted Video Vanguard Award.     

BACARDÍ Rum is partnering with the VMAs for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop tribute performance, along with the debut of custom BACARDÍ content featuring Don Toliver and DJ Premier. BACARDÍ is the first spirits brand to sponsor the VMAs.

On Friday (Sept. 8), BACARDÍ launched the BACARDÍ Vintage pop-up in New York City: a shoppable retrospective of hip-hop fashion, featuring exclusive BACARDÍ and VMA merch.

Many award shows have saluted the 50th anniversary of hip-hop since the Grammys kick-started this anniversary year on Feb. 5 with a massive 24-song segment that included The Roots, Black Thought, LL Cool J and Lil Uzi Vert.

11 Sep 2023

Another Great Side Effect of Vinyl’s Resurgence? Best-Of Albums Are Back

Greatest hits albums were once a key facet of the record business — a way for labels to repackage existing copyrights, for artists to make a statement about a body of commercial success and for consumers to get all their favorite hits by an artist in one collection.

The development of streaming hobbled that format. If a fan can create a playlist of all their favorite songs, why would they need to buy an album of those hits?

Best-of albums, though, are quietly hitting back — especially in the country format. MCA Nashville released Josh Turner’s Greatest Hits on Sept. 8, and Valory has Thomas Rhett’s 20 Number Ones scheduled for Sept. 29. Encore Music Group likewise issued Ricochet’s Then & Now on Aug. 18, with rerecordings of its four top 20 singles from the 1990s among the package’s 16 tracks.

“It’s kind of a milestone moment for me,” Turner says.

Indeed, in the old-school music business, hits albums carried a certain status. In their original, purest form, they signified that an artist had accrued enough successful individual titles that they could fill both sides of a vinyl release with familiar music. They sometimes expanded a fan base, too, as consumers who hadn’t necessarily kept tabs on a specific act suddenly recognized their accomplishments more fully. 

“The greatest-hits aggregate, whether it’s physical or even just a digital collection, is kind of a marketing banner for the body of work,” says Fisher Entertainment Consulting founder Pete Fisher.

If the hits package has a throwback vibe, that’s appropriate since nostalgic vinyl is the format that’s most likely driving its return. Fans who want to hear the hits from the turntable at home can’t mix and match the songs for a 12-inch disc as they could on Spotify. The disc needs to be manufactured in a fixed order, and the best-of package offers real value.

“We’ve been selling a lot of vinyl on the road at my shows, so that’s a good sign to show that people really want the physical product,” Turner says. “Everybody’s familiar with the digital stuff now. Sometimes it’s kind of cool to just unplug and go to the record.” 

There’s an irony to the development. Producers have been known to add programmed needle scratches to digital music to give it a ’60s or ’70s atmosphere. Avoiding those pops and crackles were one of the supposed benefits of shifting to CDs. The digital disc’s rise pretty much ended a 30-year reign for 12-inch pressings around the early 1990s. Now the sonic imperfections add a new dimension to several generations of music.

“Vinyls are making a comeback, and [they’re] making a comeback among the younger generation,” says Ricochet founder Heath Wright. “It’s the thing now.”

That shift is opening up new possibilities for most of the music from the last three decades as it appears on a warmer, less brittle configuration.

“It’ll be the first time I’ve heard Ricochet music on vinyl,” Wright says, anticipating the release of the band’s material on black and yellow plastic.

Plenty of recent hits projects marked the first time the songs were available in the format. Among the best-of collections unveiled in the last two years are Heads Carolina, Tails California: The Best of Jo Dee Messina, Luke Bryan’s #1’s Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and a Justin Moore Greatest Hits originally offered in translucent red vinyl at Walmart. Much of Dolly Parton’s Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection — including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors” — was initially issued on vinyl back in the day.

But vinyl isn’t the only point. Digital service providers have created their own playlists dedicated to specific artists. However, that same act may prefer a different set of songs as a career overview, and the makeup of those titles on a hits compilation aren’t subject to revisions by DSP managers.

“It’s a nice way to roll up an era and curate the hits from a label-centric perspective for all time,” 615 Leverage + Strategy partner John Zarling says. “Apple constantly updates their Essentials playlists and prominently features those for every artist of note. But if you think about 10, 20 years removed, are those playlists going to properly document a specific era for an artist?”

Hits projects also give the act’s team a chance to elevate a song that was overlooked publicly. “Desperado,” for example, was never a charting single for The Eagles or Linda Ronstadt, but it rose in significance after being featured on both acts’ best-of compilations.

“Think about the songs that might have been important,” says Zarling, “but were never big chart successes, that because they were placed on greatest-hits records, it became a part of that artist’s repertoire.”

Plenty of artists who would have qualified for best-of albums in a previous era have never issued one during the last 20 years. That includes Brad Paisley, Cole Swindell, Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert. As the hits album hits back, a template has been established that makes a best-of compilation a good bet again. 

In addition to making a statement about the act, it’s also a good way to enhance the experience with fans. Turner and Rhett are both offering special packages that combine hits albums with other merchandise. Rhett’s 20 Number Ones can be purchased in two different collectible versions, including one with an autographed box set with a booklet for $125. Turner’s Greatest Hits is available in several configurations, including signed copies and/or Turner-branded clothing for up to $185.

“That’s a trend that’s not going to go away,” Fisher suggests. “The entertainment industry as a whole is just continuing to try and find very high-touch experiences and high-quality products for that premium consumer. There’s profit opportunities with the superfan, and I don’t think they’re disappointed to pay that way. It’s a way they vote in support of their favorite artists.” 

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11 Sep 2023

8 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton, Colbie Caillat & More

Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, Colbie Caillat with Sheryl Crow, and more turn up stellar new releases this week. Tyler Hubbard aims to make his duo of chart hits into a trio, while bluegrass whizkid Wyatt Ellis and gravel-voiced J.R. Carroll continue forging their signature styles. See those and more Billboard country picks below.

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Tyler Childers, “Phone Calls and Emails”

With albums like his breakthrough Purgatory and successors Country Squire and Long Violent History, Childers’s mix of country, folk and bluegrass elements has inspired a rise in counter-programming to mainstream country’s usual pop and hip-hop fusions. He continues that with latest album, Rustin’ in the Rain. At only seven tracks, Rustin’ in the Rain is succinct yet solid, melding originals with renditions of the Kris Kristofferson-written “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and S.G. Goodman’s “Space and Time.” Among the standouts in those originals is this solo write from Childers, whose vigorous vocal conveys the hurt and confusion when a loved one stops responding to his correspondences. “It’s so unnerving to get no reply,” he sings in a desperate attempt to gain closure. Piano and mournful steel capture the song’s arc from clinging to the last remnants of hopefulness, but giving way to angst and despair.

Chris Stapleton, “Think I’m in Love With You”

Stapleton gets funky on this solo write, slightly quickening the pace, his signature guttural, husky voice working within the evergreen topic of love, registering romantic grit and ‘70s soul. Sonically, it’s a further confirmation of Stapleton’s genre-traversing capabilities, following his previous outing, “White Horse.” “Think I’m in Love With You” is the latest preview of Stapleton’s upcoming album Higher, out Nov. 10.

J.R. Carroll, “Diamondhead”

Oklahoma native Carroll issued his debut project in 2020, ad followed with 2022’s Raging in the Dark and his OurVinyl Sessions EP which released earlier this year. Those projects largely put the spotlight on his gospel-inflected voice and acoustic-based songwriting. Carroll has been on the road playing keyboards for Zach Bryan, but on this chugging, percussion-fueled romp, he offers a potent reminder of his own songwriting and vocal prowess. Here, he sings of a woman whose romantic allure beckons him on a wild day spent near the river, with hours of booze and cigarettes, and dancing to Turnpike Troubadours tunes on the jukebox. “Ain’t much that I can do/ Can’t bear to see it stop,” he deadpans, with a voice filled with urgency and surrender.

Colbie Caillat feat. Sheryl Crow, “I’ll Be Here”

These two laid-back vocalists team up in a mighty way for this rootsy, yet calmly uplifting anthem, which revamps “Never Gonna Let You Down,” a song featured on Caillat’s 2014 album Gypsy Heart. Caillat wrote this song 13 years ago, with Brett James, Jason Reeves and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, but the sunny production and timeless message here feel fresh and polished, while their intertwining harmonies feel familial. “I’ll Be Here” is included on Caillat’s upcoming country album, Along the Way, out Oct. 6.

Tyler Hubbard, “Back Then Right Now”

Hubbard issues his third solo career single, following his No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hit “5 Foot 9” and the No. 2-peaking follow-up “Dancin’ in the Country.” He follows those two gratitude-filled, light-hearted tracks with a similarly-styled up-tempo track, a nostalgic ode that finds the singer reminiscing on youthful days, before various town developments put up big-box stores over old fishing spots and blacktop over gravel roads — times when “you took a pic and you didn’t have to post it.” This sounds like another solid, radio-ready single.

Wyatt Ellis feat. Jake Workman, “Get Lost”

Wunderkind mandolin player Ellis, who has performed alongside music luminaries including Sierra Hull, Sam Bush and Bobby Osborne, continues his penchant for traditional-leaning bluegrass on this song he wrote with multi-instrumentalist Jake Workman, when Ellis was 12.

Together with Ellis and Workman on sprightly mandolin and guitar, this track offers up a loose jam-band feel, meshing fiddle from legendary instrumentalist Michael Cleveland, as well as bass from Mike Bub and banjo from producer Justin Moses. “Get Lost” is the second release from Ellis’ upcoming album, set to be released on Knee-High Records.

Ashley Anne, “She Ain’t Texas”

Virginia native Ashley Anne is known for the track “Dear Dolly,” which was released earlier this year. But on her latest, she laments that an ex-lover has moved on — but this perspicacious lady also knows his new love lacks country bonafides. “if she ain’t country and she ain’t your cup of sweet tea,” Anne maintains she has something better to offer, singing with a honey-dipped-in-whiskey voice over a swirl of country and blues.

Alex Hall, “Her to Here”

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Hall issued his debut EP, the star-studded Six Strings, in 2021, and is gearing up to follow it with his latest album, Side Effects of the Heart, out Sept. 15.

“Her to Here” previews the new album, as Hall sings of a lover who calls his bluff and leaves him in the dust. He copes by ruminates on the choices he made and should have made. “Her to Here” reads more polished than some of his earlier work, while this Hall/Todd Clark/Travis Wood co-write offers an evocative depiction of romantic loss.