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12 Jul 2023

Jung Kook Recruits Latto for New Single ‘Seven’: Watch the Teaser

Less than a week after debuting a set of sultry photos in support of his forthcoming new single “Seven,” Jung Kook has revealed that Grammy-nominated rap star Latto will feature on the track. The BTS member announced the news by launching the first official teaser of the “Seven” music video, which Latto does not appear in. Nonetheless, her name appears in the video’s title.

The new single marks the first collaboration between Jung Kook and Latto. When the news of the collaboration first broke, Latto tweeted “S/O to the Army,” alongside three “7” emojis, a simultaneous reference to the song’s title and her own jackpot imagery. The announcement adds to the “Big Energy” rapper’s banner year. Her Cardi B-assisted “Put It On Da Floor Again” hit No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and she recently won best female hip-hop artist at the 2023 BET Awards.

Starring Han So-hee as his on-screen girlfriend, the music video teaser finds Jung Kook engulfed in a heated exchange with her while out at a fancy dinner. A chandelier then falls from the ceiling, disrupting the other patrons while Jung Kook and Han So-hee remained locked in their argument. “Weight of the world on your shoulders/ I catch your waist and ease your mind,” Jung Kook croons over sultry guitar licks.

“Seven” is slated for a July 14 release to coincide with Jung Kook’s performance at Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on the same day. Jung Kook’s last solo release was “Dreamers,” a song for the 2022 FIFA World Cup soundtrack that peaked at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales.

12 Jul 2023

New Artists Offer a Variety of Sounds With Country Debuts in the Last Half of 2023

Country music can be difficult to define, and the pack of new artists serving up debuts over the next six months won’t make it any easier.

At least a dozen artists have their inaugural albums or EPs on the way during the last half of 2023, and each of them has a distinct look, sound, and backstory. The crowd includes two women (Ashley Cooke and Harper O’Neill) with distinctly different sounds; party-leaning, biracial duo Neon Union; Latin American ex-cop Frank Ray; and rough-edged Warren Zeiders.

John Morgan and Dylan Marlowe have both snared hits as songwriters for other acts, though Morgan introduced himself as an artist through a TV competition and Marlowe emerged via TikTok.

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Shane Profitt, like Ray, already has a top 20 single under his belt, and The Frontmen have over 50, given that the trio consists of lead singers from established groups that hit their strides in the 1990s.
Here’s an overview of the acts who could help define country’s future with their debut albums or EPs expected between now and Dec. 31:

Ashley Cooke (Big Loud) — Cooke’s debut album — shot in the dark, due July 21 — includes guest appearances by Brett Young, Colbie Caillat, Nate Smith and Jackson Dean among its 24 tracks, anchored by Cooke’s smoky timbre and reflective writing approach. She will be further boosted by opening on 16 Luke Bryan tour dates, beginning July 13.

Jordan Fletcher (Triple Tigers) — The Jacksonville, Fla., native lost his dad at age 11, and his scant knowledge about his father made him fiercely dedicated to telling his own story in his music, which results in a self-titled album in November. His sometimes soulful productions are loaded with honest vocals, delivered with understated conviction.

The Frontmen (BMG/BBR Music Group) — Larry Stewart, Tim Rushlow and Richie McDonald were introduced as lead singers for Restless Heart, Little Texas and Lonestar, respectively, in the 1990s, but have worked as a separate collective since around 2011. The trio finally announced its label signing in March and is working on its first project.

Alex Hall (Monument) — An astute guitarist with an expansive vocal range and classic approach to words and music, Hall explores a variety of sounds on his first album, Side Effects of the Heart, expected Sept. 15. The project conveys an optimistic world view, but it’s clearly filtered through real-world heartache and familiar disappointment.

Ryan Larkins (Red Street Country) — His songs have been covered by Tim McGraw, Cody Johnson and Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton. The Nashville-bred Larkins phrases with an old-school Trace Adkins clarity and is prepping the release of his first single, with his debut EP, Meet Ryan Larkins, on tap for a Sept. 29 street date.

Dylan Marlowe (Sony Music Nashville) — Hailing from Statesboro, Ga., Marlowe earned viral attention with a country version of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” then co-wrote Jon Pardi’s “Last Night Lonely.” His first EP — Dirt Road When I Die, released July 7 — ranges from banjo-flecked country to headbanger tones with tight, edgy harmonies certifying his country roots.

John Morgan (Broken Bow) — Hot off his May 19 Grand Ole Opry debut, Morgan has achieved several milestones, netting hits as a writer of Jason Aldean’s “Trouble With a Heartache” and the Aldean/Carrie Underwood duet “If I Didn’t Love You,” and competing on NBC’s American Song Contest. His initial EP is under construction.

Neon Union (Red Street Country) — The biracial duo, blending North Carolina’s Andrew Millsaps and Miami’s Leo Brooks, has a gritty tone that approximates Montgomery Gentry’s precedent by playfully mixing blue-collar country with obvious Southern rock influence. Introduced to country radio with “Bout Damn Time,” Neon Union’s first EP, Double Wide Castle Sessions, arrives July 21.

Harper O’Neill (Harper O’Neill Music) — Affiliated with QPrime South management, plus publishers Jody Williams Songs and Warner Chappell Nashville, O’Neill approaches a song with the timeless simplicity and directness of Patsy Cline, but with a ragged, world-weary tone. She self-releases her inaugural EP this summer in between tour dates with Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wade.

Shane Profitt (BMLG) — The Tennessean’s first EP, Maury County Line, included the top 20 Country Airplay hit “How It Oughta Be.” Introduced to Music Row by Chris Janson, Profitt’s powerful tones are built on classic country roots and a brash frankness. His first full album, its release date TBD, is tentatively titled I Am What I Am.

Frank Ray (Stoney Creek) — Ray owns a clear, rangy voice and a fluid stylistic bent with a brand of country that folds in pop, rock, hip-hop and Latin influences, allowing for a fair amount of variation in his first, self-titled album, released July 7. It includes top 20 single “Country’d Look Good on You.”

Warren Zeiders (Warner) — The 14-track Pretty Little Poison, named after Zeider’s current single, presents a voice full of sandpaper, sorrow, whine and snarl. The uncluttered production is part outlaw, part Southern rock and part post-grunge, creating a dark surface pastiche, though underneath there’s a sense of survivor instinct and determination for something better.

12 Jul 2023

Adam Lambert Feels ‘Flattered’ That Lil Nas X ‘Even Knows Who I Am’

Birds of a feather stick together, and pop superstar Adam Lambert is happy to see the similar plumage between himself and Lil Nas X.

On Tuesday night’s episode (July 11) of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Lambert gave a shout-out to the “Industry Baby” star. When a fan asked on-air about Lambert’s reaction to Lil Nas thanking him for creating space for queer artists, the “Whaddaya Want From Me” singer praised the rapper’s bombastic style.

“That was very flattering that he even knows who I am,” Lambert said. “I think he’s such a rock star, and so bold and brave, and I love what he’s doing. So I was very flattered by that,” Lambert said.

Cohen quickly followed up by pointing out all of the “crap” that Lambert had to deal with early on in his career as an openly queer artist, especially as a performer at the 2009 American Music Awards. Lambert acknowledged his struggle, but again praised Lil Nas X for doing “racy, fabulous, edgy performances and finally getting to do that without being canceled or pulled off of a network.”

Back in 2021, Lambert told Billboard that seeing Lil Nas X kiss a backup dancer at the BET Awards felt like a watershed moment for queer artistry. “What I love right now with Lil Nas is we need him to be outspoken about it. He is in a position where that works for him, and he’s using it.”

In turn, Lil Nas X told Heavy that he ended up getting to meet Lambert and properly thank him for the path he laid out for other LGBTQ artists. “I did thank him in person, actually. I really appreciate all the love that he’s shown me and I definitely don’t take it for granted,” he said. “And I appreciate all the doors that him and people like him opened.”

Check out the clip from Watch What Happens Live below:

12 Jul 2023

Chuck Rhodes and Dr. Glenn Toby Spill the ‘TEA’ on Launching The Entertainment Alliance

Industry veterans Chuck Rhodes and Dr. Glenn Toby have co-founded a new business venture, christened The Entertainment Alliance (TEA). Rhodes will serve as CEO and Toby as president of the full-service, multi-genre entertainment company whose main office will be headquartered in Nashville.

In addition to operating an in-house record label with global distribution by Bob Frank Entertainment, exclusively through The Orchard, TEA will house a management company, a publishing company and booking agency along with offering label services that include social media marketing and PR. TEA will also broker select movies, television series, documentaries and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) products. The new venture’s A&R services are based in New York and there’s a satellite office in Atlanta. Initial artist signings will be announced soon with an inaugural project release slated by the end of this year. 

“Our tagline at The Entertainment Alliance is ‘We are equal opportunity dream makers,’” Rhodes tells Billboard. “After 38 years of working in the industry, this is a great opportunity now to step up and be a founder/owner with a partner. I’ve found my soulmate in Dr. Toby when it comes to the business world and music world. We’re chomping at the bit to present something to the business that I don’t think they’ve ever seen before.”

Adds Toby, “Rhodes is the Clive Davis of the South whether it’s country, southern blues or soul and I’ve been involved in pop, R&B and dance. We don’t care about age, race or genre; we’re bringing everybody in. The fuel for this new venture is two music industry veterans that have written, arranged, produced, performed, advised and discovered talent in our more 40 years’ of combined experience. We’ve been behind the curtains for so long that it’s time to come to the forefront.”

The Entertainment Alliance

Rhodes has spent the last 15 years in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment where he served as general manager for Bob Frank Distribution and the Audium Nashville label. Getting his start in the music industry as a keyboard player for Ray Charles and Cher, Rhodes later served as program director of adult contemporary KVIL- AM/FM in Dallas-Ft. Worth. A move to Nashville found him segueing into promotion and management at MCA Records and later Giant Records. Rhodes also operates his own production company, On the Rhodes Entertainment. During his career, he has collaborated with a diverse slate of artists including Daryle Singletary, Loretta Lynn, Clay Walker, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels, MC Hammer and the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson.

Dr. Toby is the founder/CEO of Glenn Toby Enterprises (GTE), an international holding corporation that controls companies in the entertainment, sports, technology and real estate arenas. Total Entertainment Artist Management, Total Entertainment Athlete Management, and Infinite Sports Concepts are companies under the GTE umbrella with offices in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The roster of artists, actors and athletes that Toby has  worked with includes LL Cool J, Swizz Beatz, Damion Hall of Guy, David Banner. Saigon, songwriter Positive K, “Queen of House Music” Barbara Tucker, actor Lance Reddick and Green Bay Packers legend Antonio Freeman. Dr. Toby is also a noted philanthropist who founded The Book Bank Foundation, which promotes literacy.

12 Jul 2023

Watch Paramore’s Hayley Williams Cover a Beyoncé Deep Cut in Houston

There are a few things synonymous with Houston: NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the Rockets and, of course, Beyoncé. When Paramore touched down in the city on Tuesday (July 11) during its This Is Why Tour, the band couldn’t help but pay tribute to one of Houston’s most iconic figures, with Hayley Williams delivering a haunting cover of Beyoncé’s “I Miss You.”

Co-written with Frank Ocean, “I Miss You” is a fan-favorite deep cut that appears on Queen Bey’s 4, her aptly titled fourth solo studio album. “It hurts my pride to tell you how I feel, but I still need to/ Why is that,” Williams crooned in the shadows as she and her bandmates remained strikingly still on the red-lit stage. She belted out half of the second verse, the chorus and the song’s bridge completely a cappella before launching into a rendition of “Crystal Clear,” a track from Petals for Armor, her debut solo studio album.

Paramore is currently in the midst of its This Is Why Tour in support of the band’s sixth studio album of the same name. At the top of this year, This Is Why became the band’s fourth consecutive top 10 album on the Billboard 200, reaching No. 2. The record also debuted atop Top Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums. Featuring supporting acts ranging from Bloc Party to The Linda Lindas, the band’s latest trek will wrap on Aug. 2 after visiting fans across North America, Europe and South America.

Those who missed the Grammy-winning band on this tour need not worry. Paramore is set to return the stage next year. Beginning May 9, 2024, the group will be the main supporting act for 14 stops on the European leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Hayley Williams recently appeared as a featured artist on “Castles Crumbling,” a “From the Vault” track from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Swift’s latest re-recording.

Check out some fan clips of Hayley Williams covering “I Miss You” below:

12 Jul 2023

Here’s Why Zayn Malik Says He ‘Completely Selfishly’ Left One Direction

March 25, 2015, lives on in infamy for One Direction fans as the beginning of the end — aka, when Zayn Malik decided to leave the band. But in a candid new interview on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, the 30-year-old pop star hinted that if he hadn’t separated from the group to pursue his own solo career, one of the other five guys probably would have sooner rather than later.

“There was a lot of … look, I don’t want to go into too much detail, but there was a lot of politics going on,” Malik told Cooper on the Wednesday (July 12) episode, careful not to call out ex-bandmates Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson by name. “Certain people were doing certain things, certain people didn’t want to sign contracts, so I knew something was happening. So I just got ahead of the curve.”

“If I’m being honest with you, I was like, ‘I’m just going to get out of here.’ I think this is done and I just seen it, and I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record if I’m being completely honest with you,” he added. “I’m a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, I’m serious about it and I’m competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing.”

Malik — who announced earlier this week that his new single “Love Like This” will drop July 21 — also admitted that by the end of his run with the boy band, everyone was little bit tired of one another. “We’ve been together every day for five years and we’ve got sick of each other, if I’m being completely honest,” he admitted.

“We were close. We done crazy things with each other that nobody else in the world will ever understand or have those experiences that we’ve shared with each other, and I look back on it now in a much fonder light than I would’ve as I just left,” he continued. “There were great experiences, I had great times with them, but yeah, we just run our course.”

Listen to the full episode below:

12 Jul 2023

Why Do Corridos Tumbados Generate Controversy?

In May, local authorities of a famous resort in Cancún, Mexico, banned live concerts of corridos tumbados, and other musical genres that authorities believe encourage violence. 

At the same time, in the United States and in Mexico, the most important artist of the moment in Latin music is Peso Pluma, the newest Mexican star who this week has 11 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated July 15).

And while Peso Pluma is known for many styles of music, from romantic sierreño (like the hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado) to party songs like “La Bebe Remix” with Yng Lvcas, he also sings corridos tumbados, a subgenre of traditional Mexican corridos that fuses rap, hip-hop and even reggaetón, and that often openly address the issue of weapons and drugs.  

He’s not the only one. Artists such as Natanael Cano, Junior H, Luis R. Conriquez and Fuerza Regida, among many others, also sing corridos tumbados as part of their repertoire, managing to enter the global Billboard charts with those songs. 

The music can be successful, but in Mexico, it has been a source of controversy. Along with their popularity, corridos tumbados raise controversy precisely because of their lyrical themes, in a country with thousands of violent deaths and more than 111,000 missing people, according to official data. 

Performances of narcocorridos — corridos that narrate the lives and exploits of real or fictional drug traffickers — have been banned in several Mexican states for decades, and now, those bans have been extended against corridos tumbados in some places. 

Specifically, on May 18, local authorities did not allow a second concert by Alfredo Ríos, better known as El Komander, to take place.

El Komander had a second show scheduled for May 19 at the Plaza de Toros along with Chuy Lizárraga, Ángel Preciado and Francisco “El Gallo” Elizalde. But the general secretary of the Cancún City Council, Jorge Aguilar Osorio, announced on social media that the city council had approved a new measure that would not allow the concert to take place. 

“Not allowing the concert to take place has to do with the fact that the city council has decided not to continue authorizing public performances that encourage violence,” said Aguilar Osorio. “We do not limit freedom of expression. Artists can sing whatever music they want. But the authorities cannot have this ambiguity of looking for a better, more peaceful society and, on the other hand, raise alerts every time we have these concerts due to the probabilities of violence that these type of public spectacles can generate”. 

Controversial Rhythms 

The controversy that corridos tumbados generate today is the same that was generated in the past by the so-called narcocorridos, which glorify drug traffickers. 

Because it is considered a justification for the crime, the dissemination of narcocorridos has been prohibited since the early 2000s in the states of Baja California, Chihuahua and Sinaloa, the latter is the home state of Mexican cartel kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The prohibition consists of million-dollar fines and even the veto of concerts for those who perform them live. 

Sanctions against corridos have even reached popular groups like Los Tigres del Norte, fined in 2017 by Chihuahua authorities for singing narcocorridos, and Los Tucanes de Tijuana, who were banned by Tijuana authorities in 2008 from playing live for allegedly giving a shout out to a capo during a concert in that city. 

As for corridos tumbados, these are equally popular among the youth on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The lyrics about drug use and the war between cartels are a fundamental part of the composition — although over time, some performers have integrated lyrics of love and heartbreak. 

“People like the sound of tumbados and when the new genre started, they sang about drugs and other situations, but now they sing about heartbreak,” Danny Felix, singer-songwriter and co-writer of several of Natanael Cano’s first hits, told Billboard Español.

For Oswaldo Zavala, journalist and academic at the City University of New York (CUNY), the justification discourse is based on a political-social position that seeks to regulate this type of cultural expression associated with drug trafficking. 

“There is a way of imagining northern Mexico as a place of violence, in the case of corridos tumbados, or Latin America in general, and also of a lot of sensuality and eroticism. These two pathways are constantly activated in much of the popular music that is currently consumed,” Zavala says.

The issue of corridos is so debated that even the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has spoken about it on several occasions. “Forbidden to prohibit,” he said last week in one of his daily conferences with the press, stressing that he did not believe in censorship. But, he added: “We have the right and obligation to guide young people and give our opinion that nothing that leads to drug use should not be accepted […] There is a wide repertoire of songs that have nothing to do with drugs or with violence.” 

12 Jul 2023

Abuelita’s A Gangsta? Peep The Latest ‘Blue Beetle’ Trailer

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Blue Beetle trailer

Source: Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

It’s been weeks since the highly-anticipated DC film, The Flash, flopped something spectacularly at the box office. And though that might’ve made it that much harder for James Gunn to get his rebooted DC Universe up and running, that isn’t keeping Warner Bros from going full steam ahead with their next DC film, Blue Beetle.

Blue Beetle trailer

Source: Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.

On Tuesday (July 12), Warner Bros. released its latest trailer for the Angel Manuel Soto-directed feature in hopes of building some buzz for the forthcoming film, and truth be told, it seems pretty damn entertaining. Starring Xolo Maridueña as the titular character, the trailer finally gives us a glimpse of the Blue Beetle squaring off against the film’s villain, Conrad Carapax aka The Indestructible Man (Raoul Max Trujillo). After seemingly getting his ass handed to him by Carapax, the Blue Beetle seems to finally be getting ahold of things only to realize that his family is now targeted by government-backed mercenaries (led by Susan Sarandon), who want the alien tech that’s taken over his body.

Filled with out of this world action sequences and comedic moments, DC’s Blue Beetle seems like it might actually be one of DC’s most entertaining films yet, but that’s not saying much, so take that how you will. Also having grandma let off 100 rounds using an alien gatling gun might’ve been overkill. No, it definitely was overkill. DC might’ve shot themselves in the foot with that scene. Just sayin’.

Check out the latest trailer for Blue Beetle below, and let us know if you’ll be checking for this when it hits theaters on Aug. 18.



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12 Jul 2023

Record Label Market Share Midyear 2023: Republic Cruises to Huge Lead, Interscope Heats Up

In 2023 so far, what’s happened in the last three months of the year largely mirrors the first when it comes to U.S. record label market share: the top two albums of the year — Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At a Time (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic) and SZA’s S.O.S. (TDE/RCA) — are still dominating the top two slots among consumption albums through June 29, according to Luminate. But while that may come as little surprise to industry chart-watchers, the rest of the top five points to a relatively surprising level of domination by one record label in particular: Republic Records.

In the first quarter of the year, Republic — which encompasses Island, Big Loud, Mercury, Cash Money and indie distributor Imperial — put up a current market share (defined as albums released within the past 18 months) of 12.45%, nearly five percentage points higher than second-placed Interscope Geffen A&M’s 7.75% (Interscope also encompasses Verve Label Group). At the end of the first half of the year, Republic’s current share stands at 12.46% — a remarkable level of consistency that shows the staying power of Republic’s current big releases, even as IGA has tightened the gap a bit, posting an 8.08% mark of its own to remain in second place.

Republic’s 12.46% current share at the midway point is also a significant leap from where it stood at the halfway mark in 2022, when it posted a current share of 8.92%, good for third place behind leaders Atlantic Records (9.92%) and second-placed Interscope (9.36%). Republic releases — chiefly Wallen’s album, but also Taylor Swift’s Midnights (one week) and Stray Kids’ 5 Star (one week) — spent all 13 weeks of the second quarter at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, part of a run of 17 straight weeks that only ended with Lil Uzi Vert’s new album Pink Tape.

Both Republic’s consistency and Interscope’s growth helped propel parent company Universal Music Group to a 34.48% current market share at the midyear mark, an improvement over both its first quarter current share (33.59%) and its current share at the midyear mark of 2022 (33.18%). Sony Music, in second place at 27.54%, dipped slightly from its huge Q1 current share of 28.46%, though it is still up significantly from the midyear mark in 2022, when it posted a 26.01% current share. And the Warner Music Group, in third among the major corporations, grew to 17.26% at the halfway mark of the year in current share, up from Q1’s 16.81% and 2022’s 15.33%. The collection of indie labels came in at 20.72% in current share at midyear, down from 21.15% in Q1.

Atlantic, in third among current share, grew to 7.34% at the midyear mark from 7.22% in Q1, though still down from the leading 9.92% it had midway through 2022. (Atlantic includes the combined 300 Elektra Entertainment Group.) But Capitol Music Group — which includes Motown/Quality Control, Blue Note, Astralwerks, Capitol Christian and indie distributor Virgin Music — surged from sixth place in Q1 2023 (5.56%) to fourth at the midyear market (6.00%), up significantly from the 4.31% it posted at the midway mark of 2022. Fifth-placed Warner Records (encompassing catalog label Rhino, Warner Latin and the bulk of Warner Nashville) also jumped two slots, from seventh in Q1 to fifth at midyear, to put up a 5.62% current share, up from 5.23% in Q1 and a 4.63% mark halfway through 2022.

Those two jumps from Capitol and Warner mean that Columbia (which includes some labels from indie distributor RED) and RCA Records slide down to sixth and seventh among current share, respectively. Columbia dipped from 5.85% in Q1 to 5.16% at the midyear mark in 2023 — though down significantly from the 6.65% it had at midyear 2022 — while RCA dropped from 5.76% in Q1 to 4.98% at the halfway point this year, a mark which is improved from the 4.31% it posted midway through 2022.

Rounding out the top 10 among current share is a trio of Sony labels, including two that made large strides: Sony Nashville, in eighth, at 2.55%, which grew from 2.30% in the first quarter and 1.72% midway through 2022; and Sony Latin in ninth, at 1.95%, up from 1.92% in Q1 and 1.22% halfway through 2022. Epic Records, at 1.82%, came in 10th in current share, dropping from 2.06% in Q1 and 2.24% at this time last year.

But current market share — while a strong indicator of recent performance for any label — does not tell the whole story, particularly at a time when Luminate reports that catalog (albums older than 18 months old, or the bulk of many major labels’ repertoire) share has increased again in 2023 so far, to 72.8% of all consumption from 72.4% in 2022, with a corresponding drop for current from 27.6% to 27.2%. And when taking into account all consumption, Interscope actually leads the U.S. industry in overall market share, posting a 9.48% mark at the midway point of 2023, up from 9.44% in Q1 and slightly down from its leading 9.80% mark halfway through 2022. That nudges Republic into second, ever so slightly, at 9.34% in overall share, a number that is also up from its Q1 mark (9.16%) and a significant increase from midyear 2022, when it posted a 7.96% share and came in third.

Outside those top two labels, the next handful of slots in the top 10 remain in the same order as their current share rankings, with Atlantic (8.31%) equalling its Q1 mark despite falling from the 9.30% it had in 2022; and Capitol also remaining static over Q1, posting a 6.70% (from 6.68% in Q1 and 6.06% in 2022). Warner (6.55%), in fifth, swapped positions with Columbia (6.23%) from their respective Q1 showings, while RCA (5.27%), in seventh, dropped from its 5.50% in Q1 but improved on its 4.92% mark from midway last year. Epic (2.54%), Sony Nashville (2.13%) and Def Jam (1.88%) rounded out the top 10 in overall market share.

Among the major label groups, UMG grew from 37.25% in overall share at the midpoint of last year to 37.98% this year, while Sony grew a full percentage point, jumping to 27.34% from last year’s mark of 26.34%. Warner Music Group, meanwhile, jumped significantly from 16.26% midway through 2022 to 18.75% halfway through this year, largely at the expense of the Indies, which fell from 20.15% to 15.93% in overall share this year.

12 Jul 2023

Sukihana Let The Floodgates Go In OnlyFans Vid Leak, Twitter Is Pissed Off

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50 Shades of Key Glock BET Awards After Party

Sukihana is known for her explicit rap lyrics and sexy image, using those angles to varying degrees via her popular OnlyFans page. However, one clip of Sukihana pleasuring herself to the point of a big splash of sorts has Twitter reacting in ways she might not have expected.

We want to be absolutely clear that Sukihana is free to do whatever she wants and this post is not a critique of her or the video in question. We’re just reporting on the reactions. Also, we’re not sharing any links to that video but it’s out there if you must see it.

Doing our due diligence, we’ve come across the leaked video on Twitter in brief clips which shows Sukihana and her hoo hoo on full display, and after a bit of crossfader activity, the floodgates open but in a way we don’t think anyone was prepared for.

As some might know, the social media star and rapper deactivated her Twitter account after a disturbing exchange between her and YK Osiris took place when he tried to kiss Sukihana without her consent. YK Osiris has since apologized.

Suki was also a guest on the Kandi Koated podcast with Kandi Burruss and DJ AONE. Burruss’ co-host shocked many with his aggressive come-ons and reportedly showed Suki an image of his equipment that she didn’t ask for.

Still, the goodwill most extended towards Sukihana during those awful moments all but got tossed to the side after the OnlyFans video leak and folks are pissed off, pun very much intended.

Check out the reactions below.

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Photo: Jerritt Clark / Getty

1. This is criminal.

5. This is a choice.