News

28 Jun 2023

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: The Last Dinner Party, Ludmilla, October London & 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 titles by artists who appear on charts for the first time on the latest July 1-dated charts.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The Last Dinner Party

The London-based quintet arrives on Billboard’s charts with its debut single — and only release so far — “Nothing Matters.” The song, released April 19 via Island/Republic Records, enters at No. 39 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart (up 19% in plays June 16-22, according to Luminate). The group got its start performing at club shows around London in 2021, despite having never released a studio recording.

The band, which performed at Glastonbury Festival last weekend, is currently on the road on a string of U.K. tour dates set to run through October, some of which are in support of Florence + The Machine and First Aid Kit. Last year, the act opened for the Rolling Stones, Courtney Barnett and Sam Fender in Hyde Park in London. The Last Dinner Party is comprised of Abigail Morris (vocals), Georgia Davies (bass), Lizzie Mayland (guitar), Aurora Nishevci (keys) and Emily Roberts (lead guitar). The group’s second release, “Sinner,” is due this Friday, June 30.

Ludmilla

The singer-songwriter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, debuts on Billboard’s charts with her song “No_se_ve.mp3” with Emilia. The track, released May 3 through WK Records, debuts at No. 177 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart (11.4 million streams outside the U.S.) Ludmilla has been releasing music for more than a decade, including five studio albums, most recently Vilã in March (released through Warner Music Brasil, with which she signed in 2014).

‘Ludmilla is already a household name in her native Brazil – fans refer to her as “Rainha da Favela” (or “Queen of the Favela”). “I come from the favela here in Rio de Janeiro, where funk is a very strong genre,” she said in a February interview with Billboard. “In these communities, you have a lot of connections with funk and Black music. I started singing and began appearing in the media through funk. I saw that my musical range was wide, that I could do everything I dreamed of, everything I wanted to do. So, I started to invest more in this, and now I am at this moment.”

October London

The R&B/soul singer-songwriter, from South Bend, Ind., reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with “Back to Your Place.” The song, released Feb. 3 via Death Row Records, debuts at No. 22 on Adult R&B Airplay (up 121% in plays). The song appears on London’s new LP The Rebirth of Marvin, released Feb. 10. On June 22, he released a new four-track EP, Jackpot. London has seven additional album releases to his name, dating to 2016. Outside of music, London acts in Snoop Dogg’s 3D animated children’s series Doggyland.

Skilla Baby

The Detroit-based rapper (real name Trevon Gardner) enters Billboard’s charts for the first time with his new LP, We Eat the Most. The set, released June 16 through Geffen Records/IGA, debuts at No. 16 on the Heatseekers Albums chart with 3,000 copies sold. The set features high-profile collaborations with G Herbo (“B-CUZ”), BabyTron (“Dogs–t Militia”), Luh Tyler (“Millionaire”) and Rylo Rodriguez (“Fear of God”). The album is Skilla Baby’s second LP release of 2023, after his collaborative effort with Tee Grizzley, Controversy, in April. Prior to that, he had released six albums, dating to his 2019 debut, Push That S–t Out Skilla.

ALWZ SNNY

The dance DJ/producer — who is recognizable by his sunshine mask — scores his first Billboard chart appearance thanks to his new song “Every Thought of You” with GT_Ofice. The song, released May 19 via CAINE Records, debuts at No. 26 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart (up 65% in plays). The Annapolis, Md., native has previously opened for Imanbek, KSHMR and Madeon, among others.

Voices of Fire

The gospel choir, from the 2020 Netflix musical documentary series of the same name, is officially a Billboard­-charting act. Its single “Joy (Unspeakable)” featuring Pharrell Williams and released June 16 on Columbia Records, debuts at No. 8 on Hot Gospel Songs with 483,000 official U.S. streams in the latest tracking week. It also starts at No. 3 on Gospel Digital Song Sales. The six-part series followed Pharrell and his uncle, Bishop Ezekiel Williams, as they travel to the former’s hometown of Hampton Roads, Va., to form a world class gospel choir.

“Working with Pharrell is always an amazing experience that not only inspires you, but drives you to dig deep within yourself for the best you have to offer,” Bishop Ezekiel Williams recently said in a press release. “When the dream team finally came together on this song – Pharrell, Voices of Fire, Pastor Larry George and yours truly – I knew that moment in the studio was one of destiny.”

Mike Dimes

The San Antonio-based rapper and singer (real name Michael C. Goode) lands his first Billboard chart appearance, as his new album, Texas Boy, debuts at No. 21 on Heatseekers Albums. The set, released June 16 via CAMP BILLY/SinceThe80s/Epic Records, is his third release, after his debut studio album In Dimes We Trust in 2022 and his mixtape DLOG in 2021 (both self-released). Texas Boy features high-profile collaborations with Denzel Curry, Wiz Khalifa and Joey Bada$$, among others.

Busted

The English pop-punk band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, lands on Billboard’s charts with its new collaboration with Hanson, “MMMBop 2.0,” a revamp of Hanson’s classic 1997 hit, which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. The new version, released May 26, debuts at No. 33 on the Digital Song Sales chart with 2,000 downloads sold. Busted, which is comprised of James Bourne, Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis, has been influential in the band’s native U.K., with the group having released four studio LPs: Half Way There (in 2019), Night Driver (2016), A Present for Everyone (2003) and Busted (2002). The group recently announced its 20th anniversary Greatest Hits Tour, which is set to kick off in September across the U.K. and Ireland. Hanson is slated to support the group on tour, along with New Hope Club and The Tyne.

S3BZS

The Brazilian dance artist (real name Sebastian Cordova) makes his first appearance on Billboard’s charts with his song “Montagem – PR Funk.” The track debuts at No. 28 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with 854,000 official U.S. streams in the latest tracking week.

Karthik, Sachet Tandon & Parampara Tandon

All three artists achieve their first Billboard chart appearance with their collaboration “Ram Sita Ram” from the new film Adipurush. The song, released May 29 ahead of the movie’s June 16 premiere in India, debuts at No. 149 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart (26.4 million streams outside the U.S.) The Tandons, who married in 2020 and release music under the name Sachet-Parampara, are renowned composers, lyricists and vocalists; they’ve composed and recorded music for dozens of Indian films since 2017. As for Karthik, the playback singer and composer has recorded thousands of songs, both independently and for film and TV over the past two decades.

28 Jun 2023

Beyoncé & Amazon Just Dropped Exclusive Renaissance Tour Merch — Shop It Now

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.

Attention, BeyHive! Beyoncé and Amazon Music just dropped an exclusive Renaissance World Tour merch collection you can shop now. The collaboration is available on Amazon and features two T-shirts, a pullover, sweatpants and more. Whether you have seen her, plan to or weren’t able to snag Renaissance tour tickets this time around, this collection is for you!

Beyoncé

Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour Is Coming to a City Near You: Here Are All the Ways to Buy…

On Wednesday (June 28), Amazon Music tweeted to officially announce the collaboration and teased what merchandise fans can snag. And yes, you can pair it with your disco cowboy hats!

“Renaissance World Tour exclusive online collection / Drop 1.0 / Amazon Music x Beyoncé,” the tweet read, with the “1.0” potentially hinting at more to come.

Keep reading to shop some of the collection below.

black t-shirt with Beyonce in disco apparel

Amazon

Beyoncé Renaissance T-Shirt

$40.00

Sport the iconic image of Beyoncé riding a silver horse, but in T-shirt form. This exclusive shirt not only comes with the close-up photo from the tour, but is made from a soft cotton material.

black pullover with beyonce on diamond horse

Amazon

Beyoncé Billboard Crewneck

$80.00

For the days you need extra coverage, Beyoncé will be there to swaddle you in warmth in the form of this pullover. It features a billboard image of her lowered down onto a shimmering horse, wearing her classic disco cowboy hat. Plus, the black pullover will pair nicely with jeans or the matching sweatpants.

Beyoncé Renassiance Sweatpants

$75.00

Sundays won’t feel as scary in these cozy Renaissance Tour sweatpants, which feature the tour name along the side and three pockets to put your phone, keys and more.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best band T-shirts, varsity jackets and bucket hats.

28 Jun 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Shares Mystical ‘Vampire’ Video Teaser: Watch

Fans are thirsty for Olivia Rodrigo‘s fast-approaching new single “Vampire,” and lucky for them, the pop star has shared a visual sneak peek at the track days ahead of its release.

In a Tuesday (June 27) YouTube Shorts teaser, Rodrigo can be seen through a camera monitor lying on a patch of grass, sporting a dark red lip shade akin to the one she wears on the GUTS cover artwork as a pounding electric guitar-filled snippet of “Vampire” plays. As the song intensifies, a Twilight-esque blue-green haze engulfs the 20-year-old singer onscreen.

“so excited for Friday!!!” Rodrigo captioned the clip. “here’s a first look with @YouTube Shorts ??? #vampireOR2.”

The former Disney star didn’t specify what exactly the visual was for, though a music video seems to be the most likely option. What is known, however, is that “Vampire” — Rodrigo’s first release since her 2021 blockbuster debut album, SOUR — arrives Friday (June 30) and will be followed by GUTS a little more than two months later.

Rodrigo announced her sophomore record just one day prior to the new “Vampire” sneak peek, surprising fans Monday (June 26) by unveiling GUTS‘ release date (Sept. 8) and cover art in a post on social media. “I made the bulk of this album during my 19th year on this earth,” she said in a statement released shortly after. “A year that, for me, was filled with lots of confusion, mistakes, awkwardness & good old fashioned teen angst.”

Two weeks before that, Rodrigo announced “Vampire” with a similar post to social media, sharing the single’s cover art. Since then, she’s been tiding fans over by steadily dropping clues about the single, including a couple lyrics and what fans think to be a snippet of the track’s instrumentals.

Watch the new “Vampire” teaser below:

28 Jun 2023

Jon Batiste Announces New Album Featuring Collabs With Lana Del Rey, Lil Wayne & More

Just two years after releasing his Grammy-winning album We Are, cross-genre savant Jon Batiste is gearing up to unleash his next record upon the world. On Wednesday, (June 28), the multi-hyphenate took to Twitter to reveal that his new studio album, titled World Music Radio, is slated for an Aug. 18 release — and will feature collaborations with Lana Del Rey, Lil Wayne, Kenny G and more.

“World Music Radio is a concept album that takes place in the interstellar regions of the universe,” Batiste wrote on Twitter. “The listener is led through the album by an interstellar traveling griot named Billy Bob Bo Bob, who takes you sonically all around the world at the speed of light.”

Alongside his announcement of the album’s title and release date, Batiste also debuted the official visualizer for the set’s lead single, “Calling Your Name.” “I created this album with a feeling of liberation in my life and a renewed sense of exploration of my personhood, my craft and of the world around me unlike anything I had ever felt before,” mused Batiste.

In addition to Del Rey, Lil Wayne, and Kenny G, the album will also feature collaborations with Jon Bellion, Fireboy DML, J.I.D., NewJeans and more. World Music Radio — which is executive produced by Batiste, Bellion and Ryan Lynn — is certainly a star-studded affair. According to the press release, Batiste’s purpose for the new album is to explore the idea that all music is “world music,” and forge an international, cross-cultural community through different kinds of popular music from different regions around the world.

Two years ago, Batiste made history as the first Black artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year in 14 years when he triumphed in the category for his genre-spanning We Are. He won four other awards that night, adding a handful of trophies to a mantle that already boasts an Academy Award for Best Original Score thanks to his work on 2020’s Soul alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails.

Batiste has landed two titles on the Billboard 200: 2014’s Social Music (No. 134, as Jon Batiste & Stay Human) and 2021’s We Are (No. 25).

See his World Music Radio announcement and listen to “Calling Your Name” below.

28 Jun 2023

David Corenswet The Next Man of Steel In DC’s ‘Superman: Legacy’

HipHopWired Featured Video

'The Politician' TV show premiere, Arrivals, New York, USA - 26 Sep 2019

Source: Variety / Getty

After a long and tedious process, a new Superman has finally been chosen to lead James Gunn’s new and revamped DC cinematic universe and the choice might surprise you.

According to Deadline, James Gunn handpicked David Corenswet to play the next Man of Steel in his highly-anticipated Superman: Legacy film and also announced that Rachel Brosnahan will be taking on the role of his boo, Lois Lane. Truth be told the role of Lois Lane could’ve been given to any white woman at this point as comic book fans have been eagerly awaiting to see who would be anointed the next last son of Krypton post-Henry Cavill. Surprisingly enough, Corenswet basically looks like a much younger version of his predecessor.

Y’all know Cavill somewhere right now punching air wishing he was 15 years younger.

Deadline reports:

The decision comes after the two were among the few selected to test in front of DC co-chairs Peter Safran and Gunn (who is directing) in full costume and makeup for the parts.

The tests took place over two days with the men; one of the days saw the three actors in full Superman attire. Sources close to the situation said that each actor had closed test deals that would expire after two business weeks, so clearly all parties wanted this sorted out before a potential SAG-AFTRA strike, which could go into effect at midnight June 30.

Okay, two down and two to go. Now that we know who Superman and Lois Lane will be, rumors have been swirling that Gunn is choosing between brothers, Alexander and Bill Skarsgård to play Superman’s arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor while Chris Pratt is rumored to be joining the film as Jimmy Olsen. As of now these are just rumors but truth be told, we wouldn’t be mad at a cast revolving around these four.

Whether or not David Corenswet can fill the big shoes that Henry Cavill left behind (with a single solo Superman movie by the way) remains to be seen but don’t be surprised if hardcore Cavill fans refuse to give the man his props regardless of how good he may turn out to be. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until July 11, 2025 to find out.

What do y’all think of David Corenswet being cast as the next Superman? Let us know in the comments section below.

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

28 Jun 2023

Rihanna And Her Baby Bump Star In Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton Ad

HipHopWired Featured Video

RIHANNA FOR LOUIS VUITTON

Source: KEIZŌ KITAJIMA AND MARTINE SYMS / KEIZŌ KITAJIMA AND MARTINE SYMS

Even while pregnant Rihanna still slays. She and her baby bump are the new stars of Pharrell William’s Louis Vuitton campaign.

As spotted on HipHopDX Bad Gyal RiRi has been tapped by Skateboard P for his inaugural drop for the Men’s Spring Summer 2023 collection with the French fashion house. “Conjuring the bustling energy of Canal Street in New York, Rihanna embodies the trailblazing vision of Pharrell Williams’ debut collection with a new rendition of the emblematic Speedy” the caption read.

The “We Found Love” singer is captured sporting the brand’s Speedy handbag and duffle bag. “The new Speedy conjures through the inimitable savoir-faire of the maison a visual language evocative of the codes and stylistic attitude of Canal Street. It is an everyday icon conceived for every walk of life,” Luis Vuitton said in a formal statement.

On Tuesday, June 20 Pharrell Williams presented his first collection for Louis Vuitton at the iconic Pont Neuf in Paris. The event was attended by several noted celebrities including Jared Leto, Kim Kardashian, Pusha T and Jay-Z. Pharrell Williams closed his debut show for Louis Vuitton in a digitalized Damoflage motif suit, paying tribute to Paris with the reinvigorated emblem of the Maison.

You can see the Rihanna Louis Vuitton promotional trailer below.



Photo: KEIZŌ KITAJIMA AND MARTINE SYMS

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

28 Jun 2023

Toby Keith Says He’s ‘Feeling Pretty Good’ After Stomach Cancer Diagnosis, Hopes to Tour ‘This Fall’

Toby Keith is feeling hopeful after first revealing to fans in June 2022 that he has been battling stomach cancer. One year later, the country star opened up about his health ahead of his annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic with The Oklahoman, and shared that things are looking up.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” he shared with the newspaper earlier in June. “Basically, everything is in a real positive trend … you never know with cancer, so you have to prepare.”

When the singer-songwriter first shared his diagnosis, he revealed that he already had six months of treatment — including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation — under his belt. “So far, so good,” he tweeted at the time. “I need time to breathe, recover and relax.”

Now that he’s had some time to take care of his health, Keith said he’s hopeful about getting back to entertaining fans in person. “I’ve got more wind,” the 61-year-old told the paper. “And I’m thinking about bringing the band in and setting up, playing two or three days somewhere just to see if I can get through two hours.” If that goes well, he’s hoping to be “out on the road this fall.”

“All I gotta do is see if I can get through two or three nights of work and get a little break in this chemo, and we’ll go back to work,” continued the seven-time Grammy nominee, who added that his tumor has shrunk.

On Monday, the Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic announced that it had raised $1.8 million in support of OK Kids Korral, a lodging facility of the Toby Keith Foundation’s that provides a free place to stay for parents to stay while their kids are fighting cancer. The top bids at the event’s auction included $120,000 for a guitar signed by Taylor Swift, $80,000 for a fishing trip with Keith and pro fisher Jimmy Houston, $70,000 for a dinner with Keith, $20,000 for a Game of Thrones trip to Croatia (11 were sold) and more.

28 Jun 2023

Ryan Tedder’s Runner Music Hires Amanda Hill as Co-Chief Creative Officer: Exclusive

Runner Music, the publishing and music company formed by Ryan Tedder, artist manager Ron Laffitte and publishing executive Andrew Sparkler, has hired former Sony Music Publishing executive Amanda Hill as president of A&R/and co-chief creative officer. 

Hill is the company’s first major hire since launching in January. In her Los Angeles-based role, Hill will be responsible for leading Runner’s global creative strategy, including writer and artist signings, company development and building out the Runner team.

“I am so excited to be starting this new chapter with Runner Music and to partner with Ryan, Ron, and Andrew, each of whom I’ve respected and admired for many years,” she said in a statement to Billboard. “I’m thrilled to be building this company from the ground up alongside them, and together with our songwriters we will create the future of music publishing.”

More recently, Hill served as senior VP of A&R at Sony Music Publishing, where she worked with major songwriters and artists including Tedder, Greg Kurstin, Miley Cyrus and Johnny McDaid. She consulted for Columbia Records from 2013 to 2019 and has managed Sarah Aarons since 2016.

“In almost 20 years of working with publishing A&Rs across all the major and indie companies, I’ve never had a more effective dialog and workflow with anyone than Amanda,” said Tedder, who serves as co-chief creative officer with Hill. “Her genuine passion for songs, writers and the creative process is as good as it gets and her 17-plus years of experience in all facets of music publishing are invaluable to myself and the Runner team.  Speaking on behalf of our writers, artists and myself, we are beyond ecstatic to have her join the Runner family.”

Earlier this month, Runner and Sony Music Nashville partnered to sign 19-year old multi-instrumentalist David J. “David is a true unicorn talent and I’m thrilled that Runner can partner with Sony to help bring his music to the world,” said Tedder at the time of the announcement. “I’m also pleased to announce that Brandon Silverstein is working with Runner as a strategic and creative partner for this project.” David J has earned 75 million career on-demand streams through his independent releases, including “Lost My Heartbreak,” “Before You,” and “Stay,” according to Sony. 

Blackstone Group’s Melody Holdings is an equity partner in Runner Music.

28 Jun 2023

How Corook Turned a Bad Day Online Into Their Biggest Hit Yet

Back in April, Corook was having a rough day. The singer-songwriter had been hard at work promoting their single “CGI” on TikTok. While it was working — the song was steadily picking up steam heading into its release — the singer noticed that they were getting a lot of hateful comments.

“I already felt like I was in such a vulnerable place in my life,” they tell Billboard over Zoom, sporting their signature frog-shaped bucket hat that smiles into the camera even when they don’t. “I was trying my absolute best to allow my true self to shine through — for that to be timed with all of these hate comments really just like made me feel like, ‘Damn, I don’t have a place in this industry.’”

Yet in the two and a half months since that bad day, Corook’s life couldn’t be more different. Their EP Serious Person (Part 1) was met with acclaim, they’ve plotted out a headlining tour set to take place this fall, and their voice has become practically inescapable in the queerest corners of the internet.

Much of that attention is thanks to “If I Were a Fish” — the acoustic feel-good anthem about loving the parts of yourself that the world doesn’t seem to understand. It’s a song that wasn’t necessarily supposed to exist, until Corook’s girlfriend Olivia Barton asked her to channel her feelings on that fateful bad day into something productive.

“She said, ‘I’m gonna do what you do for me most of the time, and help you make something cool out of this. Let’s go upstairs, play whatever instruments and just make a really weird song,’” Corook recalls. “The weirdest idea that I had at the time was this thought of, ‘Well, if I were a fish, all of the weird things about me would just be super cool.’ And she said, ‘That’s really weird. We should definitely do that.’”

Making “a really weird song” might sound like an odd solution to a problem, but it’s central to what makes Corook stand out. Born Corinne Savage, the singer-songwriter took an early interest in working in the music industry, thanks in part to Linkin Park. “I feel like the very first musical memory I have is seeing this documentary on the band,” they explain with a laugh. “I sat crisscross applesauce in front of the TV and had a notepad and pen in hand, writing down things they were doing. I was coming up with ideas of which of my friends could be in my band.”

Learning how to play bass and guitar when they were still in middle school, Corook quickly showed an aptitude for music — after graduating from high school, Savage attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, eventually graduating with two degrees in songwriting and contemporary writing and production. In the time since their graduation six years ago, Corook has put their diplomas to good use (including a single titled “Degree,” which mostly bemoans what they didn’t learn in school and the “fifty grand in debt” they accrued as a result).

Wanting to kickstart their artist project, Corook hired a manager and started writing, recording and producing original songs about practically anything — their fear of snakes, their love of tequila, the unexplained questions of the universe and so on. In talking about anything, Corook found that they could talk about everything through their unique blend of self-deprecating humor mixed with top-tier songwriting.

“It felt like I understood the puzzle pieces and the mathematics behind making a good song, but I didn’t know how to tell my truth,” they say of their early work. “My truth is very sarcastic. My truth is trying to make the room feel good about talking about some awful thing. It’s been such a healing way for me to process my life.”

Creating a private SoundCloud filled with songs that they felt good about releasing, Corook and their manager began sending the work out to “a couple of people” within the industry. Suddenly, the singer-songwriter gained “700 followers out of nowhere” on Instagram, and received DMs from A&R reps at major labels interested in meeting up with them. “I guess my SoundCloud kind of went viral behind the scenes of the music industry,” they explain.

By 2021, Corook had signed a deal with Atlantic Records and rolled out their debut EP Achoo! the following year, finally “getting to be an artist for the first time in my life,” as they put it. Gaining a steady following on TikTok, they also came into their own as a person, changing their pronouns publicly to “they/them” as they began to figure out their gender identity in real time.

With a greater understanding of themselves came a wave of negative comments, which led them to writing their “really weird song” with Barton. “If I Were a Fish” thrives in its simplicity — all of the things that make Corook feel different in a world that craves uniformity only serve to make them that much more special.

It also made them deeply relatable to a legion of listeners online. The song has already been used in nearly 40,000 TikToks and streamed 10 million times on Spotify, with the vast majority of listeners relating deeply to the overtly queer themes of the song, repeating Corook’s refrain asking “Why is everybody on the internet so mean?” The song even earned Corook and Barton their first set of Billboard chart appearances.

The immediate viral success was a mostly welcome surprise for the rising star, though it came with its own set of caveats. “It’s really layered — as much as I love being a musician and a performer, attention still makes me like super uncomfortable,” they say. “It was a little bit weird for me to feel like there were so many eyes on me. I feel like everybody that has a moment on TikTok feels the pressure of ‘What now?’”

But seeing the track earn “wholesome” virality with its impact specifically on queer people quickly helped alleviate that stress. “I couldn’t ignore the insanely beautiful, sensitive, misfit community that this song just naturally created within the algorithm,” they say. “My comments section was full of people telling their stories and supporting each other. The whole reason I like doing this is because it connects people in a really cool way.”

The success of “If I Were a Fish” allowed Corook to look more ambitiously at their career — they released the first part of their project Serious Person early in order to capitalize on the sudden success of the single, while finishing up part two, preparing for a headlining tour, and dreaming up bigger goals for their future.

But “If I Were a Fish” also gave Corook space to step back and figure out what they really want out of a music career. “This song happening showed me it’s so much less about numbers — this community is what feels really important,” they say, their face now matching the chipper frog perched atop their head. “I want to grow that community as much as I possibly can — sensitive, queer people that are healing. I personally need that in my life, and I feel like everybody that is kind of joining in is realizing they need it too.”

28 Jun 2023

SoundCloud Ups Tracy Chan to Chief Content Officer

SoundCloud has promoted two staff members — Tracy Chan to chief content officer and Ama Walton to senior vp of music licensing/deputy general counsel — and hired Devi Mahadevia, who joins the company as senior vp of strategy following a stint at Meta, the company tells Billboard.

“Tracy is one of the foremost innovators at the convergence of music and tech, and his new role bringing together all aspects of content on the platform will drive meaningful innovation for artists and fans,” said SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton in a statement. “Ama has pioneered fan-powered royalties deals to bring a new, more transparent model to streaming, and she brings her extraordinary background and expertise to the leadership role of deputy general counsel to help navigate new frontiers for SoundCloud.” 

Seton continued, “Devi is a long-term strategist whose extensive experience with consumer partnerships, product integrations, and corporate development represent a huge asset to the company as we grow and innovate across the business.”

In a separate statement, Mahadevia added, “I look forward to working with the team to forge new paths and uncover opportunities that benefit artists and listeners alike.” She previously oversaw consumer partnerships and product integrations for Meta’s AR and VR initiatives.

The promotions and new hires come during a tumultuous period for SoundCloud, which announced plans to lay off 8% of its workforce in May. “This is a challenging but essential decision to ensure the health of our business and get SoundCloud to profitability this year,” Seton told staff in an email at the time.

That round of layoffs was the second in less than 12 months. SoundCloud had previously announced it would cut “up to 20%” of its staff in August 2022 due to “the challenging economic climate and financial market headwinds.” Michael Weissman, who took over as a CEO in 2020, departed SoundCloud in March. And Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, who served as chief content & marketing officer for roughly two years, left in May.