News

07 Jun 2023

What’s Your Favorite Prince Hot 100 No. 1 Hit? Vote!

Happy birthday, Prince! Today (June 7) would have been the late icon’s 64th birthday.

In honor of the superstar, we’re looking back on some of his biggest hits. Over the course of his illustrious career, Prince had an impressive 47 hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Of those 47, he had 19 top 10 hits and five chart toppers.

Among his No. 1 classic’s include his first, “When Doves Cry,” which led the tally for five weeks in 1984. He also reached the summit with 1984’s “Let’s Go Crazy,” 1986’s “Kiss,” 1989’s “Batdance (From Batman)” and 1991’s “Cream.”

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See latest videos, charts and news

Of his chart toppers, we at Billboard want to know which is at the top of your list. Let us know by voting below.

07 Jun 2023

Dua Lipa’s Copyright Accusers Drop ‘Levitating’ Infringement Lawsuit

A Florida reggae band has decided to drop a copyright case accusing Dua Lipa of copying her smash hit song “Levitating” from their earlier track, two days after a federal judge cast serious doubt on the lawsuit’s allegations.

The band, called Artikal Sound System, sued the star last year over accusations that her 2020 song — which spent 77 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — borrowed its core hook from their lesser-known 2017 tune, “Live Your Life.”

But in a filing on Wednesday (June 7), attorneys for both Artikal Sound System and Lipa filed a joint motion, asking the judge to permanently dismiss the case. There was no indication that Lipa had agreed to pay any money or change the credits to her song.

The filing came just two days after U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes ruled strongly for Lipa, saying that there was no sign that anyone involved in creating “Levitating” had had “access” to the earlier song — a key requirement in any copyright lawsuit.

That ruling technically dismissed the case against Lipa, but Judge Sykes gave Artikal Sound System another chance to refile an updated version of the case within two weeks. Instead, the band appears to have decided not to pursue further litigation against Lipa and the other “Levitating” co-writers.

In a statement to Billboard on Wednesday evening, Lipa’s attorney Christine Lepera confirmed that the band had chosen to walk away from the litigation unilaterally and that no settlement had been reached.

“Following the court’s decision dismissing their complaint, the plaintiffs voluntarily chose to discontinue the case with prejudice, without any consideration whatsoever from the defendants, who were prepared to vigorously defend any continuation of the case,” said Lepera, an attorney at the law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp.

An attorney for the band did not immediately return a request for comment.

Artikal Sound System’s decision to drop the lawsuit brings an end to one of two high-profile cases filed against Lipa last year over “Levitating,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 before securing the honor of being the longest-running top 10 song ever by a female artist on the chart.

The other case, filed by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer, claims that Lipa lifted the melody to her track from their 1979 song “Wiggle and Giggle All Night” and their 1980 song “Don Diablo.” That case is still pending but faces similar counter-arguments from Lipa’s lawyers about a lack of “access.”

Artikal Sound System is a reggae band based out of South Florida, founded in 2012 as a duo before later adding additional musicians and vocalist Logan Rex. The band released “Live Your Life” on its 2017 EP Smoke and Mirrors.

In their March lawsuit, the band said the songs sounded so similar that it was “highly unlikely that ‘Levitating’ was created independently.” The lawsuit also named Dua Lipa’s label, Warner Records, as well as others who helped create the hit track.

In November, Lipa’s lawyers argued that Artikal Sound System had no proof that Lipa or the other writers ever heard “Live Your Life” before they wrote “Levitating.” They called the allegations “speculative,” “vague” and supported by little real evidence.

Artikal Sound System offered a complex theory for how such “access” might have happened, stating that one of Lipa’s co-writers had previously worked with a woman who was allegedly taught guitar by the brother-in-law of one band member.

But in her ruling on Monday Judge Sykes flatly rejected that argument: “These attenuated links, which bear little connection to either of the two musical compositions at issue here, also do not suggest a reasonable likelihood that defendants actually encountered plaintiffs’ song.”

07 Jun 2023

Coi Leray “Bops,” Kevin Gates “3rd World Panama” & More | Daily Visuals 6.7.23

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Meta Presents New Campaign: It's Your World

Source: Roy Rochlin / Getty

Coi Leray may be daddy’s little girl to Hip-Hop OG, Benzino, but don’t think that the up-and-coming rapper is using her father’s fame to catapult her to rap stardom. She’s doing that on her own.

Keeping her buzz and popularity growing with some new visuals to “Bops,” Coi Leray throws herself a small get together where she and her friends have a good time dancing, twerking, and blowing out some candles on a birthday cake. Whether or not it was Coi Leray’s birthday the day this video was shot is anyone’s guess, but we doubt it.

Kevin Gates meanwhile decides to head south of the border for his latest clip to “3rdWorld Panama” in which he and his boys hit up Panama to politic with some exotic women and enjoy the nightlife in the Central American country. Looks like they had a good time. Hopefully it doesn’t turn into a 90 Day Fiancé situation… or hopefully it does?

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Larry June and The Alchemist, Z-Ro, and more.

COI LERAY – “BOPS”



KEVIN GATES – “3RD WORLD PANAMA”



LARRY JUNE & THE ALCHEMIST – “SUMMER REIGN”



Z-RO – “LIVE IT UP”



KOJO FUNDS – “FARDA”



BFB DA PACKMAN – “GROCERY FREESTYLE”



THF ZOO FT. CEO BIG 30 – “FOE SIX”



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07 Jun 2023

Summer Songs 1958-2022: The Top 10 Tunes of Each Summer

Time-travel through every year since the Hot 100 began with the top 10 hits each summer.

Clockwise from top left: Madonna, Beyonce, Nelly, Drake, Carly Rae Jepsen & Usher

Clockwise from top left: Madonna, Beyonce, Nelly, Drake, Carly Rae Jepsen & Usher

Getty Images

Hot weather and nostalgia make for a potent mix(tape). In order to aid your festive flashbacks, we analyzed the Billboard Hot 100 chart each year dating back to the survey’s August 1958 launch. Here’s the definitive list of the top 10 jams each summer that pumped out of your speakers most between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Beginning with the survey’s inception, summer songs have made for some of the most memorable hits in the Hot 100’s history, while many prominent artists have scored the top song of the summer, including Stevie Wonder, the Supremes and the Rolling Stones in the ‘60s; Bee Gees, Eagles and Donna Summer (naturally) in the ‘70s; Prince and Madonna in the ‘80s; Mariah Carey and TLC in the ‘90s; Usher and Beyoncé in the 2000s; and Katy Perry, Drake and more since.

Meanwhile, the right song at the right time has connected, regardless of the scope of an artist’s history. OMI, for example, has charted one Hot 100 hit, but it was a big one: his sunny “Cheerleader” soundtracked the summer of 2015 and wrapped as that season’s biggest hit.

Time-travel below through every year since the Hot 100 began with the top 10 hits each summer.

These hot tunes are ranked based on each track’s performance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the summer. For the period through 1991, prior to the advent of Luminate radio monitoring and point-of-sales data, the rankings are based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning less. For the years corresponding with Luminate data tabulation from 1992 onward, rankings are based on accumulated radio and sales points, and points from other data sets, including streaming, included in the Hot 100 during those years.

07 Jun 2023

Anthem Expands Timbaland Publishing Deal, Invests in Producer’s Beatclub Marketplace

Anthem Entertainment, a leading independent publisher, has expanded its partnership with Timbaland, the company announced Wednesday (June 7). Under the new arrangement, Anthem has extended its publishing deal with the songwriter/producer while promising to build on their co-publishing venture, Blue Stone. The company has also invested in Timbaland’s startup, Beatclub.

As part of the newly expanded publishing deal — which dates back over 10 years — Anthem has acquired additional publishing interests in songs from Timbaland’s back catalog, including cuts with Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z. Anthem has not responded to Billboard‘s request for clarification on which songs are covered under the agreement.

Established in 2022 by Timbaland and Gary Marella — the producer’s manager and head of Mono Music Group — Beatclub is an online marketplace built to help creators and producers monetize their music by connecting them with synch opportunities, record labels, publishers and independent artists. Although Anthem declined to state how much they had invested in the Beatclub, it noted that the investment was part of the music marketplace’s series A-2 funding round.

Blue Stone, founded in 2012, focuses on nurturing the careers of pop and urban songwriters; its current roster includes Milli Beatz, David Bratton, Justin and Jordan Mosley and Garland Mosley. The joint venture is helmed by Eric Spence at Anthem, who will continue to court an up-and-coming, active roster of clients.

“I couldn’t be more excited to build on our relationship with Timbaland and his team,” said Anthem Entertainment CEO Jason Klein in a statement. “Timbaland’s innovative production and songwriting has changed music over the past three decades and continues to do so. Beatclub is already having a similar impact on the creative community. We are proud to continue our long run and alliance as Timbaland’s music publishing home, while building on our Blue Stone co-publishing venture, and being part of the exciting Beatclub story.”

“I have been partners with Anthem for over 10 years and I am happy to extend our creative relationship,” Timbaland added. “Jason and his team understand my vision with Blue Stone and Beatclub.”

07 Jun 2023

What Is Premios Heat? Behind the Latin Music Awards that Spotlight Emerging Artists

Ten years ago, Colombian music executive Diana Montes created the Premios Heat (Heat Latin Music Awards) brand with the mission to not only support and develop up-and-coming Latin artists but also offer a platform where their hard work is recognized. 

The awards show officially launched in 2015 via the HTV and TBS networks and counted on the support of artists such as Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Nicky Jam and a then-rising J Balvin. “It was beautiful because truthfully, Premios Heat was born big already,” Montes, who has a 25-year career in music, tells Billboard. 

Now, its eighth edition airing from Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, June 8, via HTV and TNT, the 2023 Heat Latin Music Awards is led by six-time nominees Karol G, Feid and Bad Bunny, followed by five-time nominee El Alfa and, with four nominations each, Romeo Santos and Bizarrap. Confirmed performers include El Alfa, Mau y Ricky, Greeicy, Mario Bautista, Grupo Niche and many more. 

But beyond an awards show — which focuses on talent charting in Latin America as opposed to the United States — the Premios Heat brand has a festival franchise and “La Nueva Cepa,” a new partnership with Warner Music Latin and hitmaker Master Chris, to help promote newcomers making a name for themselves in their countries, as they’ve done in the past with Ryan Castro, Anitta, Yahaira Plasencia and Dekko. 

“In five years, without a doubt, Premios Heat will be the strongest music brand in Latin America,” Montes assures. “We see it by our numbers, by the growth of the awards and the festival. We are more than an award; we are a television platform, and we see ourselves developing artists as a label in the future.”

In the below Q&A, Montes takes us more in-depth into the Heat Latin Music Awards:

Anitta

Anitta

Premios Heat/Carlos Zambrano*

Can you briefly explain what Premios Heat is and why are they held on the beach? 

It’s an experience. The musical platform where you can make a real connection—the beach gives us that feeling of closeness. What was clear to me when we did the treatment of the awards is that I did not want to do them in the United States for various reasons beginning with we did not have the resources to compete with the larger awards show. Initially, we spoke with Cartagena de Indias but for some reason, we arrived in Cap Cana, and we’ve been hosting the awards here for nine years now. That’s the difference from a traditional award, here you see everyone working and networking but in a bathing suit and with a beer in hand.

How do you determine the nominees for each awards season?

They were initially chosen by the artists that rotated on HTV. Right now it is a mix of HTV, LosHeat.TV—our new platform that in its second year debuted as the best platform in Latin America, following TikTok—and what we see in the Latin American regions. We visit many countries. We have very young people monetizing the local charts and social media in countries like Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.

The Heat Latin Music Awards has stood out for discovering, supporting and promoting emerging talents such as J Balvin, Karol G, Bad Bunny and many more: Which artist of the new generation do you see possibly reaching that superstar status?

We have Dekko here, who won the 2022 musical promise award. I feel that he is already doing a crossover. I see a very strong Dayanara Peralta from Ecuador, with impressive numbers. I see Mar Rendon and an ADSO doing very interesting things. I see a Young Miko, who carries a very strong movement. We have seen the musical movement in Latin America very closely and the important thing for us is not to look at what’s sounding or trending in the U.S. but rather what’s happening in Peru? What’s happening in Colombia? I feel that these artists need a platform and we have the vision to see that great talent.

Can you elaborate a bit more on the “La Nueva Cepa” initiative and its importance?

It’s an idea we’ve been around for a long time and basically celebrates Master Chris’ 25 years as a music producer. Instead of making a record with artists he has produced like Alexis y Fido, Greeicy, and J Balvin, he wanted to follow the Heat Awards philosophy and discover the talent that exists in Latin America. We are not a record label but on our platform, we have developed many talents. With this initiative, what we are going to do is record them, make videos for them, and put them on HTV.

07 Jun 2023

Lil Tjay Arrested For Reckless Endangerment While On Instagram Live

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Lil Tjay Performs In Milan

Source: Sergione Infuso – Corbis / Getty / Lil Tjay

Rapper Lil Tjay found himself in trouble with the law, and his Instagram followers were front and center to see it all happen.

Spotted on TMZ, Lil Tjay was taken into police custody on Tuesday, June 6. According to his lawyer, the rapper was arrested for the second time this year in NYC, and the arrest happened while he was on Instagram Live.

The “Calling my Phone” crafter was filming a short clip for a music video in Manhattan when law enforcement showed up and slapped cuffs on him for reckless endangerment, his lawyer Dawn Florio told the celebrity gossip site.

The entire arrest was captured while he was on Instagram Live, and people in the crowd could be heard telling him to stop resisting when his phone ended up in someone else’s possession.

It turns out Lil Tjay was caught waving around a fake gun while hanging out of the sunroof of a moving vehicle.

Per TMZ:

According to the NYPD … Lil Tjay was perched on the sunroof of a moving vehicle while waving an apparent firearm. Police took him into custody and recovered the “weapon,” which turned out to be a fake gun. Tjay was charged with criminal possession of a weapon for the imitation pistol.

His attorney said he was also charged with reckless endangerment for displaying the prop gun and obstructing governmental administration for refusing police orders to put his hands behind his back during his arrest.

Damn.

Other Incidents Involving Lil Tjay

TMZ also broke the story of Lil Tjay getting arrested in January following a traffic stop in the Bronx while heading to shoot a music video with Ice Spice. The celebrity gossip site’s law enforcement sources told them a firearm was found in the vehicle leading to his arrest on weapons charges.

Just recently, Lil Tjay was involved in a scuffle backstage during Hot 97’s Summer Jam concert over the weekend, HipHopDX reports. 

He is definitely not having a great 2023 so far.

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Photo: Sergione Infuso – Corbis / Getty

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07 Jun 2023

Billboard Counts Down the Best Revenge Songs About an Ex | Billboard News

Billboard counts down the top revenge songs about an ex who did you wrong!

Tetris Kelly
EVERYBODY’S BEEN THROUGH A BREAKUP AND NOTHING CAN QUITE GET YOU OVER AN EX LIKE THE PERFECT PLAYLIST.

Tetris Kelly
THAT’S WHY WE’RE RUNNING DOWN BILLBOARD’S TOP REVENGE SONGS.

Tetris Kelly
EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT SHAKIRA’S SPLIT FROM SOCCER STAR GERARD PIQUE.

Tetris Kelly
BUT WHEN SHE JOINED BIZARRAP ‘SESSIONS 53’…

Tetris Kelly
THE ONLY DISCUSSION WAS HOW SHE ATE HIM ALIVE.

Tetris Kelly
BEYONCÉ’S “LEMONADE” ALBUM WAS ONE OF HER MOST PERSONAL YET AND WITH RUMORS OF INFIDELITY, BEYONCÉ’S “SORRY” MADE US HOPE JAY-Z WAS SOMEWHERE HIDING.

Tetris Kelly
ANGER AFTER A BREAKUP CAN CAUSE A LOT OF THINGS. ON JAZMINE SULLIVAN’S LIST? VANDALISM.

Tetris Kelly
BUT I’M SURE VANDALISM IS PREFERED TO DEATH. SZA’S BREAKUP ANTHEM CAUSES FOR A TRAGIC ENDING.

Tetris Kelly
AND TOPPING OUR LIST IS A CLASSIC FROM CARRIE UNDERWOOD THAT MAKES THAT CHEATING EX THINK TWICE BEFORE HE MAKES THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.

Tetris Kelly
GOT MORE TO GET OF YOUR CHEST? FIND THE FULL LIST AT BILLBOARD.COM.

07 Jun 2023

Senators Ask TikTok CEO to Explain ‘Inaccurate’ Statements About How Company Manages U.S. Data

Two U.S. senators are asking TikTok to explain what they called “misleading or inaccurate” responses about how it stores and provides access to U.S. user data after recent news reports raised questions about how the Chinese-owned social media platform handles some sensitive information.

In a letter sent Tuesday to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn cited a report from Forbes that said TikTok had stored financial information of U.S. content creators who get paid by the company — including their Social Security numbers and tax IDs — on China-based servers.

The senators also cited another report from The New York Times, published in late May, that said TikTok employees regularly shared user information, such as driver’s licenses information of some American users, on an internal messaging app called Lark that employees from TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, could easily access.

Forbes first reported Wednesday on the letter.

TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said, ”We are reviewing the letter. We remain confident in the accuracy of our testimony and responses to Congress.”

TikTok has said servers that contain U.S. user data have been physically stored in Virginia and Singapore, where its headquartered. But who can access that data — and from where — is an ongoing question.

Chew, the company’s CEO, said at a congressional hearing in March that access to the data was provided “as-required” to engineers globally for business purposes. He also said some ByteDance employees still maintained access to some U.S. user data, but that would end once Project Texas — the company’s plan to siphon off U.S. user data from China — was completed.

The popular social media app has been under scrutiny from Western governments, who’ve been wary of the company’s Chinese ownership and have prohibited its use on government-issued devices. Earlier this year, the Biden administration threatened to ban the platform nationwide if the company’s Chinese owners don’t sell their stakes.

To assuage concerns from U.S. lawmakers, TikTok has been touting its Project Texas plan to store U.S. user data on servers owned and maintained by the software giant Oracle. Last year, the company said it began directing all U.S. user traffic to those servers but also continued to back up data on its own servers.

Chew said the company began deleting all historic U.S. user data from non-Oracle servers in March, and the process is expected to be completed this year.

In their letter, the senators also said the recent news reports appear to contradict testimonies from another TikTok official about where U.S. user data is stored.

07 Jun 2023

Lil Nas X Collaborates With Coach for ‘Transformative’ Line

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We’ve got the scoop: Lil Nas X and Coach have come together to create a fashion line we had to tell you about — and it’s currently on sale.

The collaboration was announced Wednesday (June 7) as part of the fashion brand’s Stuart Vevers’ Winter 2023 collection. If you’re looking to stock up on festival gear or Pride looks, we’ve got everything you need to know about this new drop below — and the brand’s Pride Collection and 50% off sale going on alongside it.

Lil Nas X Coach Courage to Be Real

Lil Nas X Breaks Barriers in Coach’s ‘Courage to Be Real’ Campaign: Watch

The campaign, titled “The Courage to Be Real,” is described on the website as “A call to action and our belief in courageous self-expression. Because when you embrace every side of yourself with confidence, you inspire others to express themselves authentically, too.”

This spoke especially to the rapper as he claims his “whole career has been about breaking down doors,” according to a quote by him on the campaign page. The line even features butterflies playing on the theme of “transformative” meaning everyone is a butterfly and can spread their wings to grow.

The collection also partners with his Montero tour, which can be seen in the graphics of the collection.

It makes sense that the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper would be a part of this collaboration as the he’s been a fan of the brand and even made his debut on the runway as an ambassador for Coach during their 2022 New York Fashion Week show.

The collection is already selling quickly, which means you don’t want to sleep on it. Read below to shop the pieces still in stock.

For more product recommendations, check out our best celebrity fragrances, Lil Nas X merch and best celebrity headphones.

Coach

Pillow Tabby Shoulder Bag 26

$450

You can see Nas sport the Pillow Tabby Shoulder Bag throughout the campaign video — and we get why! It’s a versatile accessory you can dress up or down whether you’re headed to the office or out to drink with friends. As an added bonus it’ll keep you pockets from overflowing with your phone, keys, wallet and more.

Coach

Coach X Lil Nas Butterfly Tank

$45 $75 40% off% OFF

Cool off in this tank top that features a butterfly design that reads “Coach x Montero.” You can easily wear it alone or layer it under your got-to denim jacket.

Coach

Coach X Lil Nas Butterfly T-Shirt

$57 $95 40% off% OFF

If you prefer the classic t-shirt look, then jump on this Butterfly patterned top from the collab. It features the signature pattern in either black or white and will add a subtle pop of color to your everyday looks.

Coach

Coach X Lil Nas Butterfly Coin Case

$75 $125 40% off% OFF

If you’re just looking to carry the necessities, this little coin case will keep you cash safe and is compact enough to slip inside your daily purse or backpack. Plus, the butterfly design will make the perfect statement piece.