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06 Jun 2023

Lil Durk Charts 15 Songs on Hot 100 from New LP ‘Almost Healed’

Lil Durk has a big week on Billboard’s charts, as he lands 15 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated June 10) from his new album, Almost Healed.

The set, released May 26 via Alamo Records, debuts at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 125,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week (May 26-June 1), according to Luminate. It’s his sixth top 10 album on the Billboard 200, following Love Songs 4 the Streets 2 (No. 4 peak, 2019), Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 (No. 2, 2020), The Voice (No. 2, 2020), The Voice of the Heroes, with Lil Baby (No. 1, 2021), and 7220 (No. 1, 2022).

Of Lil Durk’s 15 entries on the latest Hot 100, three land in the top 40, led by the album’s lead single “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole, at No. 4, up from No. 7, after it debuted at its No. 2 high two weeks earlier. Here’s a recap.

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Rank, Title:
No. 4, “All My Life,” feat. J. Cole
No. 22, “Stand by Me,” feat. Morgan Wallen
No. 35, “Pelle Coat”
No. 41, “War Bout It,” feat. 21 Savage
No. 59, “Never Imagined,” feat. Future
No. 62, “Never Again”
No. 67, “Big Dawg,” with Chief Wuk
No. 68, “Cross the Globe,” feat. Juice WRLD
No. 72, “Put Em on Ice”
No. 73, “300 Urus”
No. 74, “Sad Songs”
No. 76, “Grandson,” feat. Kodak Black
No. 82, “Before Fajr”
No. 83, “B12”
No. 86, “You Got Em”

Lil Durk charts at least 15 songs on the Hot 100 in a single week for a third time in his career. On the June 19, 2021, chart, he contributed 19 songs, the bulk from The Voice of the Heroes, in its debut chart week. On the March 26, 2022, tally, he posted 17 songs on the Hot 100, largely from 7220, as the set likewise made its chart start.

With 14 debuts, Lil Durk ups his career total to 87 Hot 100 entries. Of those, 15 have charted in 2023, the third-most among all acts this year, after only Morgan Wallen (39) and SZA (16).

Meanwhile, thanks to his guest appearance on “Big Dawg,” Chief Wuk scores his first appearance on the Hot 100. As for the other featured artists on Lil Durk’s new Hot 100 hits, Future increases his total to 162 entries, the fifth-best total in the chart’s history; 21 Savage pushes his total to 80; the late Juice WRLD’s count rises to 78; Wallen now has 63 entries – as he extends his record for the most among core male country acts; and Kodak Black now boasts 41.

06 Jun 2023

Wendy Williams’ Son, Kevin Jr., Says Her Team Is Exploiting Her Alcoholism

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Wendy Williams Kevin Hunter Jr.

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It’s been a long and tough road to recovery for Wendy Williams, and with word that she might be readying for a return to daytime television, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr., fears that his mother is still in pretty bad shape.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Kevin Hunter Jr. slammed the Wendy Williams team for how they’ve been handling things while she’s been struggling with severe alcoholism and fears that she might be closer to death than most of us are aware of.

Stating that her team is prioritizing profits over her health, Hunter explained that he believes they’d sooner see his mother crash and burn before missing out on potential business opportunities.

The Sun reports:

Kevin told The U.S. Sun: “I know there are all sorts of things happening that I know in her right mind she would never agree to.

“As hard as it is seeing her being taken advantage of, I know that if I’m making sure she, as a person, is okay, that is the important thing. 

“Because eventually, she’s going to realize the craziness that’s been going on.”

Hunter is referring to the fact that her team is allowing her to be filmed for a reality TV series while she struggles with her mental and physical health. Something that most people would rather remain private.

Continuing to get into what he fears is the case, Hunter adds, “What’s been made more important by the people around her is that while her health may not be great, she needs to keep on earning income, and in my opinion that should not be a priority at all. And whoever has been hired – they are taking advantage of someone who needs to get better.”

Hunter further explained that his mother’s alcoholism has gotten so drastic that it doesn’t affect her as it would the average person and that for her it could be, “fatal because it affects her way worse than a normal person since it stays in her system.”

Though Williams did spend three months at a Malibu, Calif. rehab center in 2022, Hunter says she spent that time signing working contracts during and after her stay at the center. He even feels that Williams’ team has been encouraging her alcoholism in one way or another.

“If they aren’t providing it, they are definitely enabling a type of personality and giving her the green light to drink,” Hunter said.

This just seems like a sad situation all around.

While Wendy Williams continues to try to get back to her old self with the help of her “team,” her son is hoping that eventually someone in her inner circle helps point her in the right direction for her own and her family’s sake.

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06 Jun 2023

Jelly Roll Reveals 5 Things You Don’t Know About Him | Billboard Cover

Jelly Roll reveals five things you didn’t know about him.

Jelly Roll
What’s up, y’all? This is Jelly Roll. Here are five things you don’t know about me.

No. 1: I used to work at a radio station as an intern when I got out of jail across the street of 106.7, The Blaze. Taz Daddy was the afternoon MC. I was the worst intern in the history of the company and he tells that story every time we’re around each other.

No. 2: Y’all are gonna make fun of me — I can see in the comments. I played football, basketball and soccer. When I was in middle school, I was absolutely mediocre at all three of them.

No. 3: When I was in elementary school, I would walk to school and my dog would walk me to school without a leash and walk itself back. That’s a true fact.

No. 4: I went to community college when I first got out of jail in the state of Tennessee — you have options when you’re on probation or parole. You can either get a job or be a student. I knew I wasn’t going to work a job, so I went and enrolled at Ball State Community College and I’m like, a couple hours away from having one of them, like, associate degrees.

No. 5: My guilty pleasure is golf. I love golf because people drink early in the morning. I, too, like things that involve drinking early in the morning when that’s possible. It’s like a little sanctuary, man. It’s awesome.

Those are five things you probably didn’t know about me.

06 Jun 2023

Why Eden Muñoz Laced Regional Mexican’s Past & Present in ‘Ayer y Hoy’ Album

Singer-songwriter and producer Edén Muñoz seeks to build a bridge between the past, present, and future of Regional Mexican music with an album where he will present notable songs from his catalog and new singles accompanied by legendary and emerging acts.

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The two-part set, titled Ayer y Hoy (Yesterday and Today) (Lizos Music), does not have a release date, but Muñoz has already been giving fans a preview of his project, including his latest single “Abcdario” with Junior H, part of the Hoy album.

“The concept of ‘Ayer y Hoy’ was born from the perspective I have of music at this moment in my life, in a generational context. I feel right in the middle of the new exponents of the Mexican regional and the music legends with whom I grew up”, explains Muñoz exclusively for Billboard Español.

The track with Junior H will be followed by Ayer’s first single, featuring norteño music legend Lalo Mora, on June 16. Although the voices of “Mi recaída en los excesos” were recorded remotely, the music video was filmed by both stars in Monterrey, Mexico.

“It had been one of my great dreams and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with one of the pillars of our music. These bases are what allow us to be where we are now today,” he continues. “We must continue supporting Regional Mexican at this important moment. It’s now when the eyes of the world are on us and they must know our roots, our essence, and our musical foundations to get to where we are.”

Muñoz, 32, is considered a key player in the development and rise of the regional Mexican genre for his achievements and contributions in recent years, first as part of Caliber 50, and now as a soloist. He’s placed seven albums at No.1 on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Albums chart, in addition to 22 number 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart with songs of his own performed as a soloist and by artists such as Caliber 50, Banda MS, and La Arrolladora.

That is why young artists such as Gabito Ballesteros, Junior H, Pedro Tovar (Eslabón Armado), Fuerza Regida, El Fantasma, Los Dos Carnales, Luis R. Conríquez, and Carin León have not hesitated to be part of Hoy. With the latter, there’s great expectation for the soon-to-be-released collab called “Me Rento.”

“[Carin León and I are] very alike in many ways, even down to the physical,” he notes. “Carlos Rivera brought us together for ‘Alguien me espera en Madrid’ and the chemistry was instantaneous. We went into the studio a few days later.”

On the other hand, the great exponents that participate in Ayer with a more traditional sound are Rosendo Cantú, Eliseo Robles, and Miguel y Miguel. “I would love it, and I hope it will be achieved, that Los Tigres del Norte was part of this dream that I am making come true,” he adds.

Additionally, Muñoz is set to embark on his first solo U.S. tour called Consejos Gratis (produced by Live Nation) on August 25 at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York, and wrapping on November 22 at The Pavillion in Irving, Texas.

06 Jun 2023

Queens of the Stone Age Announce The End is Nero 2023 North American Summer/Fall Tour

Queens of the Stone Age announced the dates for their upcoming summer/fall 2023 North American tour, which the band has dubbed The End is Nero. The 28-date outing is slated to launch of August 3 at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights, MI and includes stops in Toronto, Pittsburgh, Portland, Atlanta, Nashville, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Denver, Portland and Vancouver before winding down with an Oct. 8 show at Aftershock in Sacramento.

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The East coast portion of the tour will feature support from Phantogram and The Armed, while Viagra Boys and Jehnny Beth will be on board for the Midwest and West coast shows. “The End Is Nero tour is an invitation from Joshua Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore to come celebrate the end of the world, which we hear is ‘in a month or two,’” read a statement from the band announcing the shows. “They would like to encourage the obscene and the clean, the outcasts and the weirdos, and anyone and everyone in between to attend, this is where you belong. Leave your judgment at the door, bring anything and everything else.”

The tour is in support of the group’s upcoming eighth full-length studio album, In Times New Roman…, the follow-up to 2017’s Villains. The album drops on Matador Records on June 16 and according to a release, on the eve of release QOTSA have invited fans to attend their MIDNIGHT CLUB parties at record shops and pubs in 23 countries. The parties start at 11 p.m. on June 15 and will feature giveaways, exclusive merch including limited-edition colored vinyl and in a few select locations signed merch and ticket giveaways; click here for locations of CLUB events.

Citi pre-sales began Tuesday morning (June 6) and run until 10 a.m. local time on Thursday (June 8), with the public on-sale kicking off on Friday (June 9) at 10 a.m. local time.

Check out The End is Nero dates below:

August 3 – Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill*

August 4 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage*

August 5 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Outdoors*

August 7 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater*

August 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at the Mann*

August 9 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem*

August 11 – Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena*

August 12 – Queens, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium*

August 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater*

August 16 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit*

August 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre *

August 19 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater*

Sept. 16 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest

Sept. 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory**

Sept. 19 – Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse**

Sept. 20 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre**

Sept. 22 – Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park**

Sept. 23 – St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park**

Sept. 24 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life

Sept. 26 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP**

Sept. 27 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion**

Sept. 29 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre**

Sept. 30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Great Saltair**

Oct. 2 – Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum** 

Oct. 3 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum**

Oct. 4 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena**

Oct. 6 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium**

Oct. 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock 

*Phantogram and The Armed support

**Viagra Boys and Jehnny Beth support

06 Jun 2023

A Closer Look at the 3 Broadway Songs That Won Grammys for Song of the Year

The Tony Awards have never had a best song category, honoring the year’s best song from a Broadway musical. The Grammys have presented a song of the year award every year since they were founded in 1958. Three times, the award has gone to a Broadway song.

We’ll take a closer look at those three songs, but first, just think of some of the treasured songs that might have won (or at least been nominated) if the Tonys had had a best song category since they got underway in 1947. To name just a few: “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific, “Shall We Dance” from The King and I,  “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady, “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man, “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, “Being Alive” from Company, “I’m Still Here” from Follies, “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz, “One” from A Chorus Line, “Tomorrow” from Annie, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Evita, “Memory” from Cats, “Seasons of Love” from Rent, “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray and “My Shot” from Hamilton.

The Tonys – which are set to air on CBS on Sunday June 11 — include two related categories – best musical and best original score. This year’s nominees for best musical are & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, New York, New York, Shucked and Some Like It Hot. Kimberly Akimbo, Shucked and Some Like It Hot are also nominated for best original score, along with Almost Famous and KPOP.

Let’s take a closer look at the three Broadway songs that have won the Grammy for song of the year.

06 Jun 2023

Ed Sheeran Teases Potential Genre Switch, Gets ‘Perfect’ Fan Serenade on ‘Today Show’

From the release of – (Subtract), his sixth studio album, to his brand new song for the Ted Lasso series finale, Ed Sheeran has been omnipresent this year. On Tuesday morning (June 6), the “Shape of You” singer took over the Today Show plaza for a performance in support of his latest record.

While his set featured renditions of Subtract singles such as “Eyes Closed,” which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, the performance’s most memorable moment came by way of a cut from his 2017 ÷ (Divide) album.

After Sheeran concluded one of his songs, Today Show host Hoda Kotb came across another Ed in the audience. With the encouragement of Kotb, this Ed — a Sheeran fan named Ed Castillo from Clifton, N.J. — launched into an impromptu rendition of “Perfect” as the singer-songwriter himself joined him on guitar. Once the fan finished singing, Sheeran agreed that if he were a coach on The Voice, he would have turned his chair for Castillo. In 2017, “Perfect” became the star’s second career No. 1 single on the Hot 100, thanks, in part, to its Beyoncé-assisted duet version.

Sheeran’s Today Show stint also provided fans with some hints as to where the “Bad Habits” singer’s musical evolution will take him next. “I’ve known for the last 13 years what Mathematics would be, and now it’s, like, what to do next?” Sheeran said. “There’s lots of questions going around in my head.”

When prompted by host Carson Daly about a possible pivot to country music, Sheeran responded, “I lived in Nashville for a couple of years, and I kind of fell in love with [country music] there. That’s something I would love to do at some point.” The country music tease comes just a few weeks after Sheeran teamed up with country powerhouse Luke Combs for a new version of “Life Goes On” from – (Subtract).

Sheeran has nine top 10 hits on the Hot 100, two of which have reached the summit — “Shape of You” and “Perfect.” The Grammy-winning superstar has also topped the Billboard 200 with four albums dating back to 2014’s x (Multiply).

06 Jun 2023

‘1964: Eyes of the Storm’: Paul McCartney Debuts Unseen Photos of The Beatles in New Book

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Paul McCartney is no stranger when it comes to creating record-breaking music, but fans of the musician are about to get a peek at another skill of his: photography. A new book titled 1964: Eyes of the Storm by McCartney is set to come out June 13, and will feature unseen photos from The Beatles’ first transatlantic tour. Collectors or those looking for gifts for The Beatles fans can preorder the book through Amazon, Walmart and Barnes and Noble.

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It’s almost no surprise that the book is already a chart-topper, reaching No. 1 status for Amazon new releases. The book is currently on sale for $63.75, meaning you can preorder it for a fraction of the price. For those who prefer a digital version, it’s also available in a Kindle edition for $35.99.

According to the description, fans will get “largely unseen photographs [taken by McCartney using a 35mm camera] capture the explosive period, from the end of 1963 through early 1964, in which The Beatles became an international sensation and changed the course of music history.”

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“1964: Eyes of the Storm” by Paul McCartney

$63.75 $75.00 15% OFF

The book features 275 photos captured around six cities, including Liverpool, London, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. There is also an introduction by historian Jill Lepore, along with a personal foreword by McCartney as he recalls the emotions and events that took place as the band played for British concert halls, and the excitement from fans following their first visit to the U.S.

With the rise of coffee-table books as a trendy piece of decor, you’ll want to make sure this book has a front and center spot for all guest to see. If you’re a collector, then make sure you display it among your other Beatles merch, such as the band’s Magna tiles set and special-edition record player.

And, while you wait for the book to come out on June 13, you can go back in time and watch the docuseries The Beatles: Get Back, which is available on Blue-ray/DVD and Disney+ for a more in-depth look at the history and rise of the band.

For more product recommendations, check out our round ups of the best record players and turntables, speakers for music lovers and where to take online music lessons.

06 Jun 2023

Marshmello Secures His First No. 1 on Latin Airplay Chart With Manuel Turizo Collab ‘El Merengue’

Marshmello claims his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart with the Manuel Turizo collab “El Merengue,” which advances to the summit of the list dated June 10.

“El Merengue” jumps from No. 2 despite a 5% dip in audience impressions, to 10.4 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending June 1, according to Luminate. It ousts Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny’s “Un x100to” after its three-week command, sending it to No. 2, likewise with a decline on weekly impressions (falls 11% to 10.36 million).

As “Merengue” tops Latin Airplay, Marshmello becomes the first artist unfamiliar to the Latin genre to occupy the top slot in 2023. Congolese French singer and rapper Gims (born Gandhi Alimasi Djuna) last completed the deed as “Arhbo (Music From The FIFA World Cup Quatar 2022),” with Ozuna, took over Latin Airplay for three weeks last December.

Further “Merengue” is just the second tropical tune to lead the overall tally this year, after Romeo Santos and Rosalia’s “El Pañuelo” headed the Feb. 25-dated ranking.

Turizo, meanwhile, cements his airplay No. 1 growth with six champs spanning almost six years. Previously, the Colombian topped Latin Airplay with another tropical track: “La Bachata” (one week in October 2022).

Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “Merengue” wins a second term at its No. 5 high on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs in its 13th week in the top 10, encompassing its entire run in the chart so far.

Bad Bunny Keeps Going

Elsewhere on the Latin charts, Bad Bunny collects his 28th top 10 on Latin Rhythm Airplay as “Where She Goes” soars 20-9, the biggest climb in 2023 so far. The song flies with an 88% gain in audience impressions, to 4 million, during the same period, the biggest percentage increase of the week.

As “Goes” enters the upper region on Latin Rhythm Airplay, Bad Bunny picks up his 28th top 10, the eight-most since the chart launched in 2005.

The song also makes its first chart visit on Latin Airplay, at No. 26.

Over on Latin Streaming Songs, “Goes” holds at its No. 2 high despite a 30% dip in weekly streams. It logged 16.3 million official U.S. streams, 7 million less than the week prior. That yields a 7-3 tumble on the overall Streaming Songs list.

06 Jun 2023

Emma Stone Gushes Over Taylor Swift’s ‘Insane Talent’: ‘She Blows My Mind’

Being besties with Taylor Swift definitely has its perks. According to Emma Stone, her pop star friend was able to hook her up with hard-to-come-by tickets to one of her Eras Tour shows in Glendale, Ariz. — about which the La La Land actress recently gushed about to Vanity Fair.

“The concert was pretty amazing,” Stone told the magazine at the Saturday (June 3) Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Jersey City, N.J. “I was lucky ’cause we’ve been friends for a really long time.”

“I’ve known her since we were 17 and 18, so she hooked me up, which was very nice ’cause I know those tickets are impossible to get,” the Cruella star continued, alluding to the astronomically high demand for Eras tickets that crashed Ticketmaster last year. “She’s a wonderful friend. She blows my mind.”

“I mean, the amount of sheer stamina to do three and a half hours and perform 44 songs and to maintain the extreme energy of the audience — I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

Then, when asked whether she’d ever join her longtime pal on stage someday, Stone was blunt. “Oh, God, hell no!” she insisted. “I can’t sing, like, for a massive stadium. Let’s not even go down that road. She has insane talent — I could never do what she does.” 

Stone’s praise of Swift comes at an interesting time, some Swifties would argue. On Monday (June 5), the Grammy winner unveiled her list of previously unreleased vault tracks that will accompany the July 7 release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), one of which is titled “When Emma Falls In Love.”

Knowing that Swift and Stone’s friendship dates back to the original Speak Now era (circa 2010), many fans are speculating that the song was written in honor of the Easy A actress — and possibly about her relationship with her Spider-Man costar Andrew Garfield. See some tweets about it below: