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14 Mar 2023

Jennifer Hudson Celebrates Common’s Birthday Amid Romance Rumors: ‘One of the Brightest Lights’

Jennifer Hudson took to social media on Tuesday (March 14) to wished Common a happy birthday amid chatter the pair may have sparked a romance.

“Team Jhud pls help me wish one of the brightest lights, a Chicago and hip hop legend, the one and only @common a very happy birthday on today!” the Jennifer Hudson Show host captioned a March 13 Instagram post alongside a smiling photo of herself and rapper.

Fans were quick to speculate about the pair’s prospective relationship status in the comments. “Is that a ‘Soft Launch Insta Offical,’” one wrote using a trio of winking emojis, while another questioned, “Is this confirmation or naw[?]”

“Oh so he BEEN in the picture huh,” a fan page speculated. A separate follower commented, “I don’t know but I heard on TMZ that Common is your new bew.” (Back in late February, the gossip site reported that Hudson and Common were spotted going out on a dinner date at Malibu hot spot Nobu.)

Common, who the American Idol alum tagged, shared her post in his Instagram Stories. “Thank You!” he wrote.

On her eponymous talk show, which has been renewed for a second season by Warner Bros. Discovery, Hudson has recently welcomed both DJ Khaled and Paula Abdul. The We the Best producer dished on picking the title for his most recent album God Did after receiving a particularly disappointing phone call, and the original American Idol judge looked back on Hudson’s controversial elimination from the reality juggernaut in seventh place back in Season 3.

For his part, Common most recently made his Broadway debut at the end of 2022 in Between Riverside and Crazy at Second Stage Theater.

Check out Hudson’s sweet birthday post for Common on her Instagram.

14 Mar 2023

NF’s ‘Motto’ Premieres Atop Hot Trending Songs Chart

NF’s “Motto” makes a splash on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart upon release, debuting at No. 1 on the March 18-dated tally.

Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running March 3-9.

“Motto” is the second taste of NF’s upcoming fifth studio album Hope (April 7), following the title track.

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Released March 9 (the final day of the March 18 Billboard charts tracking week), the song nonetheless garnered 1.2 million official U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads toward the latest rankings, according to Luminate, with more chart appearances possible for the song on the March 25-dated surveys.

“Motto” reigns over Poze do Rodo’s “Metflix,” which bows at No. 2. The Brazilian act’s song was initially released in July 2022, but its latest boost is owed to a remix released March 7 that adds L7NNON.

Music from Jay-Z, ONEW and Anuel AA round out the top five.

Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.

14 Mar 2023

Pandora’s Johnny Chiang to Oversee Country Music Programming for SiriusXM in Role Expansion: Exclusive

Johnny Chiang, Pandora’s senior director of country programming, will expand his role to also oversee country music programming at SiriusXM, the company tells Billboard. Chiang will report to SiriusXM/Pandora’s GM and senior vp of music programming Steve Blatter.

Chiang’s new role fills duties previously held by JR Schumann, who exited SiriusXM in July 2022. Darrin Smith, SiriusXM’s vp of programming, oversaw the satellite broadcaster’s country channels on an interim basis.

Before joining Pandora in July 2022, Chiang served as vp of radio promotions and artist development at Red Street Records following the announcement that the label had launched a country division. Prior to his work with Red Street, Chiang spent 18 years at KKBQ in Houston and was also the Cox country format leader.

During Chiang’s time at KKBQ, the station was named the Country Music Association’s major market station of the year three times (in 2014, 2016 and 2018), as well as the Academy of Country Music’s major market station of the year in 2017. It also won the Marconi four times (in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018). In 2016, Billboard named him the most influential country program director in the United States.

During Nashville’s Country Radio Seminar earlier this week, Chiang led a panel during CRS’ Digital Music Summit titled “Sweet Streams (Are Made of These),” which provided an overview of music streaming services. The panel also included Spotify’s Rachel Whitney and Amazon Music’s Michelle Tigard Kammerer, as each music service detailed their respective platforms’ tools for independent artists and discussed the role of playlisting in music marketing, how DSPs use data to make decisions and more.

Chiang’s role expansion comes on the heels of SiriusXM’s announcement earlier this month that it would be laying off 475 employees, or 8% of its workforce. In a statement that followed, CEO Jennifer Witz called the job cuts difficult but “the right thing to do” as the business grapples with lower ad sales, a still-delayed recovery in the automotive subscription business and major investments in its technology.

14 Mar 2023

Morgan Wallen Claims Record Top 9 Spots on Hot Country Songs Chart

Morgan Wallen makes history on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, claiming the survey’s top nine positions. He soars past his prior record, as he monopolized the top three in two prior weeks, in February and December.

Wallen’s 90% share of the Hot Country Songs top 10 is also a new record, besting his six in the top 10 for a week in January 2021. Both of his last two albums have sparked those sums in their debut chart weeks: his latest LP One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album.

Released March 3, Wallen’s 36-track One Thing at a Time launches as his second No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200, with the largest streaming week ever for a country album, as well as the biggest week by equivalent album units (501,000 March 3-9, according to Luminate) for any album, among all genres, in 2023.

Meanwhile, the LP’s “Last Night” becomes Wallen’s first No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. He also holds five of the chart’s top 10 – becoming the first core country act to own half the tier in a single week.

Additionally, Wallen rewrites the record for the most songs simultaneously charted on the Hot 100, as he sends 36 songs onto the survey – the entirety of One Thing at a Time. Of those 36 songs, 27 are debuts, also a new one-week record.

On both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, Wallen’s triumphs mark notable milestones for country. Wallen is the first male artist with back-to-back country No. 1s on the Billboard 200 since 2019, when Thomas Rhett notched his second in a row with Center Point Road, following 2017’s Life Changes. Plus, One Thing at a Time logs the largest week for any country album by a male artist since the Billboard 200 began tracking titles by equivalent album units in December 2014.

On the Hot 100, “Last Night” is the first No. 1 on both that chart and Hot Country Songs by a solo male unaccompanied by any other acts in over 42 years, since Eddie Rabbitt’s “I Love a Rainy Night” ruled Hot Country Songs for a week in January 1981 and the Hot 100 for two weeks that February-March.

One Thing at a Time opens as Wallen’s third No. 1 on Top Country Albums. 2018’s If I Know Me reigned for two weeks in 2020 and Dangerous: The Double Album dominated for a record 97 weeks, as it’s supplanted at the summit by One Thing at a Time.

“Last Night,” meanwhile, leads the streaming-, airplay- and sales-fueled Hot Country Songs chart for a fifth week, having become his seventh No. 1.

Here’s a rundown of Wallen’s unprecedented nine tracks in the latest Hot Country Songs top 10:

  • No. 1, “Last Night,” thanks to 47.5 million streams (up 59), 10.8 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 81%) and 18,000 sold (up 12%) March 3-9
  • No. 2, “Thought You Should Know” (after it led for a week upon its debut in May 2022)
  • No. 3, “You Proof” (after it ruled for 19 weeks, starting with its debut in May 2022)
  • No. 4, “Thinkin’ Bout Me” (debut)
  • No. 5, “One Thing at a Time” (after it debuted at its No. 2 high in December)
  • No. 6, “Ain’t That Some” (debut)
  • No. 7 “Everything I Love” (first week in top 10, after it debuted in February)
  • No. 8, “Man Made a Bar,” featuring Eric Church (debut)
  • No. 9, “I Wrote the Book” (a new high, after it debuted at No. 10 in February)

Notably, Bailey Zimmerman’s “Rock and a Hard Place” ranks at No. 10 on Hot Country Songs, the only non-Wallen tune in the top 10. It places at No. 3 on Country Airplay (30.1 million in audience, up 8%) and drew 15.5 million streams (up 5%) in the tracking week.

Of the 36 cuts on One Thing at a Time, 35 rank on the latest (50-position) Hot Country Songs chart, a new one-week record. The previous high? Wallen’s 27 on the Jan. 23, 2021, survey, when Dangerous made its chart start. The only song from One Thing at a Time not on the latest list is “Don’t Think Jesus,” which debuted at No. 1 in April 2022 and spent 20 weeks on the tally through September.

With four new top 10s on the newest Hot Country Songs chart, Wallen has logged 12 from One Thing at a Time: the nine currently in the region, as well as “Jesus,” “Tennessee Fan” (now at No. 29) and “Days That End in Why” (No. 34). He ups his career count to 23 top 10s, a run that began with the No. 5-peaking “Up Down,” featuring Florida Georgia Line. Dating to his first week in the top 10 (May 12, 2018), Wallen’s 23 top 10s are the most among all acts, outpacing Luke Combs (16 in that span) and Kane Brown and Rhett (11 each).

14 Mar 2023

Ivermectin Influencer Dies…From Too Much Ivermectin

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Alison Lafferty, ardent supporter of alternative treatments for covid

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

A prominent user of ivermectin died earlier this month and many following his practice are starting to experience brutal side effects, but administrators have denied that it’s due to the medicine.

According to reports, Rhode Island native Danny Lemoi was a widely-known anti-vaxxer who regularly touted the use of ivermectin as the creator of a Telegram group, Dirt Road Discussions. Hours after posting the self-deprecating message “HAPPY FRIDAY ALL YOU POISONOUS HORSE PASTE EATING SURVIVORS !!!” on March 7th, Lemoi died. The 50-year-old heavy machine operator’s family didn’t publicly state his cause of death.

Administrators for Dirt Road Discussions addressed Lemoi’s death, alleging that it was “a family history of heart disease and chronic stress” that led to his death before concluding: “We understand that this is going to raise questions for those who were following him.” Lemoi had actually been taking the veterinary form of ivermectin since 2012 and said on a podcast in November it was after he was diagnosed with Lyme disease and he felt that it “regenerated” his heart muscle and stopped taking all other medicine. The group administrators would also claim that “all of his other organs were unremarkable,” but offered no further comment to press inquiries about that claim.

Others in the group who had been following his “protocols” have expressed that they’re experiencing heavy side effects from ivermectin use. “I’m 4 months now and all hell’s breaking loose, all pain has hit my waist down with sciatic, shin splints, restless leg syndrome, tight sore calves & it feels like some pain in the bones,” one user reported. Lemoi had previously cited side effects that others would experience as “herxing”, which is the short form of the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (JHR), a phenomenon of an increase in non-specific symptoms that do occur in those who begin antibiotic treatments.

The Food and Drug Administration has consistently warned people to not take the veterinary form of ivermectin slated for horses due to the concentration of the medicine for larger animals. “Such high doses can be highly toxic in humans,” it states. The FDA has also shown that ivermectin for humans, which is primarily used to treat infections that cause river blindness, has been shown to be ineffective in combatting cases of COVID-19.

14 Mar 2023

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Lola Brooke, Venna, Khamari & More

Another Monday, another round-up of the freshest picks of the week. From smooth, late-night R&B to upbeat, 808-filled rap anthems, this list is bound to have a track suitable for every moment of the next seven days.

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This week, listen to the sounds of Lola Brooke, Navy Blue, Venna, Deb Fan and more. And of course, don’t forget to share the wealth with our Spotify playlist, linked below.

Freshest Find: Khamari, “On My Way”

On “On My Way,” Boston singer Khamari details his journey to new beginnings. The tender new song is dedicated to the musician’s cross country move to Los Angeles, which he made during the pandemic. “I packed everything I owned into my car and drove across the country,” he says in a press statement. “‘On My Way’ is a song about my move, my confidence in knowing I was making the right decision starting fresh so I could build something from the ground up.”

Navy Blue, “Chosen”

“Chosen” is Navy Blue’s poetic major label debut. The L.A. rapper raps about being “overseas with Mr. Dave Chappelle and brother Yasiin [Bey] in Paris” and his journey on the way to turning 30. The Def Jam signee delivers the boom-bap track ahead of his forthcoming project due out later this year.

Lola Brooke, “So Disrespectful”

Brooklyn’s own Lola Brooke is no one to play with. The fast-rising rapper delivered a grim new track called “So Disrespectful” where she brings her signature big gator energy. Once again, Brooke shows off her booming voice over bass-knocking production for her first release since signing to Arista Records.

Neru Thee Fourth Fugee feat. BbyMutha, “End Daze”

Baltimore meets Atlanta as Neru Thee Fourth Fugee and bbymutha link for their new single “End Daze.” The track sees two women rap powerhouses tag-teaming as they share confident bars and infectious wordplay. “The song was inspired by MF Doom and Vince Staples, while the title itself is a double entendre on ‘end days,’ referencing a catastrophic end-of-the-world event, and ‘in daze’ connecting those moments when you find yourself lost inside your thoughts,” explains Neru in a press release. “End Daze” is a glimpse into her upcoming sophomore album Greater Than, set to be released this summer.

Connie Diiamond, “Move” 

Connie Diiamond is a force to be reckoned with. With “Move,” the rapper added a Bronx spin to Ludacris’s 2002 hit “Move B–ch.” She originally performed the song on BlockWorktv a few months ago, though “Move” got its official release last week via Def Jam.

Hudi, “Top B–ch!“

It’s got a little bounce to it, and sometimes, that’s all you need. By way of Washington Heights, rapper Hudi revived this self-produced cut from four years ago with a new hook and verses, starting off strong with the smirk-inducing line, “I would really drop my weight to fight a bad b–ch battles.” And really, what more could you want?

Halima, “VEHICLE”

Halima’s latest offering, “VEHICLE,” is one of those cuts that gives listeners exactly what they want, when they want it. Starting off with a groovy Hush Forte-produced guitar loop, trap drum pattern and rap cadence, the Brooklyn-based artist flows seamlessly into a falsetto hook and alto second verse, transfixing listeners from the jump.

B. Cool-Aid feat. Liv.e, Jimetta Rose & V.C.R, “soundgood”

Ahead of their upcoming album Leather Blvd., B. Cool-Aid dropped single, “soundgood” and it sounds, well, you know. Perfectly composed for a slow Saturday driving up the PCH, the cut embodies laid back elevation, an indication of the utopian March 31 project to come from the dynamic Long Beach duo.

Deb Fan, “Run My Mind”

A perfect union of hard and soft, Deb Fan’s “Run My Mind” features the Hong Kong-made songstress’ silky vocals coupled with staticky drums and deep synths. On her first single of the year, Deb Fan ruminates over unrequited love, baring it all for the one who runs her mind.

Venna feat. JADA, “Tam Tam”

Venna has been on a roll. For the third single from his upcoming project EQUINOX, he enlisted singer JADA who delivers tantalizing vocals overtop the soulful instrumental. “My love don’t depend on/ If you ain’t hands on/ I would prefer you were straight up/ Turning friends into strangers,” she repeats amidst a waterfall of piano melodies.

14 Mar 2023

The First ‘Wicked’ Movie Is Flying Into Theaters Sooner Than You Thought

Good news, Arianators: The first part of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation will be premiering in theaters a month earlier than expected, the directorannounced on Tuesday (March 14).

Chu excitedly shared the news via Instagram, writing that he and his team were “deep into shooting WICKED here in London” before officially announcing the new release date. “Bring the family, bring your friends…it’s going to be a ride!!! appreciate all your support through this long production process. Shooting two movies at once is no small feat.”

The film version of the hit Broadway musical — which will star Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba — was initially meant to hit theaters on Christmas Day of next year (Dec. 25, 2024). But in the spirit of giving thanks, Wicked Part 1 is now set to be released next Thanksgiving (Nov. 27, 2024), meaning that fans can catch the film one month sooner.

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the original release date was pushed up reportedly in order to help the film “build an audience over the year-end holidays,” while also remaining “beneficial from a consumer products standpoint.”

Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Ethan Slater and others are also set to star in the film. Yeoh, who took home the Academy Award for best actress on Sunday (March 12), said earlier this year that she was “really looking forward” to getting to film alongside Grande and Erivo. “Those two are so adorable, so gorgeous, so talented,” she said.

See Chu’s announcement about ‘s new release date below.

14 Mar 2023

DatPiff Is Still Here After Giving Longtime “Blog Era” Fans A Brief Scare

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Young african student sitting outside of university wearing headphones, using phone, listening to music

DatPiff, one of the leading sites in the “Blog Era” of downloadable music projects and mixtapes, gave its longtime supporters a bit of a scare. After rumors that the famed blog was shut down for good, the company tweeted that they’re fixing the magic behind the curtain and are very much here to stay.

DatPiff, for the uninitiated, began back in 2005 and swiftly became a hub of newer Hip-Hop acts hoping to get off the so-called “street album” of original songs or mixtapes featuring rappers using other artists’ beats. The site also inked exclusive deals with a bevy of Hip-Hop heavy hitters such as Lil Wayne, Meek Mill, Pharrell, Conway The Machine, Dave East, and more.

The message from DatPiff’s Twitter page reads as follows:

Despite the rumors, we are happy to report that we will still be supplying you with all the mixtapes you love. We’re working through technical issues on our site and app, but still actively update our youtube! Thanks for all the love and concerns but we promise, we are still here

DatPiff developed a streaming app service that kept the legacy of the music alive with hours upon hours of classics. As they noted in their message above, YouTube seems to be an agreeable option for those looking to get their audio fix.

Check out some of the reactions to DatPiff appearing to shut down below.

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Photo: Andrii Nekrasov / Getty

14 Mar 2023

Signed: Tori Kelly to Epic Records; Dove Cameron & Nate Smith to WME

This is Signed, a new biweekly column that rounds up artist signings at labels, agencies, management companies and more.

Two-time Grammy winner Tori Kelly signed with Epic Records, which will release her latest single, “missin u,” on Friday (March 17) with an album to follow. She’s managed by SB Projects.

Singer-actor Dove Cameron (“Boyfriend”) signed with WME in all areas. She’s signed to Columbia Records and represented by LBI Entertainment, attorney Patti C. Felker and Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis.

Country singer-songwriter Nate Smith (“Whiskey On You”) signed with WME for global representation in all areas. He’ll be represented by Joey Lee, Sloane Cavitt Logue and Braeden Rountree at the agency. He’s signed to Sony Music Nashville and managed by Kevin “Chief” Zaruk and Simon Tikhman at The Core Entertainment.

Bettye LaVette signed with Steve Jordan and Meegan Voss‘ Jay-Vee Records, which is distributed by MRI Entertainment. Jordan produced two previous albums for LaVette, 2018’s Things Have Changed and 2020’s Blackbirds. She’s represented by manager Kevin Kiley; agents Seth Rappaport and Steve Martin at Paladin Artists (North America) and Neil O’Brien of Neil O’Brien Entertainment (international); and publicist Carla Parisi at Kid Logic.

ONErpm signed singer-songwriter Chance Peña, who got started as a contestant on The Voice in 2015. He’s currently working on a new EP to follow up 2019’s project anxiety & mixed emotions and 2020’s The Inevitable. He’s managed by Liz Baylog at Bread City.

Universal Music Group Nashville teamed with Universal Music Canada to sign country singer Josh Ross (“First Taste of Gone”). He’s represented by managers Chief Zaruk and Simon Tikhman at The Core Entertainment, booking agent Adi Sharma at The Neal Agency and publicist Jodi Dawes at UMG Nashville.

Country singer-songwriter Ella Langley (“If You Have To,” “Damn You,” “Country Boy’s Dream Girl”) signed with Columbia Records/Sony Music Nashville. In January, Langley was named to Spotify’s list of Hot Country Artists to Watch.

Toronto rock band Half Moon Run signed with BMG, which will release the group’s fourth studio album. Previous album releases for the band — a two-time winner of adult alternative album of the year at the Junos — include 2013’s Dark Eyes, 2015’s Sun Leads Me On and 2019’s A Blemish in the Great Light. The group is managed by Mathieu Drouin and Marie-Eve Carriere; their label representative at BMG is Steve Nightingale.

Texas-based band Pecos & The Rooftops (“This Damn Song”) signed to Warner Records, which released their latest single, “5AM,” in the leadup to their forthcoming album. The group is represented by managers Chase Cooper and Jeb Hurt at Floating Leaf Entertainment, booking agent Chad Kudelka at CAA and A&R Miles Gersh.

South Africa-born, Canada-raised rapper ARDN signed to Capitol Records, which will release his major label debut single, “Plain Jane” and forthcoming EP, The Bronze Age. ARDN gained notice when a snippet of his song, “Til the Morning,” went viral on TikTok last year.

Los Angeles duo SkyeChristy signed to Warner Records, which released their new single “Beach Zombies.” They’re represented by manager Jesse Beer at The MGMT Company and Bex Majors at Sound Talent Group.

Milk & Honey signed singer-songwriter-producer JHart, production duo The Elements and songwriter-producer-composer Alexis Kesselman, who performs under the name Idarose. The company will manage all aspects of their music careers, including artist projects. JHart will be managed by Lucas Keller, Nic Warner and Danny Herrle; The Elements will be managed by Ant Hippsley, Keller, Warner and Justin Frazier; and Kesselman will be managed by Keller, Warner and Frazier.

Minneapolis indie-rock trio Yam Haus signed to Big Loud Rock, the new alternative/rock imprint of Big Loud Records. The label released the trio’s latest single, “Rafters.” The group is represented by managers Deborah Wilson and Doug Wilson at Wilspro and agent Sara Schlievert at Paladin Artists.

Pittsburgh-based rock and blues group Ghost Hounds signed to Gibson Records, which will release the band’s fourth studio album on June 29 in partnership with distributor Firebird Label Services. It will mark the second album release from the recently-formed Gibson Records following Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators’ album, 4, last year.

Drummer-producer-emcee Kassa Overall signed to Warp Records, which will release his new single “Ready To Ball.” He previously released two studio albums, 2019’s Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz and 2020’s I Think I’m Good.

Los Angeles-based “grit-pop” duo ill peach signed to Hardly Art, which released their new single, “Heavyweight,” on Feb. 28. Ill peach is managed by Chris Mcilvenny and Nic Damasio at Tap Management.

Country artist Kirk Jay signed to Yung Bleu’s label Moonboy University, which is distributed by EMPIRE. Jay was a finalist on The Voice in 2018.

Philadelphia rapper Sheedts signed to Great Day Records, the label launched in January by Barolilne Diaz in partnership with Todd Moscowitz‘s Santa Anna and Alamo Records. The news coincided with the release of a video for “Rockin’ & Rollin’,” a track off Sheedts’ 2022 album 5ive. He’s managed by Rahee “Heezy” Ellis.

Singer-songwriter and American Idol alum Harper Grace signed with Curb Records, WME and Jonas Group Entertainment. Her first original song is set to drop on Friday (March 17).

Arthur Moon, Cale Hawkins and Raia Was have joined together to form Switch Hit Records, described as a “musicians-run cooperative record label committed to giving artists 100% of the profits from their work” that’s comprised of “a collective of multi-hyphenate artists: producers, instrumentalists, composers, musical directors and business owners.” Moon, Hawkins and Was have all released singles through the label, while full-length albums from all three are expected for release later this year.

14 Mar 2023

A Deaf Contestant Just Stunned ‘The Voice’ Coaches with This Roberta Flack Classic

A new contestant hit The Voice stage on Monday night’s episode (March 14) to prove that being hearing impaired doesn’t mean she can’t still rock the mic.

ALI, a 24-year-old hopeful from Walnut, Calif., chose to audition for the spinning chairs with a cover of Roberta Flack’s classic title track to her 1973 album Killing Me Softly. “I heard he sang a good song, I head he had a style/ And so I came to see him and listen for a while,” she sang, with her very first vocal runs at the end of the stanza earning an immediate chair turn from both Kelly Clarkson and Chance The Rapper.

However, it was only after she wrapped up her audition that the singer revealed her hearing loss to the coaches. “A fun fact about me is I am hearing impaired,” she said. “I wear two hearing aids, I was born deaf. I’m so blessed to be able to share this.”

“What!? Oh my god, that’s crazy,” Clarkson marveled, later telling ALI, “Your runs were so intricate and cool and different. That’s a gift.”

Though he didn’t turn his chair, Niall Horan agreed with his fellow coach, saying, “You were amazing. But the second they turned, I knew you were set up,” he said, before getting an unexpected catch in his throat. “You are incredible,” he continued after maintaining his composure. “Any sort of adversity that you’ve had in your life, you are just jumpin’ hurdles here and it’s incredible to watch. So I wish you the best of luck, ALI.”

Watch ALI’s audition and find out who she picked as her coach above.