News

16 Feb 2023

Shawn Mendes Gets Back to Nature in David Yurman Spring 2023 Campaign: Watch  

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Shawn Mendes connects with nature in his first campaign as global brand ambassador for David Yurman. The brand tapped Mendes and Scarlett Johansson to star in the David Yurman Spring 2023 campaign, released on Wednesday (Feb. 15).

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“We are honored to have singer and songwriter @shawnmendes as the global male brand ambassador of our 2023 campaign, celebrating nature and the creative inspiration it provides,” the brand wrote on Instagram.

One of the videos shot for the campaign shows Mendes walking around a plant-filled room strumming his guitar while wearing several pieces from David Yurman including a sterling silver curb chain necklace ($1,850), box chain bracelet ($350), chevron woven cuff bracelet ($595), streamline double wrap leather bracelet ($395), chevron band ring ($395), DY classic band ring ($350) and what appears to be a custom-made a black onyx, exotic stone signet ring($495) engraved with his initials.

“Nature has always inspired me. It’s where I go when I’m creating music,” says the 24-year-old singer on the brand’s website.

Another shot from the campaign shows the Canadian recording artist at a beach wearing a 18k rose gold curb chain necklace ($28,000) with the brand’s Roman Elongated Tag in 18k rose gold ($5,200), a matching curb chain bracelet ($11,00) and streamline three row band ring ($7,000).

Mendes is a fan of David Yurman’s minimalist aesthetic, he recently told PEOPLE. “I find that David Yurman jewelry has this super organic feel to it where you can feel dressed up and still feel authentic,” he explained. “That’s why I’ve always worn these pieces on my neck because it’s always been special but also subtle enough for me to feel comfortable in my own skin. It feels easy and effortless — you don’t have to put on a character to wear this jewelry. You’re elevating yourself in a comfortable way.”

Watch the new campaign in the video above.

16 Feb 2023

The Weeknd Drops Official Live ‘Die For You’ Video in HBO Special Preview

The Weeknd dropped the official live video his single “Die For You” on Thursday morning (Feb. 16) as a preview of the singer’s upcoming (Feb. 25) HBO live special. The clip, filmed at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium in November opens with the packed house screaming as Abel takes the stage backed by a projection of a giant moon.

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“I f—in’ love you Los Angeles, thank you so much,” he tells them, strutting across the stage in an all-black ensemble accented by black leather gloves. “This is the last show and I think it’s the best f—in’ show all tour, baby, let’s go!” He then cued up the song’s sensual groove as the arena filled with flashing blue and red lights and he crooned the track’s promise of forever love as a group of dancers cloaked in full-body coverings solemnly walked out to join him on the glowing stage.

The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium was taped in L.A. during the first U.S. leg of the singer’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour. A release announcing the video also noted that another one of his huge chart hits, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” has just achieved Diamond Certification from the RIAA, marking his fifth Diamond single; his other Diamond tracks are “The Hills,” “Starboy,” “Blinding Lights” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” The Weeknd is only the fourth artist to score five or more Diamond certifications joining Bruno Mars (six) and Post Malone and Drake (five).

Watch the “Die For You” live video below.

16 Feb 2023

Mariah Carey Gets an Assist From One of Dem Babies on Latest ‘It’s a Wrap’ Challenge

Mariah Carey shared a new take on the “It’s a Wrap” TikTok challenge on Wednesday (Feb. 15) with some help from her son Moroccan.

In the video, the superstar lip syncs to the sped-up version of the 2009 deep cut off Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. “When it’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone/ You’re dead wrong, so wrong, so wrong, so wrong” she pretends to argue on a call before the 11-year-old — whom she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon — grabs the phone and declares, “It’s a wrap for you baby,” ends the call and tosses the smartphone on the floor.

The Lambily-inspired campaign has already sparked a major viral revival for the track, which has exploded on streaming platforms with more than one million weekly streams in the wake of the challenge.

Carey also capitalized on the moment by dropping a four-song EP centered on “It’s a Wrap,” which features the original song, the TikTok-friendly sped-up version, the 2014 remix with Mary J. Blige and an edited three-minute edition. (Fans also chose the EP as their favorite new release last week in Billboard‘s New Music Friday poll, with the release garnering 70 percent of the vote over Paramore’s This Is Why, Taylor Swift’s Felix Jaehn remix of “Lavender Haze” and more.)

Meanwhile, Roc and his twin sister Monroe have become new half-siblings several times over in the last six months, thanks to their dad welcoming five new kids since last July — bringing his total brood to 12 children with six women including Carey.

Watch Mariah and Moroccan nail the “It’s a Wrap” challenge together below.

16 Feb 2023

CeCe Winans Banks Her Fourth No. 1 on Gospel Airplay Chart With ‘Goodness Of God’

CeCe Winans rolls up her fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart, as “Goodness of God” tops the tally dated Feb. 18. In the tracking week ending Feb. 9, the song increased by 5% in plays, according to Luminate.

“Goodness” was written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding, Jason Ingram, Brian Johnson and Jenn Johnson.

“Creating and sharing music that encourages people to not give up and believe for the impossible is what keeps me going,” Winans tells Billboard. “‘Goodness of God’ is a song people identify with because of their personal experience with Him. Regardless of what’s going on around us, He continues to be good.”

Detroit native Winans earns her third Gospel Airplay leader in a row. It follows “Believe for It,” which dominated for two frames starting in January 2022, and “Never Lost,” which led for a week in May 2021. Winans’ debut entry (among 10 chart appearances), “Pray,” reigned for two frames beginning in January 2006. In between her first No. 1 and her latest three leaders, she notched her other top 10, “Never Have To Be Alone” (No. 5, 2017).

Over on Billboard’s Christian Airplay survey, “Goodness” ranks at No. 39 (248,000 audience impressions). Winans has netted one top 10 in her four visits to the chart: “Believe for It” (No. 7, August 2021).

Notably, as barriers weaken among numerous genres, Winans is one of a growing number of artists, alongside the likes of Elevation Worship, Maverick City Music and Tauren Wells, that are actively being promoted to both contemporary Christian and gospel radio.

16 Feb 2023

Behind the Scenes of Country Music’s Rolling Stones Tribute Album With Producer Robert Deaton and BMG’s Hartwig Masuch

On early ’70s cuts like “Wild Horses” and “Dead Flowers,” The Rolling Stones showed their affinity for American country music. Now, some of top country artists are returning the love — with the 14-track set Stoned Cold Country, out March 17 on BMG.

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Featuring Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, Brooks & Dunn and Ashley McBride, among others, the set is an often-raucous salute to what many consider the world’s greatest rock band on the group’s 60th anniversary.  Lainey Wilson’s slow-burning “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” drops tomorrow (Feb. 17), following last month’s release of Elvie Shane’s ominous “Sympathy for the Devil.”

The concept for the album was born over “three bottles of white wine at Angelini [Osteria] in Los Angeles,” says BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch, as his dining companion, producer Robert Deaton, put forth the concept. (It helped that BMG is also the publishing company for Rolling Stones’ main songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.) 

As publisher, “obviously one of your main mandates is to say, ‘Okay, here’s a great catalog of songs’ — and, we all know, there is already one great version,” Masuch says. “’So, what do we do to extend the relevance of those songs in a couple of a dimensions? Here’s an audience, a different genre and a different generation.’ I think that’s a core task of a publisher.”

Even so, Masuch says, the quality of the project was more of a defining factor than the dollars. “A music company should be committed to the cultural DNA it’s based on, not just always looking at things and saying, ‘How much can I make my money back?’ — because that’s a little bit too cynical,” he says. “Of course, we all have to make money and it’s important this will be successful, but I think what drove our discussion was more so the chemistry of the whole thing than having a calculator out [and getting] the publishing royalties on [14] songs.”

Deaton adds that the next step, even though they didn’t need it, was getting Jagger and Richards to sign off on the project. “I feel like we have such reverence for them and their song writing,” he says. “They’re the soundtrack of our lives. I don’t think anybody would want to go as deep on something as we put towards the project without have the blessing and permission from Mick and Keith.” 

stoned cold country

Courtesy Photo

With the duo’s deep love of country music, it wasn’t a tough sell. “From the early days country music made a real impression on us. There’s an authenticity about country that’s always appealed to me, whether it be Hank Williams, Merle Haggard or a Willie Nelson record,” Richards tells Billboard in a statement. “Also, of course, Gram Parsons was a major player and influence,” he adds of his close friend, the pioneering country rock singer/songwriter.

Deaton, who dubbed the album “a Nashville love letter to the Stones,” says many of the artists, like Church, have long histories with the music: “[Church] said that when he was nobody and just playing guitar in front of 10 people, he got more tips when he played ‘Honky Tonk Women.’  The Stones have been so important to him for so long that it’s been an honor just to be able to say ‘thank you’ on this record.”

Masuch says BMG’s position is to look at such projects in a comprehensive way. Though there is no official word on a documentary, Deaton says, “there were six or seven cameras on every session that we did,” and Masuch brings up the idea of “maybe turning [the album] into a live event, if possible, at a certain point. It would be [amazing] to have those artists in a big venue, performing their favorite songs, and maybe getting one or two members of [the Rolling Stones] to be around.”

But all ancillary projects were secondary to making the album that served the music, Deaton says. Starting in January 2022, he listened to Stones’ songs “over and over, 100 times, so that I could get the right artists with the right songs … And then I thought about, how do I make it different? How do I make this a tribute to them and also still unique?”

To do so, Deaton had to ensure he had unfettered freedom to make the project he wanted. “Hartwig is one of my dearest friends, and I told him, ‘Listen, I’m getting ready to go deep on this and I need to ask you one question from a business standpoint before I go under here: how many BMG artists do I have to have on the record?’” Deaton recalls. “And he said, ‘Go make the best record you can make. There’s no minimum, there’s no maximum.’” The album ended up with three BMG artists: Wilson, Jimmie Allen and Shane. 

As Deaton began casting the album, he says 95% of his attempts to match artists with songs ended up working out. “The only song that I left open was for Zac Brown Band, because they can do so many different things and so many different styles,” Deaton says. On their first conversation, Brown picked “Paint It Black.” Deaton and Wilson also went back and forth on four or five songs and had a false start, cutting “Get Off of My Cloud” before switching to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” 

“I went to BMG and said, ‘You know what, I think we got the wrong song’ because it wasn’t country enough,” Deaton says. “When I was trying to put together the record, I found that anything of that era was really hard to fit into our album because we’re being unapologetically country and we’re making a country record. It was very hard. ‘Get Off of My Cloud’ just didn’t fit in the overall arc of the record.”

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” resonated strongly with Wilson. “The Rolling Stones are global music icons, from the musicianship to the swagger to the relatable perspective with songs like ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’” she tells Billboard. “Man, if I haven’t had to learn that lesson time and time again. I know that feeling of resisting your fate, that struggle, but I also know that sense of pride and peace when you understand the tough times made way for something better. I try not to take myself too seriously — I’ve heard you can’t be great if you do — so I love the way the production builds into a light-hearted cathartic jam at the end. This song leaves me shaking my head, smiling at myself, and feeling grateful. And that’s what The Stones always did. They made you feel something, and they made you feel good.”

Understandably, Deaton had to occasionally contend with artists’ nerves when tackling the classic rock songs. “Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town said, ‘The only thing I’m concerned about is that Mick is going to hear all this, and I hope he doesn’t go, ‘Well, that sucks,’” he recalls. “Every artist wanted to put all their love into it, which was incredibly refreshing.”

The sessions were recorded without click tracks and with all the musicians playing live together, including the backing vocalists. To increase the authenticity, long-time Rolling Stones touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell played on “Shine A Light,” recorded by Koe Wetzel.   

“I wanted everybody in the same room together so that they all could feed off of each other and [have] it be as organic and as real as possible,” Deaton says. “Whatever that Stones thing is that they have [whenever] they’re in a room, I wanted to be able to create that and get as close to it as we possibly could.”

Throughout the album, there are nods to great musicianship, even beyond the Stones. For example, Mickey Raphael, who has played harmonica with Willie Nelson for more than 50 years, opens “Miss You,” covered by Allen. “It ended being a tribute to what I feel are the best musicians in the world,” Deaton says. 

A number of tribute albums by country artists have become best sellers, including 1994’s Common Threads: Songs of the Eagles, which the RIAA has certified triple platinum, and Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee, a 2012 platinum set that paired him with top country artists remaking his biggest hits. 

Masuch sees Stoned Cold Country having a similar, if not wider, appeal, given the Rolling Stones’ global fandom and “the fascination in nearly all European countries for country music,” he says. Access can be lacking to country acts outside the US, so Masuch says it’s important that the project “will get onto [people’s] iPhones and can create much more excitement for some of the musicians outside of North America than ever before.”

Extending country’s reach has been one of Germany-based BMG’s goals ever since it bought Broken Bow Records in 2017, giving the company an instant foothold in Nashville.  “I think it’s imminent that some of these artists will have big international careers,” Masuch says, “and hopefully this project can be one of the triggers in achieving that.” 

Stoned Cold Country Track list

  • “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” – Ashley McBryde
  • “Honky Tonk Women” – Brooks & Dunn
  • “Dead Flowers” – Maren Morris
  • “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)” – Brothers Osborne & The War And Treaty 
  • “Miss You” – Jimmie Allen
  • “Tumbling Dice” – Elle King
  • “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” – Marcus King
  • “Wild Horses” – Little Big Town
  • “Paint It Black” – Zac Brown Band
  • “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – Lainey Wilson
  • “Sympathy for the Devil” – Elvie Shane
  • “Angie” – Steve Earle
  • “Gimme Shelter” – Eric Church 
  • “Shine A Light” – Koe Wetzel

16 Feb 2023

Festivals Around the World Celebrating Music From Ibero-America and Beyond

As Latin music continues to soar across the world in various facets of the industry — from breaking historic records on the global pop charts to setting new ones in music streaming — stateside festivals are also seeing a significant boom of Latin performers.

For instance, Coachella hosted more Latin acts than ever last year, which signaled a new era for the south-of-the-border genre. Anitta, Karol G, Ed Maverick and Grupo Firme were among the almost 20 Latin music performers who graced the global stage. “[Coachella] can no longer be exclusive to any genre, and it looks like they are now understanding the value of our music,” Sergio Lizárraga of Banda MS told Billboard.

Last year also saw the birth of several brand new Latin-focused festivals across the United States. Of the giants were Chicago’s Sueños y Más Flow, which highlights mainly urban music, and Los Angeles’ Bésame Mucho, with a nostalgic ’90s-era roster.

Just as American institutions are visibly beginning to embrace more sonic entertainment coming from Latin America and Spain, those regions continue to host thriving music festivals of their own, thus elevating their own game.

This year sees the return of many iconic brands, such as the Latin rock-centric Vive Latino and the Norteño pride festivity Tecate Pa’l Norte in Mexico. The Lollapalooza franchise, originally from Chicago, also continues to reach various corners of the world with installments in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. London indie fest La Línea also returns to showcase Latin music exclusively.

While this might not be a complete list of some of the most compelling Ibero American and Latin music-centric festival listings around the globe, it should be a great starting point. See our list below, arranged in sequential order.

16 Feb 2023

A Cappella Group Says Concert at Florida Christian College Canceled Over Member’s ‘Lifestyle’

In the half-century history of a cappella vocal group the King’s Singers the acclaimed British vocalists have only cancelled shows due to bad weather, the pandemic or war. But on Saturday (Feb. 11), the choral singers say that they were informed that the final show on their four-city U.S. tour, at Pensacola Christian College in Florida, was scotched with just two hours’ notice due to what the school said was its concerns about the “lifestyle” of the group’s members.

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“It has become clear to us, from a flood of correspondence from students and members of the public, that these concerns related to the sexuality of member of our group,” the six-member group said in a statement. The letter on the Singers’ site noted that they have performed at PCC before and that they signed a contract to play there again “in the knowledge that this is a fundamentalist Christian institution,” adding that their belief is that “music can build a common language that allows people with different views and perspectives to come together.”

In an email statement to Billboard, the college — described as a “religious liberal arts institution founded upon and guided by the Bible, as reflected in our Articles of Faith” — said that it cannot “knowingly give an implied or direct endorsement of anything that violates the Holy Scripture, the foundation for our sincerely held beliefs. At the same time, the college also recognizes everyone is created in the image of God and should be afforded the dignity of kindness.”

The statement added that PCC cancelled the show “upon learning that one of the artists openly maintained a lifestyle that contradicts Scripture,” though it did not specify that the decision affecting the all-male group who perform pop, classical and sacred music was based on at least one unspecified member’s sexuality. “The highly talented musicians were treated with dignity and respect when informed of the cancellation,” it continued. “The artists stated their understanding and acceptance of the change and were given full remuneration.”

The school’s articles of faith contain a section specifying that they believe that “God has commanded that sexual activity be exclusively reserved to a man and a woman who are legally married to each other,” adding that scripture forbids, “sexual immorality including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography.”

According to the New York Times, the singers had led a workshop on campus before the scheduled show and had begun rehearsing for the event expected to draw 5,000 students when they were “pulled aside by college officials and informed of the cancellation.” The paper also noted that member Jonathan Howard confirmed that two of the group’s singers are gay, though the statement only alluded to one.

In addition to noting that only catastrophe and war have caused cancellations since the group’s founding in Cambridge, England in 1968, the Singers said that they were disappointed that they could not share their music and “our mission of finding harmony with over 4,000 students of the college and the wider Pensacola community. We hope that any conversations that follow might encourage a greater sense of love, acceptance and inclusion.”

The Singers are continuing their North American tour and said they look forward to making their way back to northern Florida soon, “in a context where we’re celebrated for who we are, as well as for the music we make.”

The two-time Grammy-winning group has received an outpouring of support on their socials, including Facebook comments on their statement in which fans wrote, “Appalling! I’m so sorry to read this, I really hoped that people could be more accepting in this day and age. I’m sorry for all those loyal fans who didn’t get to enjoy your wonderful music making,” as well as, “We love you exactly as you are. I’m sorry this happened to you all and I’m sorry for the people who for no acceptable reason missed the opportunity to hear you sing” and “May your music continue to be the uniting bond of people through generations, regardless of race, religion, or identity. Love is the only answer.”

Billboard reached out to both the Singers and PCC for additional comment, with both responding with links to their official statements.

WEAR News reported that the cancellation has provoked a fierce debate on campus, with a student who preferred to remain anonymous telling the outlet, “It’s a pretty toxic situation right here currently. It’s just getting very stressful with this situation going on.” The student added that there have been arguments and “mini protests” since Saturday and that “it’s just been a very hostile environment” since.

Supporters of LGBTQ rights have grown increasingly concerned over what appears to be Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hostile stance against the community. The state’s Republican leader — widely expected to take on one-term former president Donald Trump for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential race — signed a bill in 2022 commonly referred to by opponents as “Don’t Say Gay” that prohibited any classroom discussion or instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten-third grade.

GLAAD also noted in January that DeSantis sent a survey to his state’s 12 universities and 28 state and community colleges asking which of them provide services to transgender students asking which are “spending on any transgender services, information including student ages, hormone descriptions, and medical procedures including surgeries.”

16 Feb 2023

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki to Step Down

Susan Wojcicki announced in a blog post on Thursday that she will step down as CEO at YouTube after nine years, saying she wants to “start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about.”

Taking over at the streaming media giant will be Neal Mohan, longtime chief product officer and Wojcicki’s No. 2 since 2015. She said she’ll “still be around” and will assist in the CEO transition and take on an advisory role across YouTube parent Alphabet/Google.

In a separate statement to Vox, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin said Wojcicki, who famously rented out her garage to the duo in 1998 and became their 16th employee a year later, holds a “unique place in Google history and has made the most incredible contribution to products used by people everywhere.”

A timeline for the CEO transition was not given. Read Wojcicki letter to employees, later posted on the YouTube blog:

Hi YouTubers,

Twenty-five years ago I made the decision to join a couple of Stanford graduate students who were building a new search engine. Their names were Larry and Sergey. I saw the potential of what they were building, which was incredibly exciting, and although the company had only a few users and no revenue, I decided to join the team.

It would be one of the best decisions of my life.

Over the years, I’ve worn many hats and done so many things: managed marketing, co-created Google Image Search, led Google’s first Video and Book search, as well as early parts of AdSense’s creation, worked on the YouTube and DoubleClick acquisitions, served as SVP of Ads, and for the last nine years, the CEO of YouTube. I took on each challenge that came my way because it had a mission that benefited so many people’s lives around the world: finding information, telling stories and supporting creators, artists, and small businesses. I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved. It’s been exhilarating, meaningful, and all-consuming.

Today, after nearly 25 years here, I’ve decided to step back from my role as the head of YouTube and start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about.

The time is right for me, and I feel able to do this because we have an incredible leadership team in place at YouTube. When I joined YouTube nine years ago, one of my first priorities was bringing in an incredible leadership team. Neal Mohan was one of those leaders, and he’ll be the SVP and new head of YouTube. I’ve spent nearly 15 years of my career working with Neal, first when he came over to Google with the DoubleClick acquisition in 2007 and as his role grew to become SVP of Display and Video Ads. He became YouTube’s Chief Product Officer in 2015. Since then, he has set up a top-notch product and UX team, played pivotal roles in the launch of some of our biggest products, including YouTube TV, YouTube Music and Premium and Shorts, and has led our Trust and Safety team, ensuring that YouTube lives up to its responsibility as a global platform. He has a wonderful sense for our product, our business, our creator and user communities, and our employees. Neal will be a terrific leader for YouTube.

With all we’re doing across Shorts, streaming, and subscriptions, together with the promises of AI, YouTube’s most exciting opportunities are ahead, and Neal is the right person to lead us.

For all the YouTubers I’ve had the privilege to work with, you have done so much to make this platform better over the years. You created the largest creative economy the world has ever seen, enabled entirely new forms of art and storytelling, and supported millions of creators and artists to reach new audiences—all while investing in responsible growth so that this brilliant community of creators, artists, viewers, and advertisers could not only co-exist but thrive together. Thank you!

As for me, in the short term, I plan to support Neal and help with the transition, which will include continuing to work with some YouTube teams, coaching team members, and meeting with creators. In the longer term, I’ve agreed with Sundar to take on an advisory role across Google and Alphabet. This will allow me to call on my different experiences over the years to offer counsel and guidance across Google and the portfolio of Alphabet companies. It’s an incredibly important time for Google—it reminds me of the early days—incredible product and technology innovation, huge opportunities, and a healthy disregard for the impossible.

And beyond that, I’ll still be around, so I’ll have a chance to thank the thousands of people from all across the company and the world who I’ve worked with and learned from. But for now, I want to thank Sundar for his leadership, support and vision over the years. I also want to thank Larry and Sergey for inviting me on what has truly been the adventure of a lifetime. I always dreamed of working for a company with a mission that could change the world for the better. Thanks to you and your vision, I got the chance to live that dream. It has been an absolute privilege to be a part of it, and I’m excited for what’s next.

Thank you for everything,
Susan

16 Feb 2023

Ask Billboard: Where Does ‘Flowers’ (Already) Rank Among Miley Cyrus’ Biggest Hits?

Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.

Or, tweet @gthot20.

Let’s open the latest mailbag.

Miley Cyrus’ Career Streaming, Airplay & Sales Totals

Hi @gthot20 to celebrate @MileyCyrus ‘Flowers,’ could you update Miley’s best-selling albums and most-streamed songs and most-heard hits on radio? Thank you so much!

Miley Cyrus Charts
@CyrusOnStats

As of the latest Billboard Hot 100, dated Feb. 18, “Flowers” is Miley Cyrus‘ newly crowned longest-leading No. 1, surpassing the three-week command of “Wrecking Ball” in 2013.

Just four weeks into its Hot 100 run, “Flowers” is also already surging up the ranks of her biggest career hits, in both streaming and radio airplay.

Let’s recap Cyrus’ top songs in those metrics. As for her best-selling albums, three have each passed 1 million in U.S. sales, according to Luminate (through Feb. 9): 2008’s Breakout (1.6 million), 2009’s EP Time of Our Lives (1.5 million) and 2013’s Bangerz (1.2 million).

Miley Cyrus’ Most-Streamed Songs (on-demand, official) in the U.S.:
970 million, “Party in the U.S.A.” / 898 million, “Wrecking Ball” / 759 million, “We Can’t Stop” / 468 million, “Malibu” / 463 million, “23” (Mike WiLL Made-It feat. Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & Juicy J)

363 million, “The Climb” / 356 million, “Midnight Sky” / 316 million, “Adore You” / 233 million, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” (Mark Ronson feat. Cyrus) / 220 million, “When I Look at You”

203 million, “Prisoner” (feat. Dua Lipa) / 196 million, “Slide Away” / 182 million, “Flowers” / 169 million, “Mother’s Daughter” / 167 million, “Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angel)” (with Ariana Grande & Lana Del Rey)

Miley Cyrus’ Most-Heard Radio Songs in the U.S. (audience impressions):
3.6 billion, “Party in the U.S.A.” / 3 billion, “The Climb” / 2.5 billion, “Wrecking Ball” / 1.2 billion, “See You Again” / 943 million, “We Can’t Stop”

774 million, “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” (Billy Ray Cyrus with Miley Cyrus) / 422 million, “Malibu” / 365 million, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” / 360 million, “23” / 297 million, “Midnight Sky”

233 million, “Flowers” / 221 million, “Prisoner” / 216 million, “Adore You” / 162 million, “Can’t Be Tamed” / 155 million, “7 Things”

Thus, just a month after its release, “Flowers” is already Cyrus’ 11th biggest hit in total radio airplay audience and her 13th biggest in on-demand streaming.

Could Valentine’s Day give the song an extra boost? Some stats from a source that we don’t regularly cite: the Society of American Florists, the U.S. floral industry trade association, reported last year that the day is the top holiday for buying flowers (ahead of Christmas/Chanukah and Mother’s Day, each in second place). “Flowers” could even impact the breakdown of who is given Valentine’s bouquets, as, per a 2022 poll, “spouse” was the top choice for recipients, followed by “mother” and “significant other.” Next up? “Self.” “Women even treat themselves on Valentine’s Day,” the report noted, previewing Cyrus’ own purchase this year.

Speaking of her collab “23” …

23 More No. 23 Hits for ’23

Thanks, Jake! Good memory: “Absence of Kid Rock’s radio hit in the digital space opens the door for knock-off version” by Hit Masters, Billboard pointed out when the latter debuted on the Hot 100. That cover hit No. 5 on the Digital Song Sales chart, while Rock’s original climbed to No. 3 on Radio Songs (with top five peaks at pop, country and adult formats). On the Hot 100, they reached Nos. 19 and 23, respectively, in 2008.

For New Year’s Day, we looked at 23 enduring No. 23-peaking Hot 100 hits for 2023, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run,” No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” and Taylor Swift’s “15.”

In addition to those and yours, how about 23 more? From The Beach Boys to The Beatles, and Rihanna to more Swift, here are another 23 No. 23-peaking Hot 100 hits that remain prominent in ’23.

“In My Room,” The Beach Boys, 1963
One of the iconic group’s 35 top 40 Hot 100 hits, a list extended by “Little Saint Nick” this past holiday season.

“Rain,” The Beatles, 1966
“Sun” broke through after “Rain”: “Here Comes the Sun,” written by the band’s George Harrison, was released in 1969 (and, despite its classic status, was not made a single from Abbey Road and has never hit the Hot 100).

“Mustang Sally,” Wilson Pickett, 1966
Not only was the song a hit in 1966, but that year’s Ford Mustang remains the best-selling of any year for the sleek car.

“Tell Mama,” Etta James, 1968
The beloved singer’s legend likely outshines her Hot 100 history: she tallied nine top 40 hits, with “Tell Mama” her highest-charting.

“Rocky Mountain Way,” Joe Walsh, 1973
The song brought Walsh to the Hot 100, where he went on to hit a No. 12 high as a soloist in 1978 with “Life’s Been Good.” Plus, The Eagles, with Walsh as a member, notched three No. 1s in 1977-79, including “Hotel California,” punctuated by Walsh and Don Felder’s famed dual-guitar outro.

“Follow You Follow Me,” Genesis, 1978
The single became the band’s first top 40 Hot 100 hit, and 16 more followed “Follow.” In 1981, frontman Phil Collins scored his first of 21 top 40 entries as a soloist.

“Come Together,” Aerosmith, 1978
The second John Lennon-Paul McCartney composition on this list, after “Rain.” “Come Together” was released from the soundtrack to the kitschy film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring, among others, the Bee Gees, George Burns, Peter Frampton and Steve Martin.

“Stranger in My House,” Ronnie Milsap, 1983
One of Milsap’s 49 top 10 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart, it won the Grammy Award for best country song. It was written by Mike Reid, a former NFL Pro Bowler who went on to notch his own No. 1 on the survey as a recording artist with “Walk on Faith” in 1991. (Having also co-penned songs including Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” Reid received the NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award in 1996.)

“Moonlighting (Theme),” Al Jarreau, 1987
TV theme songs boast their own built-in promotion: Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis, was the ninth-most watched show of 1987.

“When We Was Fab,” George Harrison, 1988
Following two Beatles songs above, this song, as evident in its title, recounts the Fab Four’s early days.

“Rock and a Hard Place,” The Rolling Stones, 1989
The second single from Steel Wheels marks the band’s most recent top 40 Hot 100 hit. (It followed the No. 5-peaking “Mixed Emotions.”)

“Moneytalks,” AC/DC, 1991
Among the group’s classic catalog, three songs have crossed over to the Hot 100’s top 40 – with this track the band’s highest charting. It followed two other essentials: “You Shook Me All Night Long” (No. 35, 1980) and “Back in Black” (No. 37, 1981).

“U.N.I.T.Y.,” Queen Latifah, 1994
The song, the entertainer’s highest reaching of seven Hot 100 hits, contributed to the Grammy Awards’ high-profile hip-hop celebration Feb. 5.

“Your Woman,” White Town, 1997
The song returned as the basis of Dua Lipa’s 2021 hit “Love Again,” while its history dates back (much) further: Its signature instrumental hook was widely popularized in Lew Stone and His Monseigneur Band’s “My Woman” in 1932.

“Smooth Criminal,” Alien Ant Farm, 2001
The track amped up Michael Jackson’s No. 7-peaking 1989 hit, the sixth and final top 10 from his album Bad. As Madonna then tallied three top 10s that year (“Like a Prayer,” “Express Yourself” and “Cherish”), the King and Queen of Pop wrapped the ’80s with a leading 17 top 10s each during the decade.

“Hands Clean,” Alanis Morissette, 2002
Following Morissette’s haul of hits from 1995’s Jagged Little Pill and 1998’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, this song stands as her biggest since, having also risen to No. 3 on both Adult Alternative Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay. By 2002, she told Billboard, she had learned “when to say ‘no’ and take a step back. It’s not a matter of wielding power; it’s a matter of understanding your limits and controlling the quality of your life.”

“Brave,” Sara Bareilles, 2014
The singer-songwriter and actress has scored three top 40 Hot 100 hits, with this empowerment anthem following “Love Song” (No. 4, 2008) and “King of Anything” (No. 32, 2010).

“Prayer in C,” Lillywood & Robin Schulz, 2015
The song by the respective French and German acts became a major global hit, reaching No. 1 on charts in (deep breath) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.

“The Man,” Taylor Swift, 2019
Swift told Billboard in 2019 of the song’s inspiration, “When I go online and hear the stories of my fans talking about their experience in the working world, or even at school, the more we talk about it, the better off we’ll be. And I wanted to make it catchy for a reason – so that they would end up with a song about gender inequality stuck in their heads.”

“Believe It,” PARTYNEXTDOOR & Rihanna, 2020
Rihanna’s most recent Hot 100 hit until “Lift Me Up,” which reached No. 2 upon its debut this past November. What might be her next career move?

“ily,” Surf Mesa feat. Emilee, 2020
The song reinvented (the chorus of) Frankie Valli’s No. 2-peaking 1967 classic, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

“The Next Episode,” Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, 2000
“Still D.R.E.,” Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, 2022
Two of Dr. Dre’s signature songs have reached No. 23 on the Hot 100. The latter soared past its prior No. 93 high in late 1999 following the all-star Super Bowl halftime show last year. “You’re talking about at least 3,000 people that you have to depend on to get this show right for 13 minutes,” he said (while offering advice to Rihanna ahead of this year’s concert). “So, it is an extreme amount of pressure, but it’s fun at the same time. When it’s done … I got goosebumps.”

16 Feb 2023

Red Hot Chili Peppers Tie Foo Fighters for Most Alternative Airplay Top 10s

Red Hot Chili Peppers tie Foo Fighters for the most top 10s in the history of Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, as “The Drummer” lifts 13-10 on the Feb. 18-dated ranking.

The song becomes the Chili Peppers’ 28th top 10.

The band previously had sole possession of the record before Foo Fighters tied it at 25 in 2020 and surpassed it in 2021, eventually rattling off two more through 2022 to put themselves at 28.

The Chili Peppers caught back up on the strength of “Black Summer,” a four-week No. 1 last year, followed by one-week ruler “Tippa My Tongue” last year and now “The Drummer.”

Most Top 10s, Alternative Airplay

  • 28, Foo Fighters
  • 28, Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • 24, Green Day
  • 23, U2
  • 21, Weezer
  • 19, Pearl Jam
  • 18, The Offspring
  • 17, Linkin Park
  • 17, Muse
  • 17, The Smashing Pumpkins

The Anthony Kiedis-fronted Chili Peppers first reached the Alternative Airplay top 10 in 1989 with “Knock Me Down.” The group is currently the only act in the chart’s 34-year history to have appeared on the survey in each decade of the list’s existence, from the ’80s through the ’20s.

Concurrently, “The Drummer” jumps 28-21 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 1.6 million audience impressions, up 21%, according to Luminate.

The song is the second single from Return of the Dream Canteen, the band’s 13th studio album. It debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums charted dated Oct. 29, 2022, and has earned 130,000 equivalent album units through Feb. 9.