TOMORROW X TOGETHER tops the Billboard 200 albums for the first time with ‘The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION’ and Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ continues to top the Hot 100 and matches the three week reign of her last No.1’Wrecking Ball’ with this current streak. Latto seems to be hinting that she is dating another rapper and he’s paying her bills, inside the LOONA messy contract dispute with Blockberry Creative and more!
Following his Grammy night loss for best R&B album, Chris Brown took to Instagram to project his frustrations onto the category’s winner: 12-time nominee and five-time Grammy winner Robert Glasper for his album Black Radio III. “Y’all playing. Who da f— is this?” Brown wrote on his Instagram story, with a series of cry-laughing emojis.
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Less than 24 hours later (and after a slew of social media critique), the chart-topping R&B singer re-evaluated his actions and sent an Instagram direct message to Glasper, apologizing for his mistake. Here’s what Brown said in the DM, posted to his Instagram Story:
“Congratulations my brother.. I would like to apologize if you took offense to my reaction at the Grammys.. you were not the intended target and I know I came off really rude and mean. After doing my research I actually think your amazing…THE ORGANIZATION ISN’T DOING US BLACKS OUR DUE DILIGENCE. YOU AND I SHOULD never be in the same [category].. two totally different vibes and genres. So from one black man to another.. CONGRATULATIONS. HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO FEED YOUR FAMILY FOR LIFE. God bless my G.”
What Brown’s research may have led him to realize is Glasper’s innumerable accomplishments and contributions as one of the most lauded jazz, R&B and hip-hop instrumentalists of his time. Glasper has worked with 2023 best rap album winner Kendrick Lamar, as well as Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, Lupe Fiasco, Jill Scott, H.E.R., Ty Dolla $ign and Erykah Badu across his many collaborative albums and instrumental work, in addition to his frequent sold-out residencies at New York City’s famed Blue Note Jazz Club.
Following his win, Glasper was all smiles, telling Billboard on the Grammy red carpet he was “ecstatic” about the honor. His tone was far different from Brown’s, offering praise for the R&B star’s nominated project, Breezy (Deluxe), and expressing the feeling that one of his fellow nominees would take the award, adding, “They all have amazing albums.”
Penske Media Corporation — the parent company of Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Rolling Stone and other publications — has made a strategic investment in Vox Media, it was announced Monday (Feb. 6). Vox Media owns brands including Vox, New York Magazine, The Verge, The Cut, Eater, Vulture, The Strategist, Polygon, SB Nation, Intelligencer, Curbed, Grub Street, Recode, Thrillist, Popsugar, The Dodo and NowThis.
With the investment, Penske Media is now Vox Media’s largest shareholder and Penske CEO/founder Jay Penske will join Vox’s board of directors. The two companies will continue to operate independently.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“I have long admired Vox Media’s world-class editorial teams and brands,” said Penske in a statement. “We deeply respect the track record of both Jim Bankoff and the senior leadership team at Vox Media, and the company’s remarkable growth over the last decade. The Penske Media and Vox Media alliance will further cement both companies as leaders in modern media and take advantage of new opportunities at scale. Our two companies share a similar history of organic and acquisitive growth over time, and it made sense to invest for the future.”
“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than Jay and Penske Media to invest in our company’s future success, and help us build on and accelerate the leading creative and business strength across our organization,” added Vox Media co-founder/CEO/chair Jim Bankoff. “In addition, this investment by Penske Media will allow Vox Media to continue scaling its existing brands and operations, while providing resources for future acquisitions, and is another step forward in the ongoing ascent of Vox Media.”
LionTree acted as a financial advisor to Vox Media, while White & Case served as its outside legal advisor. Morgan Lewis was Penske Media’s legal advisor, in addition to Panarae Group, which acted as a corporate advisor.
It’s officially a wrap on all the festivities surrounding music’s biggest night.
The 65th annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday night from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, and the ceremony itself — chock-full of showstopping performances, including Bad Bunny’s shimmy-worthy mambo and merengue fusion of “El Apagon” and “Después de la Playa,” a hits-filled medley with the biggest names in hip-hop over the past 50 years, and a team-up between Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Chris Stapleton to pay tribute to Motown — concluded with several surprises before its famous attendees jetted off to star-studded afterparties.
Samara Joy won best new artist and best jazz vocal album for her 2022 sophomore effort Linger Awhile. Naturally, the New York City native was all smiles when it came time to party, showing up at the Universal Music Group afterparty looking like the winner she is and posing for photos alongside the record label’s CEO Lucian Grange.
Kim Petras — who won the award for best pop duo/group performance for her and Sam Smith’s “Unholy” and became the first transgender winner in the category in one fell swoop — was also in attendance at the Universal Music Group afterparty, where she posed alongside EVP Michele Anthony for a snap.
Album of the year winner Harry Styles also made an appearance at the afterparties, posing with country artist Orville Peck and several label executives at Sony Music Entertainment’s post-Grammys reception after a big night at the ceremony, which also included wins in the best pop vocal album for Harry’s House and a dazzling performance of “As It Was.”
See more artists, including friendship duos SZA & H.E.R. and Olivia Rodrigo & Conan Gray, in Billboard‘s Grammy afterparties gallery below.
Sunday night’s Grammy Awards found their biggest audience in three years, early TV ratings indicate.
Fast national ratings from CBS and Paramount+ show that 12.4 million viewers tuned in to the 2023 Grammys on Sunday night, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (THR will have final ratings on Tuesday morning.) The 2022 show drew 9.59 million viewers, meaning this year’s telecast saw a 30 percent bump year over year.
The last biggest audience for the Grammys was at the pre-pandemic January 2020 awards show, which drew 18.69 million viewers.
Paramount+ says the 2023 Grammys drew the biggest livestreaming audience in the streamer’s history, though no exact numbers were provided to The Hollywood Reporter.
The 2023 Grammy Awards, emceed by third-time host Trevor Noah, awarded the night’s Big Four prizes to a quartet of artists: Harry Styles’ Harry’s House won album of the year, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” won record of the year, Bonnie Raitt’s “And Just Like That” won song of the year, and jazz singer Samara Joy won best new artist.
Standout performances included Bad Bunny’s euphoric opening number of “El Apagón” and “Después de la Playa”; the Questlove-led 50th-anniversary salute to hip-hop, which included artists from Queen Latifah to GloRilla; and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ crimson-hued spectacle of eventual best pop duo/group recording winner “Unholy.”
Miley Cyrus spread the love Monday (Feb. 6) after her hit song “Flowers” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a third week in a row.
“Flowers is spending [its] 3rd week at #1 & as magical as this moment feels I know it doesn’t happen by chance,” the pop star wrote on social media alongside outtakes from the track’s music video. “This song & it’s success represents the power of YOU! This is your moment & it’s my honor to be the messenger.”
Ever since it bloomed in the middle of January, the lead single from Cyrus’ upcoming album Endless Summer Vacation has only continued to plant its roots deeper and deeper as fans around the world find solace in its message of independence, self-empowerment and living life with no regrets. (In addition to extending its reign on the Hot 100, the track also holds steady this week at No. 1 on both Billboard Global charts, with the anthem now notching three of the five biggest streaming weeks on the charts since their inception in 2020.)
“Flowers” has found plenty of high-profile fans over the last few weeks as well — from Gloria Gaynor praising it on Instagram for “encourag[ing] everyone to find strength in themselves to persevere and thrive” and Diane Keaton jamming out to it in her backyard to Lauren Alaina using the song as the perfect vocal warm-up ahead of her show at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Cyrus’ forthcoming album is set to be released March 10 via her new label home, Columbia Records. Check out the star’s reaction to the continuing chart domination of “Flowers” below.
Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
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These 10 tracks, from artists including Lizzy McAlpine, Caroline Polachek, Emei and more, will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.
Lizzy McAlpine, “Hold On”
For the theme song to the new Apple series Dear Edward, quick-rising singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine teamed with Oscar-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) and created a graceful, metaphor-heavy folk-pop meditation. “Hold On” plays out like a Boygenius song written for Broadway, and that’s a great thing, as McAlpine’s gentle pleas are translated into a universal product. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
Young Fathers, “Sink or Swim”
The entirety of Young Fathers’ just-released album Heavy Heavy is a brain-busting triumph, and “Sink or Swim” demonstrates precisely how the Scottish trio excels with loud, shambolic gestures that ultimately result in pop hooks. On “Sink or Swim,” the soulful vocal melodies slice through the cacophony and pick up the frenzied tempo — you can’t help but clap along, even as sounds keep shattering. – J. Lipshutz
Emei, “Scatterbrain”
“Scatterbrain,” alt-pop artist Emei’s ode to her ADHD, moves swiftly: breakdowns are abrupt, harmonies appear and disappear, and the chorus carries an ephemeral thrill. Emei brilliantly portrays her subject matter, but even if “Scatterbrain” was untangled from its topic, the track exudes gleeful pop craft and hints at an extremely bright future. – J. Lipshutz
Cody・Lee(李), “1096”
Japanese band CodyLee has a wide range of styles that it excels in — synth-driven, upbeat alternative and guitar-driven rock with hint of psychedelia are just among the few. But on new track “1096,” the band opts for a something more vulnerable and intimate, trading its usual sound for sentimental piano instrumentation that feels plucked from a Studio Ghibli film, as vocalist Hibiki Takahashi discusses anxiety and the passage of time. Elements of grunge sneak into the track through guitar solos, adding a nice contrast to an otherwise soft song. — STARR BOWENBANK
No Vacation, “I Will Always”
Shoegaze lives on with No Vacation’s new track “I Will Always.” Vocalist Sab Mai’s hazy and subdued vocals effortlessly blending into the fuzzy instrumentation, guitar effects and drum beats barely distinguishable from each other, as she sings of letting go of someone close in order for them to reach their full potential: “And now, it’s all the same to me/ So be whatever you want to be/ And go wherever you need to go,” she says, before assuring the loved one they’ll “always” have her support. — S.B.
Faye Fantarrow, “AWOL”
Driven by fervent acoustic strumming and a pulsing rhythm, Faye Fantarrow’s “AWOL” demonstrates the U.K. singer-songwriter’s impressive alt-soul phrasing, which brings to mind Alessia Cara in its distinctiveness, and even Adele as well at points. The release date of her debut EP (on Bay Street Records, the label from Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart) was moved up to Feb. 10 after the 20-year-old — who beat leukemia twice as a kid — was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor; regardless, “AWOL” crackles with vitality. – JOE LYNCH
Lyn Lapid feat. Ruth B, “Do You Really?”
After gaining fame from viral covers on TikTok (how else?), Lyn Lapid is proving her mettle as an artist in her own right with songs like this collab with singer-songwriter (and Vine survivor!) Ruth B. “Do You Really?” asks a paramour a variation on pop music’s eternal “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” question, over a winning folk-pop shuffle that would fit nicely on radio. – J. Lynch
Caroline Polacheck, “Blood and Butter”
Ahead of the Valentine’s Day release of Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, Caroline Polacheck has released a string of singles, showing off just how experimental and enticing her new album will be. “Blood and Butter” is no exception, featuring layers of different sounds and instruments — even including a set of bagpipes. The song is proof there’s nothing Polacheck can’t pull off, yet thankfully for fans, she’s not afraid to continue searching. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
Caylee Hammack, “All or Nothing”
Country-pop singer-songwriter Caylee Hammack’s latest delivers on its title of “All or Nothing,” as she gives the take all she has, delivering both syrupy sweet and raspy rock vocals — plus an epic wail near the end. The artist says in a statement that “All or Nothing” is a “fitting” introduction to her second album, out later this year. “Everybody loves a good old war cry for good love sometimes,” she adds. — L.H.
Jake Shears, “Too Much Music”
Legendary Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears is gearing up the release of a new solo album, Last Man Dancing, coming in June. The first sonic sampling is “Too Much Music,” a glimmering dance-pop track about how there’s simply no such thing as too much music. Equal parts disco, funk and glam, the song sets the stage — or rather the dancefloor — for Shears to take over this summer. — L.H.
Macklemore is currently readying his upcoming album, Ben, but found himself trending in the wake of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards and its conclusion on Sunday (Feb. 5). With Beyoncé failing to win the Album of the Year award at the Grammys, Twitter believes the record-breaking songstress was snubbed similarly to how some feel Kendrick Lamar was in 2014.
As some might remember, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ The Heist was up for the Best Rap Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards against tough competition in Drake for Nothing Was the Same, Jay-Z for Magna Carta Holy Grail, Kanye West for Yeezus and Kendrick Lamar for Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
By most critical measures and based on the reactions from fans, K-Dot had the best project but failed to notch the win which sparked months of debate over the viability of the Grammys as it relates to Hip-Hop music and culture.
Now with Beyoncé’s Renaissance losing out to Harry Styles’ Harry’s Dream album, the Grammys snub talk is at an apex. Still, the Houston superstar still made history by becoming the winningest artist ever in Grammy Awards history and still has plenty of artistry left inside her to deliver to her supportive fanbase. It might even be something to ponder whether or not Beyoncé even cares about winning the AOTY nod. We’ll never truly know until she lets us in on her thought process.
To those keeping scores at home, this year the Grammys awarded Best Rap Album to Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, which some alleged is just to make up for the 2014 snub.
On Twitter, folks are putting Macklemore back in the mix for reasons outside his control. Check out those reactions below.
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Photo: Jason LaVeris / Getty
Helen Murphy is no longer CEO of Anthem Entertainment, according to a rep for the company. Jason Klein, who previously served as senior vp of business affairs and Canadian general manager, is taking over as interim CEO.
Anthem Entertainment was formerly known as ole Media Management. The rebrand, which took place in 2019, reflected the organization’s widening purview as it expanded from a music publishing company into something more multi-faceted. Over the course of several years, it acquired recordings (including the Rush catalog), music production companies and an audiovisual secondary-rights business, which Murphy described as “the second-largest collector of audiovisual secondary rights in the world, after the Motion Picture Association of America, which collects for the major studios.”
Murphy was named CEO in November 2018, a little more than six months before ole became Anthem. She had previously worked as CFO at PolyGram Records, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Warner Music Group. Anthem “is a joyous name,” she told Billboard in 2019. “Everybody knows what an anthem is.” Murphy was named to Billboard‘s Power List in 2019 and 2022 and to Billboard‘s Women in Music list the same years.
In 2019, Anthem looked after publishing rights for 50,000 songs by over 400 songwriters. During Murphy’s tenure, the company expanded its publishing business by purchasing 50% of Wrensongs, acquiring a song catalog from Boardwalk Music Group and picking up the Kelly Archer song catalog. Archer helped pen country hits like Travis Denning’s “After A Few” and Justin Moore’s “Somebody Else Will,” both of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, and Brett Young’s “Sleep Without You,” which reached No. 2.
Last March, sources told Billboard that Anthem was up for sale. “This is a very exciting time for Anthem, as we look to strategically broaden our opportunities globally,” Murphy said in a statement at the time. “Anthem has hired an investment bank to help it evaluate all of its strategic growth options. The company has strongly emerged from the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, having grown across all segments of its business, and we want to continue to capitalize on our growth momentum.”
