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Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have faced off in the album of the year category at the Grammys just one time, when Swift’s Fearless won out over Bey’s I Am… Sasha Fierce at the 2010 ceremony. The duo could meet again on Feb. 2, 2025, if The Tortured Poets Department and Cowboy Carter receive album of […]
Rita Ora is fresh off the release of her latest single, “Ask & You Shall Receive,” and to celebrate, the pop star sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to discuss her next musical era.
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“The song I got it sent to me in my email from RAYE, who was a great friend of mine,” she explained. “She’s also another British pop sensation, and I love her. I’ve known her for a very long time as a songwriter and as an artist, and she came on tour with me back in 2017 sent me the song, and I loved it. Sometimes it’s not that deep. My third record, You & I was very deep and emotional. It was about my personal life changing, I got married and really wanted to share a story with the world. Well, with this one, I was like, you know what? Let’s just put out great things that feel good, you know? The sun is out. I’m always about the sunshine. Everything with my music has been super positive. If you’ve followed me for a decade-plus, I’ve always tried to integrate a community and my fan base, and everyone comes the show and just has a good time.”
She continued, “This record is really just about my girls, my vibes, everyone feeling good. So, with the music video and all the visuals, I really wanted to create a world that felt a bit sort of uncomfortably comfortable. […] I just wanted to try and challenge myself and do things a bit more experimental with the music and the beats and everything.”
Ora continued that “Ask & You Shall Receive” is indicative of an album that she’s currently working on. “This album is something I’m actually really excited about,” she shared. “I’m spending the rest of the year making it. I’m feeling super, super inspired creatively, just having that essence of feeling a bit like not everything is perfect, which was kind of my motive with this. Everything’s just a bit left like that. Sonically, feeling a bit darker, a bit more spicy, a bit more aggressive, just getting in my like, uncomfortable era.”
Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Rita Ora above.
Kamala Harris kicked off the first official day of her 2024 presidential run in epic fashion on Monday (July 22), raising more than $81 million in the first 24 hours after the nation’s current Vice President was endorsed by President Biden following the commander-in-chief’s announcement ending his bid for a second term.
The historic fundraising haul — which was boosted by 62% of donors making their first contribution to a campaign — was matched by an equally gaudy number of sign-ups for new volunteers in key swing states topping more than 28,000 as enthusiasm for Harris re-energized a democratic base that had grown pensive about Biden’s chances of defeating former President Donald Trump.
But perhaps the biggest bump of approval of all came from an unlikely source: Beyoncé. According to CNN, when Harris walked into her campaign headquarters on Monday night (July 22) night for her first official visit she did it to Bey’s 2016 Lemonade track “Freedom.” A source told CNN that Harris’ team got approval from the singer’s reps to use the song throughout her surprise second presidential bid.
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At press time spokespeople for Harris and Beyoncé had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
The Grammy-nominated song featuring Kendrick Lamar became the soundtrack for many of the street demonstrations around the nation following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. “Freedom, Freedom/ Where are you?/ ‘Cause I need freedom, too/ I break chains all by myself/ Won’t let my freedom rot in hell/ Hey! I’ma keep running/ ‘Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves,” Beyoncé sings on the track’s soaring chorus.
The network noted the Bey is notorious for being very guarded about licensing her music, but that she gave “quick approval” to the Harris campaign when they reached out to ask for permission to use “Freedom” on Monday, just a few hours before the campaign HQ entrance. At press time Beyoncé had not officially endorsed Harris, though CNN speculated that the permission to use “Freedom” suggested that the fledgling campaign has the singer’s support. Though Bey has not given Harris her official thumbs up, her mother, Tina Knowles, joined a group of stars giving the veep’s run their stamp of approval.
“New, Youthful, Sharp , , energy !!!!” Knowles wrote on Instagram alongside a pic of her with Harris. “Putting personal Ego , power and fame aside . That is the definition of a great leader, . Thank you, President Biden for your service and your leadership . Go Vice President Kamala Harris for President. Let’s Go”
Beyoncé has been a supporter of democratic candidates in the past, singing the National Anthem at Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2013, headlining a pre-election show for Hillary Clinton along with husband Jay-Z in 2016 and endorsing the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020.
Former prosecutor Harris wasted no time during her first public appearance in taking it to twice-impeached convicted felon Trump, who is making his third run at the White House after Biden sent him packing in 2020 after a single term; Trump continues to falsely claim that Biden did not win the election.
“I took on perpetrators of all kinds: Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own game,” Harris told the crowd at her Wilmington, DE campaign HQ. “So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type. And in this campaign, I will proudly put my record against his.” Once her 20-minute speech ended, Harris walked off stage to “Freedom” again.
The reported Beyoncé approval is in stark contrast to the long list of musicians who have repeatedly asked Trump to cease and desist from using their music during his campaign events. Similarly, a long list of A-list musicians have quickly leapt to support Harris’ bid — including Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Katy Perry, Lil Nas X and many more — while the Trump-topped Republican National Convention last weekend featured appearances from a mixture of stars such as Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Lee Greenwood and Chris Janson, as well as former wrestler Hulk Hogan, fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Russell Brand and Amber Rose.
With the U.S. presidential election coming up in November, Vice President Kamala Harris is making sure that voters hit the polls like rom-pom-pom-pom. In one of the Harris campaign’s latest TikTok videos, the vice president pitched herself as the best alternative to former president Donald Trump with a little help from rising pop star Chappell […]
A rare collection of Michael Jackson‘s signed drawings will be auctioned off on August 3. The 78 sketches made using wax pencils and pastels, as well as watercolors include images of the singer in a Jedi-style robe, as well as drawings of chairs, Michelangelo’s David, a number of U.S. presidents, Peter Pan, pop art icon Andy Warhol, Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II.
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“Get ready to own some of the most coveted pieces of art by one of the biggest music icons in the world,” reads a description from auction house Kings Auctions. “These one of a kind pieces of art aren’t just an investment, they are your chance to own a piece of music history.”
The sale will take place at an as-yet-undisclosed location in Los Angeles next month. “He was influenced by many art genres, from classical and architectural to pop art and even formal portraiture. He also had a great fondness for London and British customs,” the auction house added of the sketches, all of which are signed and some of which are double-sided.
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The unique auction will feature one mega-lot, Lot #1, which requires an opening bid of $1 million for the entire collection. If a bidder meets that price then the auction will be over right away; otherwise each piece will be sold separately.
“Deemed ‘The Museum Collection’ because of its rare nature, these artworks by Jackson are as intimate as you can get. His inspirations are clearly communicated in each piece, each unique and reflective of the various times in the artists life,” Kings said in describing the works created by the singer who died in 2009 at age 50. “The featured piece will likely be the sketch of Martin Luther King which is a generous 36″ x 48″ in size. It is of course worthy of museum status. Other drawings include portraits of presidents and celebrities, himself, as well as Disney characters, abstracts, and more.”
In describing Jackson’s lifelong obsession with sketching, Kings said, “Jackson’s love for drawing started at an early age. When he was older he sought guidance from world renowned artists to fine tune his talent resulting in these rare pieces of art. Despite being known for his talent in music and dance, it is clear that Jackson had an innate talent for visual art as well.”
Browse the collection here to see images Jackson sketched of shoes, doors, chairs, keys, bi-planes, the gates of his Neverland Ranch and flowers. The auction will be co-hosted by Selling Sunset‘s Bre Tiesi and an as-yet-unnamed special surprise host.
First Madonna personally dropped by to show Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy how to use her 1989 hit “Like a Prayer” in their film. Then, on Monday night (July 22) in New York, the pop superstar made a surprise appearance at the movie’s premiere, walking the red carpet in her inimitable high-fashion style alongside twin eleven-year-old daughters Estere and Stella.
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Madonna wore a short black blazer dress with matching ankle boots and sunglasses while her daughters both rocked oversized white jerseys, with Estere accessorizing her look with maroon pants, white sneakers and a matching headband, while Stella went for dark wash bell-bottom jeans and a white scarf tied around a robin’s egg blue baseball hat. Check out a picture of the singer with Reynolds, co-star Hugh Jackman and director Levy here.
The drop-in was not a total surprise, as Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like a Prayer” is featured in a remixed form in the film after director Levy got her personal permission to use the song in the threequel. In a recent interview with Jess Cagle on SiriusXM, Reynolds described how he, Levy and Jackman convinced Madonna to let them use the song.
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“It did involve a personal visit to Madonna, where we showed Madonna the sequence where ‘Like a Prayer’ would be used,” Levy explained. “Also, let’s preface it with the fact that they don’t license — that Madonna doesn’t just license the song, particularly that song,” Reynolds added. “It was a big deal to ask for it and certainly a bigger deal to use it. We went over and met with her and and sort of showed her how it was being used, and where, and why.”
Not only did Madonna agree to let them use the song that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, but Reynolds revealed she gave some helpful notes as well. “She watched it, and I’m not kidding, [she said], ‘You need to do this.’ And damn it, if she wasn’t like spot on,” Reynolds said. “We literally went into a new recording session within 48 hours to do this note,” Levy said. “It made the sequence better.”
Deadpool & Wolverine opens in theaters on Friday (July 26).
BTS star Jimin has performed his latest solo single “Who” as the musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night (July 22). The track is from his second solo album MUSE, which was released on July 19.
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According to Deadline, Jimin is “currently participating in his mandatory military service in South Korea, having enlisted in December 2023. His appearance was filmed before his enlistment.”
The high-energy performance aired on Fallon features Jimin and a group of dancers in an artfully staged abandoned building. It begins with Jimin’s emotive vocals, accompanied by intricate choreography that complemented the song’s longing lyrics.
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“We never met, but she’s all I see at night/Never mеt but she’s always on my mind,” confessed Jimin in the video, before singing: “Wanna give her thе world and so much more/Who is my heart waiting for?”
It’s not the first time Jimin has appeared on the late night show. In March last year, he made his U.S. solo debut performance of his ’80s-inspired song “Like Crazy.” He also sat down with Fallon to discuss a range of topics, including meeting President Joe Biden and keeping in touch with his BTS bandmates.
Jimin first announced his second solo album Muse back in June, with BigHit Music writing in a statement that the album would showcase his “expanded musical spectrum.”
“Following his first solo album, Face, where he sought to explore his true identity, ‘Muse’ documents his journey in search of the source of his inspiration,” the release continued.
The album also features collaborations with Loco and Sofia Carson.
Earlier this week, Jimin‘s Muse topped this week’s new music poll that features artists in various genres of music. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (July 19) on Billboard, choosing the BTS star’s second solo album as their favorite new music release of the past week.
Muse brought in 68% of the vote on the poll, securing a notable edge ahead of new releases from Stray Kids (Ate), Joe Jonas (“Work It Out”), JADE (“Angel of My Dreams”), Childish Gambino (Bando Stone & The New World), and others.
Following 2023’s Face, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, Muse continues Jimin’s experimentation. Jimin debuted solo in 2018 with “Promise” and became the first South Korean soloist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Like Crazy” in 2023. He’s also set to release a docu-series, Are You Sure?!, with Jung Kook, chronicling their travels.
Check out Jimin’s performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon below.
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Jerry Fuller, who wrote and/or produced hits that spanned decades and genres, died of lung cancer on Thursday (July 18) at his home in Sherman Oaks, Calif. He was 85.
Fuller wrote two songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man” in 1961 and Al Wilson’s “Show and Tell” in 1974. He also produced the latter song, which in addition to topping the Hot 100 reached No. 10 on what was then known as Billboard‘s Best Selling Soul Singles.
He also wrote Nelson’s “A Wonder Like You,” his follow-up to “Travelin’ Man,” which reached No. 11 on the Hot 100, as well as two subsequent Nelson singles that went top 10: “Young World” (No. 5) and “It’s Up to You” (No. 6).
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Fuller had another solid run of hits in 1968 with Gary Puckett & the Union Gap. He wrote the group’s punchy pop hits “Young Girl” and “Lady Willpower,” which spent a combined five weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100, and the mellower, adult contemporary-oriented “Over You,” which reached No. 7. All three of those singles went gold.
“What can I say about a guy whose vision defined my musical identity and destiny,” Puckett said in a statement in the wake of Fuller’s death. “What can ANYONE say about a man who gave SO much to SO many through his talents and efforts in the world of music. Thank you, Jerry! The world was a better place with you in it.”
Fuller was born in Fort Worth, Texas on Nov. 19, 1938, and moved to Los Angeles in early 1959. In 1960, while touring with The Champs (best known for their 1958 smash “Tequila”), Fuller got to know Glen Campbell, who remained a lifelong friend.
Early in his career, Fuller worked as a demo singer, which led to a recording and songwriting contract with Gene Autry’s Four Star Music and Challenge Records.
Fuller had four Hot 100 hits as an artist from 1959-61, the highest-charting of which (a rockabilly cover version of the standard “Tennessee Waltz”) reached No. 61. But he had far more success working with other artists. He originally wrote “Travelin’ Man” for Sam Cooke — it has the pop flavor of such Cooke hits of the period as “Only Sixteen,” “Wonderful World” and Cupid” — but it made its way to Nelson instead.
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Fuller was unique among writer/producers in that he also produced songs he didn’t write, including O.C. Smith’s recording of Bobby Russell’s “Little Green Apples,” which reached No. 2 on both the Hot 100 and Billboard‘s Best Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles (as the chart was then known) in 1968.
He also produced but did not write Gary Puckett & the Union Gap’s breakthrough hit “Woman, Woman” (which was written by Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne); Mark Lindsay’s solo hits “Arizona” and “Silver Bird” (which were written by Kenny Young, the latter in tandem with Artie Butler); and The Knickerbockers’ 1965 hit “Lies” (which was written by Beau Charles and Buddy Randell).
The power-pop hit “Lies,” which has the energy of Beatles hits of the era, also underscores Fuller’s range. From power-pop to ballads; from pop/soul to country, his hits defied easy categorization.
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In the early ’90s, Fuller co-produced (with John Hobbs) Collin Raye’s “Love, Me,” which topped Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs for three weeks in early 1992. The song brought Raye, Fuller and Hobbs a nomination for single of the year at the 1991 CMA Awards.
Elsewhere, Fuller also wrote numerous country hits for Ray Price, including “That’s All She Wrote,” “To Make a Long Story Short” and “Feet.”
In the 1970s, Fuller formed his own companies, Moonchild Productions In. and Fullness Music Company.
Fuller was never personally nominated for a Grammy, though some of the records he worked on were. And, somewhat surprisingly, he was not inducted into either the Songwriters Hall of Fame or the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. But he wrote and/or produced many songs that are fondly remembered.
Fuller is survived by his wife, the former Annette Smerigan, and their two children, Adam Lee and Anna Nicole.
For the first time in over three years, the top nine positions on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart are all debuts, led by ENHYPEN’s Romance: Untold atop the list. On the chart dated July 27, Nos. 1-9 are new entries, the first time the top nine are debuts since the May 29, 2021-dated ranking.
Joining ENHYPEN with debuts in the top 10 are Eminem, Clairo, Johnny Blue Skies (aka Sturgill Simpson), Billy Strings, Cigarettes After Sex, Megan Moroney, Phish and HARDY. The lone non-debut in the top 10 is Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, which falls from No. 5 to No. 10.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new July 27, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on July 23. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X and Instagram.
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Since Top Album Sales bowed with the May 25, 1991-dated list, there have been 10 weeks where there were at least nine debuts in the top 10. The entire top nine have been debuts six times — on the latest chart, once in 2021, twice in 2017 and twice in 2016. (The entire top 10 were debuts three times — twice in 2017 and once in 2016.)
ENHYPEN’s Romance: Untold arrives with the act’s best sales week ever, as the set launches at No. 1 with 117,000 copies sold – the fifth-largest debut sales week of 2024. It’s the second No. 1 for the Korean pop ensemble, and seventh top 10-charting effort overall for the group. The album’s sales were bolstered by its availability across 17 different CD variants, all containing collectible paper ephemera like photocards, stickers and a poster, as well as two vinyl editions.
Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) enters at No. 2 with 114,000 – the largest sales week of 2024 for a rap album. The set marks the hip-hop giant’s 13th top 10-charting effort. Death was available to purchase only as a digital download and was issued widely in both clean and explicit editions, in addition to three further variants sold exclusively in Eminem’s official webstore. Of the latter three, two were sold as a pre-order for a limited time before the set’s release, and each came with their own exclusive bonus track – one with “Kyrie & Luka” featuring 2 Chainz, and one with “Like My Shit” featuring FIFTEENAFTER. A third webstore variant dropped on July 17, carrying both bonus tracks and an exclusive “Steve Berman” skit. The CD and vinyl editions of The Death of Slim Shady are due for release on Sept. 13 and Oct. 25, respectively.
Clairo captures her biggest sales week yet, as Charm debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 32,000 sold. The set’s first-week sales were amplified by the album’s availability across eight vinyl variants and four deluxe boxed sets (containing branded merchandise and a CD). Vinyl sales comprise 15,000 of the album’s first week – Clairo’s best week ever on vinyl. Charm also bows atop the Vinyl Albums ranking – the singer-songwriter’s first leader there.
Johnny Blue Skies’ (aka Sturgill Simpson) Passage du Desir debuts at No. 4 on Top Album Sales with 15,000 sold. The set was released in two vinyl variants (which sold a combined 9,500), a CD and a digital download. Combining Simpson’s albums credited to his name and his Johnny Blue Skies pseudonym, he’s collected six top 10-charting efforts.
Billy Strings’ Live, Vol. 1 bows at No. 5 on Top Album Sales with nearly 15,000 sold – from three vinyl variants (which combined to sell 12,000 copies – his best vinyl week ever; debuting at No. 2 on Vinyl Albums), a CD and a digital download. It’s the third top 10 on Top Album Sales for Strings.
Cigarettes After Sex lands its best sales week ever, and first top 10 on Top Album Sales, as its third full-length studio album, X’s, bows at No. 6 with 13,000 sold. The set was issued across nine vinyl variants (totaling 8,000 – the band’s best week ever on vinyl), a CD, cassette tape and digital download.
Megan Moroney achieves her first top 10 on Top Album Sales, with her largest sales week yet, as her second full-length studio album Am I Okay? bows at No. 7 with 13,000 sold. The set was available in three vinyl variants (including an autographed edition, sold exclusive in her webstore), three deluxe CD boxsets (containing collectible merch and a CD), a signed CD (exclusive to her store), a standard CD and a digital download album.
Phish’s new studio album Evolve enters at No. 8 on Top Album Sales with 13,000 sold – the band’s best sales week since Big Boat debuted with 17,000 copies on the Oct. 29, 2016-dated chart. Evolve was available across six vinyl variants (selling 10,000 copies), a CD and digital download. Evolve marks the 10th top 10-charting set for Phish on Top Album Sales.
Hardy rounds out the debut parade on Top Album Sales as his new studio set Quit!! debuts with 13,000 at No. 9 – marking his third top album. The set was issued across three vinyl variants, a signed CD (exclusive to his webstore), a standard CD, a standard digital album, and a deluxe digital album with eight bonus live tracks (exclusive to his webstore).
Closing out the top 10 on the new Top Album Sales chart is Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, falling 5-10 with 10,000 (down 2%).
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. These tracks from artists including Jimin, Amy Allen, Pure Shores and more will get you energized to take on the week.
Coolest Pop Song of the Week: Jade, “Angel of My Dreams”
2024 has been a busy, bordering on hectic, year for pop music so far, between the A-lister album rollouts (Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande), new stars becoming brand names (Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey), unexpected mainstream comebacks (Charli XCX, Hozier, Tinashe), and ever-present superstars making hay out of new albums, singles or feuds (Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Kendrick Lamar). These seven months have been so breathless in the pop world that it’s undoubtedly been more difficult for other artists to cut through the noise and headlines, and garner attention for their own songs or projects.
Sometimes, though, something comes out that refuses to tumble into the streaming void — something so immediately original and attention-grabbing that you can’t help but run it back, dig deeper, get sufficiently hooked. That’s how Jade’s “Angel of My Dreams” functions: the debut solo single grabs your shoulders and shakes them relentlessly, demanding your focus with a shape-shifting hook, jarring transitions and an off-the-wall vocal performance. “Angel of My Dreams” has sky-high ambitions — this song refuses to settle for anything less than exhilaration. And in a competitive space, Jade has dropped one of the best singles of the year.
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Considering her pedigree, this isn’t shocking: Little Mix, which ran for a decade as a highly successful UK girl group, boasted Jade Thirlwall as a vocal force and co-writer on some of the quartet’s biggest hits, including “Wings,” “Move” and “Shout Out to My Ex.” After her group mates Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock all made their recent solo debuts, Jade was the final member to make her bow, after signing to RCA Records in 2022. And while that position often stymies pop group alumni trying to separate their work from the already-launched solo projects of their fellow members, Jade has emerged with a purposeful vision: “Angel of My Dreams” not only crackles with well-drawn sonic features, but reintroduces the singer as an unflinching pop thinker, ready to bake years’ worth of industry experiences into a three-minute single.
Above all else, “Angel of My Dreams” is a commentary on the pop machine, with the tension between its dreamy bubblegum chorus and steely robo-thump verses representing the warmth of the spotlight and cold behind-the-scenes realities. “Sold my soul to a psycho / They say I’m so lucky / Better act like you’re lucky, honey,” Jade intones, tossing out a delicious homonym (Little Mix was signed to SYCO Records, of course), before the chorus kicks back in, this time sped-up and acting like pre-programmed TikTok fodder.
“Angel of My Dreams” is brimming with melodic change-ups and smart details, but never sounds too disjointed, or clever for its own good. Working with producer Mike Sabath (who helped Raye break through last year with “Escapism”) and co-writers Steph Jones (Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso”) and Pablo Bowman (Marshmello and Jonas Brothers’ “Leave Before You Love Me”), Jade has crafted a testimonial that still prioritizes being a five-alarm banger.
Little Mix never had a single catch fire in the States, and “Angel of My Dreams” is probably too off-the-wall for U.S. pop radio. Regardless of its chart prospects, though, Jade’s solo debut is too bold to go unnoticed — and, whatever else comes out before the end of the year, her next move deserves to be hotly anticipated.
Here are some more new pop songs worth checking out this week…
Jimin, “Who”