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Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Aug. 10), collecting a 13th nonconsecutive week atop the list. The album spent its first 12 weeks on the chart at No. 1, fell to No. 4 for two weeks, and now rebounds to No. 1 for a 13th frame. (Thirteen is also famously Swift’s lucky number.)
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Tortured Poets earned 71,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 1 (down 3%), according to Luminate. That marks the smallest weekly sum for a No. 1 album since March 16-dated chart, when Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time was tops with 68,000 units.
The last album to spend at least 13 weeks at No. 1 was One Thing at a Time, which logged 19 total nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 between March 2023 and this March. The last album by a woman to spend at least 13 total weeks at No. 1 was Adele’s 21, which earned 24 nonconsecutive weeks on top in 2011-12.
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With Poets — Swift’s longest-leading album — she adds her 82nd career week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, extending her record among soloists. (Elvis Presley has the second-most among soloists, with 67.) The total encompasses her 14 No. 1 albums. (She’s tied with Jay-Z for the most No. 1s among soloists.)
Also on the latest Billboard 200, the sleepy top 10, where no albums debut in the region, sees Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess hit a new peak, as it climbs 8-4, surpassing its previous high of No. 5.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 10, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Aug. 6. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of The Tortured Poets Department’s 71,000 units earned in the week ending Aug. 1, SEA units comprise 59,000 (down 8%, equaling 77.73 million on-demand official streams of the deluxe album’s 31 songs), album sales comprise 12,000 (up 34%, aided by a stock replenishment of a deluxe CD edition of the album in Swift’s webstore) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (down 23%).
Wallen’s One Thing at a Time rises 6-2 with 64,000 equivalent album units earned (down 1%, also returning to No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums for the first time since March) and Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene climbs 5-3 with 61,000 (down 14%).
Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess reaches a new peak, jumping 8-4 with 53,000 equivalent album units (though down 1%). The set previously topped out at No. 5 on the July 13-dated list. Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft ascends 9-5 with nearly 53,000 units (down 2%) and Stray Kids’ ATE falls 1-6 in its second week with 52,000 units (down 78%; it’s also No. 1 on Top Album Sales for a second week).
Eminem’s chart-topping The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) dips 3-7 with 49,000 equivalent album units earned (down 37%), Twisters: The Album falls 7-8 with 44,000 units (down 23%), Charli XCX’s Brat returns to the top 10, rising 14-9 with 40,000 units (up 10%), and Noah Kahan’s Stick Season is steady at No. 10 with 39,000 units (down 10%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Taylor Swift is celebrating Team USA’s top athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
During NBC’s primetime coverage of the Olympics on Saturday (Aug. 3), the 34-year-old pop superstar narrated a promotional video praising three medal-winning stars at this year’s games: gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky and sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
“Never be afraid to show them who you are, especially when the whole world is watching,” Swift says as her 2015 hit “Style” plays in the background. “Because there is no one way to be the best. No one way to inspire everyone else who will someday follow.”
The inspiring clip opens with written quote from fashion icon Coco Chanel, followed by a shot of Biles at the vault, then moving to Richardson confidently walking on a field, and Ledecky fiercely swimming in a pool.
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“You do what you love. You love what you do,” Swift says as more competition footage is shown. “You believe in your style, whatever it is.”
The video concludes with Swift name-checking the three women as shots of the athletes gleefully winning their medals flash across the screen.
“Katie, Sha’Carri and Simone,” the pop star says. “Three American stars. Three different visions of greatness. Tonight, in Paris.”
Last weekend, Swift’s live version of “…Ready for It?” from The Eras Tour was the soundtrack to a NBC commercial promoting the network’s coverage of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“So ready to scream at my tv cheering for these athletes,” Swift reacted in an Instagram Story, adding a gold medal emoji to her comment while sharing a reel of the “…Ready for It?” promo.
The spot featured U.S. Olympic stars including Noah Lyles, LeBron James, Carissa Moore, Jagger Eaton and more, with Biles appearing at the end of the ad.
Watch Swift’s Paris Olympics promo video on X (formerly Twitter) below.
Grupo Firme made La Última Peda Tour’s Austin concert especially unforgettable with surprise guest Demi Lovato, whom they welcomed on stage for the live debut of “Chula.” Lovato joined Grupo Firme on stage Friday night (Aug. 2) at their arena show at the Texas capital’s Moody Center, arriving to cheers and screams from the crowd. […]
From the members who constantly stole the spotlight to SKZ stepping into full rock star mode, these are the unforgettable moments.
Taylor Swift is dropping another limited time treat for Swifties. On Saturday (Aug. 3), the 34-year-old pop star shared on social media that a digital version of her The Tortured Poets Department album will be available with bonus track “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” (First Draft Phone Memo) for 24 hours only. Swift […]
The star’s German residency features a Ferris wheel, fireworks and some performances with a pianist in front of 75,000 fans.
While KCON has long been heralded as the Mecca for K-pop fans, a new party that launched amid the 2024 Los Angeles date could also make it a must-attend for those in the industry as well.
What was meant to be a night to celebrate K-pop ended up being a cross-industry collaboration event hosted by Day 13, a new joint venture merger between K-pop and marketing expert Jenny Zha with Keith Kawamura, the anime and gaming marketing veteran who is also CEO of 3i Productions. Following KCON LA’s second day of concerts on Saturday, July 27, artists, execs, and influencers were on their way to downtown LA hot spot Hatch.
Notable attendees included KCON performers like K-pop star and American Song Contest winner AleXa, as well as Mikha of the Filipino girl group BINI — both of whom enjoyed bites and drinks in the roped-off back section of Hatch with friends like The Kelly Clarkson Show producer Jasmine Stephen, songwriter Vanessa Jefferson whose love of K-pop has been long documented by her sister Lizzo, and Henry Jiang of OfflineTV who talked to AleXa about their interest and collaborating in the game space.
“With the inaugural Day 13 industry party, we wanted to bring everyone together to create more avenues for ideation, and establish a longstanding tradition that can give way to even more exciting cross-collaboration projects,” Zha reflects to Billboard. “Subcultures like K-pop and anime are so pervasive it’s now part of mainstream conversation — especially at the forefront for key stakeholders behind-the-scenes.”
A host of journalists, publicists and other media figures that long worked in the K-pop space were also in attendance. Lively discussions included the extra effort being put into ILLIT’s comeback single, ATEEZ’s recent move to United Talent Agency, excitement and inquiries about TITAN CONTENTS’ first girl group AtHeart (originally revealed on Billboard), a K-pop act’s upcoming song collaboration in partnership with Netflix, a new K-pop artist’s signing with a U.S. PR, gripes about working with and guesses about the future of one major Korean agency, as well as tons more juicy tidbits to compete with Hatch’s wagyu and wasabi skewer.
Also in attendance was award-winning actress and dancer Krystal Ellsworth (who blew up in India after starring in the 2017 flick Heartbeats that was shot in the country). Brian Chau of CAA was in the house, linking up Konami and Bandai Games over drinks to explore how talents could be further integrated in a convo about video gaming industry.
Influencers like “The Transition Guy” Jonny Tran (930,000 TikTok followers) and Twitch streamer iGumdrop (with nearly 300,000 Twitch followers and 450,000 Instagram followers) were seen connecting with members of Sony’s Santa Monica Studios — producers behind the God of War franchise – for collaboration opportunities.
Halsey is reflecting on communicating closely with Britney Spears throughout the process of making her new single “Lucky,” which interpolates Spears’ 2000 song of the same name, as well as Monica’s “Angel of Mine.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The star sat down with BBC Radio […]
Justin Timberlake made a brief appearance via Zoom in a Sag Harbor, NY courtroom on Friday morning (August 2) where a spokesperson for the singer confirmed to Billboard that he entered a not guilty plea in connection with his June arrest for DWI. According to CNN, Timberlake, 43, attended the arraignment virtually and spoke twice […]
“I was determined to make a living doing music,” says Ryan Tedder of his early start writing music for commercials, movies and TV series. And while, for a time, he thought that would be the extent of his music career, that experience is what made him the perfect choice to write and produce the official Paris Olympics song in partnership with the Coca-Cola Company.
“It was the perfect combination of fun and challenging,” he says of crafting the song titled “Hello World” and performed by Gwen Stefani and Anderson .Paak. “It definitely tested my Rolodex. There’s a list of desired artists [from the International Olympic Committee and Coca-Cola], then they have to find where those artists commingle.”
Tedder, who grew up watching the Olympics, says he never misses gymnastics, track and field or swimming. And he’s already thinking ahead to the 2028 games, which will take place in Los Angeles. He says, “I definitely would like to do the song for 2028, I’ve already made that abundantly clear with the IOC and Coke. Sonically, I would want to encapsulate the essence of California. Some combination of West Coast hip-hop, but then I also think Beach Boys.”
It’s surprising Tedder has much time to watch the Olympics at all, considering his schedule not only writing and producing for others, but also his own band OneRepublic. The band released its sixth album this July, titled Artificial Paradise. The project includes the previous Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “I Ain’t Worried” from Top Gun: Maverick as well as “Hurt” and “Runaway.”
“The weirdest thing about this album — and the next album will be different because we’re always trying to switch it up — but this represents, more or less, the end of our album cycle,” he says, noting the lead single “West Coast” arrived about two years ago. “I Ain’t Worried” came next, which he says “strangled” “West Coast” to become the album’s best-known track.
He has plenty more on the horizon as well, teasing he and Tate McRae (for whom he executive produced her second album Think Later) are talking “every day” about what is next. “I was texting her this morning,” he says with a laugh, before adding he is keeping his lips sealed about what’s to come. “When it comes to work ethic, she’s Olympic-level focused.” He’s also eager to work with Rosalía and Sabrina Carpenter (he’s more “Espresso” than “Please Please Please,” he says) and has been working a bit more with rappers lately too.
He says those sessions have made him think about remixing one of OneRepublic’s biggest hits, “Apologize,” saying it would “go crazy right now. “It’s been 17 years, it’s time,” he adds. “I want to figure out who the right rapper is. … I’ve dropped some hints to Jack [Harlow]. I did a record with 21 Savage last year and I asked his crew, like, ‘Does he like “Apologize”?’”
And when it comes to re-recording your own hits, he acknowledges the tireless work that Taylor Swift has done in that department. “Somebody yesterday was like, ‘When’s she running for president?’ It would be the biggest sweep of all time — but don’t do that to yourself,” he says with a laugh. “She’s got plenty more songs to write. She’s the most prolific… I’ve said in countless interviews who the most talented people [I’ve worked with are]: [Paul] McCartney blew my mind and then Taylor.”
Watch the full interview — in which Tedder also discusses his publishing company Runner and which OneRepublic era is his favorite — above.