Pop
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Britney Spears has something up her sleeves. The pop superstar took to social media on Friday (Jan. 12) to share a brief teaser clip. “Something’s coming,” the screen reads, as “…Baby One More Time” plays in the background. Spears’ debut hit is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. She also linked a mailing list for […]
The ladies of ITZY are certifiable It Girls. Like popular K-pop girl groups before them — including f(x), 2NE1, BLACKPINK and TWICE — ITZY has quickly vaulted to international stardom, appearing on several Billboard charts since its 2019 debut.
2023 was a banner year for the quintet comprised of Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna. During the summer, the group released its seventh EP, Kill My Doubt, which housed lead single “Cake.” The EP became the girls’ fifth entry on the Billboard 200. They made their first appearance on the ranking back in 2021 with their Guess Who EP (No. 148), and have since made one trip to the chart’s top 10 with 2022’s Checkmate: Mini Album EP (No. 8).
To kick off the new year, ITZY launched its sophomore studio album on Jan. 8. Titled Born to Be, the LP features the single “Untouchable,” as well as each group member’s debut solo track. Born to Be marks the group’s first Korean-language LP since 2021’s Crazy in Love, which reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
Since the group’s first Billboard chart appearance, ITZY has placed four songs on the Billboard Global 200, the top 40 hit “In the Morning” (No. 34). On the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, the group has notched five entries, reaching the top 40 with both “In the Morning” (No. 22) and “Loco” (No. 29). In addition, the award-winning group has landed 10 songs on the World Digital Songs Sales Chart, including the top 10 hits: “Dalla Dalla” (No. 2), “Wannabe” (No. 4), “Icy” (No. 7) and “Not Shy” (No. 8).
Check out the full Billboard Explains video on the rise of ITZY above.
After that video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.
BTS‘ Suga is at his high-fashion finest in a series of new images from Italian fashion house Valentino’s “Narratives” campaign. The K-pop superstar who was announced as a Valentino brand ambassador in 2023 looks sharp strutting his stuff to the sound of camera shutter clips in a video announcing the campaign on Friday morning (Jan. […]
Selena Gomez can’t get enough Ariana Grande. While serving as a guest DJ on SiriusXM Hits 1 Wednesday (Jan. 10), the Rare Beauty founder gushed about her love for her fellow pop star’s empowering anthems.
“Here’s another song I love, Ariana Grande,” said Gomez on the show, just before queuing up the Wicked star’s 2019 smash “7 Rings.” “I cannot do anything fun without listening to Ariana.”
“I feel so empowered and I think she is incredible, and I just have so much fun,” added the Only Murders in the Building actress. “I’m the girl that’s playing Ariana all the time, and I think people kind of notice that, but I love it! I think she’s amazing.”
Two days after Gomez’s on-air shoutout, Grande released her comeback single “Yes, And?” alongside a choreography-filled music video. The “Calm Down” singer was one of countless fans to show her excitement when the Victorious alum first teased her upcoming seventh album on Instagram in December, officially kicking off her return to music after a yearslong hiatus. (Grande’s last album, Positions, came out in 2020.)
“FINALLY,” Gomez commented in all caps under an Instagram post from Grande of pictures and videos from the studio.
Meanwhile, Gomez is also gearing up to release her next album, which she’s been teasing for more than a year. Like Grande, the Emmy nominee hasn’t dropped an LP since 2020, with Rare debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January that year.
In September, Gomez released what’s expected to serve as her upcoming album’s lead single, “Single Soon.” The track was produced by the star’s now boyfriend, Benny Blanco, and reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Whenever it arrives, however, Gomez’s next record might be her last. “The older I get, the more I’m kind of like, I would like to find something [besides music] to just settle on,” she said in a recent interview. “I do feel like I have one more album in me, but I would probably choose acting.”
“I wanted to be an actress, I never really intended on being a singer full-time, but apparently, that hobby turned into something else,” she added at the time.
Justin Timberlake is revving up the pop machine. Just days after wiping his Instagram and getting fans excited about a potential new music era, the singer announced a one-night-only hometown show in Memphis slated for Jan. 19 at the 2,300-capacity Orpheum Theater. “Going home,” Timberlake wrote in an Insta post announcing the gig, which featured a picture of a billboard with the show details.
The next slide featured a pre-teen JT in a throwback video, saying, “this is where I come from… this is the Mississippi River and that is Memphis, Tennessee.” The slideshow also included what looked like an itinerary — with all the other items redacted — that included “travel to Memphis Jan. 19 – Orpheum” on his to-do list.
The final slide was an audio file of a mid-tempo, organ driven song snippet that cuts off just as the singer is about to start his vocals.
Timberlake amped up speculation that he’s about to announce the long-awaited follow-up to his musky 2018 Man of the Woods album on Monday when fans noticed that he’d erased all the posts on his Instagram save for his profile picture, which featured a shot of his eyes looking back through a car’s rearview mirror. At present, the show announcement is the only post on JT’s Insta.
The clean-sweep social strategy that has been employed by a number of fellow pop stars lately in advance of albums or big project announcements — including by Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa — amped up speculation about JT6.
At press time Timberlake had not announced any new music, but back in April 2023 longtime collaborator Timbaland teased that “fun” JT was coming back with a “bob-your-head” album. After some time out of the spotlight, Timberlake reunited with his former *NSYNC bandmates last fall for their first song in more than 20 years, the Trolls Band Together single “Better Place.” Then, in November he popped up on a remix of BTS member Jung Kook’s solo single, “3D.”
Timberlake closed out his busy 2023 with a surprise concert at the Dec. 13 opening of the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, marking his second performance since his name was in a rash of headlines in the wake of the October release of former girlfriend Britney Spears’ tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me. Timberlake appeared to address Spears before performing “Cry Me a River,” which the “…Baby One More Time” singer said in the book she though JT used as “ammunition” in the 2003 track’s iconic music video. “No disrespect,” Timberlake said to the crowd, before jumping into the song.
“Cry Me a River” — inspired by Timberlake’s breakup with Spears — was released as the second single from JT’s debut solo album, Justified, and the video finds JT breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and features a Britney look-alike portraying his former flame.
Check out Timberlake’s announcement below.
It’s one of the early aughts’ most famous reality TV fowl ups. And now Jessica Simpson is showing she’s a good sport by sending up the time she asked then-husband Nick Lachey “is this chicken that I have, or is this fish?” on the 2003 premiere episode of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica while digging into […]
RodeoHouston’s 2024 lineup is set to once again showcase some of the loftiest talents in a range of genres, including rock, rap, country, Latin, Christian and more.
Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, 50 Cent, the Jonas Brothers, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, Los Tigres del Norte and for King & Country are a few of the artists slated to headline when RodeoHouston gets underway at Houston’s NRG Stadium from Feb. 27 through March 17.
“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is proud to bring such a wide range of musical genres to the RodeoHouston stage,” said Chris Boleman, Rodeo president and CEO, in a statement. “We’re welcoming 10 new entertainers who will make their debut on the star stage, as well as many fan-favorites from a variety of genres from our country roots, to EDM and hip-hop.”
Among the newcomers to this year’s RodeoHouston stage are Carly Pearce, Oliver Anthony, 50 Cent, HARDY, current CMA new artist of the year winner Jelly Roll, reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson, “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer Oliver Anthony Music, Ivan Cornejo, Nickelback and Whiskey Myer.
These artists further add to RodeoHouston’s nearly 100-year legacy, in which time the rodeo has committed more than $600 million to aid education and youth-focused efforts in Texas. Each year, RodeoHouston draws more than 2 million people to its mix of rodeo/Western activities, musical performances and carnival midway.
Tickets go on sale at rodeohouston.com on Thursday, Jan. 18, in two waves — at 10 a.m. and2 p.m.
See the lineup of performers below:
Feb. 27 – Opening Day, presented by Texas Capital – Blake Shelton
Feb. 28 – Armed Forces Appreciation Day, presented by Crown Royal – Carly Pearce
Feb. 29 – for KING + COUNTRY
March 1 – Black Heritage Day, presented by Kroger – 50 Cent
March 2 -HARDY
March 3 – Ivan Cornejo
March 4 – First Responders Day, presented by BP America – Hank Williams Jr.
March 5 -Oliver Anthony
March 6 – Community Day, presented by TC Energy – Jelly Roll
March 7 – Volunteer Appreciation Day, presented by Phillips 66 – Luke Bryan
March 8 -Major Lazer
March 9 -Lainey Wilson
March 10 – Go Tejano Day, presented by Fiesta Mart – Los Tigres del Norte
March 11 -Whiskey Myers
March 12 -Bun B
March 13 -Nickelback
March 14 – Zac Brown Band
March 15 – Jonas Brothers
March 16 – Brad Paisley
March 17 – RODEOHOUSTON Finals – Eric Church
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” rewrites the longest reign in the history of Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, logging a 37th week at the summit on the ranking dated Jan. 20.
The single surpasses the command of Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” in 2018-19.
Here’s an updated look at the songs that have dominated Adult Contemporary the longest over the chart’s 62-plus-year archives.
Most Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart:
37 (to date), “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, beginning April 15, 2023
36, “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5, Nov. 10, 2018
35, “Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd, Nov. 7, 2020
28, “Drift Away,” Uncle Kracker feat. Dobie Gray, June 7, 2003
24, “Easy on Me,” Adele, Nov. 13, 2021
24, “Shape of You,” Ed Sheeran, May 6, 2017
22, “Perfect,” Ed Sheeran, Feb. 24, 2018
22, “Hey, Soul Sister,” Train, July 3, 2010
21, “Hello,” Adele, Nov. 28, 2015
21, “Breakaway,” Kelly Clarkson, March 12, 2005
21, “A New Day Has Come,” Celine Dion, March 30, 2002
20, “Memories,” Maroon 5, March 21, 2020
20, “Just the Way You Are,” Bruno Mars, Feb. 5, 2011
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“Flowers,” released on Smiley Miley/Columbia Records, previously topped the mainstream top 40-based Pop Airplay chart (which began in 1992) for 10 weeks and the adult top 40-focused Adult Pop Airplay ranking (which dates to 1996) for 17 frames.
Meanwhile, the single’s combined 64 weeks atop Adult Contemporary (37), Adult Pop Airplay (17) and Pop Airplay (10) mark the most for any hit. The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” ranks second with 61 weeks atop the trio of charts combined, followed by “Girls Like You” (55); 51 songs have led all three lists.
“Flowers,” which Cyrus co-wrote, launched at No. 1 on the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100 last January and ruled for eight weeks, becoming her second leader. It’s from Cyrus’ album Endless Summer Vacation, which debuted at its No. 3 best on the Billboard 200 albums chart in March, marking her 14th top 10.
“Flowers” went on to land No. 1 finishes on Billboard’s 2023 year-end Radio Songs and Adult Pop Airplay Songs charts. Cyrus also scored six 2024 Grammy nominations, including three for “Flowers”: record and song of the year and best pop solo performance.
The Adult Contemporary chart ranks titles by weekly plays on a panel of over 80 adult contemporary radio stations. The tally began in Billboard’s pages (as the “Easy Listening” chart) on July 17, 1961. Once Luminate data began powering the chart exactly 32 years later (July 17, 1993), lengthy reigns became much more common than before. (Airplay is now provided to Luminate by Mediabase.)
Notably, the longest No. 1 Adult Contemporary run on the chart prior to Luminate tracking belongs to Paul Mauriat’s “Love Is Blue” (11 weeks, 1968), followed by three 10-week leaders: Al Stewart’s “Time Passages” (1978-79), Herb Alpert’s “This Guy’s in Love With You” (1968) and Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” (1965).
Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” claimed the longest Adult Contemporary rule of the ‘90s before the adoption of Luminate data (eight weeks, 1991), while nine tracks share the longest No. 1 stays of the ‘80s (six weeks each): Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting,” Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” (both 1989), Kool & The Gang’s “Cherish” (1985), Lionel Richie’s “Hello” (1984), Barry Manilow’s “Read ‘Em and Weep” (1983-84), Richie’s “You Are” (1983), Neil Diamond’s “Yesterday’s Songs” (1981-82), Kenny Rogers’ “I Don’t Need You” (1981) and Air Supply’s “Lost in Love” (1980).
All charts dated Jan. 20 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, Jan. 17 (a day later than usual due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Jan. 15).
He’s pole-danced to hell, he’s broken out of prison and he’s even eloped with his football-playing boyfriend. Now, Lil Nas X is ready to strut his way through the Pearly Gates.
On Friday (Jan. 12), the rapper shared his much-hyped music video for “J CHRIST,” taking the Biblical title to its furthest extent. The clip opens with a series of celebrity lookalikes — ranging from Taylor Swift to Kanye West to a moonwalking Michael Jackson — as they climb the stairway to heaven. Upon arrival, they’re greeted at the entrance by a dragged-up Lil Nas X, declaring he’s reading to “walk up in the club poppin’ s–t like it was Doublemint.”
The video — directed by Lil Nas X himself — then proceeds to show a series of callbacks to his hellish video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” showing the oft-discussed pole to hell and a demonic Lil Nas X stirring a cauldron of arms and legs. Flying back up to heaven, Lil Nas reunites with his former flame the Devil, this time in a one-on-one basketball game where the rapper soars over his head, dunks the ball, and celebrates with a personalized cheerleading routine.
For the remainder of the video, fans are treated to a host of Biblical vignettes — Jesus’ crucifixion, Nabal shearing David’s sheep, Moses parting the Red Sea — before the rapper transforms into Noah, ushering the denizens of Earth onto a massive ark to survive the flooding of the world. “Back up out the gravesite/ B—h, I’m back like J Christ,” he declares over a pounding beat. “I’m finna get the gays hype/ I’m finna take it yay high.”
As a storm subsides and Nas’ Noah survives, the screen declares that this is “Day Zero” of “a new beginning,” sharing a quote from 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
The “J CHRIST” video comes after Lil Nas X spent much of the week promoting his single the best way he knows how — trolling. Whether he was posting a fake acceptance letter to Liberty University or declaring that his new music would be released independently, the singer made sure that his name was on everyone’s lips throughout the week.
Check out the official video for “J CHRIST” below:
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At midnight, Ariana Grande made her grand return to music with the assertive new single “Yes, And?”
Released as the lead track for her forthcoming seventh album, the boundary-setting song makes clear that the pop star is too busy living her “authentic life,” as she sings, to be concerned with what others are saying.
In the just-released music video, Grande doubles down. As shown in the teaser clip, a handful of critics are seen entering an industrial-looking warehouse — and with plenty of opinions in hand. “You know, I think I liked her better when her ponytail was a few centimeters higher,” says one. “I mean, who cares if she’s happy? I don’t want happy. I want Ari,” quips another.
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As they’re about to walk into the room in which they will see what Ariana has to present, an earlier group is seen walking out sweaty and in awe. As the next group takes their seats (under a heat lamp, no less, perhaps a nod to the kind of heated spotlight Grande lives under), the camera pans to a series of stone sculptures before landing on one of the pop star front and center.
And much to viewers’ satisfaction, as the music begins, the immobile figures shatter — and out struts Ari.
Wearing a ballet-inspired outfit and character shoes, she completes her look with a hat that pays homage to legends like Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul — and the nod doesn’t end there. The clip, directed by Christian Breslauer, seems to take inspiration from Abdul’s visual for her own “Cold Hearted Snake,” leaning deeper into the late-’80s energy of the song itself.
By the video’s end, Grande assumes the position her statue was in at the start — and just as she hits the exact pose, she’s turned back to stone. The potential takeaways are plentiful: Is it a commentary on fragility or strength? Is it a reminder that rough exteriors are built upon hardship as a means of protection?
There’s really only one certainty: No matter how the message is perceived, Grande doesn’t really care. She knows what it means to her.
Watch the “Yes, And?” video below.
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