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Miley Cyrus‘ No. 1 streak has been extended by another week. On Monday (March 27), the singer celebrated yet another week of her chart-topping smash “Flowers” spending its eighth total week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Instagram.
“Flowers is #1 for an 8th week. Thank you for continuing to support this meaningful song. I love you all deeply,” she captioned two photos of herself in a black-and-white ombré dress, the second of which featured fashion designer Donatella Versace, who wrote in the comments, “I love you Miley!!! Congratulations on your 8th week at #1.”
In addition to the celebratory post, Cyrus dropped another installment of her Endless Summer Vacation Backyard Sessions, this time giving fans a live rendition of the album track “Jaded.” The Disney Channel alum appears in a strappy white dress decorated in a large buckle and cutouts, and accessorized with angular black sunglasses, belting the emotive track with the help of background singers.
“Oh, isn’t it a shame that it ended like that?/ Said goodbye forever but you never unpacked/ We went to hell but we never came back,” the 30-year old sings on the bridge before launching into the track’s chorus. “I’m sorry that you’re jaded/ I could’ve taken you places/ You’re lonely now and I hate it/ I’m sorry that you’re jaded.”
“Jaded” is currently at No. 56 on the chart. Endless Summer Vacation, meanwhile, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, marking Cyrus’ 14th top 10 album of her career.
Watch the backyard session for “Jaded” in the video above.
Happy anniversary, dahhlings! As all members of the Lambily know, March 27 is the annual anniversary of Mariah Carey‘s birth.
And while the Songbird Supreme may classify herself as “eternally 12” — and refuses to use the term “birthday” or, you know, recognize the concept of time in general — we couldn’t let the day go by without honoring her legacy as one of the most iconic chart-toppers in Billboard history.
To date, the Elusive Chanteuse has racked up a record-setting nineteen No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — making her the solo artist with the most number ones and only one behind The Beatles’ high water mark of 20.
Of course, Carey’s latest, and some would argue greatest, No. 1 is “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which reached the top of the tally for the first time in 2019 — a full 25 years after its initial release — and has since made its annual return to No. 1 every holiday season since.
However, ask any Lamb and they’ll tell you there’s so much more to Mariah’s songbook than Christmas music. Starting out at the dawn of the ’90s, the singer became instantly known for her iconic voice and notched adult-contemporary hits like “Vision of Love” and “Love Takes Time” as well as certified pop smashes like “Dreamlover,” “Fantasy” and “Always Be My Baby.”
Eventually, she spread her wings and found her artistic freedom with the release of 1997’s Butterfly, which became a blueprint for successfully melding R&B, hip-hop and pop with singles like “Honey” and “My All.” High-profile collabs with Jay-Z and Joe and 98 Degrees soon followed in the form of “Heartbreaker” and “Thank God I Found You,” but Mariah hit another level of artistic achievement and string of No. 1s with 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi and its 2008 successor E=MC2.
Throughout the 2000s, the songwriter crafted the sound of the decade thanks to hits like “We Belong Together,” “Don’t Forget About Us” and “Touch My Body,” with the worldwide success of the former even barring its equally infectious follow-up “Shake It Off” from reaching the top of the chart.
To celebrate Mariah’s “anniversary,” vote for your favorite of her nineteen No. 1 hits below.
Jung Kook is the latest K-pop star to team up with American fashion brand Calvin Klein, and naturally, BTS fans are freaking out.
The K-pop singer’s teaser of his partnership with the brand arrived on Monday (March 27) and featured him engaging in a few athletic endeavors. While fans will have to wait for the rest of Jung Kook’s Calvin Klein ad to arrive, the first look shows snippets of the BTS member wearing double denim — a jean jacket, denim pants and the brand’s signature white briefs — as he runs though a black-and-white space. His face was not fully revealed in the ad teaser, but his eyes, hair and smiley face finger tattoo gives him away in the video, which is captioned, “Same time tomorrow?”
Reactions to the video were overwhelmingly positive, with ARMY members universally fawning over Jung Kook’s good looks in the advert. “Thanks, I have to call off work now because this made me forget how to breathe… y’all owe me a sick day… or more photos,” one fan tweeted, while another fan added, “JK! He is the epitome of cool! This will be a superb ad campaign! His duality of bad boy looks and adorable giggles & grin are sure to set ‘Calvin’s’ on fire!”
Jung Kook isn’t the first K-pop star to be featured in a Calvin Klein campaign: BLACKPINK’s Jennie got a featuring spot in an ad for the brand earlier this month.
See Jung Kook’s Calvin Klein teaser in the video below.
Lana Del Rey is back in all her glory on her latest album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, a 16-track victory lap around a remarkable career apex that’s lasted for years and doesn’t seem to be coming to an end any time soon.
It’s been said before, but the March 24-released record is peak Lana: sprawling melodies, caustic lyrics perfumed with wilted roses and cigarette smoke, and most importantly, little regard for pop music’s rules. It’s her ninth studio album and third solo LP in two years — a feat she chose to create with seasoned collaborators Jack Antonoff, Mike Hermosa and Drew Erickson — unshakeable proof that while a generation of aspiring anti-pop stars may try to mimic her complexity, Del Rey will always be inimitable.
“Eleven years ago I wanted it to be so good,” this year’s Women in Music Visionary Award honoree told Billboard earlier this year. “Now, I just sing exactly what I’m thinking. I’m thinking a little less big and bombastic. Maybe at some point I can have fun creating a world again, but right now, I would say there’s no world building. This music is about thought processing. It’s very, very wordy. I’m definitely living from the neck up.”
She really wasn’t kidding when she said she’s leaning wordier than ever, by the way. The tracks on Ocean Blvd often stretch longer than five minutes, no trace of a filler lyric in sight, packed with vulnerable lamentations on family, legacy and duty, in addition to her usual noir musings on love and sex.
Keep reading to see Billboard‘s 10 favorite lyrics from Lana Del Rey’s new record below, in no particular order.
“The Grants”
Lyric: “My pastor told me when you leave, all you take is your memory/ And I’m gonna take minе of you with me”
Why It’s So Great: Not only is this lyric just a simple, beautiful way of saying “I love you,” it’s also a sweet evolution of one of the lines in Lana’s 2013 Great Gatsby hit “Young and Beautiful”: “Dear Lord, when I get to heaven/ Please let me take my man.”
“The Grants,” however, isn’t just about romantic love — it’s about family, friends and lineage, something that makes the sentiment even more layered and meaningful. This Lana also sounds more self-assured than the 2013 version who begs and barters with God, this time staring her maker in the face without so much as a blink of fear.
“Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”
Lyric: “I can’t help but feel somewhat like my body marred my soul/ Handmade beauty sealed up by two manmade walls”
Why It’s So Great: Lana’s ninth record may have earned some chuckles when its atypically lengthy name was first announced, but the title track really does pull together the entire album with one simple metaphor, explained by this lyric. It’s her, she’s the bridge under Ocean Blvd — tarnished by trauma, insecure spots in the overall structure, but standing strong nonetheless.
“Sweet”
Lyric: “If you wanna go where nobody goes/ That’s where you’ll find me/ In the sweet north country”
Why It’s So Great: It’s an effortless reference to Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country,” but it’s also a romantic, picturesque way for the singer-songwriter to take pride in who she really is: a beautifully misunderstood loner who won’t compromise herself for the basic trappings of a humdrum life. You either meet her where she’s at, or lose her for good.
“A&W”
Image Credit: Lia Clay Miller
Lyric: “Your mom called, I told her, you’re f–kin’ up big time”
Why It’s So Great: “A&W,” which stands, yes, for “American whore,” is one of Lana’s greatest feats of innovation, marked by two distinct halves. The grim, lyrical first section deteriorates into a devilish, hedonistic free-for-all, guided by this simple, repeating, wonderfully bratty lyric.
“Fingertips”
Lyric: “Find your astral body, put it into my arms/ Give you two seconds to cry/ Take you home, I’ll give you a blanket/ Your spirit can sit and watch TV by my side”
Why It’s So Great: This six-minute stream of consciousness touches on grief, family, heartbreak and trauma. There’s plenty of great lines, but the most beautiful one has to be this one. Lana brilliantly illustrates the pain of longing to simply sit next to a loved one who’s passed away by juxtaposing the spiritual with the ordinary.
“Grandfather Please Stand on the Shoulders of My Father While He’s Deep‐Sea Fishing”
Lyric: “I know they think that it took thousands of people/ To put me together again like an experiment/ Some big men behind the scenes/ Sewing Frankenstein black dreams into my songs/ But they’re wrong”
Why It’s So Great: She’s has spoken at length before about the criticisms she’s received since the very beginning of her career, many of which questioned her artistic authenticity and message. With this lyric, she asserts her power and influence with all the confidence she deserves.
“Fishtail”
Lyric: “I see in technicolor/ Maybe I’ll take my glasses off so I stop painting red flags green”
Why It’s So Great: The artist often plays with color in her songs — “You’re just a man … head in your hands as you color me blue” on Norman F–king Rockwell, for instance — this song being no exception. On “Fishtail,” she cleverly and calmly confronts her own tendency to romanticize people who don’t deserve it.
“Kintsugi”
Image Credit: Lia Clay Miller
Lyric: “I can’t say I run when things get hard/ It’s just that I don’t trust myself with my heart/ But I’ve had to let it break a little more/ ‘Cause they say that’s what it’s for”
Why It’s So Great: This line — and most of the song, for that matter — serves as a beautiful, timeless little metaphor. Like cracked pottery, the breaks in her heart are what “let the light in” despite of the pain they initially caused. (Kintsugi is the Japanese practice of repairing broken ceramics in a way that celebrates the flaws.)
“Sweet”
Lyric: “Do you want children? Do you wanna marry me?/ Do you wanna run marathons in Long Beach by the sea?/ I’ve got things to do, like nothing at all/ I wanna do them with you/ Do you wanna do them with me?”
Why It’s So Great: This sentimental lyric echoes the heart-shatteringly simple line from Everything Everywhere All At Once: “In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.”
“A&W”
Lyric: “Did you know a singer can still be/ Looking like a sidepiece at 33?/ God’s a charlatan, don’t look back, babe”
Why It’s So Great: The greatest, most Lana-esque way ever of saying “I’m super hot.” Cheers.
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo is just days away from introducing herself to fans as a solo artist, with her debut ME arriving on Friday (March 31). Ahead of the release, the superstar unveiled the track list via Twitter on Monday (March 27).
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The two tracks, “꽃 (FLOWER)” and “All Eyes on Me,” came alongside a new poster in which the gorgeous Jisoo is seen pulling back a sheer red curtain, rocking a black leather beret complete with a red lip.
The BLACKPINK member’s first single album follows the autobiographical pattern established by the titles of prior solo releases by Rosé (2021’s record-setting -R-) and Lisa (2021’s LALISA).
As the fourth and final member of the girl group to go solo — Jennie also released her single “Solo” back in 2018 — Jisoo’s single album is set for release on March 31 via YG Entertainment.
BLACKPINK is set to take the stage at the BST Hyde Park concert series in London this summer on July 2, where they’ll share the stage with “Nonsense” singer Sabrina Carpenter, as well as South Korean indie rockers The Rose and up-and-coming English pop singers Caity Baser and Mae Stephens.
The massive summer series has already announced a a special edition of P!nk’s Summer Carnival outing with Gwen Stefani (and more guests to be announced soon) on June 24 and 25, a June 30 show with Guns N’ Roses (and special guests to be announced), beloved British boy band Take That with The Script and Sugarbabes on July 1, Billy Joel and Daryl Hall on July 7 and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on July 6 and 8.
Katy Perry took to social media on Monday (March 27) to highlight Orlando Bloom’s partnership with UNICEF to help bring humanitarian aid to the children of Ukraine.
“So proud of the work you are doing with @unicef, my love,” she wrote alongside her fiancé’s video of his in-person meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “You are a hero in real life too.”
In his own caption, which Perry also reposted, the Carnival Row actor explained the work he’s helping with in the embattled country. “Thousands of schools in Ukraine have been damaged or completely destroyed. Thousands of schools in Ukraine have been damaged or completely destroyed. Almost 2.7 million Ukrainian schoolchildren are forced to study online or in a mixed format. About 1.5 million Ukrainian boys and girls are at risk of developing depression, anxiety and other psychological problems.
“During the meeting, we discussed humanitarian aid projects, issues of reconstruction focused specifically on the interests of children,” he continued. “@unicef and our teams will work in several directions, bring victory closer and return a happy childhood to Ukrainian children.
Meanwhile, Perry is currently busy with the latest season of ABC’s American Idol, where she’s once again on the judging panel with Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. And though the trio’s sixth go-round together has already found potential stars in the likes of Platinum ticket winner Cam Amen, Kya Monée and Mariah Faith, Perry’s critiques for hopeful Sara Beth Liebe have sparked a backlash accusing her of “mom shaming.”
Read Perry’s tribute to Bloom below.
For the first time in her career, Taylor Swift has seven albums in the top 40 at the same time on the Billboard 200 chart (dated April 1).
Since the Billboard 200 was combined from its previously separate mono and stereo LP charts into one all-encompassing list in August 1963, Swift is only the second act — and first living artist — to have at least seven albums concurrently in the top 40. Previously, the feat was achieved only once in that span, after the death of Whitney Houston, when the late superstar also had seven in the top 40 on the chart dated March 17, 2012.
In the top 40 of the April 1-dated Billboard 200 chart, Swift holds the following titles:
No. 3 – Midnights
No. 13 – Lover
No. 14 – Folklore
No. 19 – 1989
No. 22 – Red (Taylor’s Version)
No. 26 – Reputation
No. 31 – Evermore
For good measure, Swift has two further albums on the April 1 chart: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) at No. 52, and Speak Now, at No. 69.
The Swift domination on the latest chart, which reflects the tracking week of March 17-23, coincides with the launch of her massive The Eras Tour on March 17 in Glendale, Ariz. The stadium tour is promoted as a career-spanning retrospective. On opening night, Swift played more than three hours, and the show’s setlist contained more than 40 songs.
As previously reported, Midnights, released in October 2022, jumps 6-3 on the Billboard 200 with 61,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 23 (up 31%), according to Luminate.
Earlier in 2023, Swift had 10 concurrently charting albums on the Billboard 200 for the first time – a rarity in the list’s lengthy history.
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 April 1, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 28. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Missed out on a chance to score tickets to John Mayer‘s 2023 solo acoustic tour? Fans are in luck, as the musician announced on Monday (March 26) an extension of his current trek into the fall, with a series of additional dates across the United States.
“Announcing new fall dates for the Solo tour. As a dear friend once told me, ‘never block a blessing.’ Something very special is happening out here and I want to keep it going – It’s too good for my soul. Thank you for making it such an incredible run so far,” Mayer shared on Instagram, along with the new dates included on a poster.
The fall leg of Mayer’s Solo tour will kick off on Oct. 3 at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, and will make stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville and more before concluding on Nov. 10 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. JP Saxe will be the special guest for the new dates. “Deeply overjoyed we get to keep doing this. thx for bringing me along,” Saxe commented under the tour announcement.
The “Daughter” singer’s post also included details on how fans can buy tickets. “Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, March 31 at 9 AM local time,” he shared. “An exclusive fan presale will be available starting Wednesday, March 29, at 9 AM local time and end Thursday, March 30, at 10 PM. Sign up to access your unique presale code now at johnmayer.com. UK and Europe dates coming soon.”
See Mayer’s announcement, as well as the full list of tour dates, 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 The Japanese House, Donna Missal, Amaarae, FLO 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.
The Japanese House, “Boyhood”
The Japanese House (aka Amber Bain) returns with the provoking and expectedly gorgeous “Boyhood, the artist’s first taste of new music this year. Arriving as the first single since Bain’s 2020 EP Chewing Cotton Wool (which featured Justin Vernon), “Boyhood” dives in deep, exploring childhood trauma and learned identity — all of which, of course, Bain sings with the utmost delicacy. – Lyndsey Havens
Amelia Moore & jxdn, “FUMD”
The latest from alt-pop artist Amelia Moore is a metallic and rattling track on which she yells (veiled in industrial, distorted production) to an ex, “I think of you when I sleep / You can’t just leave me alone / You gotta fuck up my dreams.” Jxdn perfectly fills in the blanks, offering the other side of the story — while echoing the exact same feelings. The catharsis is palpable. – L.H.
Softcult, “Spoiled”
There’s an intimate awareness that accompanies sibling harmonies — and Softcult, the grungy, dream-pop duo of twins Mercedes and Phoenix — is no exception. “Spoiled” takes listeners on a trip through two extremes: downtempo, tender moments lead to the more assertive and surging summit. The song is a standout on the Canadian DIY act’s latest EP, See You In the Dark, of which the siblings say: “We finally see ourselves as we currently are, not who we want to be.” – L.H.
Donna Missal, “Flicker”
It’s immediately clear that “Flicker” was a song Donna Missal had to make — it sounds like the dance-pop equivalent of a long-awaited sob, as if it just spilled right out all over the studio floor. Arriving as the first single since Missal was released from her label last year, “Flicker” has an undeniable shine, and Missal herself sounds stronger — and more empowered — than ever. – L.H.
Harriette, “bc I love you”
After a six-year hiatus, VV Brown — one of the most strikingly ambitious pop artists of the 2010s — is back with “Black British,” an incisive look at race relations in the modern U.K. that nods to influences ranging from Erykah Badu to James Baldwin. Brown can rap, belt, construct pop melodies and weave harmonies into thoughtful criticism; her talent bowls over everything in its path, and its return with “Black British” is very welcome. – J. Lipshutz
Amaarae, “Reckless & Sweet”
“Reckless & Sweet” possesses the type of ringing hook that beckons whoever is listening to the dance floor — and that’s before the wind-swept rhythms kick in and Amaarae arrives, asserting the world around her with coos and commands. The rest of “Reckless & Sweet” lives up to the second half of the song title, but Amaarae’s latest gem is carefully orchestrated, a sense of purpose within each smooth motion. – J. Lipshutz
DWLLRS, “Driving”
Titling a song “Driving” suggests that it will make for a sublime open-road soundtrack, and when it comes to the new track from California indie-pop duo DWLLRS, mission accomplished: the wispy guitars, extended syllables and rolling percussion synch up to passing mile markers and open-window exhalations quite nicely. Sure, you could listen to “Driving” on headphones, but you’d be missing a bit of the spark. – J. Lipshutz
Jam City feat. Aidan, “Times Square”
British producer Jam City is adept at concocting shoulder-wiggling dance tracks, and “Times Square,” a disco bumper with guest vocals from Aidan, an Omar S sample racing across its runt time and a love of hip-hop at its heart, marks one of his sleekest hits to date. “Times Square” clocks in at four-and-a-half minutes but begs for an extended remix — we could groove to this for twice as long. – J. Lipshutz
VV Brown, “Black British”
After a six-year hiatus, VV Brown — one of the most strikingly ambitious pop artists of the 2010s — is back with “Black British,” an incisive look at race relations in the modern U.K. that nods to influences ranging from Erykah Badu to James Baldwin. Brown can rap, belt, construct pop melodies and weave harmonies into thoughtful criticism; her talent bowls over everything in its path, and its return with “Black British” is very welcome. – J. Lipshutz
FLO feat. Missy Elliott, “Fly Girl”
British girl group FLO pick the clock up flip it and reverse it to 2002 with “Fly Girl,” a smooth R&B ride with some impressive vocal runs, none of which veer into ostentation. The chorus, naturally, draws on Missy Elliott’s 2002 classic “Work It” — and Misdemeanor herself even stops by for a joyous guest verse. – Joe Lynch
Naturally, John Legend could help but react when footage surfaced on social media over the weekend of Harry Styles locking lips with Emily Ratajkowski to one of his songs.
The crooner hilariously retweeted the video — which shows the Harry’s House star kissing the model on the streets of Tokyo — on Sunday (March 26), writing, “Making out to Dope. So dope” with a cool, sunglass-wearing emoji. (Featuring a guest assist from JID, “Dope” was released as the lead single off the singer’s 2022 self-titled album Legend.)
Legend’s friends and fans flooded his replies with amusing appreciation over the post. Rapper D-Dot wrote, “You must be stopped” with a laugh-crying emoji, to with the singer reiterated, “Happy to be helpful.” Meanwhile, one Twitter user declared, “I’ve been looking for the name of the song it’s a bop” while another chimed in, “They can just blame it on @johnlegend, lol.”
The Voice coach wasn’t the only celebrity to offer his take on Styles and EmRata’s viral PDA, either. Lewis Capaldi also posted a TikTok using his own song “How I’m Feeling Now” in response to the hook-up. “Me after seeing the video of Harry and emrata,” he wrote on the clip as his voice wails, “So here’s to my beautiful life/ That seems to leave me so unsatisfied.” Of course, Capaldi is hysterically in his feelings over the smooch considering he recently got his own kiss from the “As It Was” singer at the 2023 BRIT Awards.
Check out Legend and Capaldi’s respectively amusing reactions to seeing Styles and Ratajkowski’s public make-out session below.
