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The rumors arrived on Thursday (Feb. 15) evening, and now everything is confirmed officially. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign will be in Italy next week to present their joint album Vultures 1 at two listening parties, one in Milan (Feb. 22) and another Bologna (Feb. 24). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See […]
Since February began, Megan Thee Stallion scored a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, unveiled a partnership with Nike, inked a distribution deal with Warner Music and celebrated her birthday — that’s some serious hot girl s–t right there. And in honor of the Houston rapper turning 29 Thursday (Feb. 15), Billboard wants […]
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 1 album has been removed from Apple Music after five days on the streaming service.
Vultures 1 was taken down from Apple Music on Thursday afternoon (Feb. 15) without any explanation as to why.
The project was also wiped from iTunes and scrubbed from the Apple Music charts, where the Rich The Kid and Playboi Carti-assisted “CARNIVAL” had held the No. 1 slot on the Top 100: Global chart. However, “CARNIVAL” has since been added back as a single to Apple Music and YouTube Music.
Earlier on Thursday (Feb. 15), Billboard reported that the album’s distribution company FUGA — a business-to-business tech and distribution platform for labels — had plans to work with DSPs to take the project off streaming in its entirety.
“Late last year, FUGA was presented with the opportunity to release Vultures 1,” a FUGA spokesperson said in a statement to Billboard. “Exercising our judgment in the ordinary course of business, we declined to do so.”
The spokesperson continued: “On Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, a long-standing FUGA client delivered the album Vultures 1 through the platform’s automated processes, violating our service agreement. Therefore, FUGA is actively working with its DSP partners and the client to remove Vultures 1 from our systems.”
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The FUGA spokesperson didn’t clarify whether the company would help facilitate a transfer to another distributor.
While Apple Music has removed the project, Vultures 1 remains on other streamers like Spotify and Amazon Music as of press time.
However, the project faced its first streaming issues on Wednesday (Feb. 14) when Spotify removed “Good (Don’t Die)” from its platform due to claims of “copyright infringement” made by Donna Summer’s estate. The electro-pop deep cut appears to interpolate elements of Donna Summer‘s 1977 hit “I Feel Love” on the pensive chorus, and the estate says it didn’t approve of its use.
“Kanye West… asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love, he was denied… he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it’s I Feel Love… copyright infringement!!!” the estate wrote in an Instagram Story on the official Donna Summer account Saturday (Feb. 10).
Amazon Music followed suit with the removal of “Good (Don’t Die)” on Thursday (Feb. 15), and it appears more Vultures fallout is on the horizon.
Billboard has reached out to Apple Music and West’s reps for comment.
Kanye West is returning to Rolling Loud. After bailing on his headlining set in 2022, West is set to perform at the California festival‘s newly-announced Thursday night (March 14) kick-off date. Ye broke the news himself when he revealed Vultures would be coming to Rolling Loud on Thursday (Feb. 15) with an Instagram post showcasing […]
Drake has entered his suburban dad phase — at least artistically speaking. The 6 God helms the “Rich Baby Daddy” music video — which arrived on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) — for which he serves as the vintage clip’s director and co-star. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
Streams and sales of Usher’s sizable catalog of music rose amid and following his performance at the halftime show of Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11.
From Feb. 11-12, consumption of Usher’s music totaled 35.9 million official on-demand U.S. streams, up 46% from 24.6 million between Feb. 9-10, according to initial reports to Luminate.
Additionally, his music accumulated 27,000 downloads Feb. 11-12, a 210% jump after accruing 9,000 Feb. 9-10.
The gains come despite higher-than-usual totals for the singer on streaming services thanks not just to buzz around his performance, but also the premiere of Coming Home, Usher’s ninth studio album, which was released on Feb. 9. Comparing the two-day period of Feb. 11-12 to the Sunday-Monday stretch of a week before (Feb. 4-5), the percentage gain is even higher – 299%, up to 35.9 million from 9 million. Download-wise, it’s a leap of 1,685% from 2,000 downloads to 27,000.
Leading the way is “Yeah!,” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, which accumulated 4.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams Feb. 11-12. That’s up 105% from Feb. 9-10, when the song earned 2.3 million streams.
Some of Usher’s biggest gainers were, like “Yeah!,” performed during the halftime show. The same can be said for “My Boo,” Usher’s duet with Alicia Keys (who made a cameo during the medley). The tune vaults 158% to 3 million streams Feb. 11-12, up from 1.2 million the previous two days.
“Love in This Club” (which features Jeezy) follows with 2.4 million streams Feb. 11-12, a 147% boost from 961,000, and then comes “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” (featuring Pitbull) via 2.1 million streams, up 83% from 1.2 million.
Sales-wise, “Yeah!” also paces the pack, racking up 7,000 downloads Feb. 11-12. In the previous frame of Feb. 9-10, it earned 1,000 downloads, giving the song a 424% leap.
“U Got It Bad” boasts the next highest sales count at 3,000 Feb. 11-12, a 349% jump from 1,000 Feb 9-10.
The full breadth of Usher’s catalog gains will be noted on the Billboard charts dated Feb. 24, which cover streams, sales and airplay accrued during the Feb. 9-15 tracking week.
02/15/2024
This year’s list is dominated by artists who encompass versatility from the worlds of hip-hop, R&B, and African music.
02/15/2024
As the entire world already knows, Beyoncé is in her country era. After hard-launching her new album — the as-yet-untitled second part of the three-act project she began with the Billboard 200-topping Renaissance back in 2022 — during the 2024 Super Bowl via a Verizon commercial, Queen Bey has released two new versions of the […]
Kanye West is trying to lead with love as he clarified that name-dropping Taylor Swift on Vultures 1 standout “Carnival” came with no ill will. “I mean since Taylor Swift, since I had the Rollie on the wrist/ I’m the new Jesus b—h, I turn water to Cris,” he raps on the anthem.
West posted a photo to Instagram on Wednesday (Feb. 14) screenshotting a fan’s tweet calling for Swifties to support Beyoncé’s pair of singles to help block Kanye from debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Carnival.”
“WHEN I SAID THAT I’M THE NEW JESUS B—H I WASN’T EVEN THINKING ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT THAT WAS A WHOLE LINE BEFORE BUT I APPRECIATE THE FREE PROMO,” he wrote.
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The Chicago-bred rapper — who now goes by Ye — went on to explain that he actually had Swift’s back when Scooter Braun purchased the masters to the pop star’s first six albums through a 2019 deal. (West dissed Braun on “Vultures,” with the rapper claiming that he had been intimate with the record exec’s wife in one lyric.)
“REMEMBER I WAS ON TAYLOR’S SIDE WHEN SCOOTER BOUGHT HER MASTERS BEHIND HER BACK,” he continued in his post. “SHE AND BEYONCÉ ARE BIG INSPIRATIONS TO ALL MUSICIANS WE ALWAYS SAY HOW BOTH SELL OUT TOURS AND MOVIES.”
Ye believes he’s been more “helpful” to Swift’s massive career as a pop titan than “harmful,” but wouldn’t exactly call himself an ally to the Swifties.
“ALSO, I’M SURE I’VE BEEN FAR MORE HELPFUL TO TAYLOR SWIFT’S CAREER THAN HARMFUL,” he added. “TO ALL TAYLOR SWIFT FANS I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY UUUM IM NOT YOUR FRIEND EITHER THOUGH LOL.”
Ye and Swift have a complicated history, to say the least. Their relationship is famously headlined by the infamous 2009 MTV Video Music Awards moment when the rapper crashed the stage during Swift’s acceptance speech to highlight Beyoncé’s video. He also took credit for making her “famous” on a The Life of Pablo track in 2016.
In the same IG post, West reflected on the turbulence of the last year caused by his antics and antisemitic remarks, which saw just about every brand associated with the rapper sever ties.
“LAST YEAR WAS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING FOR ME, MY WIFE, MY CHILDREN, FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I’VE BEEN BANNED FROM HOTELS, KICKED OUT OF COMPANIES, AND EVEN NOT ALLOWED TO EAT IN SOME RESTAURANTS,” Ye penned. “EVERYONE SAW VULTURES 1 GET TAKEN OFF OF PLATFORMS TO LIMIT OUR FIRST WEEK NUMBERS. THIS REMINDS ME OF THE MISTREATMENT OF MY PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN.”
Even through all of the controversies, Yeezy is vying for what could be his 11th album earning the No. 1 spot atop the Billboard 200 after this week thanks to Vultures 1.
See West’s post below.
Fresh off a Las Vegas wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Jenn Goicoechea, over Super Bowl Weekend, Usher is opening up about one of his first true loves in a new People magazine cover story. The singer, 45, spoke to the magazine about his intense romance with TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, whom the “Yeah!” singer met when he moved to Atlanta from his home in Chattanooga, TN as a teenager.
Describing himself as someone who “was always charming the older ladies,” Usher said he was smitten when he met Chilli, now 53, who was seven years older than him when they began dating in 2001. “If I am to be honest, I was her No. 1 fan, and she was my superstar,” he said, adding that he had Chilli’s poster on the wall of his childhood bedroom when he was eight-years-old.
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“[I] said, ‘Man that girl is so beautiful. One day I’m going to meet her,’” he recalled saying at the time. And though meeting the woman of his dreams and beginning a relationship with her was magical, Usher said the affair ultimately fizzled because of differing priorities. “I was a young man, and she had very specific rules that didn’t work for me,” he told People of the singer who starred in the videos for Usher’s hits “U Remind Me,” “U Got it Bad” and “U Don’t Have to Call.”
“We were missing each other. I really did want to have a different type of relationship where she was there with me, and she couldn’t be,” said Usher, who wowed the crowd at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas during Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII halftime show. “She didn’t believe that I was actually in love with her as much as I was.”
Despite the difficulties, Usher said his plan to marry Chilli went sideways. “I proposed and she told me no. I went through a great deal of pain after that, not trusting women or wanting to open up,” Usher said. “I hurt her too,” he added, noting that the split also “broke my heart.”
Usher, now married for a third time, and Chilli — who began dating actor Matthew Lawrence in 2022 — reportedly remained friendly after their split; Chilli previously told People that they were on-and-off for years after the break-up, reconnecting when they weren’t dating other people. But Usher told the mag that when it ended, he was done for good.
“We were cool with each other, but I was very careful with that,” he said. “I really did love that girl, and I was like, I don’t want to play with you. Like, ‘I can’t give you what I gave you. I did everything that I thought you would’ve wanted me to do, but I guess my good wasn’t great enough.’” But, he noted, these days the two are “cool with each other” and it’s “always light” when they see each other.
Usher dropped his new album, Coming Home, last week. The 20-track collection boasts guest spots from BTS’ Jung Kook, Burna Boy, H.E.R. and more, and is expected to compete with Kanye West’s Vultures for the top spot on the Billboard 200 next week.
