entertainment blog
(This Is) Not Your Father’s Catalog Music
Streaming has made catalog music more important than ever – it jumped from about 65% of the market in 2020 to about 70% last year. But the catalog that’s growing isn’t necessarily what you’d expect. Icons like The Beatles are thriving, but the category is now dominated by Drake, Taylor Swift and other modern acts. Billboard explains where the growth is – and how it could continue. Plus: Why Drake streams as much as all music before 1980 combined, how TikTok turns yesterday’s tracks into today’s hits, how classic rock acts are holding up and why the only thing that hasn’t changed is the industry’s ability to hype up trends. Related Related Deep Dive: A Musician’s Guide to Web3 04/15/2022 Read the full Deep Dive here. More Swift Than Dylan: How Newer Hits Overtook Classic Rock to Rule ...
First Out: New Music From Phoebe Bridgers, Conan Gray, 100 Gecs & More
Tax season got you down? Cheer yourself up with some new tunes from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is here to help with First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists. From Phoebe Bridgers‘s surprise new single, to the start of Conan Gray‘s new era, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Phoebe Bridgers, “Sidelines” [embedded content] It seems odd to think that “Sidelines” is Phoebe Bridgers’ first track since she unveiled Punisher back in 2020 — the indie singer’s whole career has transformed since then as she ascended to superstardom. But “Sidelines” proves that while the circumstances may have changed for Br...
More Swift Than Dylan: How Newer Hits Overtook Classic Rock to Rule the Catalog Market
At the beginning of the year, Luminate (formerly MRC Data) issued its 2021 annual report, which showed that catalog music — which Billboard defines as a track that is older than 18 months — increased its share of overall U.S. music consumption from 65.1% in 2020 to 69.8% last year, as measured by album consumption units. The initial interpretation of that data was that, more than a year into the pandemic, listeners were soothing themselves with nostalgia — relaxing with Fleetwood Mac, rather than blasting Doja Cat. The market share of catalog has actually been rising since 2014, back when sales still dominated the industry, when it accounted for just 35.8% of the business. Since then, the popularity of catalog has climbed steadily, until its big jump last year – when consumption in the cat...
Lizzo Announces New Album Special, Shares Video for New Song “About Damn Time”: Watch
Lizzo has released her new song “About Damn Time.” It’s her first single since sharing “Rumors” (featuring Cardi B) last year. She’s also announced that her new album Special is out July 15 (via Nice Life/Atlantic). In the Christian Breslauer–directed video, Lizzo flees a “Stressed & Sexy” support group in a video that features an office building with light-up disco flooring and a scene where she plays flute while standing atop the water in a swimming pool. Watch it all happen, and find the album artwork for Special, below. In a new interview with Zane Lowe, Lizzo chatted about the inspiration behind “About Damn Time.” “‘About Damn Time’ can lead into so many conversations,” she said. “It’s about damn time I feel better, it’s about damn time we get out this pandemic. It’s about damn ti...
Sault Release New Album Air: Listen
Mysterious UK group Sault have released a new album. It’s called Air, and you can check it out on Bandcamp. The album can be purchased on vinyl, CD, and digital formats (the digital version is available as a name-your-price download). Give it a listen below. In 2021, Sault released their third album Nine, which followed 2020’s pair of LPs Untitled (Black Is) and Untitled (Rise). Nine was only available to stream, download, and purchase for 99 days following its release. Last year, Sault were shortlisted as nominees for the prestigious Hyundai Mercury Prize. Read more about Untitled (Black Is) in “Great Records You May Have Missed: Summer 2020.” Content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Sonic Youth Share 1989 Kyiv Live Recording to Benefit Ukrainian Relief: Listen
Sonic Youth have shared a new live album, a set recorded in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 14, 1989. Proceeds from the set benefit World Central Kitchen and Ukrainian relief efforts. Check it out below. Despite their official breakup in 2011, Sonic Youth have maintained a regular archival release schedule. Last year, they issued a pair of live recordings from Texas to benefit abortion rights: one set from Austin in 1995 and the other from Dallas in 2006. The band most recently released In/Out/In, a collection of mostly instrumental recordings completed between 2000 and 2010. Read Pitchfork’s feature “Sonic Youth and the Business of Keeping a Dead Band Alive.” Content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Watch the Coachella 2022 Live Stream: Billie Eilish, the Weeknd, Arcade Fire, and More
Content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. After two COVID-19 cancelations, the festival announced its return last June, revealing the full lineup in January. A few weeks later, Coachella added that it was walking back its vaccination requirements for attendees, and that masks were not required at the festival. Though Travis Scott had been booked for the 2020 edition of Coachella and had been slated to return with it this year, he dropped from the lineup following the fatal crowd-crush incident at his Astroworld festival last fall. Kanye West was part of the first wave of headliners, but he, too, dropped off the bill for reasons he did not specify. The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia will perform on April 17 and 24 instead. Follow along with Pitchfork’s full cov...
Judge Greg Mathis Trending After “Crackhead” Clip Goes Wide
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Judge Greg Mathis, and his popular syndicated reality series Judge Mathis, began its 23rd season in September 2021 and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. On Wednesday, a clip featuring the Detroit native went wide after he claimed to be able to detect of a participant on the show was a former “crackhead.” Twitter user @Jo_Pa_Po shared the clip Wednesday (April 13) of Judge Mathis with Mathis speaking to a woman during a hearing. When Mathis asks if she objects, the woman inquires as to what, with Mathis following up with, “You object to the rumor or do you object to being a crackhead” without skipping a beat. The woman says she objects, which causes Mathis to press further. Mathis then says, “I don’t think you are now...
Pusha T Says He’s “Pressing” For A New Clipse Album
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Pusha T knows exactly what he’s doing. While the buzz surrounding his forthcoming new album, It’s Almost Dry, continues to rise, he’s also “pressing” his big brother Malice about making a new Clipse album. It’s well known that Malice stepped away from the game, choosing instead to focus on his faith and living his life (he was the officiant for his brother’s wedding). However, on NIGO’s latest project, I Know NIGO!, the Clipse reunited for a new song called “Punch Bowl.” Related Stories One listen to the song and it’s evident that Malice hasn’t lost a step lyrically. It also meant that, once again, fans are speculating about and hoping for a proper Clipse reunion. Apparently, so is Push A Ton. [embedded content] “Being in the studio w...
Listen to Swedish House Mafia’s Stunning Debut Album, a Reminder That Even the Most Broken Can Heal With Time
And just like that, they’re back. It’s hard to believe we’re just now hearing the debut album from Swedish House Mafia. Sauntering at the pinnacle of an eruptive EDM boom in the early 2010s, the trio had reached the promised land on the heels of their many generational dance anthems. But a fractured dynamic in the band led to its shocking disbandment, which deflated the electronic music community like a left hook from Mike Tyson. And as Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, and Steve Angello explored solo endeavors, the group’s detachment ultimately settled in as an axiom that their once-harmonic relationship had gone irretrievably sour. But even the most broken things can heal with time. That brings us to today, when Swedish House Mafia finally released Paradise Ag...
Eptic Channels Chaos On Unrelenting Debut Album, “The End Of The World”: Listen
Eptic has long been regarded as a leader in bass music, consistently writing festival favorites while finding new ways to innovate and evolve his distinct sound. His debut album The End Of The World has now arrived, further cementing his legacy. To put it simply, The End Of The World is Eptic’s most complete project yet. Spanning 10 tracks, the Belgian producer has channeled his sound into an unrelenting conduit of chaos. One thing is for sure: he has never been more fearless in his approach to songwriting. “I would be lying if I said writing this album went smooth. Making this collection of music has been the most difficult and frustrating project I’ve worked on in my entire life,” Eptic said in a press release shared with EDM.com. “It’s literal blood, sweat, ...
JNR Choi & Sam Tompkins’ ‘Moon’ Lands in Top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart
The TikTok-to-charts pipeline yields another success story as JNR Choi and Sam Tompkins‘ “To the Moon!” breaks into the top 10 of Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The collaboration rises from No. 12 to No. 10 on the list dated April 16 as the song reaches new highs in radio airplay. “Moon” surfaced on TikTok beginning last August. The drill single’s origins are double-layered: It samples Sam Tompkins’ cover of Bruno Mars‘ 2010 release “Talking to the Moon” – a situation that temporarily led to its removal from streaming services, as JNR Choi detailed in his Billboard Chartbreaker profile earlier this month. JNR Choi and Tompkins each earn their first top 10 with their first entry on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Notably, Mars, credited as a songwriter on “Moon,” collects his 10th ...
