music blog
The Weeknd Reigns Over U.K. Albums Chart With ‘Dawn FM’
The Weeknd earns a third U.K. chart crown as Dawn FM (Republic Records/XO) debuts at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Dawn FM accumulates 20,000-plus chart sales on week one, and is the first album released in 2022 to lead the U.K. chart. With no physical version of the album available, 94% of its weekly total is made up of streams, the Official Charts Company reports. The Canadian R&B singer previously led the survey with Beauty Behind The Madness (from 2015) and After Hours (2020), while his 2021 hits set The Highlights holds at No. 9 on the current chart. Also new to the weekly survey is Gunna’s third album DS4ever (300 Entertainment), starting at No. 4. It’s the Atlanta rapper’s career-best chart position, besting the No. 5 peak for its predecessor, 2020’s Wunna, and his fo...
Gayle’s ‘Abcdefu’ Completes Climb to U.K. No. 1
Gayle completes her ascent to the U.K. chart throne as “abcdefu” (Atlantic) rises to No. 1 in its ninth week. The teenage Texan — she’s just 17 years and six months — is one of the youngest artists to be crowned on the U.K. chart, and is the third under-18 leader in less than two years, following New Zealand producer Jawsh 685 and U.S. singer Olivia Rodrigo. The viral hit piles on 4.7 million streams in the U.K. to bump Adele’s “Easy On Me” (Columbia) to No. 2, stopping its eighth non-consecutive weeks at the summit. Close behind is “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (Walt Disney), by the cast of Disney’s latest animated hit Encanto. “Bruno” lifts 4-3, for a new peak. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Another viral hit surges the Official U.K. Sin...
‘Encanto’ Single ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ Heading for U.K. No. 1
Disney’s Encanto is sitting in that sweet spot, a film that’s struck a chord with both critics and audiences, and its soundtrack is spreading the word. One of those singalong songs is on track for the U.K. No. 1. Based on 48 hours of sales and streaming activity, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (via Walt Disney) is on pole position for the chart crown. “Bruno” leads the Official Chart Update, which ranks the most popular singles after the first weekend in the cycle, and would be the first-ever U.K. leader for each of the cast members credited on the track — Carolina Gaitán, Diane Guerrero, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Stephanie Beatriz and Mauro Castillo. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news As “Bruno” lifts 3-1 on the chart blast, Gayle’s “Abcdefu” (Atlantic)...
Detroit Cobras Singer Rachel Nagy Has Died
Rachel Nagy, the force-of-nature singer and founding member of The Detroit Cobras, the Michigan garage rock outfit, has died. Bandmate Greg Cartwright broke the sad news on Saturday (Jan. 17) via Detroit Cobras’ social channels. “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we announce the loss of our beloved friend and musical colleague, Rachel Lee Nagy,” he writes. “There are no words to fully articulate our grief as we remember a life cut short, still vital and inspirational to all who knew and loved her.” No cause of death was given. Nagy co-founded Detroit Cobras back in 1994 with guitarist Mary Ramirez, and “carried the torch of rock, soul and R&B to fans all over the world,” adds Cartwright. “More than just a performer, she embodied the spirit of the music itself and vaulted ...
THE OFFSPRING Drops New Episode Of ‘Cockpit Karaoke’ Featuring ‘Let The Bad Times Roll’
THE OFFSPRING has dropped another episode of “Cockpit Karaoke”, a video series featuring frontman Bryan “Dexter” Holland and guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman singing along to some of the band’s biggest hits from inside a private jet that’s being flown by Holland, who is a licensed pilot. This time, Dexter and Noodles have opted to tackle “Let The Bad Times Roll”, the title track of THE OFFSPRING‘s latest album. When “Cockpit Karaoke” was first launched last July — featuring the duo singing “Come Out And Play”, with the “Keep ‘Em Separated Guy” along for the ride — Holland told SPIN: “We know everyone’s heard of ‘Carpool Karaoke’, but ‘Cockpit Karaoke&...
Kanye West Spotted in the Studio With Pusha T and A$AP Rocky
Shortly after linking up with The Game for the new single “Eazy,” it looks like the artist formerly known as Kanye West is preparing to drop a new collab with Pusha T and A$AP Rocky. Ye, Push and Flacko were all seen in the studio together, with a muted video of West and Rocky seemingly enjoying a track and a group photo of them with Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith of Top Dawg Entertainment, Antonio Brown and The Game circulating the internet. Nothing has been confirmed as of writing, but with the release of “Eazy” and news of DONDA 2 in the works, fans can deduce that Ye’s next body of work is already well underway. The video and photo hit the internet just as Ye opened up about the alleged incident that led to him being named as a suspect in a criminal battery investigation. West shared that ...
Drake Named Most-Streamed Artist of 2021
Drake has officially been named the most-streamed artist of 2021 in the United States, beating high-profile colleagues like Kanye West, J. Cole and Tyler, the Creator. According to Chart Data, The Boy’s music received a total of 8.6 billion on-demand streams, meaning that one out of every 131 streams was a Drake song. The numbers add up as his most recent full-length album, Certified Lover Boy, is the only rap album of 2021 that is eligible for double platinum certification by the RIAA. It first went platinum a month after its release, is the first rap album of 2021 to spend five weeks at No. 1, sold over 600,000 units in its first week and broke Apple Music and Spotify’s records for the biggest first-day streams. .@Drake was the #1 most streamed artist of 2021 in the US, with 8.6 billion ...
JAY-Z Admits ‘In My Lifetime, Vol. 1’ Still “Haunts” Him to This Day
In a rare social media event, JAY-Z took to Twitter to admit that his 1997 album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 “haunts” him. Hov virtually responded to Questlove, who initially tweeted that a majority of JAY’s “best moments” were actually in the album. “More so, I know what could have been, so it haunts me,” the Brooklyn-born rapper replied. “Streets Is Watching was the first song made!” In return, Questlove simply tweeted, “Uh can I make this tweet an NFT?” Questlove shared his initial breakdown of the album, noting that these moments included “A Million & One Questions,” that “I Know What Girls Like” received unfair criticism and that “Imaginary Players” created Hov. “When you hear Players you got two sides to choose….you wanna be the cat who who got leathers…..or you wanna be the...
PETA Blasts Kanye and The Game’s Cover Art Depicting Skinned Monkey for New Single “Eazy”
Kanye West and The Game’s new single “Eazy” isn’t just making waves for its Pete Davidson diss. The song’s artwork, which features a skinned monkey, has been condemned by the animal rights organization PETA. “MY LIFE WAS NEVER EAZY,” both artists captioned the artwork, which features the flayed primate against a blood-red background, ahead of the song’s release. Inexplicably, The Game’s original post was flagged by Instagram as “graphic or violent content” while West’s has not been given the same warning as of press time. “The photo is reminiscent of the monkeys PETA has found, sometimes heads, sometimes hands, sometimes the whole body, in meat markets around the world and it makes it clear that when you remove the fur you can’t miss that there’s a person in there, that they are fellow pri...
Geese Perform “Low Era” on Colbert: Watch
Geese landed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Friday night, where they performed “Low Era.” The track comes from the buzzy Brooklyn-based quintet’s debut album, Projector. Watch the replay below. Later this month, Geese will head out on their first official headlining tour, starting with a show at Pittsburgh’s Club Cafe on January 21. The multi-country trek — which also includes stops in the U.K. and Canada — carries on through the middle of spring, when it closes with a hometown show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on April 14th. Afterward, they’ll serve as support for Spoon on their own upcoming headlining tour. You can get tickets here. Check out our Artist of the Month feature on Geese, and watch the band play a game of “Band or Sham.” Advertisement [embedded content] Share this:...
Kelly Rizzo Declares Late Husband Bob Saget ‘The Most Incredible Man on Earth’
Kelly Rizzo took to Instagram on Saturday (Jan. 15) to pay tribute to her late husband Bob Saget shortly after he was laid to rest. “My sweet husband,” Rizzo, 42, began in a lengthy caption alongside a photograph of herself with Saget. “After much reflection this week, I’m trying, really trying, to not think I was robbed of time. But instead to think: How lucky was I that I got to be the one to be married to THE MOST INCREDIBLE MAN ON EARTH.” The Full House star and TV personality were married in 2018 in Santa Monica. At age 65, Saget died last Sunday in a hotel room in Orlando, Florida. A cause of death has yet to be determined. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Saget was laid to rest on Friday in an intimate service at Mount Sinai Memorial Park...
Maneskin Set as ‘SNL’ Musical Guest, With Host Will Forte
Italian rockers Måneskin will appear as the musical guest on the next episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by actor (and former SNL cast member) Will Forte. SNL made the lineup announcement for its upcoming Jan. 22 episode this weekend. Måneskin — Damiano David, Victoria De Angelis, Thomas Raggi and Ethan Torchio — won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 with the song “Zitti e buoni.” Explore Explore Maneskin See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the wake of their Eurovision win, the quartet’s cover of the Four Seasons‘ “Beggin’,” which they first released on an EP in 2017, went viral on TikTok and hit streaming services as new fans discovered the band and their catalog. “Beggin’” peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Global 2...
