Pop
Katy B Releases First New Single in Five Years “Under My Skin”: Stream
UK electro-pop crooner Katy B is back, having just released a new single called “Under My Skin” that serves as her first piece of solo music in five years. Stream it below. Katy B sounds right at home on “Under My Skin,” scaling falsettos and low notes with ease while singing about a love gone sour. Musically, it’s a light and catchy number with snappy percussion, buoyant synths, and vocal runs galore. Part of that instrumentation is thanks to P2J, the Nigerian musician who co-wrote and produced the single. In a statement, Katy B said it was a “dream” to work with P2J on the song: “He’s a fellow south Londoner like me and went to school with my brother. He told me back in the day my brother was always saying to him ‘you have to work with my sister’ and when we met, I instantly felt at ease...
Justin Bieber Jumping on a Remix of WizKid’s ‘Essence,’ His Personal ‘Song of the Summer’
The song could experience a leap on the chart following the Bieber-assisted remix, which happened with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito.” The Latin pop anthem leapt to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2017 and remained at the top for 16 weeks, tying the record for longest-running No. 1 song at the time. The watershed movement could translate for the Afrobeats genre with the new version of “Essence.” Wiz has famously worked with another Canada-born sensation — Drake — on the No. 1 smash “One Dance” in 2016, which also features British singer Kyla. The remix comes in the same week as Tunji Balogun, who was executive vp of A&R RCA Records for six years and signed WizKid in 2016, being announced as the new CEO/chairman of Def Jam Records...
Ariana Grande Song Streams Spike After ‘Fortnite’ Concert
The second-biggest gains went to Sweetener’s “R.E.M,” streams of which rose 94% from 43,000 on Aug. 5 to 84,000 on Aug. 8. Streams of “The Way,” Grande’s 2013 collaboration with Mac Miller, rose 44% from 146,000 to 211,000. Streams of thank u, next standout “7 rings” rose 23% from 446,000 to 552,000. “Positions,” Grande’s most recent hit single, gained an extra 10,000 or so streams – from 611,000 to 621,000 – but given the song’s high starting stream count, the surge only accounted for a 2% increase. Grande’s concert also included a handful of tracks by other artists, which enjoyed streaming gains as well. Australian rock band Wolfmother‘s “Victorious” saw the biggest percentage jump of all: Streams rose from close to 3,000 ...
20 Questions With Luke Hemmings: Why the 5 Seconds of Summer Leader ‘Needed To Make’ His Solo Debut
Adopting songwriting into his daily routine, Hemmings untangled his thoughts and repurposed them as When Facing The Things We Turn Away From, his debut solo album out Friday (Aug. 13). Used to sharing the songwriting stage with three other people, the album offered Hemmings an opportunity to craft a musical identity outside of 5SOS through a fully introspective project with his own influences. It also put all of the surrounding pressures on him, even if the scrutiny was coming from his own self. Ahead of the release of When Facing The Things We Turn Away From, Hemmings answered Billboard’s 20 questions about his relationship with songwriting, overcoming self-imposed pressures and creating an ethereal, over-emotional album as a bookmark in this chapter of his life. 1. What’s the first...
Billie Eilish, Prince & Grateful Dead Lead Busy Top Album Sales Chart
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Pure album sales were the measurement solely utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram. Of Happier Than Ever’s sales of 153,000 in the week ending Aug. 5, physical album sales comprise 129,000 (with a whopping 73,000 on v...
Of 7 Female Collabs Ever Nominated for VMA Video of the Year, Which is Your Favorite? Vote!
The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards announced nominations on Wednesday (Aug. 11), and for the first time in the show’s history, two female collaborations are vying for the coveted video of the year accolade. “WAP” by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion and “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat featuring SZA are both up for the honors this year, competing against “Popstar” by DJ Khaled featuring Drake (starring Justin Bieber), “Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X and “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd. Besides “WAP,” other all-female collabs that were nominated for video of the year and also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 includ...
The Weeknd’s Next Album Is Taking Inspiration From These 2 Britney Spears Songs
The Weeknd is taking our breath away with his latest single, and he’s taking inspiration from another superstar on his next project: Britney Spears. During the Wednesday (Aug. 11) episode of his Apple Music 1 radio show Memento Mori, The Weeknd played “Everytime” and “Toxic” from Spears’ 2003 album In the Zone. According to a description of the new episode, The Weeknd played “a mix of music that showcases tracks inspiring the new Dawn era.” In addition to Spears, the singer also played two songs by Nas (“Star Wars” and “Thief’s Theme”), as well as tracks by Swedish House Mafia, Kid Cudi, Kanye West and Tyler, the Creator. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we r...
Normani Went From Feeling ‘Overlooked’ in Fifth Harmony to Being a ‘Bad B—-‘ on ‘Wild Side’
But now she’s projecting a new spotlight onto herself and Black women everywhere, exposing their sheer multifaceted talent. Growing up as a dark-skinned Black girl in the South was only made slightly easier by the affirming safe spaces her family built for her. The 25-year-old singer recalled “feeling beautiful” during her childhood, when her mother, father and grandmother consistently reminded her of it. “The fact that my skin was chocolate was a beautiful thing. My kinky hair was beautiful. I don’t need to straighten it. I can rock my braids to my all-white school,” she recalls. “My purpose in this work that I do is for other people that feel like they have Black women figured out. There’s so many layers to us, there’s so many textures, there’s so much...
Billie Eilish Rules Alternative Album & Song Charts With ‘Happier Than Ever’ & Its Title Track
Happier is Eilish’s third No. 1 on Alternative Albums, following the seven-week reign of Dont Smile at Me in 2019 and the 56-frame rule for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? between 2019 and this April, the longest command in the chart’s 14-year history. As previously reported, Happier bows atop the all-format Billboard 200, marking her second ruler, following Asleep (three weeks in 2019). The new album’s title cut concurrently crowns three Billboard song charts, led by its launch atop Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. In its first week, the song scored 23.3 million U.S. streams and 3,800 downloads sold (as well as a sampling of non-promoted radio airplay: 41,100 in audience). Eilish adds her second Hot Rock & Alternative Songs No. 1 , after fellow Happier trac...
Miley Cyrus Debuts NSFW “Miley Sucks” Merch Collection
Being the star of one of Disney Channel’s all-time most popular shows leaves you with pretty thick skin. Just ask Miley Cyrus, who’s just debuted a new no-holds-barred merch drop dubbed the “Miley Sucks” collection. Spending most of her life in the limelight has certainly encouraged the pop star to not take herself too seriously, as evidenced by a trucker hat that proudly proclaims: “Miley can go fuck herself.” Other highlights from the merch drop include a pair of sweatpants that read “Fuck Miley Cyrus,” a NSFW muscle tee scribbled with “Miley Cyrus made me realize I am gay,” and — perhaps the naughtiest of all — a t-shirt adorned with a nude pin-up illustration alongside the phrase “Miley Cyrus makes me wet.” If these options are a little too bold for you, you can also opt for a vintage-...
Billie Eilish Leads Trio of Teens at the Top of Billboard 200 — Has That Ever Happened?
So has that ever happened before? On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Keith takes a trip down memory lane to see if there’s ever been another trio of teenagers in the top three before. Listen to the new episode to hear his findings: Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on Prince’s new album Welcome 2 America scoring the late legend his highest-charting new album in more than a decade and The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber taking over at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Stay.” Plus, we’ve got news about The Weeknd’s latest single “Take My Breath,” new music coming from Lizzo and a very special guest this week, and drama surrounding the 2014 hit song “Bang Bang” from Jessie J, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande. The Billbo...
The Weeknd Shares Extended Version of “Take My Breath”: Stream
Last week, The Weeknd finally unveiled “Take My Breath,” the lead single from his upcoming album The Dawn that he’s been teasing for quite a while. Now, he’s back with an even groovier extended version of the hit song, which you can stream below. “Take My Breath (Extended Version)” goes all in on ’80s synth, disco drumming, and that infectious, wobbly bass that sounds like it’s straight out of a Halloween movie. It’s hard to hear the lengthier version of this absolute jam and not interpret it as The Weeknd giving everyone a reason to dance as vaccinated people cautiously begin celebrating a post-pandemic world. “I know temptation is the devil in disguise,” he sings. “You risk it all to feel alive.” The single is about being in a whirlwind romance, of course, but lyrics about making your br...
