Month: August 2022

Beyonce is cruising to a fourth U.K. No. 1 with Renaissance (via Columbia/Parkwood Entertainment).

The U.S. superstar singer leads the midweek chart with what should be an unassailable lead; it’s currently outselling the rest of the Top 5 combined, according to the Official Charts Company.

Queen Bey previously led the Official U.K. Albums Chart with her solo debut Dangerously in Love (2003), 4 (2011) and Lemonade (2016), her most recent release. As a member of Destiny’s Child, the Houston, Texan native reigned over the national chart with 2001’s Survivor.

With new track Break My Soul challenging for the singles crown, Bey could snag the U.K. chart double.

Meanwhile, Maggie Rogers’ sophomore album Surrender (Polydor) should give the indie pop artist her first U.K. Top 10, debuting at No. 3 on the Official Chart Update, while veteran electronic duo Orbital is on track for a fourth Top 10 with 30 Something (London Music Stream), new at No. 5 on the chart blast.

Indie rockers The Cribs could grab a hattrick of Top 10 appearances with reissues of Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever (new at No. 4); The New Fellas (No. 7) and The Cribs (No. 8), all through Sonic Blew. The British band has cracked the Top 10 on four previous occasions, with a best of No. 8 (twice).

Further down the list, the Stranger Things-led Kate Bush revival continues as her career retrospective The Whole Story (Rhino) looks set for a Top 40 return, lifting to No. 23. The Whole Story led the chart following its original release in 1986.

As it reaches its quarter-century mark, The Chemical Brothers’ Dig Your Own Hole (Virgin) is also set for a Top 40 return. The electronic music masters blast to No. 26 on the midweek chart with an album that originally ruled the survey following its 1997 release.

It could be a nervous few days for Whiskey Myers as the U.S. country-rock act vies for their first U.K. Top 40 appearance with Tornillo (Wiggy Thump), their sixth studio album. Tornillo bows at No. 36 on the midweek survey.

The Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday. 

Some 15 years after his breakthrough, Jamie T is now a U.K. chart topper.

The Wimbledon-born indie rock artist blasts to No. 1 with The Theory of Whatever (Polydor), for his fifth successive Top 5, following his 2007 debut Panic Prevention (No. 4), 2009’s Kings & Queens (No. 2), 2014’s Carry on the Grudge (No. 4) and 2016’s Trick (No. 3)

Theory is his first leader on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, and it’s the week’s best-seller on wax.

Meanwhile, Jack White also bags a fifth Top 5 entry with Entering Heaven Alive (Third Man), following 2012’s leader Blunderbuss, 2014’s Lazaretto (No. 4), 2018’s Boarding House Reach (No. 5) and his first album release from 2022, Fear of the Dawn (No. 3). Heaven starts at No. 4.

The King is closing in on a return to the U.K. Top 10. Elvis Presley’s career retrospective ELV1S – 30 Number 1 (RCA) lifts 24-13, fueled by Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic. ELV1S topped the chart upon its release in 2002, and is one of the late singing legend’s 53 Top 10 appearances on the U.K. albums tally.

Further down the list, ‘80s pop outfit Bananarama peel away their highest U.K. chart position in 34 years with Masquerade (In Synk), their twelfth studio effort. It’s new at No. 22. Masquerade is the sixth Top 40 appearance for the “Cruel Summer” singers, now a duo of Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward, and the followup to 2019’s In Stereo (peaking at No. 29).

Also new to the chart this week is Brighton indie rock band The Kooks, as Echo in the Dark (Lonely Cat) bows at No. 32. It’s the Kooks’ seventh U.K. Top 40 appearance.

Songwriter Diane Warren came under fire on Monday (August 1) after seemingly calling out Beyoncé for her latest album, Renaissance, of which each song has a number of writing credits due to her use of throwback samples and interpolations.

“How can there be 24 writers on a song? [eye roll emoji],” Warren — who has written songs for stars like Cher, Celine Dion and Bey herself — tweeted, before adding, “This isn’t meant as shade, I’m just curious.”

This isn’t meant as shade, I’m just curious

— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022

While Beyoncé wasn’t directly mentioned, fans widely believed that the jab was directed towards the 28-time Grammy winner, whose new track “Alien Superstar,” for example, is credited to more than 20 writers.

Singer-songwriter The-Dream chimed in on the heated discussion that ensued in the original tweet’s replies, writing, “You mean how’s does our (Black) culture have so many writers, well it started because we couldn’t afford certain things starting out, so we started sampling and it became an Artform, a major part of the Black Culture (hip hop) in America. Had that era not happen who knows. U good?”

In response, Warren wrote, “I didn’t mean that as an attack or as disrespect. I didn’t know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it.”

I didn’t mean that as an attack or as disrespect. I didn’t know this, thank U for making me aware of it. No need to be mean about it.

— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022

Soon after the backlash, Warren had a change of heart, tweeting out, “Ok, it’s prob samples that add up the ammount of writerrs [sic],” before referring to Bey directly. “Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I’ve worked with and admire. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”

See below.

Ok, it’s prob samples that add up the ammount of writerrs

— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022

Ok, I meant no disrespect to @Beyonce, who I’ve worked with and admire. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding

— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) August 1, 2022

RM jetted off on a trip to Switzerland in his latest vlog and shouted out Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in the process.

After showing ARMY how he packed his luggage for the trip, the BTS leader’s first stop was the city of Basel. “I’m going to head to Art Basel. I’ll be sure to have fun…I think a lot of people might be curious why I’m in Switzerland in the first place.” he tells the camera in Korean after going out to partake of a hamburger, fries and giant stein of beer. “It’s the world’s best art fair. It has the longest history as well, so it has history and culture…So I made time to come all the way here for that, since I love art.” (English translations courtesy of YouTube.)

At Art Basel, the K-pop idol explored the many art installations, showing fans the convention center’s various halls filled with large-scale exhibitions, interactive artwork and other pieces from all over the world. He even found an artsy ping pong table in the shape of the BTS logo and later made a visit to Foundation Beyeler, where he admired pieces by Mondrian and Jenny Holzer.

The next day, RM takes a train to Rhein, Germany to visit the Vitra Design Museum, where he happens upon a chair designed by a furniture artist who shares a name with his “My Universe” collaborator. “I have breaking news for you guys,” he tells the camera. “Coldplay’s Chris Martin made a chair and it’s displayed in the Vitra Design Museum. If you see this Chris, give me a call. You’re amazing.”

While RM’s been touring the arts capitals of Europe, his bandmate J-Hope just released his debut solo album Jack in the Box. The project landed at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 (dated July 30), leaving RM as the lone member of BTS who has yet to officially go solo.

Watch RM’s full vlog from Switzerland below.

J-Hope‘s performance at Lollapalooza on Sunday (July 31) made history, as he was the first ever South Korean artist to headline a main stage at a major American music festival. The BTS member took to stage solo without group members Jin, Suga, RM, Jimin, V or Jung Kook by his side, but made a major splash as night fell onto the festival and he performed his set, which clocked in at more than an hour.

The rapper played to a crowd of 100,000 attendees and delivered high-energy performances of songs from his new Jack in the Box album, which was released on July 15. (The set debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart dated July 30.)

The 18-song set contained a mix of songs spanning from Hope’s extensive catalogue, including “More,” “Arson,” “HANGSANG” and “P.O.P. (Peace of Piece)” from the newly released LP; tracks from his debut mixtape Hope World, such as Becky G collab “Chicken Noodle Soup,” with a cameo from the “Mamiii” singer; and remixed versions of BTS hits “Dynamite” and “BTS Cypher Pt. 1.”

Just before beginning his set, he humbly introduced himself to the audience by sharing that he is indeed a member of BTS, “but you can call me J,” the rapper smiled as the crowd exploded in cheers.

The crowd was locked in throughout Hope’s performance, which artfully blended elements of hip-hop with pop, rock and R&B. “You guys are f—ing crazy,” he told the ARMY members in attendance. “A lot of you may be seeing me for the first time today … it’s great to be here.”

See the photos from J-Hope’s Lollapalooza debut below.

Quavo and Takeoff are back… without Offset. Again. Last week (July 29), the uncle-nephew duo released “Us vs. Them,” a collaboration with fellow Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane.

The new single, which features production credits from DJ Durel, Money Musick, Duce.6x and Eza, was accompanied by a Keemotion-helmed music video.”Gave my partner 50 Cent, he shot many men,” Takeoff raps on the song’s punchy hook.

“Us vs. Them” arrives in the midst of fervent speculation around the future of Migos. The Grammy-nominated rap trio is slated to perform at Pepsi’s National Battle of the Bands on August 27. Offset, the third member of Migos, was omitted from social media posts and press releases surrounding the Houston-based event. “Us vs. Them” is the second song of the year from Quavo and Takeoff as a duo. “Hotel Lobby (Unc & Phew)” landed in May and earned a peak of No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. As a trio, Migos has collected such Hot 100 top 10 hits as “Stir Fry” (No. 8), the Drake-assisted “Walk It Talk It” (No. 10), and the No. 1-peaking “Bad And Boujee” (with Lil Uzi Vert).

Quavo has earned six top 10 hits on the Hot 100 as a soloist including a single trip to the top spot alongside DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne with “I’m The One.” Takeoff, on the other hand, has notched four Hot 100 entries as a soloist, topping out at No. 54 with “Last Memory.” Gucci Mane, a frequent collaborator of Quavo’s, has scored 32 Hot 100 entries including his featured turn on Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” which spent seven weeks at the summit of the chart.

Watch the music video for “Us vs. Them” here:

Bizarrap and Quevedo make their first visits to the Billboard Hot 100, as their collaboration “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” debuts at No. 98 on the chart dated Aug. 6.

The club-friendly anthem, released via Dale Play Records, opens with 5.3 million official U.S. streams, a 45% gain, in the July 22-28 tracking week, according to Luminate. It crowns the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for a second week each, after becoming just the second all-Spanish-language song to top the tallies, and ranks at No. 5 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and jumps 20-13 on Hot Latin Songs.

Bizarrap and Quevedo are both newcomers to Billboard‘s charts. Bizarrap (real name: Gonzalo Conde), from Bueno Aires, Argentina, first appeared on a U.S. chart in 2020, with “Mamichula” (billed as Trueno and Nicki Nicole featuring Taiu, Bizarrap and Tatool), which reached No. 49 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 100 on the Global 200. It also spent four weeks atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100, becoming his first of six No. 1s so far, through “Vol. 52.” Bizarrap has earned 34 entries on the Argentina Hot 100, all since October 2019, when he arrived with the No. 13-peaking “Trueno: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 16.”

“Vol. 52” is Bizarrap’s fourth entry on Hot Latin Songs, following “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 41,” with Nicky Jam (No. 38 peak in July 2021); “Vol. 46,” with Anuel AA (No. 38, November 2021); and “Vol. 49,” with Residente (No. 22, this March). Bizarrap, 23, notched one prior entry on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, “Vol. 51,” with Villano Antillano (No. 17 peak, this July), and has tallied 16 titles on Global Excl. U.S. and 12 on the Global 200.

Bizarrap’s “Sessions” series highlights developing urban acts in which Bizarrap provides beats and production and guest artists freestyle. Dale Play president Federico “Fede” Lauria describes the concept as “a creative space, a free space, a cultural space and a space that represents very well the beginnings of Argentina’s urban music movement.”

Quevedo (full name: Pedro Domínguez Quevedo), from Madrid, Spain, made his first Billboard chart appearance this February with “Cayo La Noche,” with El Ima, Cruz Cafuné, Bejo, La Pantera, Juseph and Abhir Hathi. The track reached No. 64 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 145 on the Global 200. The 20-year-old has scored two additional entries on Billboard‘s global charts: “Si Quieren Frontear,” with DuKi and De La Ghetto (No. 86 peak on Global Excl. U.S.; No. 200 on the Global 200), and now the juggernaut “Vol. 52.”

“My music is now heard around the world and it’s something that’s honestly just incredible,” Quevedo told Billboard upon the global chart coronation of “Vol. 52,” adding that he’s currently in the studio working on his debut full-length album.

During a concert in Springfield, Missouri, on Friday (July 29), D-Roc of the Ying Yang Twins collapsed onstage. The beloved rap duo was opening for Vanilla Ice at the Ozark Empire Fair.

Videos taken by concert attendees show the 43-year-old rapper collapsing near the midpoint of his set. In a new Instagram post, the Ozark Empire Fair provided an update on D-Roc’s condition: “The Ozark Empire Fair wants to share that D-Roc has made a full recovery from his collapse at the concert last night. He received medical attention backstage and was up and walking around prior to leaving the fairgrounds.”

In a video posted to the official Ying Yang Twins Instagram account, D-Roc explained that “it was 84 degrees outside, yes, but on stage, it made the temperature rise, so I was getting dehydrated.”

“I kept drinking water and then next thing I know, I woke up on the golf cart, paramedics were right there and they said I was dehydrated,” he continued. The Grammy-nominated rapper concluded with by thanking “everybody for y’all love, but I’m good.”

The duo’s appearance at the Ozark Empire Fair follows a soft return to the stage for the hip-hop icons. In 2019, the pair was a featured act on the Millenium Tour alongside acts like B2K and Chingy. Over the course of their career, The Ying Yang Twins have released six studio albums, four of which entered the Billboard 200 including 2005’s No. 2-peaking U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta). Over on the Billboard Hot 100, some of their biggest hits include “Wait (The Whisper Song)” (No. 15) and the No. 9-peaking “Salt Shaker” (with Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz).

Check out D-Roc’s message here:

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