Month: September 2022

NAV collects his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as Demons Protected by Angels debuts in the top slot on the chart dated Sept. 24. The set starts with 67,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 15, according to Luminate.

Of the 67,000-unit starting sum, 45,000 units derive from streaming-equivalent album units, which equals 60.1 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. 20,000 units are through traditional album sales, with the remaining sum owed to track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

Demons gives the rapper his third champ on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. He previously ruled with Bad Habits (2019) and Good Intentions (2020). Overall, the new leader extends NAV’s streak of consecutive top 10 projects to six. The run began with Perfect Timing (No. 7) in 2017, and continued with Reckless (No. 5, 2018), Bad Habits, Good Intentions, Emergency Tsunami (No. 4, 2020) and now Demons.

Elsewhere, Demons debuts at No. 1 on Top Rap Albums, likewise securing NAV’s third chart-topper there, and opens at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Alongside the album’s entrance, the set’s single, “Never Sleep,” featuring Travis Scott and Lil Baby, rallies 40-22 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, nearing its peak of No. 19 from its debut frame. It captures the weekly Streaming Gainer prize following a 60% surge to 6.8 million official on-demand streams in the week ending Sept. 15, from 4.2 million in the prior week.

Three more Demons cuts generate enough activity to reach the 50-position Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs list: “One Time,” with Don Toliver featuring Future (No. 37), “Dead Shot,” with Lil Uzi Vert (No. 39) and “Playa,” with Gunna (No. 49). The new trio brings NAV to 17 career appearances on the chart since his first, “Some Way,” featuring The Weeknd, landed in 2017.

After Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine was accused of having a yearlong affair with Instagram model Sumner Stroh, the 23-year-old influencer received backlash from social media users who claimed she was sharing her story for clout.

In response, Emily Ratajkowski shared two TikTok videos on Tuesday (Sept. 20) to defend Stroh against critics. While she didn’t mention Stroh by name, she described the alleged relationship with Levine as a “skewed power dynamic” and “predatory and manipulative.”

“I don’t understand why we continue to blame women for men’s mistakes,” the model added. “Especially when you’re talking about 20-something-year-old women dealing with men in positions of power who are twice their age.”

Ratajkowski added, “If you’re the one in a relationship, you’re the one who’s obligated to be loyal. So the whole other woman, ‘They’re to blame,’ that’s bad and it’s literally designed to keep women apart.”

The My Body author, who split from Sebastian Bear-McClard earlier this year after rumors began swirling of his own cheating, concluded, “If you have receipts, share them. You’re doing other ladies a favor.”

“A lot is being said about me right now and I want to clear the air,” Levine, 43, wrote in an Instagram Story in which he dismissed claims he stepped out on his marriage. “I used poor judgement in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner.”

“I did not have an affair, nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period in my life. In certain instances it became inappropriate; I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family,” he continued.

On Monday, Stroh claimed that she had an affair with Levine via a now-viral TikTok video. “At the time, I was young, I was naïve and quite frankly I feel exploited. I wasn’t in the scene like I am now, so I was definitely easily manipulated,” she said. She claimed they saw each other for a year and that in June, Levine asked he coulr name his unborn baby “Sumner” if it’s a boy, adding that Levine gave her the impression that his marriage to Prinsloo “was over.”

Levine is married to Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo — with whom he shares two young daughters and is expecting a third child.

Three’s a crowd? Frankie Grande revealed a prescient word of advice he once received from Madonna about his venture into polyamory in a new interview on Wednesday (Sept. 21).

Speaking to Tamron Hall about his former throuple relationship, the YouTube personality detailed what made him open to the idea of polyamory in the first place. “I’ve always been the person that says yes to whatever comes into my life,” he said. “And I’ve never been afraid to take risks or…do something unconventional. That’s kind of always been my brand. So when this relationship presented itself to me, I was like, ‘You know what, why not? Let’s just try it. Let’s go in.’ And you know, it did not work.”

As it turns out, Her Madgesty apparently could’ve told Grande that fact long before he went through his breakup with the married couple. “I remember, I was talking to Madonna, of all people…talking to the queen…I told her about the throuple, and she literally said, ‘Well that’s not going to end well.’”

While the Celebrity Big Brother U.K. alum learned he “wanted a monogamous relationship” from the experience (he married Hale Leon last May in a Star Wars-themed wedding), nowadays he’s learning plenty of marital tips from sister Ariana Grande‘s relationship with husband Dalton Gomez, whom the pop star wed in 2021.

“She gives me every advice, you know what I’m saying?” Grande stated. “Like, she’s my sister and she’s my best friend. So we talk about everything. So it has been really nice now to have that common thread, like she was married a year before I got married. Just by being so close and watching her in love, you know, we learn from each other, we learn from each other’s experiences.”

Watch Grande dish on his failed throuple and new marriage below.

Icelandic singer Björk moved back to her home country over concerns about America’s gun violence, she revealed in an interview with Pitchfork. While discussing the inception of her 10th studio album, Fossora, the singer described fearing for her own daughter Isadora’s safety, citing the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. 

“The violence in the USA is on a scale I can’t even fathom,” said Björk. “And having a daughter that’s half-American in school [in New York], 40 minutes away from Sandy Hook…”

Bjork made New York her part-time home in 2002, after the birth of her daughter with American artist Matthew Barney. She left for Iceland at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When we are here, I absorb all of Iceland. If one person is killed in the north, we all hurt. It’s an island mentality,” said Bjork. “In the States, just being a simple islander, all the violence was just too much for me.”

Bjork, whose newest album is inspired by fungi, told Pitchfork that she does much of her best songwriting secluded in a cabin in her lush homeland.

The self-described “simple islander” is just one of many European artists who’ve denounced America’s gun violence in recent years. Ozzy Osbourne revealed plans to move back to England permanently in February 2023, calling American gun violence “ridiculous.” British singer-songwriter Harry Styles pledged $1 million to Everytown after the shooting of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

“Along with all of you, I have been absolutely devastated by the recent string of mass shootings in America, culminating at the latest in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas,” Styles wrote in a statement on Instagram.

Every month, Billboard Latin editors will feature a small group of new or relatively unknown artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.

Check out our recommendations this month:

Conexión Divina

Country: Mexican-American

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: A divine connection is truly what brought Liz, Ashlee and Sandra together. Now known as the collective Conexión Divina, the trio is making a splash as the first all-female sierreño act. Before even listening to their debut track, the story of how they created the trio is what really caught my attention. After all three were singing covers on their own and posting them on TikTok and YouTube, Sandra decided to DM Liz and Ashlee so they could form a group. Doesn’t get more Gen-Z than that. Now, signed to Sony Music Latin, Conexión Divina has unleashed their debut single, “Odio,” which really showcases their self-taught slick guitar skills and Liz’s, lead singer, deep and wide-ranging vocals. — GRISELDA FLORES

Song For Your Playlist: “Odio”

GodDessey

Country: Honduras

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: As a Nicaraguan-American, I’m always on the lookout for hidden gems deriving from Central America—and scrolling on TikTok, I just so happened to come across GodDessey. Born and raised in Roatán, she brings her island vibes and woke lyricism to every track, easily becoming relatable for empowered women, the LGBTQ+ community, and proud Catrachos. If her single “Holy Fire” is any indication, GodDessey delivers smooth yet potent vocals and sultry reggae-dancehall fusions. This year, she dropped her debut EP Ascension via Urban Records and is represented by OMG Talent Management. — JESSICA ROIZ 

Song For Your Playlist: “Holy Fire”

Hector Perez

Country: Spain

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Discovering and connecting through music on social media has been a part of our daily lives. That’s precisely why I really enjoyed the first time I heard Perez’s music via an Instagram reel. The Zaragoza-based singer-songwriter brings a refreshing touch to pop music with his indie-alternative romantic fusions and dreamy vocals. His Spotify profile highlights that he started playing the piano at 7, and at 12, he was already writing his first songs. He recently released his new single “Florencia,” a cute story about unforgettable “summer love.” — INGRID FAJARDO

Song For Your Playlist: “Florencia”

La Carpintera

Country: Chile

Why They Should Be On Your Radar: I was introduced to this artist by her mother (a friend of my sister) a few years ago when she was only starting to post her own music on YouTube and Spotify. A singer-songwriter and pianist, La Carpintera (real name: Nicole Grunwald) fuses genres like rap, funk, and neo-soul in songs like the pandemic-inspired “Entre Paredes” and, most recently, in bilingual (Spanish/English) tunes like “Musically Tasty.” I’ve seen her talent grow and she is only starting. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Song For Your Playlist: “Entre Paredes”