Month: December 2022

SZA’s SOS spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Dec. 31), as the album earned 180,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 22 (down 43% from its opening frame a week ago), according to Luminate. The set debuted atop the list with 318,000 units.

Also in the top 10, BTS member RM scores his first top 10-charting album, as Indigo re-enters the list at No. 3 following its CD release on Dec. 16. The set debuted on the Dec. 17-dated chart at No. 15 after its initial release via streaming services and as a digital download album. RM becomes the first member of BTS to earn a solo top 10 album on the Billboard 200.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Dec. 31, 2022-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Dec. 28 (one day later than usual, due to the Christmas Day holiday on Dec. 25). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of SOS’ 180,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 179,000 (down 42%, equaling 236.52 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks), album sales comprise 1,000 (down 87% and TEA units comprise less than 1,000 (down 49%).

Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Midnights is a non-mover at No. 2 — though up 12% to 155,000 equivalent album units earned. The set’s sales were up 31% to 97,000, owed to holiday shopping as the chart reflects the sales week ending Dec. 22. (We’ll still see holiday gift-giving purchases impacting next week’s chart, dated Jan. 7, 2023, as that chart will reflect the tracking week of Dec. 23-29.) The bulk of Midnights’ sales were vinyl-driven, with 68,000 on vinyl sold for the week — up 41%. That also marks the third-largest sales week for any vinyl album in 2022, following the debut weeks of Midnights (575,000) and Harry Styles’ Harry’s House (182,000). Midnights continues to profit from its availability across five vinyl variants — all colored vinyl editions, including one exclusive to Target.

RM’s Indigo re-enters the Billboard 200 at No. 3 with 83,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1,290%) following its CD release on Dec. 16. It’s a new high for the set, and RM’s first top 10 album as a soloist. (The seven-member group BTS, of which RM is a member, has logged seven top 10s, six of which reached No. 1.)

RM is the first member of BTS to earn a solo top 10 album on the Billboard 200, and the second to reach the chart in 2022 with a solo project, following the No. 17 debut and peak of J-Hope’s Jack in the Box (July 30 chart).

Indigo debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 dated Dec. 17 with 31,000 equivalent album units, following the set’s initial release via streaming services and as a digital download album for purchase. It slipped off the chart the following week, only to return on the new list after its CD release.

Of the album’s 83,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 22, album sales comprise 79,000 (up from less than 500 sales the week previous), while SEA units comprise 4,000 (down 28%; equaling 5.3 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (down 32%).

CDs comprise 77,500 of Indigo’s sales for the week, while digital album purchases comprise 1,500. Like many K-pop releases, the CD configuration of Indigo was issued in collectible deluxe packages (three, including exclusive versions for Target and the Weverse webstore), each with a standard set of items and one randomized element (a photocard).

A trio of former No. 1s is next on the Billboard 200, as Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains falls 3-4 with 76,000 equivalent album units earned (down 25%), Michael Bublé’s Christmas is a non-mover at No. 5 with 72,000 (up 16%), and Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss dips 4-6 with 60,000 (down 10%).

Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song jingles 8-7 (59,000 equivalent album units earned; up 24%), Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack glows 9-8 (56,000; up 20%) and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas dashes 11-9 (53,000; up 18%).

Bad Bunny’s former No. 1 Un Verano Sin Ti closes out the new top 10, as it falls 7-10 with 52,000 equivalent album units earned (though up 2%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

Tainy’s musical contributions to modern-day Latin pop are unparalleled. As a mastermind behind many a reggaetón-pop hit — including producing nine of the 23 tracks found on Bad Bunny’s genre-hopping, record-shattering Un Verano Sin Ti blockbuster — it’s no doubt that he has helped revamp the Latin pop playbook. The Puerto Rican producer is now preparing to drop his solo debut LP, the star-studded DATA, in early 2023. 

To date, the 2022 Latin Grammy winner for producer of the year has unveiled the wildly successful “Lo Siento BB:/,” featuring Bunny and Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas, as well as “Sci-Fi,” co-starring Rauw Alejandro. 

“[DATA] is a representation of who I am as a person, and as a fan of music,” Tainy tells Billboard Español. “To be able to have my own album is so special. I’m putting my everything into this, all the knowledge I’ve acquired since I started working with the people I admire.” Some of those famous folks also include established hitmakers like J Balvin, Wisin & Yandel, and Arcángel, but also brilliant upstarts like Young Miko, Ankhal, and Kris Floyd.

For nearly two decades, Tainy (real name: Marcos Efraín Masís Fernández) has been a constant force in the música urbana soundscape. He began churning out beats for reggaetón pioneers like Luny Tunes just before Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” (2004) took the world by storm, when he was merely 14 years old. His creative wanderlust led him to co-produce for now-icons like Yankee, Don Omar and Wisin & Yandel.

“Shout out to Tainy, the G.O.A.T., the legend … He’s somebody who I’ve looked up to since I was a teenager and my entire career,” said Billboard‘s 2022 top-charting beatmaker MAG, and the lead co-producer of Un Verano Sin Ti.

While keeping his momentum strong in the mid-’10s, Tainy eventually began talking to a then-upcoming rapper by the name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — the world’s hottest superstar of today, better known as Bad Bunny — and together they would go on to make pop history. Fun fact: Tainy co-produced Bunny’s first No. 1 song on Billboard’s Hot 100, “I Like It,” alongside Balvin and Cardi B. 

With a keen eye for identifying rare music gems and emerging talent, Tainy also teamed up with music exec Lex Borrero to co-create NEON16 in 2019, a “multifaceted talent incubator,” as the two describe it. “He has a very broad vision of music,” Julieta Venegas told Billboard in November. “He identifies these pairings and links his teams with artists that come from the pop, folk, and Mexican music world.” 

As 2022 comes to an end, the super-producer connected with Billboard Español to reflect on his wildly successful year in music — and share exciting details about his highly-anticipated debut album. 

You co-produced the greatest album of 2022, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. What goes through your mind when you reflect on its extraordinary success?   

It’s cool, but it’s not easy to digest when everything is happening. I’m now starting to reflect back and see the gravity of it. These are things that we never felt could be possible for us, coming from Puerto Rico and being Latin. We always felt like there was a higher level [imposed by the] Anglo market, and seeing that that doesn’t exist anymore … a lot of that has to do with Benito. It’s special to see those barriers broken. Dreaming big ends up becoming true.

This is now the new normal. Now everybody is on the same playing field. Great music is just great music in any language, in any part of the world. For [the album] to be able to connect with so many people, [it’s] special to be a part of that.

Walk us through the making of one of the hits you produced on the album, like “Ojitos Lindos.” 

The whole idea [for the song] started with my younger brother Masis, who’s a producer too. He brought us an instrumental, but it was in a different style. When Benito heard it, he just heard the trumpets — which you now hear in the beginning of the track. He felt something special from it, but the sounds that came after the original instrumental was not what he had in mind. That’s where I come in. Since we have studio chemistry, I knew what he was looking for, and having this melody that my brother brought was the perfect base. 

[Bunny] said it reminded him of the vibe from a song I remixed for Bomba Estéreo, “To My Love,” and he always wanted to work with Bomba. He told me, “Yo, why don’t we send this to them? Maybe they’ll like it.” His only note was, “Quiero hacer una canción bonita.” I already knew Li’s vocals would sound amazing on it. So I sent it over, and asked if she vibed with it. They responded right away that they loved it, and began working on it. Li brought exactly what he envisioned. 

From there, he took it to his own world and gave it the right lyrics and vibe. The album’s aesthetic started to come into place, bringing in more beach soundscapes and ambience. That’s where I got the picture of what he was aiming for for the entirety of the project. It was really special to see two people in different places of the world not being in the same studio, but having the same mindset creatively. 

Julieta Venegas mentioned in our interview that you scouted her for “Lo Siento BB:/” She praised your knowledge in the Latin indie and alternative realm. How do you discover acts outside of your usual genre?

I’ve always been a student of music. I always try to learn and branch out into different genres to see what I can learn from that and bring into my space. To be a producer, people don’t really get to see much of who I am. What do I listen to? What’s my style? What did I grow up liking? I think nowadays it’s a little bit easier to get to know the producers in their lives. Maybe people from afar think that all I listen to is reggaetón because that’s what I do. But I really listen to a lot of different types of music. Indie, rock and alternative music are styles I get [inspiration] from. 

“Lento” by Julieta Venegas is one of my favorite songs of all time. I always wanted to work with her, but I didn’t think it was a possibility, seeing that our genres are so different from one another. Maybe she didn’t like the music we were doing, so that was a concern. When I started working on my personal project, I wanted it to be a reflection of who I am and what I love. I knew this song was going to be perfect for Julieta’s voice. And I wasn’t going to lose anything by reaching out. If she says she hates it, she hates it. But she loved it, and was so open to being a part of it.

This is one of the most special things that I’ve been able to do in my career. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but didn’t think was possible — combining two of my favorite artists on the same track, and then they sound perfect together.

This year, Bad Bunny’s “Callaíta,” which you produced, surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. That’s quite an achievement… 

It’s difficult to explain how it happened. I’ve always been grateful to be in the position that I am. I never thought I would get to this point at all. As I mentioned, we always had dreams about things we wanted to do, but they had a limit. Because we didn’t think it was possible for people like me — where I come from, who I am, our position in the world — and to see that I’ve been able to exceed that by a billion from what I initially thought could be possible, it just makes you feel like, this is all blessings. [I’m] just here to have a responsibility of inspiring more people that could do twice as much as what [I’ve] done. That’s the most special part for me. 

Seeing that “Callaita” became what it became is insane. It’s humbling that people still connect with the song after so many years [since 2019]. You get a sense of those classic songs that you grew up listening to and still hear today, and can’t comprehend how they still connect with people after so many years. I’m happy that we were able to create a song that has stood the test of time. 

So you’re dropping your debut album in early 2023! 

I’ve been 100% focused on my project, and “Lo Siento BB:/” is the first single. We will be releasing the final product at the top of the year. I’m so excited for it. I’ve been dreaming of doing this album before I even got into music, because these types of projects are what inspired me to get into music. 

As you might imagine, I’m working with most of the people that I’ve already worked with for a long time, and who I have a great relationship with: Benito, Jhayco, Rauw, Feid, Balvin, Wisin & Yandel, Arcángel…They have been a huge part of my career, so I wanted them to be a part of this, because they were a part of my journey. At the same time, I wanted to combine two worlds and merge this with the up-and-coming artists that I’m a fan of: Young Miko, Ankhal, Kris Floyd … all these guys, and how I brought in Julieta Venegas. [The album] shows more of who I am, and who my musical influences are. 

It’s a representation of who I am as a person, and as a fan of music. To be able to have my own album is so special. I’m putting my everything into this, all the knowledge I’ve acquired since I started working with the people I admire. I can’t wait for you to listen to it, for everybody to vibe with it and get to know me a little bit more.

Barack Obama knows what’s good. The former president revealed his playlist of favorite songs from 2022 on Friday (Dec. 23).

“I always enjoy sharing my end of year music playlist with all of you — and this year we heard a lot of great songs. Here are some of my favorites,” he tweeted. “Are there any songs or artists I should check out?”

Indeed. Of the 25 songs he listed, 13 of the artists who created those tunes are nominated for 2023 Grammy awards. And the genres are quite diverse. Obama’s favorites run the gamut from hip-hop to country, Afrobeats to pop, Latin to rock and more.

So what did he spin on repeat this year? Everything from Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” which the artist surprise dropped days ahead of the May arrival of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers; to Bad Bunny’s “Titi Me Pregunto” off this year’s Top Billboard 200 Album Un Verano Sin Ti; Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” from Renaissance; Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange”; “Maggie Rogers’ “That’s Where I Am”; Burna Boy’s “Last Last”; Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” and more.

The only artist who made it onto the former president’s favorite songs of the year playlist both in 2021 and 2022 is Lizzo. Last year, Obama repeatedly spun the “2 Be Loved” singer’s Cardi B collab “Rumors.”

See which tunes made the 44th president’s list of favorite songs in 2022:

I always enjoy sharing my end of year music playlist with all of you — and this year we heard a lot of great songs. Here are some of my favorites.

Are there any songs or artists I should check out? pic.twitter.com/qkwm4UOzMD

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 23, 2022

Adele is making Megan Thee Stallion feel her love. Just hours after Tory Lanez was found guilty in the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, the “Easy on Me” singer is sharing her support for the “Savage” rapper.

During her Friday (Dec. 23) Weekends With Adele residency show at The Colosseum at Cesars Palace in Las Vegas, the 15-time Grammy winner shouted out the Houston Hottie. She began by telling concertgoers about a viral TikTok mashup in which Megan does the choreography to her own hit “Body,” but which was edited to make it appear as if she were dancing to “Water Under the Bridge” from 25.

“Someone said, ‘Why doesn’t Adele have backup dancers?’” the singer recalled. “And then someone made a video of ‘Water Under the Bridge’ with Meg Thee Stallion doing the dance do it. Remember that?”

The 34-year-old then hinted at the “Her” singer’s court victory. “Well today … tonight, I would like to wish Meg the Stallion a very, very merry, merry Christmas!” she said as the crowd cheered. “Girl, get your peace. Do whatever you want now, baby! I love ya!”

A Los Angeles jury on Friday unanimously found 30-year-old Lanez guilty on all three counts in the trial over whether he shot Megan in the foot in July 2020. The Canadian artist was convicted on assault with a semiautomatic firearm; carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 27; he is facing potentially up to 22 years in prison.

Watch fan-captured footage of Adele giving Megan Thee Stallion a shout-out:

Adele @Adele wishes Meg Thee Stallion @theestallion a “A very very Merry Merry Christmas” and sends her love & support #WeekendsWithAdele pic.twitter.com/exXpjzJdpU

— Adelettes (@Adelettes2) December 24, 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — Maxi Jazz, a DJ and singer who fronted the eclectic British dance band Faithless known for such hits as “Insomnia” and “We Come 1,” has died. He was 65.

Faithless announced his death on social media Saturday, saying he “died peacefully in his sleep last night.”

“He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and a message to our music. He was a lovely human being with time for everyone and wisdom that was both profound and accessible,” the band’s statement reads.

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A post shared by Faithless (@faithlessofficial)

Additional details about his death were not immediately available.

Born Maxwell Fraser in London, Maxi Jazz emerged in the British club scene in the 1980s as a DJ on pirate radio and founder of the Soul Food Cafe System. He later formed Faithless along with producer-instrumentalist-DJ Rollo Armstrong, keyboardist-DJ Sister Bliss and singer-songwriter Jamie Cotto. They drew upon such a wide range of influences that their record company described their debut album “Reverence,” released in 1996, as “folk-house-hip-hop-blues-ambience-jazz-rap for the dance floor and sofa.”

“Reverence” did not catch on initially, but eventually gained a wide following; the band went on to global popularity through its dynamic stage performances and albums including “Outrospective” and the greatest hits collection “Forever Faithless.”

Faithless broke up in 2011, but reunited recently, without Jazz, who had since formed Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys.

Francesca Battistelli scores her sixth No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart as her holiday single “Carolin’” jingles to the top of the Dec. 31-dated tally.

The song increased by 4% to 1.7 million audience impressions Dec. 16-22, according to Luminate. (As previously reported, this week marks a switch to a Friday-through-Thursday tracking schedule for Billboard’s individual-format airplay charts.)

Battistelli, who is based in Columbia, Tenn., co-penned “Carolin’” with Mia Fields and Seth Mosley.

“What a fun Christmas present to hear that ‘Carolin’’ is connecting with people like this,” Battistelli told Billboard after hearing the news of her latest coronation. “It’s a special song for me for several reasons. I wrote it with two of my favorite writer friends; singing carols is one of my favorite things about Christmas; and, last but certainly not least, my sweet daughter Audrey sang background vocals with me on it! I am humbled and honored that this song is being enjoyed by so many people.”

Battistelli tops Christian Airplay for the first time since “Messiah” led for a week in January 2018. In between that leader and “Carolin’” (her 13th top 10 as well as her sixth No. 1), her “The Breakup Song” hit No. 9 in November 2018, followed by “Defender” (No. 12, November 2019), “This Could Change Everything” (No. 25, August 2020), “Behold Him” (No. 12, December 2020), “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (No. 36, last holiday season) and “God Is Good” (No. 25, this March).

Battistelli first reached Christian Airplay with “I’m Letting Go,” which rose to No. 3 in July 2008. She first led the list with “Free to Be Me” for four weeks in April-May 2009.

It’s the season of giving, and BTS‘ V is gifting ARMY with his cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”

His take on the seasonal classic arrived on Friday (Dec. 23). In the accompanying video shared on YouTube, the singer croons deeply into a microphone while casually dressed in an oversized hoodie.

Midway through the song, he pulls up the hood to cover his head and enthusiastically sings, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” emphasizing his words with small pumps of his fists. “Soon the bells will start/ And the thing that’ll make ’em ring is the carol that you sing/ Right within your heart.” When he finishes that verse, he picks up his adorable pup and snuggles him close before the pooch gives V a few sweet licks on his nose.

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” has been covered by numerous artists. The 1951 version by Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayers and His Orchestra became a hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020. Another beloved take is Bing Crosby’s take from the same year is another popular cover.

Last Christmas, V also offered up a holiday tune — solo single “Christmas Tree.” The cover earned him his first solo No. 1 on a Billboard chart, landing him atop the Emerging Artists chart dated Jan. 8. The song also debuted at No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his first solo entry on the all-genre tally. As for the Holiday 100 chart, it launched at No. 55.

Watch V’s cover of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” above.

Morgan Wallen makes history on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “You Proof” leads the list (dated Dec. 31) for an unprecedented ninth week.

The song, released on Big Loud Records, dethrones two titles that dominated Country Airplay — which began in January 1990 — for eight frames each: Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (2003) and Lonestar’s pop crossover hit “Amazed” (1999).

In the tracking week ending Dec. 22, “You Proof” increased by 2% to 25.4 million audience impressions, according to Luminate. (As previously reported, this week marks a switch to a Friday-through-Thursday tracking schedule for Billboard’s individual-format airplay charts.)

“Breaking this record is simply a testament to a huge song and Morgan continuing to evolve and strengthen as a vital artist to country radio,” Big Loud vice president of promotion Stacy Blythe tells Billboard. “It also shows the consistent work ethic of the Big Loud radio team and support from radio. There were a lot of folks who stepped up on a holiday week to help us get here and it’s not taken for granted.”

Wallen co-wrote “You Proof,” a stand-alone single that in October became his seventh No. 1 on Country Airplay, with ERNEST, Ashley Gorley, Keith Smith and Charlie Handsome, the lattermost of whom also produced it with Joey Moi.

Meanwhile, Wallen’s “Thought You Should Know,” also a non-album single, pushes 11-10 on Country Airplay (16.4 million, up 14%). The song, which Wallen co-authored, becomes his eighth top 10 on the tally, while he boasts concurrent top 10s for the first time.

Another new Wallen track, “One Thing at a Time,” enters Country Airplay at No. 59 (576,000, up 56%). The song launched on the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart dated Dec. 17 at No. 2; with “You Proof” at No. 1 and Wallen’s “Wasted on You” at No. 3 that week, he became the first act ever to monopolize the survey’s top three in a single frame.