Month: January 2023

If you really loved Jazmine Sullivan‘s Grammy-nominated 2020 single “Pick Up Your Feelings,” then Normani has some news for you. The former Fifth Harmony singer and “Motivation” solo star appeared to confirm a fan rumor over the weekend when she responded, “now how did ya’ll get this” to a claim that she’d recorded a previously unheard “Feelings” demo.

The comment was tagged to a tweet from a fan, who wrote, “Normani ate on ‘Pick Up Your Feelings,’ but glad it went to Jazmine. Mani knows what she wants & her album will be great!” The post also appeared to contain a snippet of Normani’s demo version fading into Sullivan’s released take.

The original song that was the second single from Sullivan’s debut EP, Heaux Tales, and was penned by the singer along with Audra Mae, Kyle Coleman, Michael Holmes, Brittany Coney and Denisa Andrews (the latter of the production duo Nova Wav); it was nominated for best R&B song and best R&B performance at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, where it won the performance prize in a rare tie with Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.” Sullivan’s version topped out at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard adult R&B chart, her first chart-topper on that tally.

At press time spokespeople for Normani and Sullivan had not responded to Billboard’s request for further comment.

In August, Normani snapped back at some disgruntled fans who said they were questioning her musical motivation amidst the long wait for the singer’s anticipated full-length solo debut album. “Just shut the f— up,” she wrote at the time. The singer has yet to share a release date for the long-awaited debut album fans have been pining for following Fifth Harmony’s split in March 2018.

Since releasing her solo debut single “Motivation” in 2019, Normani has delivered two other solo tracks: “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B in 2021 and “Fair” in March of last year. She was also featured on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Diamonds” from the 2020 Birds of Prey soundtrack and on Calvin Harris’ single “New to You” alongside Tinashe and Offset for the DJ’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 album.

Check out Normani’s tweet below.

When Madonna shared a touching message to her fans across her socials, one very special fan put her hand out — Lady Gaga.

The Queen of Pop shared a video in which she thanked fans for their overwhelming “love and support” this past week, during which time tickets for her Celebration Tour moved like hotcakes.

“I don’t take any of this for granted,” Madonna enthuses. “I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. And I’m so grateful for all of your support. And I can’t wait to put the show together and have a moment with each and every one of you on the stage. To celebrate the last four decades of my journey.”

One of those fans who’ll cheer Madonna on will be Mother Monster herself. Gaga responded to the pop legend’s unscripted piece to camera, “We love you M.”

But wait, there’s more. Friend and collaborator Diplo responded, “U better book me for afterparty.”

Gaga isn’t wrong. Fans bought up 600,000 tickets in one day for Madonna’s retrospective trek. To keep up with demand, 23 concerts were added the 37 dates already announced on both sides of the Atlantic, when 98% of all tickets sold out in a matter of hours, Billboard reports.

The Celebration Tour begins July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and will include performances of music from Madonna’s entire catalog, spanning her 40-year career as the best-selling female touring artist of all time.

For those pop fans with a long memory, Madonna and Gaga reportedly had a frosty, decade-long rivalry.

In a 2019 interview with British Vogue, however, Madonna suggested those rumors of a beef were blown out of proportion because people wanted to believe them.

“People got very excited about [the thought of Lady Gaga and myself as] enemies, when we never were enemies,” she told the title.

The pair were spotted partying together at a Met Gala afterparty in 2015, and in 2019 Gaga came to Madonna’s Oscars party after winning for original song for “Shallow,” even posing for photos together, looking cuddly.

Live Nation is producing The Celebration Tour. Visit www.madonna.com/tour for more.

Almost 15 years after its release, Courteeners’ debut St. Jude (via Polydor/UMR) hits No. 1 on the U.K. album chart — setting a new mark in the process.

The 2008 debut album blasts to the summit of the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Jan. 20, powered by a 15th anniversary edition containing remastered tracks, rarities and previously-unreleased works.

St. Jude becomes the album with the longest span between release and charting at No. 1 in U.K. chart history, the Official Charts Company reports, doing so in 14 years, 9 months and 14 days after its initial release.

It’s the first leader for the Manchester trio, and it sees them join the rarest of company. Liam Fray, Michael Campbell and Daniel “Conan” Moores are, collectively, only the third act to chart at No. 1 with a reissued album. The others? The Rolling Stones (Goats Head Soup, Exile On Main St.) and the Beatles (Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band).

St. Jude previously peaked at No. 4 back in 2008, and carries three U.K. top 40 singles: “Not Nineteen Forever,” “No You Didn’t, No You Don’t” and “What Took You So Long?”

Physical sales (97%) fueled its big week, as St. Jude tops the Official Vinyl Albums Chart.

Meanwhile, London rapper Clavish bows at No. 4 with his 28-track mixtape Rap Game Awful (via Polydor), while former Supergrass guitarist Gaz Coombes scores his first solo top 10 with Turn The Car Around (Hot Fruit), his fourth effort. Turn The Car Around parks at No. 6.

Liverpool indie rocker outfit Circa Waves score a fifth top 40 with Never Going Under (Lower Third). The followup to 2020’s Sad Happy (No. 4 peak), Never Going Under bobs up at No. 15.

Finally, Garthamlock, Scotland singer Joesef earns a top 20 on debut with his first album, Permanent Damage (Bold Cut). It’s new at No. 18.

Miley Cyrus stands tall on the U.K. singles chart as “Flowers” (via Columbia) arrives at No. 1, for her third leader.

“Flowers” blooms with imposing numbers. During its first chart cycle, “Flowers” racks up 92,000 chart units, including total streams of nearly 10 million. That’s Cyrus’ biggest-ever opening week for streams, the Official Charts Company reports, and the market’s biggest debut week since Harry Styles’ “As It Was” blasted to the summit in May 2022.

Lifted from Cyrus’ forthcoming eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation, “Flowers” got away to a hot start everywhere. The single opened at No. 1 on Australia’s chart, and it smashed Spotify’s global one-week streaming mark. The track will make its official mark on the Billboard Hot 100 when the latest charts are unveiled Monday (Jan. 23), though Billboard readers already voted it as their favorite new release last week.

Previously, Cyrus lead the Official U.K. Singles Chart with “We Can’t Stop” (from 2013) and “Wrecking Ball” (2013), the latter earning her a chart double as its parent Bangerz simultaneously led the national albums survey.

Positions 2-6 are unchanged on the current survey, while St. Louis-raised Metro Boomin bags a career-best with “Creepin’” (Republic Records), featuring the Weeknd and 21 Savage. It’s up 11-7 for Metro Boomin’s first-ever U.K. top 10 single.

Further down the list, British singer and songwriter Mimi Webb lands her sixth top 40 with “Red Flags” (Epic). It’s the second-highest new entry this week at No. 23.

Also new to the chart, published Jan. 20, is Fredo’s “Flow” (PG Records), new at No. 30. It’s the London rapper’s 17th top 40 appearance.

Finally, Shakira scores her first U.K. top 40 appearance in almost a decade with “Bizarrap – BZRP Music Sessions #53” (via Dale Play), the break-up song cut Argentine DJ and YouTuber Bizarrap. It’s new at No. 31, Shakira’s 13th top 40 hit — and first for the Colombian star since 2014’s “Empire” (No. 25 peak).

Travis Barker has a new tattoo that appears to be another tribute to wife Kourtney Kardashian.

“Oh hey there,” Barker captioned a series of photos he posted on Saturday (Jan. 21).

The images included one of him with Kardashian, followed shortly after by a look at his leg art. After a full body picture, there was a closeup of a tattoo design resembling Kardashian’s eyes.

The Blink-182 drummer debuted another tattoo of Kardashian in 2021 — her name spelled out on his chest — following just a few months of dating. The couple were married in 2022, with a practice wedding with no license in Las Vegas, a legal wedding in Santa Barbara, California, and finally a lavish celebration in Portofino, Italy.

Barker will be heading out on a world tour with Blink-182 beginning in March, kicking things off on March 11 in Tijuana, Mexico.

See Barker’s new tattoo on the third and fourth photos on his weekend Instagram post here.