Month: July 2023

Mark Ronson struck gold with executive producing the Barbie soundtrack, which features tracks by Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj x Ice Spice and more. Ronson, however, would like to clear up a misconception about Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” the first single off of the movie soundtrack.

“I want to correct this, because we didn’t write it for Dua — we wrote the music and then she wrote the song with Caroline Ailin. I’ve worked with Dua, but I’m also a fan of Dua’s records; I’m a DJ, so I play Dua records. It’s all mixed up in the soup. So I’m sure there’s somewhere where Dua and I have similar influences,” he said in a Wednesday (July 19) interview with Vulture. “I think that it felt Future Nostalgia–adjacent because her music does the s— that I really love, as far as dance music goes: It has an energy, but it’s kind of tough and weird. Same as Tame Impala’s music, like any dance music that’s just a little imposing.”

Many fans speculated that the disco-leaning track serves as a continuation of Lipa’s highly successful Future Nostalgia era, but Ronson begs to differ. Speaking about the pop star’s next album, the “Uptown Funk” artist said, “I’ve heard some of it and it’s incredible. I think that’s why there’s the disco ball that smashes in the video, right? This feels like her triumphant stomp on that era of her music into whatever she does next.”

While Lipa’s fans will need to patiently wait for her comeback, Barbie: The Album will arrive much sooner — the soundtrack is scheduled to release in tandem with the movie, which will hit theaters this Friday (July 21).

As debate and controversy surrounding Jason Aldean‘s new song (and video), “Try That in a Small Town” continues, former president Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has chimed in.

On July 18, Billboard broke the news that CMT had pulled the video from its rotation. A day later, Trump Jr. addressed his 10 million Twitter followers, asking, “How on earth is this video controversial? Why would @cmt take it down? Support @jasonaldean and other artists who have the guts to tell the truth…watch it, download it and push back against the bs.”

The video for the song, which was directed by Shaun Silva and features Aldean performing in front of an American flag-draped Maury County courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, also features footage of carjackings, cars and American flags being set on fire, and protesters taunting police.

The song itself, which was written by Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy, offers up a confrontation to those who would “carjack an old lady at a red light” or “pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store” or “cuss out a cop.” The song challenges them to “try that in a small town” and “see how far ya make it down the road/ Around here, we take care of our own.” 

Sheryl Crow and Margo Price have also previously spoken out. Crow addressed Aldean on Twitter, saying, “I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting,” she added, referring to Aldean being onstage during the Route 91 Harvest Festival in 2017 when a gunman began firing upon the crowd and stage, causing the deaths of over 60 people.

Aldean himself responded to the controversy surrounding his video and song, slamming his detractors, who have accused the song and video of being racist and anti-BLM protests.

“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to a comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” Aldean said. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage- and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far.

“As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91-where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.

“‘Try That In A Small Town,’ for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 
 
This week: Jung Kook’s Latto-assisted new single looks on its way to being another BTS solo smash, a couple very different singer-songwriters go viral, Rylo Rodriguez takes the next step to hip-hop stardom and more.

Jung Kook & Latto’s ‘Seven’ Sprints Out to Seven-Figure Daily Streams

After Jung Kook made a solo pop splash last year alongside Charlie Puth with “Left & Right,” which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, early indications are that “Seven,” the BTS member’s new collaboration with Latto, will climb even higher. The rhythmic pop single got off to a scorching streaming start upon its release last Friday (July 14), with 5.11 million U.S. on-demand streams that day, according to Luminate.

That number dipped over the weekend, but was still comfortably clocking over 2.5 million daily streams through Monday, accruing 13.7 million total streams in its first four days of release. Meanwhile, “Seven” earned over 34,000 in digital sales on Friday, and added another 32,000 digital copies from Saturday to Monday – with more sales expected from the set’s CD single, which is currently listed as “sold out” on the official BTS webstore. 

Produced by Watt and Cirkut, “Seven” sports a shuffling beat, surprisingly explicit hook (“You know night aftеr night / I’ll be f–kin’ you right / Seven days a week,” Jung Kook sings) and combination of pop and rap that could work well at top 40 radio (with the song’s clean edit, of course). We’ll know early next week just how high “Seven” can debut, but after his BTS group mate Jimin scored a solo No. 1 single earlier this year with “Like Crazy,” Jung Kook is probably just a few days away from having his highest-charting single as a lead artist. – JASON LISPHUTZ

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Faye Webster Once Again the Definition of Indie Virality 

Faye Webster has gone viral once again. Last summer, Billboard reported that two versions of the singer-songwriter’s “Kingston” were trending among TikTok viewers, giving her a 92% gain in streams over about a seven week period, according to Luminate.

Now, “I Know You,” a previously little-known song from Webster’s back catalog, is spiking on TikTok. Released on her self-titled 2017 album, “I Know You” is being used to accompany a myriad of different types of videos, but it has been particularly popular for creators to share photos juxtaposing themselves as children versus now, while typing out the lyrics on screen: “I’ll quiet down if it’s what you want / I understand I’m not the only one / for you.”    

“I Know You” began picking up on TikTok slowly starting in late Spring and reached a boiling point at the top of July. Since June 30^th, the track has seen a 279.1% gain in streams – while on top of the “I Know You” gains, Webster’s new single “But Not Kiss” is also faring well on the app. All of this has led to the Secretly Group signee re-entering and No. 26 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Plus, her Spotify monthly listeners are now outpacing other indie heavy-hitters like boygenius, Wet Leg and Remi Wolf. – KRISTIN ROBINSON

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Laufey’s ‘From the Start’ Speeds Up Into an Unlikely Hit

“From the Start,” the delicate, bossa nova-inspired new single from Laufey, is a modern take on a classic love triangle, as the Icelandic-Chinese jazz singer-songwriter waxes poetic about being in love with her best friend — who is, of course, in love with someone else. “Don’t you notice how/ I get quiet when there’s no one else around?/ Me and you and awkward silence,” she laments to open the song — and since the May release of “From The Start,” TikTok users have gradually picked up on Laufey’s yearning, with the song has starting to go viral.

The TikTok clips generally focus on those opening lines, and almost always use a sped-up version of “From the Start” — which Laufey herself has embraced, posting various clips of herself reacting to, and dancing along with, the new tempo of the track. Meanwhile, streams of the original “From the Start” are rapidly growing: the song earned 2.1 million U.S. on-demand streams in the week ending July 14, up 50% from the previous week’s total, and its daily streaming total this Monday (644,000) was up a whopping 146% from the previous Monday (261,000).

Laufey has spent plenty of time on jazz streaming playlists since her 2021 debut EP Typical of Me, but as of Wednesday, “From The Start” has brought her to Spotify’s Top 50 U.S. chart. In September, Laufey will perform a special showcase with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra — perhaps she’ll play “From The Start” in both its standard and sped-up versions, and be able to tout her first career Hot 100 hit by then. – JL

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Rylo Rodriguez Rides Sophomore Album Success to Strong Streaming Gains

Last month (June 30), Rylo Rodriguez, a protégé of hip-hop superstar Lil Baby, released Been One, his sophomore studio album. The set debuted at No. 10, earning Rylo his first top ten album on the Billboard 200, and remained in the chart’s top fifteen in its second week. The album’s impressive stability has been bolstered by the breakout streaming success of two of its tracks: social media phenomenon “Equal Dirt” and the NoCap-featuring “Thang for You.”

“Equal Dirt” has quickly become a meme across social media with Rylo’s “B—h, who dis fah?” ad-lib soundtracking thousands of hilarious TikToks. On the social media app, the official “Equal Dirt” sound has collected nearly 60,000 videos in a little over two weeks. The most common use of the sound is to set the scene for a staged scenario in which one partner in a relationship is demanding clarity from their significant other regarding a found item, which sparks suspicions of infidelity. The line has even proven itself irresistible to Rylo’s peers — like Grammy-nominated rapper Latto, who recently tweeted the phrase. According to Luminate, “Equal Dirt” has earned 3.15 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of July 7-14, a nearly 40% increase from the period of June 30-July 6.

“Thang for You,” one of Been One’s pre-release singles, has also posted sizable streaming gains. While the song has gained relatively less fervent traction on TikTok — its official sound only boasts a little over 16,000 videos — it is still earning some of the album’s strongest streaming tallies. During the period of July 7-14, “Thang for You” collected just over 6 million official on-demand U.S. streams, a 4% increase from the week prior. Rylo’s collaboration with NoCap pulled a 33% increase streams following the release of the full album. Much of the song’s success can be attributed to its somber sample of Snoh Aalegra’s “Do 4 Love,” her rendition of the late Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love.” – KYLE DENIS

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Warren Zeiders Gets Into the Bloodstream of DSPs With “Pretty Little Poison”

As Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, and Jelly Roll continue to flourish on both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100, they are lifting an entire class of country stars with them. Warren Zeiders, a rising country star who has previously used TikTok snippets to secure single success, is already cementing himself as a standout of that rising class.

Released back in March, “Pretty Little Poison” has been gaining traction for months now, but the song has recently become a trending sound for country-adjacent TikTokers to flaunt their significant others. The official “Pretty Little Poison” sound currently boasts over 41,000 videos on TikTok. Zeiders himself has two TikToks of him performing the song that have amassed over one million views each. Buoyed by the song’s relatable lyrics and Zeiders’ sultry online persona, both his profile and “Pretty Little Poison” have been on the rise. “Pretty Little Poison” collected 3.5 million official on-demand U.S. steams during the period of July 7-14, a 26% increase from the period of June 30-July 6. As Zeiders preps the release of his sophomore album of the same name, slated for an Aug. 18 release, “Pretty Little Poison” should continue its ascent on streaming. – KD

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Wham! Documentary Makes Duo Big Again on Streaming

The documentary Wham!, telling the story of the ‘80s U.K. chart-topping pop duo of the same name (largely via rare archive footage), debuted on July 5 on Netflix to mostly rave reviews. Fans seem to have responded to it as well, as consumption for the duo has increased greatly in the two weeks since its release: Their weekly U.S. on-demand audio streams rose from just over 4.6 million for the tracking week ending June 29 to nearly 6.6 million for the week ending July 14, according to Luminate (a 41% increase), while their digital sales have rocketed from around 1,100 to over 7,000 over that same timespan (a 537% boom). The doc has also boosted George Michael’s solo numbers, as his streams over that period have climbed from 3.4 million to 4.4 million (up 30%), while his sales hiking from 1,500 to 4,300 (up 187%). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

The notion of chasing creative ambitions across the country, from small towns to music industry meccas, is far from novel for Parkland, Florida native Ashley Cooke. Due to her father’s corporate job, Cooke’s family moved around frequently, living in 19 homes before Cooke was 18. At one point, her family relocated to Los Angeles when Cooke was a child, to support her older sister Jenn’s ambitions as an actress.

“She loved acting and pageantry and all of that. I was kind of dragged along, the little sister,” Cooke says with a laugh. “I grew up as a tomboy who loved playing sports and was nowhere near interested in being in the spotlight. But being in that environment, I fell in love with the poetry behind songwriting and performing. “ At one point, the sisters performed together, but Cooke’s passion for music soon led her to make her own leap of faith as a solo artist.

She moved to Nashville and enrolled at Nashville’s Belmont University as a corporate communications major. Her first breakthrough came when she won Belmont’s country music showcase in 2019 (the same showcase series that had become a career launcher for Brad Paisley, Kassi Ashton and Florida Georgia Line). In addition to offering a pair of original songs, she covered the Maren Morris/Zedd/Grey collaboration “The Middle.” (Also competing in that same showcase was Monument Records sister duo Tigirlily Gold).

As with many of today’s newcomers, Cooke first caught the industry’s attention with a viral TikTok moment, via her song “Never Til Now” — which she parlayed into a collaboration with country hitmaker Brett Young. Now, Cooke is gearing up to release her debut album, Shot in the Dark, out Friday on Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music.

On the sprawling, 24-song double album, Cooke deftly mixes stories of love, heartbreak and lessons learned along the way, and showcases a range of sonic styles — all underpinned by her powerful but accessible vocals. Highlighting the camaraderie among today’s crop of rising and veteran artists, the album features collabs with Brett Young (“Never ‘Til Now”), Colbie Caillat (‘Mean Girl”), Nate Smith (“See You Around”) and Jackson Dean (“What Are You on Fire About”).

Billboard spoke with Cooke, July’s Country Rookie of the Month, about writing for her debut album, her collaborations, the role of social media in artist development, and the advice she received from Kenny Chesney.

There are 24 songs on your debut album. Why did you choose “Tastes Like” to open this project?

It sets a fun tone for the project. I love the initial kind of ghostly whisper that you hear at the beginning of the song. That was a product of the demo. We did a writing retreat with three of my favorite songwriters — Corey Crowder, Jordan Minton and Emily Weisband. We were writing the song and Emily just kind of kept singing that part over and over, and Corey captured her singing that part. I was so obsessed with the way that sounded on the demo, and I thought that would be such a great way to open the album. So we recreated it with my voice on the project.

“State I’m In” closes the album. Why did that make sense as the final track?

I thought of the album in the same way I would a live show. This song felt like, “Welcome to this era of my music.” With this song, I was driving through somewhere in Ohio or Indiana, touring in the van. It was 1:00 a.m. and I was scrolling Instagram, seeing a bunch of my friends posting about getting married and having babies and just being in that state of life. I just felt how cool it was that we can be in different phases and states and support each other.

So I had the idea because we were in different states, physically and metaphorically. And so that sounds like the perfect album cap, because it felt like the place I’m at. I can be a very indecisive person, but it was like, “No, I know where I’m at — and it’s okay to be totally in love with my career and doing this full-time right now.”

You are a co-writer on nearly every song on the album. One of the few outside cuts is “What Are You On Fire About,” which features Lainey Wilson as a writer on it, alongside Luke Dick and Jason Nix (who is a writer on Wilson’s “Things a Man Oughta Know”).

They played it for me as an outside pitch. It sounded different than what I would write, but it still felt like my voice. I cut it, and Jackson Dean is a good friend of mine. I love his voice and artistry. He asked about the songs that might be on my album, and I told him “What Are You On Fire For?” which his producer [Luke Dick] wrote. He was like, ‘I would love to be a feature on that,’ so we recorded it.

You do have some great collaborations here. What was it like working with Colbie Caillat on “Mean Girl”?

She was such a huge inspiration to me growing up. I used to cover “Bubbly” all the time, and people would say that my voice kind of favors hers, and that was always such a huge compliment. I was really hoping to work with her down the road, and that point came quicker than I realized. It was great, and her voice sounds incredible on the track. It’s such a full-circle moment.

Like a lot of artists these days, your big break came through TikTok. How do you balance those commercial demands with creative demands?

I try to post one video per day. If I make more, great, and if I don’t that’s fine. I used to be a lot more obsessed with getting the perfect video and taking hours to make one video. I realized the ones that did best are the ones I tried the least for. Just make a video, spend 20 or 30 minutes on it, post it and see what happens. It’s tough to be a new artist and be so focused on that, but it is a tool to get your name and music out there.

How did that impact the album-making process?

We went into this album process — my label and I talked about it and decided to just post all of the songs, and see what happens and let fans decide what might go to radio and on playlists. Like another song on the album, “Your Place.” I posted it on social media, and the day it came out, I played a festival in Ohio. I was absolutely mind blown because everyone knew every word to it. It’s really exciting the era that we are in with social media, because of that instant connection you can have with fans.

You are currently on tour with Luke Bryan. What are some of your must-haves on tour?

I love essential oils, throat coat tea, my airpods and some kind of hoodie. I have to have a hoodie on the road, even if it’s 95 degrees out.

Earlier this year, you performed with Kenny Chesney during the Tortuga Music Festival, where you both sang “When the Sun Goes Down“…

It was exciting, it was so crazy. I played my own set earlier in the day, and he saw my performance and invited me to sing with him. He’s just such a kind, humble human being.

Has he given you any career advice?

He said that his first tour was when he was 25, which was the age I was when we played the Tortuga Music Festival. He was like, “Keep your head down, grinding hard, keep working, and enjoy it along the way.” He’s such a hard worker and it shows in all of his success, and I respect how he chooses to mentor other artists. He is just one of those guys who wants to help and wants to mentor.

What drives you, musically?

I grew up listening to artists like Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts and Ed Sheeran, and I felt so much comfort in the way they wrote about such universal feelings in a specific, unique way. That’s what’s exciting — the chance to take everything that I’ve experienced, and that a lot of other humans have experienced, but spinning it in a way, and making it sound different in a way that hits you right in the chest. That’s what inspires me the most.

La Maquinaria Norteña continues its winning streak as its latest single, “Te Quiero Ver,” lifts 2-1 to rule Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart dated July 22. It’s the third No. 1 for the Roswell, N.M.-based group, all of which arrived less than a year ago.

“Te Quiero Ver” takes the lead on Regional Mexican Airplay with 7.69 million audience impressions. That’s a 7% swell from the week prior, earned in the U.S. during the July 7-13 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The quintet’s new champ follows “Eres Ese Algo,” which commanded for one week in February. With “Te Quiero Ver” in the lead, La Maquinaria picks up its third No. 1 among 29 career entries, and 13 top 10s. Its first came through the one-week ruler “50 y Cincuenta” in August 2022.

“Te Quiero Ver” ousts Grupo Firme and Gerardo Coronel’s “Que Onda Perdida” from the top slot after three weeks in charge.

With “Te Quiero” at No. 1, La Maquinaria solidifies its standing becoming the only act, overall, with dual coronations unaccompanied by any other act on Regional Mexican Airplay in 2023. Further, the quintet is also the second act to place at least two rulers on the survey in the same period. The only other act to place as many or more is Grupo Frontera with three champs: “Que Vuelvas” with Carin León (six weeks at No. 1, between Jan-Feb), “Bebe Dame” with Fuerza Regida (three weeks at No. 1, March-April) and “Di Que Sí” with Grupo Marca Registrada (April-May).

“Te Quiero” also sees progress on the overall Latin Airplay chart, rising to its No. 5 high. The northeño tune was composed by Keith Nieto, he group’s saxophonist.

La Maquinaria is comprised of leading vocalist and sixth bass player Sergio “Mosca” Soto, Keith Nieto on sax, Rory Nieto on accordion, Tony Nieto on drums and Iván Gutiérrez on electric bass.