Month: September 2023

Zach Bryan lands his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as his new self-titled set bows atop the tally (dated Sept. 9). The 16-song country-rock effort, his fourth full-length studio album, launches with 200,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 31, according to Luminate — the largest week for any rock album in four years. It’s also the first rock effort to hit No. 1 in more than a year. The set’s opening frame is largely powered by streaming activity — and the album boasts the biggest streaming week ever for a rock album.

Beyond Bryan’s rock achievements, his self-titled set also marks the third country title to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023, and garners the fifth-largest debut streaming week for a country album.

Country and rock albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s Top Country Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, respectively. Bryan is among a handful of recent acts that have placed a genre-blending album on both the Top Country Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. Others include Jelly Roll, HARDY, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Koe Wetzel.

Bryan’s first No. 1 comes after sustained momentum on the Billboard 200 in the last year-plus from his previous studio effort, American Heartbreak. It debuted and peaked at No. 5 in June 2022 and spawned the top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Something in the Orange.” Heartbreak has yet to depart the weekly top 40 of the Billboard 200 in its 67 consecutive weeks on the list (it climbs 16-14 on the new tally).

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 Sept. 9, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Sept. 6 — one day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 4, in the U.S. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Zach Bryan’s 200,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Aug. 31, SEA units comprise 181,000 (equaling 233.09 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 16 songs — the largest streaming week ever for a rock set, and the fifth-largest streaming debut week for a country album), album sales comprise 17,000 (it was only available to purchase as a digital download, as its CD and vinyl LP are due out on Oct. 13) and TEA units comprise 2,000.

As noted above, Zach Bryan is the first rock album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in more than a year. The last to do so was Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Unlimited Love, which spent one week at No. 1 — its debut frame — on the list dated April 16, 2022. Zach Bryan also logs the largest week, by equivalent album units earned, for a rock album in four years, since Tool’s Fear Inoculum launched at No. 1 on the Sept. 19, 2019, chart with 270,000 units.

A little over a year ago, Bryan earned his first Billboard 200 chart entry with his third studio album — and major label debut — American Heartbreak, debuting and peaking at No. 5 on the June 4, 2022-dated list. The album has generated 2.6 billion on-demand official streams for its songs in the U.S. and has been a consistent streaming star since its debut. The set has been among the week’s top 20 most-streamed albums, by on-demand streams, in all but three weeks since its debut.

The Heartbreak single “Something in the Orange” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, reached the top three on the all-genre Streaming Songs chart, and hit No. 10 on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Following Heartbreak, Bryan placed five more titles on the list, including his new self-titled effort.

Four former No. 1s trail Bryan on the new Billboard 200. Travis Scott’s Utopia falls to No. 2 (91,000 equivalent album units earned; down 44%) after spending its first four chart weeks at No. 1. Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time dips 2-3 (83,000; down 8%), Taylor Swift’s Midnights rises 5-4 (49,000; down 8%) and SZA’s SOS vaults 11-5 (48,000; up 15% after increased sales and streams generated by its current single “Snooze,” including the release of its official music video and new remixes).

The Barbie soundtrack falls 4-6 (48,000 equivalent album units earned; down 14%) and Peso Pluma’s Génesis climbs 9-7 (43,000; down 3%). Swift has two more former leaders in the top 10, as Lover in a non-mover at No. 8 (43,000; down 8%) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) dips 7-9 (41,000; down 14%). Rounding out the top 10 is Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album, holding steady at No. 10 with 40,000 units (down 5%).

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.

Mexican rapper Juan Carlos Sauceda, better known as Lefty SM, was shot dead in Zapopan, Jalisco in Mexico. He was 31 years old.

His record label, Alzada Records, confirmed his death on Sunday morning (Sept. 3).  

“Dear Alzada friends and family, with profound sadness we’re informing you about the death of our brother, Lefty SM, Juan Carlos Sauceda,” wrote the label in a brief post on its Instagram account. “Our love and prayers are with his wife María Isabel and their two daughters.”

According to reports, the artist was attacked near his home in the neighborhood of La Cima in Zapopan, very close to Gaudalajara.

Carlos Félix, PR rep for Alzada Records, confirmed to Billboard Español that Lefty SM was shot twice and declared dead at a local hospital. No additional information was provided.

A formal report from the government of Jalisco is expected during the day.

Just this past Friday, Lefty MS performed at Teatro Metropólitan in Mexico City as a guest of his friend and colleague MC Davo, who was one of the first to publicly comment on his death.  

“How is this possible? I can’t believe it, really, I can’t believe it man,” said Davo in tears in a video posted Sunday morning on his Instagram Stories. Later, he posted a photo of both of them together at the beach: “Just a few hours ago we were enjoying life. May God have you in his glory.”

Lefty SM started in music in 1992 in the world of rap and hip-hop in his native San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. His career took off in 2017 when he launched his YouTube channel and began to gain a reputation in the Mexican urban scene. He collaborated with stars like Santa Fe Klan, with whom he recorded the tracks “Si me caigo”, “Con los ojos rojos” and “Por mi México,” one of his greatest hits. In fact, on Aug. 25, Lefty MS released a remix of “Por mi México” with Mexican rap stars Santa Fe Klan, Dharius, C-Kan, MC Davo and Neto Peña.

“It’s not possible carnal,” wrote Santa Fe Klan wrote on his Instagram, next to a photo of both of them. “Tell me it’s a lieeeeeeeeeee.”

Nicki Minaj‘s “Last Time I Saw You” has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Sept. 1) on Billboard, choosing the Queen of Rap’s first taste of her Pink Friday sequel as their favorite new music release of the past week.

“Last Time I Saw You” brought in nearly 48% of the vote, beating out new music by Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, (“Keep Going Up”), Doja Cat (“Demons”), Lil Wayne (“Kat Food”), Jhayco and Peso Pluma (“Ex-Special”), and others.

“Last Time I Saw You” is the latest taste from Minaj’s forthcoming Pink Friday 2. The album, which is due on Nov. 17, will serve as both the sequel to Minaj’s Billboard 200-topping debut studio album and the follow-up to 2018’s Queen, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned singles including “Chun-Li” and “Good Form.”

“Last Time I Saw You” recalls the original Pink Friday’s “Moment 4 Life,” with a gentle pop production providing the foundation for an impassioned sing-rap performance in which Minaj reflects on drifting apart from someone special.

“Beggin me to stay and then you walk away/ There’s something that you wanted to say/ I was in a rush and you say you were crushed/ But I said I’d be back, it’s OK,” the 40-year-old superstar sings over a breezy, R&B beat.

Trailing behind “Last Time I Saw You” on the poll is Timbaland’s dream team track “Keep Going Up,” which brought in 27% of the vote. Sixteen years after Timbaland, Timberlake and Furtado unveiled their Billboard Hot 100 chart topper “Give It to Me” in 2007, the trio reunited for their newest collab “Keep Going Up.”

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.

Nicki Minaj, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, was among the winners at the inaugural Caribbean Music Awards, which were held at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn on Thursday (Aug. 31). “Likkle Miss,” which Minaj recorded with Skeng, won collaboration of the year (dancehall/reggae). The track appeared on Minaj’s greatest hits set, Queen Radio: Volume 1, which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 10 in August 2022.

The versatile Minaj is up for six awards, including video of the year and artist of the year, at next week’s MTV Video Music Awards, which will be presented on Tuesday (Sept. 12).

Machel Montano received a lifetime achievement award and also won male artist of the year (soca). Beres Hammond received an elite icon award and also won male artist of the year (reggae). Other double winners at the event, which was hosted by Wyclef Jean, were Kabaka Pyramid, Ding Dong and Patrice Roberts.

Reggae legend Buju Banton received a humanitarian award for his philanthropic foundation, the Buju Banton Foundation.

Performers included Wayne Wonder, Alison Hinds, Jada Kingdom, Dexta Daps, Kranium, Nailah Blackman, Ding Dong, Rupee, Baby Cham, Toni-Ann Singh, Romain Virgo, Angela Hunte and Stone Love. The event also featured appearances from Doug E. Fresh, Skeng, MYA, Spice, Morgan Heritage, Konshens, Karlie Redd and Michael Rainey Jr.

The event, which streamed via Tempo Networks/YouTube and Instagram through @CaribbeanEliteMagazine, celebrated Caribbean music in all forms, including reggae, dancehall, soca and zouk.

Here’s a complete list of winners from the inaugural Caribbean Music Awards.

EP of the year (dancehall): Alkaline, The Ripple EFFX

Impact award (dancehall): Chronic Law

Impact award (reggae): Kabaka Pyramid

Impact award (soca): Viking Ding Dong

Performer of the year (soca): Mr. Killa

Album of the year (dancehall): Masicka, 438

Female artist of the year (dancehall): Spice

Male artist of the year (dancehall): Ding Dong

Male artist of the year (reggae): Beres Hammond

Male artist of the year (soca): Machel Montano

Female artist of the year (soca): Patrice Roberts

People’s choice award: Wit: Kes

Artist of the decade: Vybz Kartel

Collaboration of the year (soca): GBM Nutron & DJ Spider, “Down Dey”

Collaboration of the year (dancehall/reggae): Skeng & Nicki Minaj, “Likkle Miss”

Video of the year (dancehall/reggae): Popcaan & Toni-Anne Singh, “Next to Me”

Video of the year (soca): Patrice Roberts, “Mind My Business”

Best new artist (dancehall): Valiant

Best new artist (reggae): Samora

Best new artist (soca): Tempa

Kompa band of the year: Klass

Dance song of the year: Ding Dong, “BOUNCE”

Performer of the year (dancehall): Dexta Daps

Album of the year (reggae): Kabaka Pyramid, The Kalling

Lifetime achievement award: Machel Montano

Elite icon award: Beres Hammond

Humanitarian award: Buju Banton // The Buji Baton Foundation 

Taylor Swift‘s “Cruel Summer” is the latest song to enter Spotify’s Billions Club.

The music streaming service announced on Sunday (Sept. 3) that the hit single from the pop superstar’s 2019 album, Lover, has surpassed 1 billion streams.

“It’s been no cruel summer for @taylorswift13 this year,” potify wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Congratulations on another track in the #BillionsClub.”

It’s been no cruel summer for @taylorswift13 this year. Congratulations on another track in the #BillionsClub https://t.co/avNpctIBgJ pic.twitter.com/63X2wMknWy

— Spotify (@Spotify) September 3, 2023

Swift took to her Instagram Story on Sunday morning to celebrate the achievement. “Summer just got a BILLION TIMES CRUELER,” she wrote under a repost of Spotify’s congratulatory message. “Love you all so much for this.”

The addition of “Cruel Summer” to the streaming platform’s billion-streams club marks Swift’s fifth song to hit the milestone, which has been achieved by a total of 468 tracks (according to Spotify’s own playlist).

It follows her Midnights lead single “Anti-Hero,” and 1989 songs “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off,” as well as her Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack collaboration with Zayn, “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.”

Originally released on Swift’s 2019 album, Lover, and later being promoted by Republic Records as a single, “Cruel Summer” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track also topped Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, becoming her 12th leader on the ranking.

In late August, Swift broke another record on Spotify, becoming the first female artist in the streaming platform’s history to reach 100 million monthly listeners.

Is Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Vampire” about … Taylor Swift? Rodrigo commented on fan speculation that the lead ballad from Guts, on which she scathingly sings about an unnamed “bloodsucker, famef—er,” is somehow about one of her childhood idols.

“How do I answer this?” Rodrigo reportedly whispered to Guardian journalist Laura Snapes, when the question about “Vampire” arose during an interview ahead of the Sept. 8 release of Guts.

“I mean, I never want to say who any of my songs are about,” said Rodrigo. “I’ve never done that before in my career and probably won’t. I think it’s better to not pigeonhole a song to being about this one thing.”

“I was very surprised when people thought that,” she added in the article that was published on Saturday (Sept. 2).

Swift championed Rodrigo, who was a self-proclaimed Swiftie, very early on. “I say that’s my baby and I’m really proud,” she sweetly shared on social media when Rodrigo’s breakout smash “Drivers License” first started appearing on charts next to Swift’s music. Swift gifted her a ring like the one she wore when working on her Red album — “She is absolutely the kindest individual in the whole world,” Rodrigo gushed at the time — and the pair met in person and posed together for a cute photo at the 2021 Brit Awards.

After Rodrigo’s debut album, Sour, dropped, interpolations found in her work proved costly. Rodrigo ended up retroactively sharing songwriting credits for “deja vu” with Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) for its reminiscence of Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” She also gave writing credits to Swift and Antonoff on “1 step forward, 3 steps back” before Sour‘s release for including an interpolation of Swift’s “New Year’s Day” on the song.

Rodrigo and Swift seemingly haven’t associated with each other since, at least publicly. In a recent New York Times profile, Rodrigo said she hasn’t seen a show on Swift’s Eras Tour.

Back to the song meaning of “Vampire”: To her point, Rodrigo’s lyrics could have been inspired by a number of personal experiences the singer-songwriter might have encountered since “Drivers License” made its mark in 2021 — so her answer to the question doesn’t really answer much at all.

“Hate to give the satisfaction, asking how you’re doing now/ How’s the castle built off people you pretend to care about?” she sings in the opening of the song.

Later in the profile about Rodrigo and her sophomore album, Guardian writer Snapes, in her own words, notes that “‘Vampire’ is primarily about a romantic relationship with an older guy.” Many of its lyrical barbs do point toward this interpretation: there’s a line directed at a “cool guy,” and one pointing out that “every girl I ever talked to told me you were bad, bad news.” In the track’s second verse, Rodrigo says, “Went for me, and not her/ ‘Cause girls your age know better.”

Read the full piece at The Guardian here.

The .8 inches of rain that fell on Burning Man Friday afternoon (Sept. 1) and early Saturday morning (Sept. 2) have left the event at a relative standstill.

Burning Man officials have closed the event’s gates, making it impossible to enter and exit. All vehicles, other than emergency transport services, have been told to not move. The event’s airport is also currently closed.

Rain turns the ground of Burning Man, an arid desert playa, into thick, sticky mud, making it difficult for vehicles to move without getting stuck. The forecast in Nevada’s Black Rock City, which is what the temporary city of Burning Man is called, calls for a 60% chance of rain between Saturday afternoon and Sunday at 5 p.m.

An information official at the information tent on-site says that the ground typically needs 12-24 hours after the last rain to become drivable. The source says that their best guess for when the roads may reopen is Monday or Tuesday, depending on the weather over the next 24 hours or so.

The current population of Black Rock City is roughly 73,000, based on details shared in the city’s information booth. Burners have been advised to conserve food and water in the event that those inside the city will not be able to leave for several days. The ice tent is currently limiting people to buying one bag only.

Approximately 20,000 people arrived to Black Rock City via the Burner Bus, which transports people from cities including San Francisco and Reno. The information authority notes that these busses will return on a first-come, first-served schedule when roads reopen.

Diplo was at Burning Man, but managed to leave — apparently with Chris Rock — and then hitched a ride from a fan. “just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up,” he tweeted Saturday afternoon.

just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up pic.twitter.com/0uxSXLHgY6

— diplo (@diplo) September 2, 2023

While the man traditionally burns at the event on Saturday night, an information official says that this burn is unlikely to happen today, given the wetness and the fact that emergency vehicles and fire trucks cannot currently drive out to the man structure.

Inside the city, spirits are relatively high. Music is playing from many camps, with dance parties taking place under tents and in the mud itself. Many of the people out walking around the city are barefoot, with others covering their shoes in plastic bags or wearing just socks.

Information is being disseminated to Burners via the city’s pair of radio stations. Burners have also been advised that there will likely be a citywide cheer when the gates reopen.

Billboard will keep reporting from Black Rock City as is possible.

The White House issued a statement from President Joe Biden on the passing of Jimmy Buffett.

“A poet of paradise, Jimmy Buffett was an American music icon who inspired generations to step back and find the joy in life and in one another,” says the note published on Saturday (Sept. 2). “His witty, wistful songs celebrate a uniquely American cast of characters and seaside folkways, weaving together an unforgettable musical mix of country, folk, rock, pop, and calypso into something uniquely his own.”

The “Margaritaville” singer-songwriter died at age 76 on Sept. 1. The news of Buffett’s death was confirmed on his website and social media accounts. He was “surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.” No cause of death was given.

Biden, who was among many public figures to remember Buffett on Saturday, recalled, “We had the honor to meet and get to know Jimmy over the years, and he was in life as he was performing on stage – full of goodwill and joy, using his gift to bring people together.”

The tribute continued: “Over more than 50 studio and live albums and thousands of performances to devoted Parrot Heads around the world, Jimmy reminded us how much the simple things in life matter – the people we love, the places we’re from, the hopes we have on the horizon. A two-time Grammy nominee and winner of multiple country music awards, he was also a best-selling writer, businessman, pilot, and conservationist who championed the waters and Gulf Coast that he so loved.”

Buffett had 13 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles, including seven top 40 hits and one top 10, as well as 40 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart throughout his career.

“Jill and I send our love to his wife of 46 years, Jane; to their children, Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron; to their grandchildren; and to the millions of fans who will continue to love him even as his ship now sails for new shores,” said Biden.