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AC/DC’s ‘Power Up’ Charges In at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart
AC/DC’s Power Up debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, giving the legendary rock band its third chart-topping set. The new studio effort was released via Columbia Records on Nov. 13 and starts with 117,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 19, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. AC/DC previously hit No. 1 with 2008’s Black Ice and 1981’s For Those About to Rock (We Salute You). All told, Power Up is AC/DC’s 26th charting album, and 10th top 10. Also in the top 10, Future and Lil Uzi Vert’s first collaborative album, Pluto x Baby Pluto, debuts at No. 2, Chris Stapleton’s Starting Over enters at No. 3, Queen’s Greatest Hits reaches the top 10 for the first time and the prolific YoungBoy Never Broke Again clocks his fourth top 10 of 2020 wit...
R. Kelly Lawyer Says Singer Is ‘Suffering’ Mentally as Trial Date Set for April
A federal judge has ordered a start date in the trial of singer R. Kelly, according to information provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. In a schedule set down by U.S. District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly, jury questionnaires will be distributed between March 15 and March 25, 2021, jury selection begins April 6 and the trial kicks off on April 7. Kelly is facing charges in New York of racketeering, coercion of a minor, transportation of a minor and coercion to engage in illegal sexual activity relating to six different victims. The indictment alleges that for over two decades, R. Kelly was the leader of a racketeering enterprise made up of managers, bodyguards, drivers, personal assistants and runners who recruited women and girls to engage in illegal...
Brother & Sister Duo Lastlings Break Down Their Darkly Sophisticated Debut LP Track by Track
Taking inspiration from influences ranging from anime to Bonobo to Blade Runner to Neil deGrasse Tyson, it makes sense that Lastlings’ debut album, First Contact, is smart, deep, futuristic and a little bit celestial. Written between the brother and sister duo’s home on the Gold Coast of Australia and the Japanese fishing village where their grandparents reside, the album’s dozen tracks have a sophisticated allure, maintaining their delicacy while often growing thick with layers of synth and percussion. It’s altogether live electronic music ripe for sweaty dancefloors and packed tents, many of which the duo filled during sets at big deal festivals — including Coachella and Splendour In the Grass. Named one of Billboard Dance’s artists to watch last Novem...
Pop Smoke’s ‘Shoot for the Stars’ Has Most Weeks at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Since 2012
As Pop Smoke’s Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon leads Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for an 11th week, the late rapper’s debut studio set becomes the longest-running champ in nearly a decade and posts the third-longest stay at No. 1 for a rap album in the chart’s history. Shoot for the Stars rebounds from No. 2 on the list dated Nov. 21 to capture an 11th frame in charge. The project, released July 3 (four-and-a-half months after Pop Smoke’s death on Feb. 20), debuted at No. 1 in July and has reigned for 11 of its first 19 weeks on the list. Since its arrival, Shoot has yet to fall below No. 3 on the weekly rankings. {“nid”:”9471110″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Inside The Remarkable Success of Pop Smoke\u2...
James Blake Delivers Spellbinding Cover of ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ on ‘Fallon’: Watch
James Blake is the sort of artist who you know and love, or you’re yet to discover. On Thursday night (Nov. 19), the electronic artist and producer changed tac for a haunting cover of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” on The Tonight Show. Performing at a grand piano with no pyrotechnics, smoke machines or digital wizardry, Blake stripped it right back to the core. It was a moment that should thrust Blake into new audiences, win him more friends. Brit Blake first came to recognition in the 2010s with a string of EPs, and his critically-launched, self-titled 2011 album. Its followup, 2013’s Overgrown, won the coveted Mercury Music Prize and a Grammy for best new artist. {“nid”:”9465012″,”type”:”post”,”titleR...
BTS’ ‘Be’ Is Here: Stream It Now
After much anticipation, BTS’ new album Be finally arrived on Friday (Nov. 20) via Big Hit Entertainment. The eight-track album features record-breaking hit “Dynamite,” plus tracks like “Life Goes On,” “Fly to My Room,” “Blue & Grey,” “Skit,” “Telepathy,” “Dis-ease” and “Stay.” “Dynamite” reigned atop the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for three weeks, and garnered the most views in 24 hours of any video in YouTube history. It also topped Billboard’s Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts dated Oct. 24. {“nid”:”9483751″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”BTS Set to Headline 2020 SBS Gayo Daejeon...
‘Good News,’ Hotties! Megan The Stallion’s New Album Is Here
Hot girl summer has quickly become hot girl winter. Megan Thee Stallion’s debut album dropped on Friday (Nov. 20), and it’s the Good News we need in these tumultuous times. The album features previously released tracks “Girls in the Hood,” “Don’t Stop” featuring Young Thug and her Hot 100 chart topping “Savage” remix featuring Beyoncé. City Girls, DaBaby, Lil Durk, SZA, Popcaan, Big Sean and 2 Chainz also appear as collaborators on the project. Here’s Some Much-Needed ‘Good News’: The Track List For Megan Thee Stallion’s Debut Album Is Stacked Good News follows Meg’s recent project Suga, which was released in March, and 2019’s Fever. She’s also released a number of successful singles and collabo...
2020 Latin Grammys: Kany García, Mike Bahía, Carlos Vives and More Inspiring Speeches
From Mike Bahía’s sweet message after accepting the best new artist award to Kany García’s purposeful best singer-songwriter album acceptance speech, here are their most memorable speeches of the 21st annual Latin Grammys. Kany García, best singer-songwriter album (Mesa Para Dos): “What a beauty. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to Sony Music and Afo Verde who have always allowed me to do music that is born from my heart. Thanks to my love, Puerto Rico. Sending you all a big hug. And thanks to all these songwriters who not only make music to entertain but also music with purpose. And we have to keep writing songs like those because there is a lot happening in Puerto Rico. I’m sending a hug to those 41 victims of gender-based violence and let’s keep pushi...
Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy: Before Verzuz, Check Their Chart Battle
After a two-month break, Verzuz kicks off its second season with a battle between two Atlanta rap titans: Gucci Mane and Jeezy. The match-up initially pitted T.I. against Jeezy, but the new configuration adds extra intrigue as Gucci Mane and Jeezy have engaged in a long-standing feud filled with multiple diss tracks, physical altercations and even a murder charge against Gucci Mane in the 2005 shooting death of Jeezy’s friend and former labelmate Henry “Pookie Loc” Clark III. (The rapper was later acquitted of the charges.) Adding to the intrigue, the rappers will conduct the battle live from the same room. Ahead of Verzuz’s return Thursday night (Nov. 19), Billboard recaps the rapper’s biggest songs on our charts, many of which are likely to show up during the showdown. ...
Voice, Bass, Vibraphone: The Subtle Beauty of Vocalist Luba Mason’s ‘Triangle’
Luba Mason’s voice is a supple instrument that can traverse many styles: jazz, Broadway, classical, Latin, pop. “I would describe myself as a vocalist,” she says, eschewing the knee-jerk “jazz singer” appellation. “I was classically trained. I also did Broadway. So I’ve learned to adapt to the style of music that I am performing. And as you can see I prefer many.” The daughter of Slovak immigrants, Mason shines a light on her versatility in her new album, Triangle, released Oct. 23 on indie Blue Canoe Records, and so named for the unlikely trio of voice, bass and vibraphone. Mason’s fourth album was recorded live, pre-pandemic, with her unadulterated vocals elegantly playing with the subtlety of the sparse accompanying instruments, featuring Joe Locke on vibraphone and James Genus, who pla...
Wolfgang Van Halen’s Tribute to Late Dad Eddie Set to Rock on Billboard Charts
The legacy of the late rock god Eddie Van Halen will be felt on Billboard’s charts next week, as “Distance,” a tribute song to him by his 29-year-old son Wolfgang Van Halen, is set to impact a number of tallies. Billed as by Mammoth WVH, “Distance” was released on Nov. 16 and has sold 9,000 downloads in the U.S. through Nov. 17, according to initial sales reports to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The track could debut in the top five of the Rock Digital Song Sales chart (dated Nov. 28) and also bow on the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart (which blends sales, streams and airplay). Eddie Van Halen died on Oct. 6 of cancer at age 65. Proceeds from “Distance” will be donated to The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which Wolfgang tweeted was his father’s favorite charity. The song was...
Guns N’ Roses Set 2021 Stadium Tour of Australia and NZ
Stadium shows are returning to Australia and New Zealand, but not for another year. On Thursday (Nov. 19), Guns N’ Roses announced an eight-date tour of Australasia, kicking off Nov. 6 at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast. Presented by TEG Dainty, a division of the TEG Group, the trek then moves on to Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney’s ANZ Stadium and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. The production then heads east for two dates in New Zealand, at Sky Stadium in Wellington, and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, then returns to Australia for a final, Nov. 24 concert at Perth’s Optus Stadium. {“nid”:”9481177″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Bernard Fanning, Ocean Alley and Others Set for Australia's First Post-COVID Arena...
