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Jay-Z, Yo Gotti and Team Roc File Suit Against Mississippi Prison Over Health Conditions
In the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic across the nation and in Mississippi prisons, Jay-Z, Yo Gotti and Team ROC have filed a class-action lawsuit against on behalf of 227 Mississippi inmates against the state’s new Department of Corrections Commissioner Nathan Burl Cain and Centurion (the healthcare provider for all Mississippi prisons) in an effort to address the dire conditions for prisoners in lockdown during the pandemic. According to a copy of a sworn COVID-19 questionnaire filled out by some Parchman prisoners provided to Billboard by a spokesperson for Team ROC, the men describe a lack of COVID testing protocols in the century-old prison, reports of officials saying that corona tests in short supply, poor social distancing, a lack of PPE and confinement in cl...
Pop Smoke Lights up Australia’s Albums Chart With ‘Shoot For The Stars’
Pop Smoke, the fast-rising hip-hop artist whose life was taken in a home invasion at the age of just 20, is the new leader of Australia’s albums chart. The Los Angeles-based artist’s debut LP Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon (Universal) bows at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, with three tracks from it impacting the national singles survey (“The Woo” at No. 25, “For The Night” at No. 32 and “Dior” at No. 48). Pop Smoke’s posthumous release follows two mixtapes, Meet The Woo (2019) and Meet The Woo 2 (2020), the latter debuting at No. 33 last week and rising to No. 24 on the current list. Shoot For The Stars is the first posthumous LP to top the Australian chart in more than two years. The last to do so was Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s history-making Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainb...
‘Hamilton’ Hits No. 2 on Billboard 200, Is Highest-Charting Cast Album Since 1969
Set also captures biggest streaming week ever for a cast album. The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical surges to a new peak on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as the set vaults from No. 14 to No. 2 in the wake of the show’s Disney+ premiere on July 3. The album earned 102,000 equivalent album units (up 294 percent) in the U.S. in the week ending July 9, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Of that sum, 32,000 are in album sales (up 592 percent). The last cast recording to reach the top two on the chart was the original cast album of Hair, which spent 13 weeks at No. 1 in 1969. The Hamilton album is basking in the glow of the Disney+ streaming premiere of the filmed version of the Broadway stage show, with most of the original Broadway cast. T...
Louis Tomlinson and Syco Music Part Ways: ‘I’m Really Excited for the Future’
Louis Tomlinson and Simon Cowell’s Syco are saying goodbye. The One Direction-er took to social media on Saturday (July 11) to announce that his relationship with Syco has ended. The 28-year-old singer signed a solo recording contract with the label in 2017. “Hope everyone is doing ok! Just wanted to let you know that Syco Music and I have agreed to part ways,” Tomlinson tweeted. I’m really excited for the future and to be back in the studio writing the next album. Can’t wait to finally see you all on tour!!” One Direction’s five studio albums were released through Syco/Columbia Records. In early 2019, Tomlinson joined Arista Records within the Sony Music family, where he signed to Epic under Cowell’s Syco in 2017. As part of the deal, the sin...
This Metal Band Was Determined to Hit The Road During the Pandemic — Here’s Why It All Fell Apart
“Brother, I’m over it. I got songs to write… Time to focus on other things and how to be the best I can be, and finally be able to concentrate on music for a minute.” That resigned email on Thursday morning (July 9) from Wildstreet frontman Eric Jayk was the final nail in the coffin of the 36-year-old singer’s dream of being the first rock band to bust through the COVID-19 lockdown, and put on the safest, hardest-rocking shows possible for his U.S. fans. With 25 gigs in 30 days booked back in February for their Kings of the World Tour, as recently as June 23 the group sent out a press release announcing that they were hitting clubs across the country at a time when nearly every other live act was either postponing dates until 2021, canceling tours outright or moving...
Paul Weller Has Fifth Solo U.K. No. 1 Album With ‘On Sunset’
Paul Weller lands his fifth solo No. 1 on the U.K. album chart with On Sunset (Polydor/Universal). Weller has now had chart-topping albums across five consecutive decades, in three different incarnations: as a solo artist (in 1995, 2002, 2008, 2012 and 2020), in 1982 with The Jam and 1985 with the Style Council. On Sunset has combined units of 24,000, just over 25% of which are on vinyl. The late rapper Pop Smoke debuts at No. 2 with Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon (Republic/Universal), and classical vocalist Katherine Jenkins at No. 3 with Cinema Paradiso (Decca/Universal). Lewis Capaldi’s Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (EMI/Universal) holds at No. 4 and Bob Dylan dips 2-5 with the former No. 1 Rough and Rowdy Way...
Nielsen to Shed 3,500 Jobs in Restructuring
Nielsen will cut up to 3,500 jobs as part of a restructuring of its businesses to save money and focus on its core holdings. The data company and TV ratings provider says the moves are part of a “broad-based optimization plan” to cut costs and make the remaining assets more efficient, as well as making Nielsen more profitable. Under the plan, Nielsen will “exit several smaller, underperforming markets and non-core businesses” in the next few months. The optimization plan includes cuts of 3,500 staff worldwide — about 8 percent of the company’s employees. “Across Nielsen Global Media and Nielsen Global Connect, we are making progress on increasing our operational and financial discipline, including zero-basing our cost structure as we move toward the plan...
6lack’s ‘6pc’ Wings Into Top 5 on R&B Albums Chart
6lack nabs his second top five effort on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart as his new EP, 6pc Hot, debuts in the runner-up spot on the list dated July 11. The six-song project, released on LVRN/Interscope, starts with 26,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending July 2, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The singer-rapper, whose stage name is pronounced “Black,” previously reached the top five with his prior effort, 2018’s East Atlanta Love Letter, which reigned for two weeks that September – October. His 2016 debut, Free 6lack, climbed to a No. 6 best in May 2017. In addition to its R&B debut, 6pc opens at No. 11 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at No. 15 on the all-genre Billboard 200. As 6pc arrives, four of its cut debut on the Hot R&B Songs chart: “Float” (No....
Paul Weller’s ‘On Sunset’ Heats up Midweek U.K. Albums Chart
Paul Weller shouts to the top of the U.K. midweek chart with On Sunset (Polydor), his fifteenth solo album. The former Style Council and The Jam frontman takes the lead on the Official Chart Update, with a 11,000 chart sales advantage over its nearest competitor, Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon (Republic Records). If On Sunset holds its position when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published this Friday (July 10), it’ll be Weller’s first leader since Sonik Kicks opened at the summit, eight years ago. On Sunset will be the veteran British artist’s 20th solo Top 10 album, and it’s the best-seller across physical albums and downloads in the first half of the chart cycle. Pop Smoke’s debut comes in at No. 2 on the midweek albums chart, and three songs ...
Tones And I, Julia Jacklin, Flume & More Score Nominations for 2020 AIR Awards
With three nominations, Tones And I has a fine chance of taking home silverware at the 2020 AIR Awards, to be held Oct. 1 in Adelaide. Tones’ global hit “Dance Monkey” is up for independent song of the year, her debut EP The Kids are Coming is in the running for independent pop album or EP and she’s nominated for breakthrough independent artist of the year. The former busker is coming off the type of year most artists can only dream of. “Dance Monkey” led the ARIA Singles Chart for a whopping 24-weeks, easily an all-time record. And in the U.K., the song led the national singles tally for 11 weeks, the longest streak ever by a solo female artist. The track has now raced past seven billion streams across all platforms. In May of this year, Tones snagged two APRA Music Awards — includi...
U.S. ‘Looking At’ TikTok Ban Says Sec. of State Mike Pompeo
Sec. of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would “certainly look at” banning Chinese social media apps including short-form video app TikTok over national security and privacy concerns. “With respect to Chinese apps on people’s cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too,” Pompeo said in an interview on Monday’s episode of Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle. “I don’t want to get out in front of the president, but it’s something we’re looking at.” Pompeo added that people should only download TikTok “if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.” The news comes as TikTok increasingly looks to distance itself from its parent company Beijing-based...
DaBaby Rules Hot 100 for Fourth Week; Jack Harlow Surges; Harry Styles, Lil Baby & 42 Dugg Hit Top 10
“Rockstar” reigns; “Watermelon Sugar” & “We Paid” hit top tier. DaBaby‘s “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, tops the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for a fourth week. Plus, Jack Harlow‘s “Whats Poppin” vaults from No. 8 to No. 2 on the Hot 100 and two tracks reach the top 10: Harry Styles‘ “Watermelon Sugar” (16-8) and Lil Baby and 42 Dugg’s “We Paid” (18-10). Let’s run down the top 10 of the newest Hot 100, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated July 11) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (July 7). [embedded content] “Rockstar,” released on SouthCoast/Interscope Records, posts a seventh week at No. 1 on the Stre...
