International
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shivers’ on Course for No. 1 Debut In U.K.
Ed Sheeran looks set to extend his reign over the U.K. singles chart, only he might do it with a new number. Sheeran’s latest “Shivers” gets away to a fast start to lead the First Look chart, which ranks releases based on the weekend’s sales and streaming activity. “Shivers” debuts at No. 1 and opens up a lead of 10,000 chart sales over the No. 2 track, Sheeran’s “Bad Habits,” which has logged 11 consecutive weeks at No. 1. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Girls Aloud Sales Spike In U.K. As Fans Remember Sarah Harding
Streams of the group’s 2004 chart-leading cover “I’ll Stand By You” soared by 1,068%, and the 2009 leader “The Promise” saw week-on-week gains of 340%. Also, the outfit’s signature song, the No. 1 debut “Sound of the Underground” had 295,000 plays, well up on the 100,000 streams of a typical week, while Girls Aloud’s 2007 hit “Call The Shots” saw an increase in downloads and streams of 333%. Harding’s solo single “Wear It Like A Crown,” which she released in March to raise funds for The Christie NHS Foundation, where she received treatment, has seen streams lift by 7,500%. Harding passed away Sept. 5 after a battle with breast cancer. She was 39. The group left an indelible mark on the pop scene and on the U.K. charts, where they snagged four Official Chart U.K. No. 1s singles and 21...
BLACKPINK’s Lisa Brings ‘Lalisa’ to ‘The Tonight Show’ for Solo TV Debut
“Lalisa” has made its debut on TV. Wearing a sparkly top and surrounded by dancers in masks, BLACKPINK member Lisa performed the fresh title track from her just-released, debut solo project for a segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, marking the song’s first televised performance. Lisa released her two-song project, also titled Lalisa (her full name) on Friday (Sept. 10). The project features the song “Lalisa” as well as a track titled “Money,” and instrumental versions of both. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting,...
Drake Smashes Australian Chart Record as ‘Certified Lover Boy Debuts’ Blasts to No. 1
Also hitting high on the current chart is Imagine Dragons’ Mercury – Act 1 (Interscope/Universal). It’s new at No. 10 for the American pop-rock band’s fifth top tier release. K-pop boy band Stray Kids make their first appearance on the ARIA Albums Chart with NOEASY (Orchard), the followup to their 2020 debut Go Live. It’s new at No. 14. Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s hit “Stay” (Columbia/Sony) enters week nine at No. 1, ahead of Drake’s “Girls Want Girls,” new at No. 2. “Girls Want Girls” is one of five new CLB releases to crack the Top 10. His 20 new entries to the chart breaks the record for most debuts in the Top 50 in one week. Finally, ABBA make their long overdue return to the ARIA Singles Chart with their “Don’t Shut Me Down” and “I Still Have Fait...
Iron Maiden Battles Drake For U.K. Chart Crown
In the first half of the cycle, 8,000 combined sales separate the two albums, according to the OCC. Bruce Dickinson and Co. have five U.K. No. 1 albums from a 40-year career, with their latest two studio LPs Final Frontier (from 2010) and The Book of Souls (2015) going-back-to-back. Meanwhile, Drake has three career U.K. No. 1 albums and, with CLB, he should snag his tenth Top 10. Coming in at No. 3 on the albums chart blast is London rapper Little Simz’s Sometime I Might Be Introvert (Age 101), while Newcastle rockers The Wildhearts are set for a career high with 21st Century Love Songs (Graphite), new at No. 4 on the midweek chart. Kanye West’s Donda (Def Jam) falls 1-5, as ABBA’s Gold (Polydor) is fueled by the Swedish pop greats’ comeback announcement and the release of two songs. The ...
Hundreds Wait to Pay Respects to Greek Composer Mikis Theodorakis
A court had temporarily halted burial plans pending resolution of the dispute. Greece’s national broadcaster said a final decision on details of the burial is expected Tuesday morning. Theodorakis died on Sept. 2 at 96. His daughter had said he would be buried near Corinth in the village of Vrahati, where he maintained a holiday home. But a letter Theodorakis had written to the mayor of the town of Chania in Crete in 2013 was made public, in which the composer said he wanted to be buried in the nearby cemetery of Galatas, despite his family’s disagreement. Theodorakis was as well-known in Greece for his political activism as for his musical career. He penned a wide range of work, from somber symphonies to popular television and film scores, including for Serpico and Zorba the Greek. H...
Remembering Sarah Harding and Her U.K. Chart Hits With Girls Aloud
Sarah Harding, who died on Sunday (Sept. 5) after a battle with breast cancer, aged just 39, left behind a massive impression on the U.K. charts as part of the pop outfit Girls Aloud. The five-piece, consisting of Harding, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Cheryl Cole, was a pop juggernaut through the noughts, collecting four Official Chart U.K. No. 1s singles and 21 Top 10s. Twenty of those Top 10s were consecutive — a feat no female group has come close to matching, and the singers’ roaring success was confirmed by Guinness World Records, which in 2011 declared Girls Aloud as the “Most Successful Reality TV Group”. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving y...
China’s Weibo Bans BTS Fan Account for Illegal Fundraising
The party has since reduced children’s access to online games and is trying to discourage what it sees as unhealthy attention toward celebrities. Last week, the government banned effeminate men on TV and banned idol development shows for their “low moral values” that could be a bad influence on the youth. The BTS fan account was banned from posting on Weibo after images circulated online last week of a customized airplane from Jeju Air with images of Jimin on it. The customized airplane was part of the club’s plans to celebrate his 26th birthday in October. The stunt drew swift criticism online for its excess. Following the backlash, the account issued a statement last week on its feed urging fans to be “rational” when chasing celebrities for a “harmonious and healthy internet environment....
Kanye West’s ‘Donda’ Debuts at No. 1 In U.K.
Also new to the Official U.K. Albums Chart is Maisie Peters’s debut album You Signed Up For This (Gingerbread Man), which starts at No. 2, while Scottish synth-pop outfit Chvrches bow at No. 4 with Screen Violence (Virgin), their fourth studio effort. Halsey completes the Top 5 with If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power (EMI), her fourth LP. It’s the U.K.’s best-selling album on vinyl in the latest cycle. British singer and songwriter Becky Hill enjoys a Top 10 start with her debut Only Honest At The Weekend (Polydor), new No. 7, while KSI’s All Over The Place (BMG) vaults 20-10 following the release of a deluxe edition. With ABBA making a much-hyped comeback, fans of the Swedish pop legends are digging for Gold. ABBA’s Greatest Hits (Polydor) lifts 14-12 following news of their new...
ABBA Eyeing Return to U.K. Top 10
Both songs have been streamed over 500,000 times this weekend, the OCC reports, and “Don’t Shut Me Down” is the most downloaded song so far this week. The tracks, should they hold their momentum, will mark ABBA’s first U.K. Top 10 singles since “One Of Us”, which peaked at No. 3 in December 1981. The two new singles are taken from Voyage, ABBA’s first new studio album in 39 years, due out Nov. 5. The foursome will support the LP with a 2022 concert event, featuring avatars of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid, accompanied by a 10-piece live band, in a custom-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, East London. Tickets go on sales Tuesday (Sept. 7). Currently, ABBA has nine U.K. No. 1 singles and 19 Top 10s. They’ve also landed nine No. 1 albums in the territory. Meanwhile, Dra...
Australia’s Music Industry Joins Forces For National Vaccine Campaign
“Help us stop the interruptions and get vaxxed as soon as you can,” reads a campaign statement. “Every jab makes a difference, and every Australian can play their part.” It’s powered by the newly-formed LIVE Alliance, which includes reps from organizations including ARIA, APRA AMCOS, Assn. of Artist Managers (AAM), Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC), TEG and others. Sworn rivals Frontier Touring and Live Nation are core members of the Alliance, and both have buried the hatchet for the campaign. “To see all the main organizations across all facets of the industry come together and work together to drive this, it’s great to see,” enthuses Matt Gudinski, CEO of Mushroom Group, parent of Frontier Touring. For the music business, he tells Billboard, “there’s really no pathway out of...
Masked Wolf’s ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’ Honored For Streaming Milestone
“Astronaut In The Ocean” impacted charts around the globe, hitting No. 6 on the Hot 100, No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs and earning Chartbreaker status. The two creators were presented with trophies earlier in the week at the APRA AMCOS offices. “I went out to celebrate 20 million streams because to me that was a goal and achievement,” explains Masked Wolf in a statement. “It’s crazy what can happen when you never give up and truly believe in yourself. One billion streams later I’m still the same person but am so grateful for this moment.” Tyron Hapi produced and co-wrote the song. Its milestone, he explains, is “an incredible achievement and stepping stone for me. I appreciate everyone who listens and supports. Without my team this also wouldn’t hav...
