Take a look at all of the week’s can’t-miss music moments below.
AC/DC’s new album charged in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200
AC/DC’s Power Up debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, giving the legendary rockers their third chart-topping set. The new LP started with 117,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 28, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. See the full Billboard 200 rundown for the week ending Nov. 28 here.
The 2020 American Music Awards were a night to remember
Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa, and Doja Cat and Bebe Rexha all performed during the AMAs on Sunday (Nov. 22), making for a star-studded evening. Of course, some awards were handed out, too! Check out the full winners’ list here to see who won big, and for further reading, learn who set records here.
“Mood” topped the Hot 100 once again
24kGoldn’s “Mood,” featuring Iann Dior, spent a fifth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Plus, Billie Eilish entered at No. 2 with her new song “Therefore I Am,” which she debuted live at the 2020 AMAs! Check out the full rundown for this week’s Hot 100 chart here.
Taylor Swift announced an early Christmas present for Swifties
The “Cardigan” singer released a new film on Disney+ titled Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions. “Well it’s 11/24 and 24-11=13 so I’ve got an announcement …You haven’t seen this film before,” Swift tweeted about the surprise film, which documents a performance of songs from her No. 1 album Folklore. Check out everything you need to know about the film here and the 11 things we learned from it here.
The 2021 Grammy Awards nominations were announced
They’re finally here! Beyonce led all artists with nine total nominations, while Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Roddy Rich followed Queen Bey with six nods each. See the full list of nominations here, check out the snubs and surprises here, and see who set records here.
Taylor Swift revealed which song she’s most excited to re-record
Swift told Good Morning America in an exclusive interview that she’s had the “most fun” re-recording her Fearless hit “Love Story” from the rest of the songs in her old catalog. She went on to describe how revisiting her oldest records reminds the singer of her “teenaged” voice that she’s able to “possibly improve.” See what else she had to say about the re-recording process here.
Lorde announced a photo book inspired by her Antarctica trip
Lorde is prepared to take fans into her “new world” with the upcoming release of her 100-page photo book GOING SOUTH, which documents her 2019 trip to Antarctica. The “Green Light” singer also teased fans that her latest creative endeavor is the “perfect precursor” to her next album. Here’s everything you need to know about the photo book.
Dua Lipa added Elton John and Kylie Minogue to “Studio 2054” livestream concert lineup
Dua Lipa’s “Studio 2054” livestream concert on Friday (Nov. 27) is fit for a king and queen, and in this case, that’s Elton John and Kylie Minogue. They join Miley Cyrus, Bad Bunny and more for a retro “celebration of the unconventional and unique.” Check out the full VIP lineup and the livestream event details here.
Morgan Wallen invited back to Saturday Night Live as musical guest
Morgan Wallen has been asked back to perform on SNL on Dec. 5. He was pulled from the Oct. 10-dated episode after videos of him partying at the University of Alabama football game surfaced online. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and Dua Lipa were also announced as musical guests for the rest of the month. Check out SNL’s December shows announcement here.
John Legend, Common, and more joined Stacey Abrams’ Rock the Runoff Virtual Concert
Stacey Abrams and her Fair Fight organization rallied John Legend, Common, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and more artists to perform at the Rock the Runoff Virtual Concert on Dec. 3. Proceeds from the show will benefit the non-profit’s voter mobilization efforts ahead of the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections in Georgia. Read Legend and Abrams’ exclusive statements to Billboard about the benefit concert here.
Shawn Mendes dropped first Netflix film and already announced second one
Two days after his Netflix documentary Shawn Mendes: In Wonder was released, the Canadian pop star revealed a bonus binge-worthy treat: His concert film Shawn Mendes: Live in Concert arrives on Netflix just in time for Thanksgiving. “Wanted to give you guys something as a thank you for all of the love on the doc,” Mendes tweeted about his surprise film, which takes fans back to his sold-out show at Toronto’s Rogers Centre from Sept. 2019. Check out In Wonder’s film review here, the doc’s 10 most vulnerable moments here and his Live in Concert film announcement here.
Barack Obama gave Drake his presidential stamp of approval to portray him in a biopic
The former President has already given some thought as to who should portray him in his official biopic, and it looks like Drake might get to enjoy the views from the White House. See Obama’s new interview about the 6 God’s shot at playing No. 44 here.
U.S. vinyl album sales score best week of 2020
U.S. vinyl album sales experienced the best week of 2020 and the third-best week since 1991, thanks to sale pricing and promotion at Walmart. They increased 55.5% to 943,000 copies sold in the week ending Nov. 19, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. See the full U.S. vinyl album sales rundown here.
