‘Encanto’ Soundtrack Spends Sixth Week Atop Billboard 200 Albums Chart

The Encanto soundtrack stays firm at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for a sixth nonconsecutive week on top. It is now tied with Adele’s 30 for the third-most weeks at No. 1 in the last five years. Only Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album (with 10) and Taylor Swift’s Folklore (eight) have tallied more weeks at No. 1 since January 2017.

Encanto earned 98,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 17 (down 11%), according to MRC Data.

Plus, Eminem’s Curtain Call: The Hits and Dr. Dre’s Dr. Dre – 2001 albums both return to the top 10, following the artists’ performance during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show on Feb. 13.

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 MRC Data. 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 Feb. 26, 2022-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 23 (one day later than usual, due to the Presidents’ Day holiday in the U.S. on Feb. 21). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Encanto’s 98,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 83,000 (down 9%, equaling 123.44 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 12,500 (down 25%) and TEA units comprise 2,500 (down 8%).

A trio of former No. 1s trail Encanto, as Gunna’s DS4Ever holds at No. 2 with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (down 3%), Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album rises 4-3 with 42,000 units (up 3%) and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy climbs 7-4 with 34,000 units (though down 3%).

The Weeknd’s compilation The Highlights bumps 8-5 with 33,000 equivalent album units earned (down 2%), Doja Cat’s Planet Her ascends 10-6 with 31,000 units (down 2%) and Adele’s 30 moves 9-7 with nearly 31,000 units (down 3%).

Eminem and Dr. Dre return to the top 10 on the Billboard 200, following their co-headlining performance during the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 13. Eminem’s former No. 1 Curtain Call: The Hits vaults from 126-8 with almost 31,000 equivalent album units earned (up 256%) while Dr. Dre’s Dr. Dre – 2001 zooms 108-9 with 30,500 units (up 220%). Eminem and Dr. Dre starred in the halftime show alongside Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, with special guests 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak.

Curtain Call returns to the top 10 for the first time since the March 11, 2006 chart, when it ranked at No. 8. It debuted atop the Billboard 200 dated Dec. 24, 2005. Dr. Dre – 2001 debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Dec. 4, 1999-dated chart and was last in the top 10 on the May 13, 2000, list (No. 9).

During the halftime show, Eminem performed “Lose Yourself,” which is featured on Curtain Call, while three tracks included on Dr. Dre – 2001 were also performed during halftime: “The Next Episode,” “Forgot About Dre” and “Still D.R.E.”

Of Curtain Call’s 31,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 26,000 (up 227%, equaling 37.67 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 1,500 (up 267%) and TEA units comprise 3,500 (up 1,015%). As for Dr. Dre – 2001’s 30,500-unit total, SEA units comprise 21,500 (up 168%, equaling 30.56 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs), album sales comprise 4,000 (up 323%) and TEA units comprise 5,000 (up 860%).

Closing out the top 10 on the Billboard 200 is Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1, Sour, rising 12-10 with just over 30,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1%).

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Kanye West Says His ‘Beef List’ Is ‘Twice as Long’ as This One

Kanye West, aka Ye, has a long list of beefs — one that he willingly added a number of names to this weekend.

On Saturday (Feb. 19), the rapper shared a list of “Kanye Beefs” that had been compiled and posted on Twitter. The list contained names like Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Kid Cudi, Drake and Beyoncé, and several others.

“Come on guys… This list is twice as long,” Ye quipped on Instagram.

“You gotta put Apple Spotify Vivendi Universal Lucien Grange Tik Tok Black History Month Obama the whole cast of SNL Hillary Clinton the Devil himself Corey Gamble Bezos Charlamagne Disney Librals and of course Skete and any and all corny s— in general Can somebody from Chicago let these people know what Skete meant when we was growing up It’s up for everybody!!!!!” he said.

“Wow. Being rich is fun!!!!” added Ye, who last week posted that he’s taking “accountability” for how he “came off as harassing Kim” Kardashian via since-deleted social media posts that had him publicly feuding and pleading to reunite with her, and insulting Pete Davidson, whom the reality star has been dating.

“I’ve learned that using all caps makes people feel like I’m screaming at them. I’m working on my communication. I can benefit from a team of creative professionals, organizers, mobilizers and community leaders,” he wrote on Tuesday. “Thank everybody for supporting me. I know sharing screen shots was jarring and came off as harassing Kim. I take accountability. I’m still learning in real time. I don’t have all the answers. To be good leader is to be a good listener.”

Last week, Ye announced that his forthcoming album, Donda 2, would be streaming exclusively on his branded Stem Player. Scheduled for a Feb. 22 release, the Future-produced album is the follow-up to 2021’s Donda, which was named after Ye’s late mother.

See his own updated “Kanye Beefs” list below.

 

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Dallas Good, Singer and Guitarist of The Sadies, Dies at 48

Dallas Good, the singer and guitarist of Canadian rock band the Sadies has died of natural causes, the group confirmed on social media. He was 48.

The Sadies shared the sad news in an emotional post to Facebook on Friday (Feb. 18).

“It’s with unfathomable sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Dallas on Thursday, February 17th. Forty eight years old, he died of natural causes while under doctor’s care for a coronary illness discovered earlier this week, the band wrote.”

The Sadies added, “A son, a brother, a husband, a friend, a bandmate, a leader, a force to be reckoned with, we have no words for the shock we are all feeling. We join the rest of our music community and fans in grief. The stage is dark today with the all too soon passing of one of music’s brightest lights. We love you Dallas.”

Dallas Good co-founded the Sadies with his brother, singer-guitarist Travis Good in 1994, along with bassist and Sean Dean and drummer Mike Belitsky. The group released its debut album, Precious Moments, in 1998.

Dallas and Travis were the son of Bruce Good, a member of Canadian bluegrass band the Good Brothers.

During his time with the Sadies, Dallas Good collaborated with numerous other influential musicians, including Neil Young, Neko Case, Justin Townes Earle, Kurt Vile and the Band’s Garth Hudson.

Known for blending garage, country and rock, the Sadies released approximately 20 albums during its career, including six studio LPs on Yep Roc Records. In January, the group shared its latest single, “Message to Belial,” produced by Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry.

Yep Roc co-owner Glenn Dicker wrote on the label’s website that Dallas Good a “special individual who is in one of my favorite bands of all time.” He added, “We’ve lost a cornerstone of the label. The Sadies have always been the band to watch and hear out there for me. I am grateful to you, Dallas, for so many great shows, spine shaking music and good times. I’ll never stop listening.”

Numerous tributes poured in on social media following Good’s death, including remembrances from Ron Sexsmith, Steve Albini, Robyn Hitchcock, Low, A.C. Newman, Damian Abraham and others. Read them below.

 

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‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Pushes Broadway Return to April 14

Mrs. Doubtfire is pushing its experimental Broadway return by a month.

On Friday (Feb. 18), producer Kevin McCollum announced that the musical comedy based on the 1993 film starring Robin Williams would be coming back to the Great White Way a month later than its originally scheduled March 15 curtain up. On Jan. 10, the show — which initially opened on Dec. 5 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre — began a nine-week hiatus prompted by the omicron variant wave that hit Broadway.

Speaking to The New York Times, McCollum explained that the decision to close the production temporarily was based partly on the decrease in COVID-19 cases across New York City — something that prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to drop the state’s indoor mask mandate starting Feb. 8. (The Broadway League renewed its audience masking requirement, as well as its vaccine mandate, for all 41 Broadway theaters through April 30.)

“The good news is that it looks like the virus is calming down, but there are still a lot of unknowns,” McCollum told the Times. “It was just clear that April was a better time to open, given the trends with tourism, and thinking about when families and groups will start to feel comfortable.”

The show’s cast, crew and musicians have been out of work since the hiatus began, but McCollum told the outlet that he had already invited the entire cast to return. It was initially reported that 115 members of the show’s larger company would lose their jobs until the show returned.

“I am beyond grateful the support of the extraordinary cast, crew, orchestra and creative team, along with the Roundabout Theatre Company, operators of the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, who really want the show to be back and running, delighting audiences from around the world,” he said in a statement.

The musical and play To Kill A Mockingbird are two productions that took what is described as a hiatus during the omicron wave and some of Broadway’s historically slower months. Girl From the North Country, which closed on Jan. 23 and is based on the music of Bob Dylan, announced it was considering a potential spring return as well.

In a historically unprecedented season, Mrs. Doubtfire’s maneuver to keep the show and its jobs on Broadway has been described as a hiatus. But it was an official closing, according to Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin.

“These situations are definitely closings as they are provided for in our labor agreements,” St. Martin told BroadwayWorld in January. “Of course, we know that these were difficult decisions by our shows, and these are difficult times for everyone.”

These moves have resulted in public and private disagreements between Broadway’s various unions, producers and The League over whether shows are subverting established provisions in union contracts around closings, reopenings and production pauses, union members’ pay during these breaks, re-employment guarantees and health insurance accrual.

Mrs. Doubtfire opened on Dec. 5, right as the omicron variant hit the Great White Way. Throughout the month, a historically lucrative time for Broadway, numerous productions canceled strings of performances, including the Kevin McCollum show, with others forced into early and permanent closure. However, Broadway in its entirety remained open.

“The first few months of a brand new Broadway show are an extraordinarily delicate and important period of time. With the pervasiveness of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Mrs. Doubtfire would have to close permanently if the production didn’t take drastic, pro-active measures,” McCollum said at the time.

“Out of concern for the potential long-term employment of everyone who works on Mrs. Doubtfire, and the extended run of the show, we have decided that following the January 9 performance, the production will close for nine weeks, returning on March 15,” he continued. “Mrs. Doubtfire has been in development for six years. We are doing everything in our power to keep the virus from prematurely ending our run on Broadway. By taking this break, we can afford to launch an extended run starting in March.”

Before its pandemic debut on Broadway last December, the production was among the shows that had begun right before the pandemic shutdown Broadway on March 12, 2020. Mrs. Doubtfire was in preview performances at the time.

The musical comedy is directed by Tony-winning director Jerry Zaks. It features a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

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Summerfest Organizers Scale Back COVID Precautions

Organizers of Milwaukee’s Summerfest music celebration are planning to scale back COVID-19 precautions this year.

WTMJ-AM reported that festival organizers announced Wednesday (Feb. 16) that guests won’t need to wear masks, show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or show proof of vaccination to enter the grounds this year.

“MWF will monitor the situation and continue to work closely with health experts, while following local guidelines,” festival officials said in a news release.

The move comes as COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward in Wisconsin. The seven-day average of confirmed tests stood at 1,371 as of Thursday, down from 18,101 on Jan. 16, according to the latest data from the state health department data.

Organizers canceled the festival in 2020 after the pandemic began. Last year they moved the festival from mid-summer to early September. Summerfest will be held on three consecutive weekends this year: June 23-25, June 30-July 2 and July 7-9. Justin Bieber is scheduled to perform on June 24 and Rod Stewart on July 7.

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Kanye West Says Stem Players Sales Reached $1.3M | Billboard News

After announcing Thursday that his forthcoming album, Donda 2, would be streaming exclusively on his branded Stem Player, Kanye West (now known as Ye) says he’s raked in over $1.3 million in sales over the past day alone.

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Doja Cat Delivers Hilarious Impersonations of Beyonce, Oprah, Elvis Presley & More

Doja Cat is not only a genre-blending artist, but also an impeccable actress.

The star took to TikTok to play one of the app’s games, which prompts you to do an impression of a randomly selected celebrity. The “Woman” singer was tasked with doing her best takes on Drew Barrymore, Oprah, Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Elvis Presley, Al Pacino and more — all of which she did in her characteristically goofy manner: a one-second facial expression or word.

For example, her Presley impression caused her to lower her chin and look up, capturing the King of Rock & Roll’s smoldering stare, and when she took on Jackson’s likeness, she simply shouted, “What!”

@dojacat💦🥵♬ original sound – Doja Cat

Most recently, Doja Cat flexed her acting chops in a Super Bowl LVI Taco Bell commercial. The “Grande Escape” spot featured a cover of Hole‘s 1998 glam pop anthem “Celebrity Skin,” featuring new lyrics co-written by Doja and Hole singer Courtney Love.

“Come make me over/ I’m all I wanna be/ A walkin’ fire/ You can’t get rid of me,” Doja sings in a raspy snarl in the song’s tweaked opening verse. Watch the full ad spot here.

“It’s no secret I’m a major Taco Bell fan which has made my role with this campaign all the more fun,” Doja previously said in a statement about the commercial. “I’ve enjoyed every moment of this campaign, especially the ones where we get to break all the rules, and look forward to continuing collaborating with the brand.”

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Dan Rutman Joins Spotify as Head of Music Creator Partnerships

Dan Rutman has been hired at Spotify as head of music creator partnerships, the confirmed with Billboard on Friday (Feb. 18). Music Business Worldwide first reported the news after Rutman posted an update to LinkedIn the day prior.

According to a job post advertising the role, Rutman will spearhead a partnerships strategy “that drives positive sentiment toward Spotify for Artists, accelerates creator adoption of our offerings, and positions Spotify as the ultimate place to build, reach, and monetize an audience.” He’ll also be tasked with developing “scalable processes to manage multiple partnerships simultaneously” while collaborating with Spotify for Artists leadership, creator marketing and Spotify’s corporate and business development teams.

Rutman arrives at Spotify from TuneCore, where he was promoted to head of business development in January 2022. Prior to that, he served as the company’s director, U.S. & Canada. During his tenure, he led business development opportunities for acquisition-based strategic partnerships and brand partnerships across TuneCore’s key industries while overseeing Canadian artist relations and partnerships as the head of TuneCore Canada.

Prior to Tunecore, Rutman founded the independent label Solitaire Recordings, which includes Good Morning, Jack Grace, Kate Davis and Jonathan Something on its roster. He’s also held executive roles at Remote Control Records and Sneak Attack Media.

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Here Are All of the Lyrics to ‘All of You’ From ‘Encanto’

Months after the film’s theatrical release, the songs of Disney’s Encanto are still dominating the Billboard charts.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” still reigns atop the Billboard Hot 100, but further down on the chart, the movie’s musical finale — “All of You” — sits at its No. 71 peak. The Lin Manuel Miranda-written song is credited to Stephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz, John Leguizamo, Adassa, Maluma & Encanto Cast. Most of the ensemble gets a line in the song, which neatly ties up Encanto‘s many mysteries and struggles in a neat, sing-along bow.

Below, find every word from the family affair:

Look at this home, we need a new foundation
It may seem hopeless but we’ll get by just fine
Look at this family, a glowing constellation
So full of stars and everybody wants to shine

But the stars don’t shine, they burn
And the constellations shift
I think it’s time you learn
You’re more than just your gift

And I’m sorry I held on too tight
Just so afraid I’d lose you too
The miracle is not some magic that you’ve got
The miracle is you, not some gift, just you
The miracle is you
All of you, all of you

Okay, so we gonna talk about Bruno? (That’s Bruno)
Yeah, there’s a lot to say about Bruno
I’ll start, okay

Pepa, I’m sorry ’bout your wedding, didn’t mean to be upsetting
That wasn’t a prophecy, I could just see you were sweating
And I wanted you to know that your bro loves you so
Let it in, let it out, let it rain, let it snow, let it go

That’s what I’m always saying, bro
Got a lotta ‘pologies I got to say
(Hey, we’re just happy that you’re here, okay?) Uh, But
Come into the light, the triplets all reunite
And no matter what happens we’re gonna find our way
Yo, I knew he never left, I heard him every day

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
What’s that sound? (Oh, oh)
I think it’s everyone in town

Hey
Lay down your load (lay down your load)
We are only down the road (we are only down the road)
We have no gifts, but we are many
And we’ll do anything for you

It’s a dream when we work as a team (all of you, all of you)
You’re so strong
Yeah, but sometimes I cry (all of you, all of you)
So do I
I may not be as strong but I’m getting wiser
Yeah, I need sunlight and fertilizer
Come on, let’s plant something new and watch it fly
Straight up to the sky, let’s go

The stars don’t shine, they burn
The constellations glow
The seasons change in turn
Would you watch our little girl go?
She takes after you

Oh
Hey Mariano, why so blue?
I just have so much love inside
You know, I’ve got this cousin too
Have you met Dolores?
Okay, I’ll take it from here, goodbye

You talk so loud
You take care of your mother and you make her proud
You write your own poetry every night when you go to sleep
And I’m seizing the moment, so would you wake up and notice me?

Dolores, I see you (and I hear you)
Yes (all of you, all of you)
Let’s get married (slow down)
All of you, all of you

Home sweet home
I like the new foundation
It isn’t perfect
Neither are we (that’s true)
Just one more thing
Before the celebration (what?)
We need a doorknob
We made this one for you

We see how bright you burn
We see how brave you’ve been
Now, see yourself in turn
You’re the real gift, kid, let us in
Open your eyes

Abre los ojos
What do you see?
I see me
All of me

Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind

Lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company

Written by: Lin-Manuel Miranda

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Kanye West Says Jack Harlow Is a ‘Top 5’ Rapper Following ‘Nail Tech’ Release

Jack Harlow gets Kanye West‘s stamp of approval.

Following the release of Harlow’s new single, “Nail Tech,” Ye took to Instagram on Friday (Feb. 18) to shout out his fellow rap star. “This n—- can raaaaaaap bro And I’m saying n—- as a compliment Top 5 out right now,” he captioned a screenshot of the music video from YouTube, which indicated that the clip was No. 10 on the platform’s trending videos for music.

The love for Harlow comes just months after the “Whats Poppin” rapper talked with British GQ about the huge influence Ye has had on his style, from adding the crucial horn stabs on “Baby” to teaching him that songs are never really done.

“I think he sees himself as Mozart or Beethoven,” Harlow told the magazine about West, who continued updating his album, Donda, even after its release. “I think he’s worried, not about what it looks like now but what it will look like in 100 years. Take what happened with the Taylor Swift situation: at the time it was all pitchforks, but now people treat that as iconic. I am always fascinated to see what he does next. This Donda roll-out, people are going to remember that for years.”

He added that Ye inspires him in his songwriting, as he’s “always noticing lines I could improve” in the music creation process. “But I think people appreciate truth and I think when you have guys like Kanye and songs like ‘All Falls Down’ and being that vulnerable… It changed so many people’s lives. As opposed to ‘Here’s why I am the s–t,’ it’s ‘Here’s why I am not the s–t.’”

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