Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.

This week: Sly & the Family Stone’s streams are way up following the passing of the group’s iconic bandleader, Coldplay sees a heartbroken deep cut go viral for its frontman’s rumored real-life heartbreak, Beyoncé gets a bump for a song she’s not even playing on tour and more.

Sly & The Family Stone’s Streams Up 563% Following Sly Stone’s Death

The legendary Sly Stone died earlier this week (June 9) at age 82, leaving behind a seismic impact on the worlds of funk, rock and soul. Though sadly brief in his run as a prominent recording artist – the original lineup of Stone’s signature outfit Sly & the Family Stone fell apart within a decade, and Stone became reclusive not long thereafter – his imprint on future generations of artists remains indelible, with a pair of undisputed classic albums (1969’s Stand! and 1971’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On) and countless classic singles. 

Unsurprisingly, following his death, fans flocked to streaming services to revisit Sly & the Family Stone’s most beloved works. His catalog combined for 2.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams over Tuesday and Wednesday, the two days following his death – up 563% from 385,000 streams over the same period the previous week, according to Luminate. Among the most-streamed classics across those two days: “Everyday People” (up 168% to 326,000 streams, following a Cher-and-Future-assisted bump two weeks ago), “Dance to the Music” (up 408% to 174,000) and “Thank You Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin” (up 378% to 169,000). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Coldplay’s ‘Sparks’ Receives a Streaming Boost Post-Breakup Reports

Last week, news broke that Coldplay’s Chris Martin and actress Dakota Johnson had reportedly called it quits after eight years of on-and-off dating. Although the couple has not publicly commented on the reports, Coldplay has spent the past few weeks playing stadiums as part of their years-long Music of the Spheres tour — and Martin’s performance of the heart-wrenched song “Sparks” during the shows has inspired some post-breakup gawking, and a significant streaming boost.

“And I know I was wrong/ But I won’t let you down/ Oh yeah I will, yeah I will, yes I will,” Martin sings on the track from Coldplay’s 2000 debut Parachutes, which he performs in a stripped-down version on acoustic guitar during the stadium tour. After the band performed for two nights at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium last week and at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High on Tuesday night (June 10), TikTok clips began to surface focused on Martin’s pained facial expression during the song’s chorus, with one popular clip captioned, “Homie is heartbroken.”

Whether it’s capturing true feelings or just a projection, the viral boost has translated to streaming services, where “Sparks” earned 1.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams on June 9-10 — a 64% increase from its streaming total during the previous Monday and Tuesday, according to Luminate. We’ll see if the 25-year-old track can keep surging, although Coldplay will play a pair of stadium shows in El Paso this weekend — and many phones will once again be trained on Martin during one of the show’s more emotional moments. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

YG Eyes Comeback Hit with Shoreline Mafia-Assisted “Hollywood” 

With their fast-rising new Hollywood single, Cali rap stars YG and Shoreline Mafia (currently comprised of OhGeesy and Fenix Flexin) are looking to keep the West Coast’s Kendrick Lamar-fueled momentum going for the rest of the year. 

The new single, which dropped on May 23, appears to be another (more upbeat and danceable) taste of the forthcoming project YG teased with March’s “2004.” Featuring an assist from Shoreline Mafia and bars directed at Joey Bada$$ (“All the pretty hoes gon’ play this/ Joey Bada$$ gon’ hate this”), “Hollywood” is an easy song of the summer contender that’s quickly taken over socials. On TikTok, the official “Hollywood” sound has garnered over 10,000 posts, thanks to the music video’s viral Storm DeBarge-crafted choreography. 

According to Luminate, “Hollywood” earned 3.28 million official on-demand U.S. streams in its first full week of release (May 23-29). The following week (May 30-June 5), that figure jumped by 53.5% to just over five million official streams. On the Jun. 14-dated Bubbling Under Hot 100, “Hollywood” debuted at No. 3, a promising sign for the rest of its chart run. Should its growth continue, “Hollywood” could land YG his first Hot 100 entry as a lead artist in nearly three years. – KYLE DENIS 

Nearly a Decade Later, Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Fan Favorite Gets Its Day in the Sun 

“All Night,” the sweeping ballad that wraps up Beyoncé’s forgiveness narrative on her blockbuster 2016 Lemonade LP, has been a fan-favorite for nearly ten years. Now, thanks to a viral Cowboy Carter mash-up, it’s become something of a streaming hit. 

On April 14, TikTok user @cowboydanny posted a mashup of “All Night” and Cowboy Carter’s “Tyrant,” laying the latter’s lead vocals over the former’s instrumental and drawing a connection between the songs’ shared theme of redemption. The moving mash-up quickly went viral on TikTok amongst the Beyhive, eventually spreading to the platform at-large once the Cowboy Carter Tour kicked off two weeks later on April 28. On TikTok, @cowboydanny’s original post has collected over one million views, while the accompanying sound plays in around 35,000 posts. On YouTube, the creator’s official upload of the mashup boasts nearly 640,000 hits. For the past eight weeks, “All Night” has seen a steady, gradual resurgence on streaming as a new generation of consumers discover the Lemonade visual album for the first time. 

During the week of April 11-17, “All Night” earned just under 940,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. Six weeks later (May 30-June 5), that number ballooned by 76% to over 1.65 million official streams. Even though Beyoncé does not perform “All Night” on the Cowboy Carter Tour (she does, however, perform “Tyrant”), the song is still connecting with listeners and gaining new fans nine years later. – KD 

In collaboration with Billboard, Montauk Yacht Club has announced the return of its Marina Music Series, kicking things off with NEIL FRANCES on June 21 and continuing with Paco Versailles on July 5, with more talent announcements yet to come.

The Marina Music Series will bring a string of live performances to the East End all summer, following a 2024 season that featured sets from Anderson .Paak, St. Lucia and more.

Los Angeles indie electronic duo NEIL FRANCES are coming to Ocean Club Montauk at 10:30 p.m. ET on June 21, while Paco Versailles — the duo of guitarist/composer Vahagni and songwriter/producer Ryan Merchant (Capital Cities) — will bring their flamenco-disco fusion to Sunset Pier for a golden-hour set at 5 p.m. ET on July 5.

If you’ll be in Montauk, you can reserve a spot for NEIL FRANCES here and for Paco Versailles here, or reach out about VIP table reservations for larger groups. You can also keep tabs on future summer events at MontaukYachtClub.com/happenings. (Table reservations, hotel guests and marina members have priority access and guaranteed entry; GA guest list is based on capacity and not guaranteed entry.)

At the concerts, guests can enjoy specialty mocktails, cocktails and sparkling energy drinks powered by Bloom Nutrition.

Built in 1928, Montauk Yacht Club is the largest luxury hotel and marina in the Hamptons, spanning 16 acres, with 106 hotel rooms and more than 230 boat slips on the historic Star Island.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) and Luminate unveiled a new certification program on Thursday (June 12) to celebrate commercial success in the independent sector. One Star will signify 50,000 album sales, while Two Star marks 100,000. The Three Star award is a big jump up, equating to 300,000 sales.

In a statement, Dr. Richard James Burgess, CEO of A2IM, said the “certification was created to recognize real achievement on terms that truly reflect how the independent sector operates.”

“Independent artists are integral to the sustainability and creative output of the music industry,” Rob Jonas, CEO of Luminate, added in a statement. “As technology rapidly advances, Luminate remains dedicated to providing accurate, contextualized data. Our collaboration with A2IM on this new certification process aims to highlight and celebrate the independent artists who music is truly resonating.”

While the Recording Industry Association of America also awards artists that pass certain sales benchmarks, those thresholds are set at a higher level: Gold signifies 500,000 units, Platinum marks 1,000,000, and Diamond amounts to a whopping 10,000,000. (Ten downloads or 1,500 on-demand streams count as one album sale.)

Albums can still perform enviably well even if they don’t reach those numbers. A2IM certified an initial batch of 36 records on Thursday, and Three Star titles included Thundercat’s Drunk, Jamie xx’s In Colour, and John Prine’s The Tree of Forgiveness. Cavetown’s Lemon Boy and Muna’s Muna earned Two Star nods, while Deafheaven’s Sunbather and Gregory Porter’s Be Good got One Star.

“There is an idea out there that I’ve tried to bat down during my time as A2IM CEO — the idea is that independent is small,” Burgess told Billboard recently. “It never has [been].”

Ty Dolla $ign‘s EZMNY Records and Create Music Group announced a joint venture on Thursday (June 12) following the success of EZMNY R&B artist Leon Thomas.

Co-founded with Shawn Barron, who signed Ty to Atlantic Records in 2012, EZMNY made waves earlier this year after signing Thomas, whose single “Mutt” continues to climb the charts. Barron said linking with an established entertainment company like Create Music Group will take EZMNY’s label ventures to the next level.

“The Create Music Group deal serves as a new chapter for EZMNY Records,” Barron said in a statement. “Partnering with the Create team is a natural extension of the artist-first vision Ty and I have
already built with the success of EZMNY. We are excited to continue to foster the relationship and look forward to building something truly impactful for our artists.”

Jonathan Strauss, founder/CEO of Create Music Group, added: “Shawn and Ty are incredibly talented entrepreneurs. With over 15 years of chart-topping hits and industry accolades, their creative instincts have consistently shaped the sound of popular music.”

Create Music Group has built a notable roster since its founding in 2015. In addition to Ty, it has handled the releases of hip-hop and R&B stars including Ye (formerly Kanye West), Blxst, DDG, Rich The Kid and Keri Hilson.

“We’ve always believed in working with visionaries, and Shawn and Ty exemplify that,” Steeven Leblanc, director of business development at Create Music Group, added in a statement. “They understand the culture, the art, and the business in a way that few others do. This partnership is about amplifying that perspective and giving their artists the tools they need to break through at the highest level.”