Brent Faiyaz achieves his first No. 1 as a lead artist on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “Have To.” jumps from No. 4 to crown the list dated Feb. 7. The track, released on ISO Supremacy/United Masters, rises four spots as the most played song on U.S. panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations in the United States for the week of Jan. 23-29, according to Luminate.
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For its coronation week, “Have To.” improved 25% in plays compared to its total for the previous week (Jan. 16-22). It also captures the Greatest Gainer tag, awarded each week to the song with the largest increase in play count.
With “Have To.”, singer, songwriter and producer Faiyaz lands the second No. 1 of his career on Adult R&B Airplay. His prior champ came via a featured role on Alicia Keys’ “Trillions,” which ruled for two weeks in January – February 2023.
“Have To.” previews Faiyaz’s forthcoming album, Icon, which is scheduled for release on Feb. 13. The set was expected on Sept. 19, 2025, but was “scrapped” at the last minute. In the opening moments of the “Have To.” music video, on-screen text explains the decision. “Brent Faiyaz had Icon recorded and scheduled to release on September 19, 2025,” it reads. “The night before, Brent sent us a group text pulling the plug on the album. He also had another lead single and music video. He scrapped those too, then sent us this.”
Icon follows Faiyaz’s last collection, the 2023 mixtape Larger than Life. The surprise-released project debuted at No. 2 on the Top R&B Albums chart and No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Elsewhere, “Have To.” holds at its No. 10 best on the plays-based Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, though it added 8% more spins for the week. Joint strength from the adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop formats push the track 8-6 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from both formats. There, it reached 11.2 million in audience impressions last week, up 24% from the prior week’s count of 9 million and enough to secure another Greatest Gainer honor.
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The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated Feb. 14, we look at the chances of breakout stars Ella Langley and Olivia Dean to depose Harry Styles and score their first career No. 1.
Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas” (SAWGOD/Columbia/Triple Tigers): As Harry Styles’ “Aperture” declines in its second week of release, the door is open for Langley’s new smash to seize the top spot on the Hot 100. The steady climb of “Choosin’ Texas” to the top tier of the chart was punctuated by it jumping 6-2 this week, reaching a new peak in its 15th week on the chart.
The song remains a strong performer on each Hot 100 component chart, ranking No. 2 on Streaming Songs, No. 3 on Digital Song Sales and No. 14 on Radio Songs this week, having previously topped both of the first two listings. Radio is still where “Texas” has the most room to grow, and next week it’s challenging for both its first week at No. 1 on Country Airplay (where it holds at No. 2 this week behind HARDY’s “Favorite Country Song”) and its first week in the top 10 on Radio Songs — as it continues to gradually amass top 40 spins, currently bubbling under the Pop Airplay chart.
If “Texas” can make it to No. 1, it would not only be Langley’s first trip to the top spot, but an extremely rare achievement as a Hot 100-topper by a woman in a lead role that also led Hot Country Songs. This century, the only two to previously have managed that come with qualifiers: Beyoncé, who went country with “Texas Hold ‘Em” in 2024, and Taylor Swift, with a 2021 re-recording of a 2012 song released when she was already well on her way to crossover pop stardom (“All Too Well [Taylor’s Version]”), following “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” in 2012.
Olivia Dean, “Man I Need” (Polydor/Island/Republic): The week before “Texas” shot to No. 2, it was Dean’s turn to reach a new peak of No. 2 with her own long-building breakout hit, “Man I Need.” The song has already conquered the airwaves, capturing the top spot on Radio Songs this week for the first time, but it has begun to slip a little bit on DSPs, dropping to No. 4 on Streaming Songs as Langley takes the lead between the two on the overall Hot 100.
That may reverse course next week, however, thanks to Dean’s big night at the Grammys on Sunday (Feb. 1). Dean took home the best new artist trophy — giving a memorable speech about being the “granddaughter of an immigrant” and a “product of bravery” — and also delivered a winning “Man” performance as part of the best new artist medley. Dean’s catalog was given a boost on DSPs as a result following the performance, with “Man” (4-3) swapping places with “Texas” on the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA chart for Monday.
Whether or not “Man” can secure its (and Dean’s) first week at No. 1 — and give the Hot 100 back-to-back U.K. artists for the first time since Styles’ “As It Was” succeeded Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” in April 2022 — may depend on how much those gains can hold up throughout the week. Things are getting crowded early on the Hot 100 this year, though, and “Texas” is still growing on radio, so if “Man” can’t capture the No. 1 this week, it might not get another chance this good for some time, if at all.
IN THE MIX
Noah Kahan, “The Great Divide” (Mercury/Republic): He might not get as much mainstream attention as Bruno Mars or Harry Styles did in their returns, but don’t discount the new single from Noah Kahan in the discussion for next week’s chart. The singer-songwriter’s Friday (Jan. 30) release “The Great Divide” — title track to his upcoming album, long-awaited follow-up to his 2022 blockbuster breakthrough Stick Season — debuted atop the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA chart, and it still resides there three days later, helped by the song’s music video debuting during a Grammys commercial break, presented by MasterCard.
Despite the strong streaming debut — and likely a good sales showing, as the song has ranked in the iTunes top 10 since its debut — “Divide” may not have the immediate radio support to be a true threat for a No. 1 bow on the Hot 100. (It’s aiming to debut on each of next week’s Alternative Airplay, Adult Alternative Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts, though.) Regardless, it has a good chance of instantly entering as Kahan’s career-best showing on the Hot 100, with the No. 9 peak of “Stick Season” in early 2014 marking his current highest to date.
Bad Bunny, “DtMF” (Rimas): We’re not even at Bad Bunny’s biggest weekend of the month yet — that’s coming next Sunday, with a rather high-profile gig you may have heard mention of at some point — but he’s already zooming up the streaming charts, thanks to his massive night at the Grammys. The global superstar not only picked up an historic album of the year victory for his Debí Tirar Más Fotos album, he gave multiple memorable acceptance speeches (including one where he simply declared “ICE Out”) and was the focus of comedic bits from host Trevor Noah all evening.
Consequently, his streams have absolutely exploded on both Spotify and Apple Music. On the former, he had eight songs re-enter the Daily Top Songs USA top 200, with another four speeding back into the top 40 — led by “DtMF” getting all the way to No. 2 — while on the latter, he has 21 songs as of posting on the real-time top 200, with “DtMF” topping the ranking outright.
With Bad Bunny only appearing once on the Hot 100 this week, with “Voy a Llevarte Pa PR” ranking at No. 85, it’s unlikely that this massive mid-week bump will immediately get him back to the top of the chart. (“DtMF” hit No. 2 last January when the album first topped the Billboard 200; in May, it also became one of the set’s six No. 1s on Latin Airplay.) But Grammy buzz might end with him recharting a few titles, likely led by “DtMF” — and again, this isn’t even the main event of Bad Bunny’s February, so if this is what he can do following Music’s Biggest Night, just imagine what’s in store when he’s performing on sports and television’s biggest night in four days’ time. (Worth noting that Bad Bunny has still yet to score a Hot 100 No. 1 entirely of his own, only reaching the top previously alongside J Balvin and Cardi B on “I Like It.”)
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ARMYs are abuzz with news of the group’s 2026 album titled Arirang, dropping March 20. It’s the first album to reunite the members since they all took time off to fulfil the mandatory military service South Korea imposes on men in the country — a service that takes up to 18 to 21 months. Members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook have all completed service, leaving no other foreseeable obstacles to creating more hits for their adoring fanbase.
Just in time for the big BTS comeback, Hot Topic has dropped a surprise re-stock on popular BTS merch pieces, including figures, collectibles, keychains and so much more. Keep reading to learn more and shop our picks.
Something unique about Hot Topic’s merch selection is the ample amount of officially-licensed figurinees. These collectibles are extremely detailed, often depicting the members in specific hair styles or clothes to reflect an important era of the group’s career thus far.
Take for instance the collection of Funko figures for $7.92 of each member in miniature form standing on a colorful stage. For a limited time, take 20% off these Funko figurines.
The stage set, clothing and colors pay homage to BTS’ 2020 “Dynamite” era, a track which went mega-viral, even on Billboard’s charts. The song snagged the number one spot on the Hot 100, and stayed there for a whopping three weeks.
You’ve also got the more realistic deluxe statues of each member for $194.90. Each statue makes reference to the group’s iconic 2018 Melon Music Awards showing where they performed their hit song “IDOL,” which dropped in 2018.
Each member was dressed in traditional hanboks designed by Baek Oak-soo that blended traditional Korean aesthetics with contemporary fashion. These statues are extra detailed down to those aforementioned hanboks, freeze-framing each member in an action shot from the stage that you can now keep on your shelf forever.
Beyond their awesome collection of collectible figures, Hot Topic also has prints and interactive pieces that you can hang on your wall or decorate.
One of our favorites has to be the BTS Love Yourself Art Print Set for $120.90 featuring all seven members drawn in a watercolor-esque style. The prints are inspired by the concept photography for the L and O versions of the group’s 2017 Love Yourself: Her EP. Each print is 9.5″ x 12″, a great size to stick to your wall for a collage moment.
The book also comes with five photocards, something extremely unique considering most fans can usually only get photocards from albums. Like the prints above, this book would look right at home displayed among your other BTS merch and albums.
The track was a massive success upon its release in 2022, claiming the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts for a record-breaking 10 weeks. There are seven keychains in total, one for each member of BTS. With your colorful keychains, you’ll also receive five photo cards and one photo stand to display them. That’s a total of 13 items for $83.90, which is a pretty great deal if you ask us.
Here are some other BTS merch pieces in stock and available now at Hot Topic.
The new BTS album title, “Arirang,” is based on a traditional Korean folk song renowned around the world, according to a statement from BigHit Music, which delivered an update on the album Friday, Jan. 16. “Transcending time and generations, the song has long been associated with emotions of connection, distance, and reunion,” the press release notes. The album is said to be 14 deeply reflective tracks that aim at exploring the group’s “identity and roots,” according to the release. The last time the group ventured to drop a full-length album was 2022’s Proof, which was jam-packed with hits including “Danger,” “Boy In Luv,” “Blood Sweat & Tears” and “FIRE.”
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The Houston rapper is set to have a guest-starring role on Tracy Morgan’s upcoming NBC sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. She’ll be playing the role of Denise, a recently divorced mom that sparks up a flirtatious relationship with Daniel Radcliffe’s character Arthur Tobin.
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The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is about a disgraced former NFL star played by Morgan who is trying to fix his image and control the narrative with a documentary shot by an award-winning filmmaker played by Radcliffe. As he goes through the process of making the film, Dinkins must make amends with family, friends and himself for his past mistakes. Along with Morgan and Radcliffe, the show also stars Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way and Jalyn Hall.
THE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS — “You May Hug Your Hero” Episode 105 — Pictured: (l-r) Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Tobin, Megan Thee Stallion as Denise — (Photo by: Hot Girl Productions)
Hot Girl Productions
For more Megan Thee Actress, you can check out Dicks: The Musical (2023), the Mean Girls musical remake (2024), STARZ’s P-Valley about a strip club in the Mississippi Delta, and Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. And if you happen to be in South Florida, you can check out her Popeyes in Miami that recently opened after she became a franchise owner. It’s safe to say that the Houston Hottie has been busy outside the booth. Hopefully, we’ll be getting some new music soon (whenever she feels like it).
Megan has three No. 1 hits on the Billboard hot 100 — 2020’s “WAP” with Cardi B, 2020’s “Savage” remix with Beyoncé and her 2024 single “Hiss” — and four top five albums on the Billboard 200, most recently with 2024’s Megan (No. 3).
The one-hour premiere event for The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins airs Monday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. New episodes will air Mondays at 8:30 p.m. beginning March 2.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-04 16:31:422026-02-04 16:31:42Megan Thee Stallion to Guest Star on ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ With Tracy Morgan & Daniel Radcliffe: See Trailer & First-Look Photo
Harry Styles’ “Aperture” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart dated Feb. 7, his second song to do so.
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In the week ending Jan. 29, “Aperture” earned 18.2 million official streams in the United States, according to Luminate. That’s after a five-hour total of 613,000 streams achieved on Jan. 22, as the song was released at 7 p.m. ET that night.
Styles’ other song to debut at No. 1, “As It Was,” achieved the feat in 2022. It’s also his only other ruler on the survey to date, both solo and with One Direction. The latter’s best rank on the tally was No. 2, achieved with “Best Song Ever” in 2013.
Styles first made Streaming Songs as a solo act when “Sign of the Times” debuted and peaked at No. 18 in 2017. He has eight top 10s in addition to his two No. 1s, paced by the No. 3 peak of “Late Night Talking” in 2022.
“Aperture” marks the year’s second No. 1 debut, following Bruno Mars‘ “I Just Might” on the Jan. 24 chart. Comparatively, 2025 saw eight No. 1 bows for the entire year, the first (Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem”) occurring in mid-February.
Concurrently, as previously reported, “Aperture” bows at No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100, Styles’ second No. 1 debut and third leader in all, following “Watermelon Sugar” and “As It Was.”
“Aperture” is the lead single from Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, Styles’ upcoming fourth studio album and first since 2022’s Harry’s House, due March 6 via Erskine and Columbia.
It was perhaps the most daunting second act in pop culture history. After the Beatles‘ break-up in April 1970, the then-27-year-old Paul McCartney was suddenly faced with the question of what he would do for the rest of his career following the meltdown of the greatest pop group in history.
As evidenced by the tireless touring and recording he’s done in the half-century since, McCartney needn’t have worried about what came next. But in the new trailer for the biopic Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, which chronicles Macca’s rebirth following the Beatles, the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes that worrisome time and his determination to punch through the fear.
“The Beatles had broken up and I was thinking, ‘what do I do now?,” McCartney says over the strains of the Paul McCartney and Wings‘ 1974 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Band on the Run.” In voiceover, he continues, “‘How can I ever do anything that’s anywhere near as good as the Beatles?’”
The answers will be revealed in the film directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Won’t You Be My Neighbor), which follows McCartney’s rebirth after the band’s messy dissolution. The movie will be released into theaters for one-night-only by Trafalgar Releasing on Feb. 19, with tickets on sale now here. Each screening will also include a bonus conversation between McCartney and Neville.
In addition to McCartney weighing in on the his rise from the Fab Four’s ashes, the film includes rare, unreleased archival footage and music, as well as photos from the singer’s late wife and bandmate Linda McCartney, as well as interviews with Linda, Paul and their daughters Mary and Stella, Wings band members, Sean Ono Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde and others.
“I was on my own for the first time,” McCartney says in the minute-long trailer. “I had to look inside myself, so I put a new band together.”
In addition to the April 1974 chart topper that gives the movie its title, Wings also scored five other No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 (“My Love,” “Listen to What the Man Said,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Let ‘Em In” and “With a Little Luck.”) In Feb. 2024, the band’s third album returned to the Billboard charts following the 50th anniversary re-issue of Band on the Run, when it hit No. 5 on the Top Album Sales chart and No. 156 on the Billboard 200 album chart; during its initial run the LP scored four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in 1974.
Check out the Paul McCartney: Man on the Run trailer below.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-04 16:29:432026-02-04 16:29:43Paul McCartney Wonders ‘How Can I Ever Do Anything That’s Anywhere As Good As the Beatles?’ in ‘Man on the Run’ Trailer
JENNIE and Tame Impala have a surprise that fans are going to bloody love: a remix of the latter’s “Dracula,” featuring the BLACKPINK star.
Kevin Parker announced on Tuesday (Feb. 3) that JENNIE would be guesting on a new version of his 2025 hit by sharing a video on Instagram of himself in the studio, cranking the volume up on a fader labeled “JENNIE,” revealing her voice on the track. “My friends are saying, ‘Shut up, JENNIE, just get in the car’/ I just wanna be right where you are,” the K-pop star sings.
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“Surprise… Friday,” wrote Parker, who’s been releasing music under the Tame Impala moniker since 2008, in his caption.
The “Dracula” remix will mark JENNIE’s first solo release since unveiling her debut album, Ruby, in March 2025. The project debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and spawned a number of Billboard Hot 100 entries, including “ExtraL” featuring Doechii and “Like JENNIE.”
The South Korean superstar has since been busy touring with her BLACKPINK bandmates, LISA, ROSÉ and JISOO, with the group’s Deadline World Tour lasting from July of last year to the end of this past January. The quartet’s first collection of songs in years, mini-album Deadline, will drop on Feb. 27.
During a recent appearance on Call Her Daddy, ROSÉ teased, “It’s an album that we’ve all kind of obviously come back from after that year of exploring and all being our individual selves … I think it was really interesting to come back and see what was created after that.”
Parker has also had a busy year. After nearly two decades as one of music’s most sought-out collaborators with numerous streaming hits, Tame Impala finally scored a Hot 100 hit in October with “Dracula.” Two more entries, “Loser” and “My Old Ways,” followed shortly after with the release of album Deadbeat.
See Parker’s announcement video for “Dracula” featuring JENNIE below.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-04 16:29:422026-02-04 16:29:42JENNIE of BLACKPINK to Sink Her Teeth Into Tame Impala’s ‘Dracula’ Remix: Here’s When It Arrives
“It’s my bestie,” said Laufey as Alex Warren walked over to join her and sombr, with the three embracing in a group hug. The trio of Grammy nominees was gathered in a private room behind the red carpet at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday night (Jan. 31) at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Fellow attendees included Jelly Roll, John Legend, Olivia Dean and Art Garfunkel, the guest list entirely hand-picked by Davis. Throughout the evening, those same stars (along with MGK, Clipse, Darren Criss, the singing voices of HUNTR/X, Jennifer Hudson and Dan + Shay) delivered the night’s 10 performances.
Jelly and MGK opened the night with a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, Criss and Laufey celebrated Bernie Taupin’s songwriting with a medley of Elton John hits, and Hudson honored the late Roberta Flack. Plus, best new artist nominees sombr, Alex Warren and Olivia Dean each performed their breakout hits: “12 to 12,” “Ordinary” and “Man I Need,” respectively.
“This night is so special,” Davis said to the room of industry heavyweights and iconic talent, such as Joni Mitchell, Max Martin, Taupin, Dave Grohl, Sharon and Jack Osbourne, Lana Del Rey and Karol G. “It’s special that we celebrate music [and] artistry.”
This year’s Pre-Grammy Gala celebrated Republic co-founders Monte and Avery Lipman, who received the 2026 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honor. Their introduction included remarks from Universal Music Group CEO, Lucian Grainge, who said of the Lipman brothers: “Some people only see the outcome, not the journey. But take it from me, success on their level is not inevitable.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-04 16:06:002026-02-04 16:06:00Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala: See Who Made the Annual Class Photo
If you come at the Queen of Christmas, you best not miss.
After defeating a copyright lawsuit over her holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey is now demanding that the man who sued her repay a whopping $1 million she and others spent on lawyers defending against his “absurd” accusations.
Songwriter Vince Vance claimed that Carey stole key elements of the iconic holiday track from his earlier song of the same name. But a judge dismissed the case entirely last year, ruling the two songs shared only “commonplace Christmas song clichés.”
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Now, Mariah’s lawyers want Vance punished for bringing such a “meritless” case, which they say was aimed at coercing her into paying him “an undeserved windfall.” In a motion obtained and first reported by Billboard, they want the judge to order him to repay $1,048,873 that she and others spent over years of costly litigation.
“This is an exceptional case in which plaintiffs, represented by counsel, ignored the law and stubbornly pursued an absurd claim over commonplace Christmas tropes used differently,” Mariah’s lawyers write. “Plaintiff gambled on bringing a defective, thirty-year-old copyright infringement claim and necessitated costly litigation in the hopes of a massive payout.”
Carey’s lawyers say Vance’s allegations were obviously flawed from the very start – since the only similarities he claimed were “a few fragmentary Christmas tropes like ‘mistletoe,’ ‘Santa Claus,’ and ‘stockings’” and basic musical elements. And they say they warned him repeatedly that they would seek to punish him if he persisted.
“But Mr. Stone doubled down,” Mariah’s lawyers write. “Plaintiffs continued to ignore defense counsel’s repeated warnings and requests to dismiss the lawsuit, and instead forced over two years of litigation, pursuing a meritless claim for over $20 million in damages and a permanent injunction barring defendants’ work.”
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Vance’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment on the motion.
Vance (real name Andy Stone) first sued Carey in 2022, claiming “All I Want” infringed the copyrights to a 1989 song of the exact same name recorded by his Vince Vance and the Valiants. He claimed that the earlier track received “extensive airplay” during the 1993 holiday season — a year before Carey released her now-better-known hit.
“All I Want,” which debuted in 1994 and was bolstered by the 2003 holiday rom-com Love Actually, has become a Christmas cash cow — steadily rising with the growth of streaming services before ballooning in popularity in recent years. The song has retaken the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 every holiday season since 2019, hitting No. 1 in December for a record-breaking 21st week.
Last March, Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani thoroughly rejected Vance’s case. She cited evidence that the two tracks were “very different songs” that shared only “commonplace Christmas song clichés” that had been used in many earlier holiday tunes.
In the wake of that ruling, the judge already ordered Vance’s attorney, Gerard Fox, to repay some legal bills over specific unnecessary motions. In issuing that earlier order — $109,983 total awarded to Carey, Sony Music and others named in the case – the judge said the lawyer “must now face the consequences.”
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In Tuesday’s motion, Carey’s teams asked the judge to order Vance himself to pay an additional $938,890 for bringing the overall case itself – with $596,479 going to Mariah, $164,113 to Sony Music, $96,885 to co-writer Walter Afanasieff and $81,412 to Kobalt Music. They also want Vance held jointly liable for the $109,983 already owed by his lawyer from the earlier ruling.
That demand might seem high, but such legal bills are typical for elite law firms in New York and Los Angeles after years of complex litigation. Carey was represented by veteran music litigator Peter Anderson and others from Davis Wright Tremaine; Sony was defended by a team from Pryor Cashman led by top litigators Ilene S. Farkas and Benjamin S. Akley; Afanasieff was repped by Kenneth D. Freundlich, another longtime music trial attorney; and Kobalt was defended by Bert H. Deixler and others from the firm Kendall Brill & Kelly.
In the American legal system, each side usually pays its own legal bills, even including defendants who defeat a lawsuit that they feel they shouldn’t have faced. But such awards are more common under federal copyright law, which has a specific provision allowing for fee awards to deter bad lawsuits. And under that rubric, Carey’s lawyers say Vance’s “All I Want” case more than qualifies.
“Defective copyright infringement claims, like plaintiffs’ claim here, burden the Court, cause potentially damaging negative publicity for recording artists, authors, photographers, filmmakers, and others, and threaten to chill a creative industry,” Tuesday’s filing reads. “Yet, plaintiffs pursued this lawsuit all the way to summary judgment, forcing defendants to incur hundreds of thousands in attorney’s fees to obtain dismissal of a claim that should never have been brought in the first place.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-04 15:51:012026-02-04 15:51:01Mariah Carey Says ‘All I Want For Christmas’ Accuser Must Pay $1M Bill From ‘Absurd’ Lawsuit
The signing marks the first time the longstanding dance duo, composed of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, has signed with any label, with their three studio albums and myriad singles dating back to 2015 released independently with distribution deals.
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“It wasn’t until we met the people at Republic that we decided we wanted to sign with a major label,” the duo tells Billboard in a joint statement. “It’s really about the people more than anything. Every meeting we’ve had, we’ve walked away from, having learned something.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be in a place in our career in which we know who we are and have built it up to this point,” they continue, “and now get to learn from, and work with, a whole new group of smart people to help us bring our visions to life. It’s a big step that’s been years in the making.”
The pair’s first release as Republic artists is the J Balvin collaboration “Cook,” set for release on Friday (Feb. 6).
Of the collab, the duo says, “We’re beside ourselves with excitement… J Balvin is one of the artists we have most looked up to… his values, his music, his fashion and use of color… the way he has brought reggaeton and Spanish to the world… the way he lifts other artists up. He’s a superstar, and we’re also proud to call him a friend. We’ve worked on a lot of different songs together but we immediately knew this one was the one.“
Sofi Tukker is managed by Myles Shear, Mike Hoerner and Bella Tamis at Animal Talk Management, a component of the duo’s own Animal Talk brand that also includes the label of the same name. Animal Talk Management formed last summer as a partnership with Palm Tree Management.
Sofi Tukker has charted had 16 songs on Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs tally since 2018. The pair’s last studio album was 2024’s Bread, followed by a 2025 remix of that album, Butter.
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