ME:I’s “Hi-Five” soars to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Sept. 4, marking the 11-member group’s first leader on the tally.
The digital version of the girl group’s second single dropped July 29 and debuted at No. 40 on the Japan Hot 100 dated Aug. 7. The track then slipped slightly on the list as downloads declined, but hit No. 2 in sales this week after the CD version sold 263,332 copies in its first week. The physical release boosted the song’s digital performance and it returns to the downloads tally for the first time in three weeks at No. 3, while also coming in at No. 79 for streaming (112% week-over-week) and No. 2 for radio (413%).
Bowing at No. 2 is Naniwa Danshi’s seventh single “Koisuru Hikari,” the theme song for the movie We Don’t Know Love Yet starring member Ryusei Onishi. The track launches with 432,018 CDs to top sales, while coming in at No. 5 for downloads and No. 16 for radio.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” rises a notch to No. 3 this week, with radio increasing by 121% from the week before and keeping the decrease in overall points to a minimum.
“Natsu ga Kitakara” by ≠ME (“Not Equal Me”) follows at No. 4. Although the twelve-member group’s ninth single didn’t enter the lists for metrics other than sales, it debuts at No. 3 for the metric after selling 229,446 copies in its first week. ≠ME’s best chart rank so far on the Japan Hot 100 is No. 4, so the group’s latest single tied for the highest rank of its career.
Tsubaki Factory’s “Baby Spider” debuts at No. 5. The 12th single by the girl group sold 88,796 copies to reach No. 4 for sales and hit No. 38 in downloads, surpassing its previous single, “Yuuki It’s my Life!”
Elsewhere on the Japan Hot 100, Mariya Takeuchi’s “Uta wo Okurou,” the theme song of the ongoing drama Subarashikikana, Sensei!, debuts at No. 20. The latest single by the “Plastic Love” singer-songwriter tops radio and comes in at No. 14 for sales. Also, veteran band Mr. Children’s “in the pocket” bows at No. 33. The theme song for the animated movie The Colors Within rules downloads and comes in at No. 48 for radio.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 17:56:582024-09-04 17:56:58ME:I Hits No. 1, Naniwa Danshi Follows at No. 2 on Japan Hot 100
Reclusive pop chanteuse Sade‘s first new song in more than six years will be released in November when her track “Young Lion” appears on the TRAИƧA benefit album from the Red Hot organization. The 46-track concept LP is due out on Nov. 22 and features collaborations between more than 100 artists including: Sam Smith, Laura Jane Grace, Devendra Banhart, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Bartees Strange, Faye Webster, Julien Baker, Moses Sumney, Hunter Schafer, André 3000, Arthur Baker, Fleet Foxes, Teddy Geiger and many more.
Sade has not put out a full-length album since 2010’s Soldier of Love and her most recent singles are a pair of songs from 2018, “Flower of the Universe” from the A Wrinkle in Time movie soundtrack and “The Big Unknown” from the soundtrack to the Steve McQueen-directed drama Widows.
The New York Times described the vibe of the song featuring a soft piano riff and Sade’s iconic soothing vocals, pointing to lyrics “steeped in empathy and regret.” On it, Sade sings, “Young man, it’s been so heavy for you/ You must have felt so alone… I should have known/ Shine like a sun/ You have everything you need.”
The compilation of new songs, covers and exclusive tracks aims to support trans awareness and features trans, non-binary, genderqueer and cisgender acts and is dedicated to Sade’s son, Izaak, who identifies as a trans man. According to a release, the project began to come together in 2021 and marks one of the most ambitious projects ever from the Red Hot non-profit that has raised more than $15 million since 1989 to benefit HIV/AIDS relief and awareness. It is described as “a spiritual journey across 8 chapters and 46 songs, spotlighting the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today alongside contributions and collaborations from allies such as Sade, Sam Smith, André 3000, Clairo, Moses Sumney and many more. It softens the edges of the world we know, and invokes powerful dreams of the futures that might one day thunder from its cracks.”
It continues, “Trans people have always existed, with many different names across time and culture, often as spiritual healers and leaders. As global systems continue to fail humanity and all life on Earth, the journey taken by trans people – and all peoples who have been oppressed – is a blueprint of possibility. May this be a glimpse of our collective liberation, and the light inside all of us.” With more than three-and-a-half hours of music, the project is broken into eight chapters in a reference to the eight stripes on the rainbow pride flag.
Speaking to Variety, Red Hot executive director Dust Reid — who compiled the album with Massima Bell — said the idea was to celebrate all the “gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world… We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate. We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.”
Bell, a model and activist who is transgender, told the Times that Sade’s song was a revelation. “It’s amazing to hear a legendary musician like Sade sing about her heartfelt experience as the parent of a trans child,” Bell told the paper. “It’s incredibly powerful.” Reid added that the project was partly inspired by the death of beloved electronicmusician/producer Sophie in 2021. “Sophie was a boundary-pushing, generation-defining musician and one of the most important trans artists we’ve ever had,” said Reid.
The collection’s first single, a cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” from Lauren Auder and former Prince & the Revolution members Wendy & Lisa, is out now; listen to the song below and see the album announcement and full tracklist).
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 17:49:252024-09-04 17:49:25Sade’s First New Song in Six Years Included in Sprawling ‘Transa’ Benefit Album Supporting Transgender Awareness
There may be singing, dancing and eye-catching numbers in Joker: Folie à Deux, but Lady Gaga wouldn’t call it a musical.
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While speaking at the Venice International Film Festival Wednesday (Sept. 4) about the upcoming sequel — in which she makes her debut as Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck — the pop star explained why she doesn’t put it in the same category as something like A Star Is Born.
“The way that we approached music in this film was very special and extremely nuanced,” she told members of the press during a panel with Phoenix and director Todd Phillips. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is actually a musical. The way that music is used is to give the characters a way to express what they need to say, because the scene and dialogue wasn’t enough.”
Phoenix and Gaga previously revealed that they sang live vocals for a majority of their performances in the film, something the “Born This Way” singer elaborated on at the festival. “The pianist that was on set with us was sort of like an actor off camera in the scene with us,” she added. “For me it was a lot about unlearning technique and forgetting how to breathe, and allowing the song to completely come out of the character.”
The festival comes a month before Folie à Deux arrives in theaters Oct. 4. The picture will center around Fleck — awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker — meeting Quinn in an institution and embarking on a whirlwind romance soundtracked by their own delusions and musical numbers.
And while Gaga may have had to dial back her own talents to make her character’s vocals sound more authentic, Phoenix was happy just to be able to keep up with the “Die With a Smile” singer. “I do seem to remember her spitting up coffee the first time I sang, so that felt good, that was exciting, and made me feel confident,” he told Empiremagazine in a July interview. “Gaga was always very encouraging of just, ‘Go with what you feel, it’s fine.’ For somebody who’s not a performer in that way, it can be… uncomfortable to do that, but also very exciting.”
Watch Gaga explain why she doesn’t think of Joker 2 as a musical below.
Gaga says “the music is used to really give the characters a way to express what they need to say because the scene and dialogue is just not enough” #Venezia81pic.twitter.com/XV5tmmrhY9
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 17:40:252024-09-04 17:40:25Here’s Why Lady Gaga Doesn’t Think of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ as Being a Musical
It’s official: Rosalía is cooking up a new album! In an interview withHighsnobiety published on Tuesday (Sept. 3), the Spanish superstar confirmed that her fourth studio LP is underway.
“It’s been a process. I’ve changed a lot, but at the same time, I’m still wrapping my head around the same things,” she told the German fashion and lifestyle magazine. “It’s like I still have the same questions and the same desire to answer them. I still have the same love for the past and the same curiosity for the future.”
The “La Fama” singer also discussed her new contract with Dior, her relationship with Italian fashion designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, how being in love feels like both “a disorder and a superpower” and more. She also mentioned that her biggest influences today are reading paper books.
The 31-year-old artist has been hinting at a new album through a series of social media posts. She did so more directly when her merengue hit “Despechá” surpassed one billion streams on Spotify on June 9, and became the first solo Spanish artist to reach the milestone on that platform. “Hopefully life will allow me to share many more songs. For now I’m still working on the new album and I can only say that the wait will be worth it,” she wrote on the Instagram caption at the time.
The upcoming album will be her follow-up to 2022’s Motomami and 2018’s El Mal Querer, both of which earned her a Latin Grammy win for album of the year, becoming the first woman to win twice in that category.
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 17:40:242024-09-04 17:40:24Rosalía Confirms She’s Working on a New Album: ‘It’s Been a Process’
Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj set the tone for a beef-filled year, with the reignition of their feud sparked by the Houston Hottie’s “Hiss” diss track back in January, in which she appeared to spray at Nicki, Drake, Tory Lanez and Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty.
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The scathing “Hiss” would go on to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — her third chart-topping smash — and Minaj returned fire, punching back at her “Hot Girl Summer” collaborator with “Big Foot” days later.
Megan graces the cover of Billboard, and in her feature published Wednesday (Sept. 4), she addresses clashing with Nicki, and shares still doesn’t know what the root cause of the friction is.
“I still to this day don’t know what the problem is,” she shares. “I don’t even know what could be reconciled because I, to this day, don’t know what the problem is.”
Nicki and Meg joined forces when Minaj hopped on “Hot Girl Summer” in 2019, but things appeared to have gone awry since. Some theorize it’s because Thee Stallion has repeatedly teamed up with Nicki’s rival Cardi B.
Barbz chimed in on social media, speculating that the cause may be a time fans recalled Minaj on IG Live in 2019 with Megan, who allegedly continued to offer the “Super Bass” artist liquor while knowing she was trying to get pregnant.
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With the Nicki relationship remaining icy, Megan is brushing things off and turning her focus to her plethora of lucrative endeavors going on in her busy career. If people are talking about her, Thee Stallion feels like she must be doing something right.
“I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing,” Megan added. “If people feel like I’m somebody to aim at, then I must be pretty high up if you’re reaching up at me. I must be some kind of competition. That makes me feel good. That makes me feel like I could rap because if I wasn’t the s–t, y’all wouldn’t be worried about me.”
“Hiss” served as the second single for the Houston Hottie and carried her into her Megan album, which arrived in June and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 64,000 album-equivalent units sold in the first week.
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 17:26:582024-09-04 17:26:58Megan Thee Stallion Addresses Nicki Minaj Feud: ‘Don’t Know What the Problem Is’
Anyone who has heard a Jelly Roll song is familiar with the themes of struggles and redemption that flow through the lyrics of tracks such as “Halfway to Hell” and “Son of a Sinner,” and his fans are well aware of the former Billboard cover star‘s own redemption story of going from an incarcerated teen to Grammy-nominated, CMA Award-winning country star.
So recently, Jelly Roll had some special jewelry made that symbolizes his journey. Having spent an ample amount of time in the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Tennessee, Jelly Roll was gifted a symbolic key to the jail by the Davidson County Sheriff. He commemorated the meaning behind the key by getting a replica attached to a handcuffs chain necklace and encrusted with 150 carats of diamonds. Each of the cuffs has a small plaque noting each time Jelly Roll had been behind bars.
“The Nashville, Tenn., Davidson County sheriff gave me a key to the jail for all the work I do since I got out of there,” Jelly Roll said in the video shared by jewelry company Icebox, who designed the iced-out chain. “So I ended up with a key to the same jail that I was in.”
The company delivered the new bling to Jelly Roll ahead of the opening night of his headlining Beautifully Broken Tour, which launched Aug. 27 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“This is the redemption chain, baby, that’s what we’re calling this,” Jelly Roll said in the video. “A set of handcuffs for every time I’ve been in handcuffs.”
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 17:18:002024-09-04 17:18:00Jelly Roll Shows Off His ‘Redemption Chain’ Featuring Diamond-Encrusted Jail Key & Handcuffs
BMI named Martijn Tel to be its new chief financial officer on Wednesday, the performing rights organization said in a statement.
Tel joins BMI from the global data & information services provider Gerson Lehrman Group, where he also served as CFO. He will report to BMI’s president and CEO Mike O’Neill.
Since being acquired by the private equity firm New Mountain Capital in February, BMI has been beefing up its leadership team. BMI began operating as a for-profit commercial enterprise in late 2022, and Tel will play a key role in helping the PRO grow its distributions to publishers and songwriters in the evolving competitive landscape.
Tell joins other new hires Tom Kershaw, who was named BMI’s chief technology officer in July, and Justin Rohde, BMI’s new chief transformation officer.
Tel is experienced at leading financial transformations for companies backed by private equity capital, and along with Kershaw and Rode, he will be integral to the company’s growth plan, BMI said in the statement.
Prior to Gerson Lehrman, the Netherlands native worked as the chief financial officer for SiriusDecisions, a company that was acquired by the global consultancy and research firm Forrester, as well as at publisher McGraw-Hill’s higher education division.
“Martijn’s wealth of experience, particularly working with companies with ambitious growth plans, makes him a perfect fit for BMI now,” O’Neill said. “I look forward to working with him and our team as we continue to implement strategic initiatives designed to fulfill BMI’s mission to grow the value of music for our creators and copyright owners.”
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 17:05:512024-09-04 17:05:51BMI Names Martijn Tel to Chief Financial Officer
Halsey has dropped the curtain on new album The Great Impersonator‘s release date and main album cover after sending fans on a scavenger hunt across the world.
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The 29-year-old singer shared the details on X Wednesday (Sept. 4), revealing that the project — which marks her fifth studio LP — is set to arrive Oct. 25. “I made this record in the space between life and death,” Halsey wrote. “And it feels like I’ve waited an eternity for you to have it. I’ll wait a bit longer. I’ve waited a decade, already.”
The three-time Grammy nominee also shared the album’s main cover art, which features a black-and-white close-up of them with rosy cheeks and a star-shaped sticker boasting its title on their forehead. “Step right up, ladies and gentlemen,” the sticker’s fine print reads. “Behold the marvel of a century. Witness the uncanny ability of a woman who can become anyone, anything your heart desires.”
Halsey’s post comes in response to fans tracking down the mystery location of one of five time capsules hidden in cities all over the world based on clues posted by the “Closer” singer, the first of which they found at an International Magic store in London. Planted somewhere in New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and Sydney, the next four capsules will be themed around different decades and reveal variants of The Great Impersonator‘s cover.
“You must work together, as the next city’s clues will not be revealed until the previous city is found,” the About-Face Beauty founder cautioned when first announcing the scavenger hunt Tuesday (Sept. 3). “Don’t blink … or you’ll miss it.”
The Great Impersonator will mark Halsey’s first album since 2021’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. So far, they’ve released a few singles ahead of the new record: “The End,” “Lucky” and “Lonely Is the Muse.” On Friday (Sept. 6), a fourth single — titled “Ego” — is set to arrive.
See Halsey’s tweet and photos from the first mystery location below.
My 5th studio album “The Great Impersonator” coming October 25th.
I made this record in the space between life and death. And it feels like I’ve waited an eternity for you to have it. I’ll wait a bit longer. I’ve waited a decade, already. Pre-order available now. pic.twitter.com/xyV5D9ryqX
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 16:40:572024-09-04 16:40:57Halsey Reveals ‘The Great Impersonator’ Release Date After Fans Uncover Main Album Cover
As the self-proclaimed Hot Girl Coach, Megan Thee Stallion is ready to see a strong Black woman take the wheel as President of the United States.
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And in her cover story with Billboardpublished Wednesday (Sept. 4), the 29-year-old rapper emphasizes that people need to get out and vote in order for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris to make it happen. “I don’t like it when I see people saying, ‘I’m not voting. F–k it,’” Meg shares. “What the f–k are you talking about? You’re going to complain about what you don’t like but you’re not going to help the cause?”
“I think that’s very irresponsible because if you don’t like what Trump has going on, why even aid in him being the president again?” she adds.
The Grammy winner has been one of the most vocal musicians supporting Harris’ campaign against Republican nominee Donald Trump, performing at the the Democrat’s July rally in Atlanta and posting TikTok videos with her afterward. Later, during her headlining set at Lollapalooza in August, Meg hyped up Harris on stage. “Kamala said she wants a ceasefire,” she told her crowd. “Kamala said she supports women’s rights. And she said she’s tired of those high-ass gas prices … It’s Hotties for Harris, goddammit!”
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While speaking to Billboard, the Houston Hottie also opens up about feeling inspired by the possibility of Harris becoming the first woman and second Black person — after Barack Obama — to ever be elected POTUS. “To be alive in a lifetime where a Black woman or a woman at all could be the president, I feel so blessed,” she says. This is what the future is about. We really about to get a strong, Black female in there. I feel like America needed a woman to come in here and put a woman’s touch on it.”
“It’s been going a little crazy lately, and we need somebody to put their foot down,” she adds. “I feel like Kamala, she gon’ do that.”
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.pngYveto2024-09-04 16:27:182024-09-04 16:27:18Megan Thee Stallion Says It’s ‘Irresponsible’ to Not Vote When Trump Is on the Ballot: ‘Why Even Aid Him?’
Green Day are about to make a wish — or hundreds of wishes — come true thanks to their latest collaboration with Wheels For Wishes. The charitable organization that raises money to help children via the donation of used vehicles has teamed up with Green day on their sold-out Saviors stadium tour by announcing a sweepstakes for the chance to win the 1968 Mercury Monterey convertible featured in the veteran band’s “Holiday” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” videos.
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“Thanks to Green Day and their immense generosity, Wheels For Wishes will be able to grant hundreds of new wishes through Make-A-Wish chapters across the country,” said Randy Heiligman, co-founder/CEO of National Fundraising Management. “We want to thank Green Day and Propeller for helping us spread awareness of this sweepstakes and for giving up their iconic 1968 Mercury Monterey Convertible in the name of helping the ‘wish’ kids of Make-A-Wish.”
Wheels For Wishes is partnering with social impact group Propeller on the sweepstakes, which is the second time the band has worked with Wheels For Wishes after donating their restored Bookmobile tour bus in 2017. According to a release, as of July 2024, Wheels For Wishes has donated more than $114 million to Make-A-Wish kids, accounting for 13,672 wishes granted. The Propeller site notes that the car features custom upholstery, shift knobs and detailed interior, as well as the iconic heart-grenade hood ornament and custom BRKN DRM vanity plates.
Interested bidders can visit the Propeller site for details, or to submit their entries; entries are 10 for $1, with the deadline for entries running out just before midnight on Nov. 6 for the Nov. 7 sweepstakes drawing. Entrants must be 18-year-old and show proof of insurance and a valid driver’s license. No purchase is necessary to win the vehicle with the approximate retail value of $45,000, and a purchase or donation will not improve odds of winning.
Check out the convertible in the “Holiday” video 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.pngYveto2024-09-04 16:20:442024-09-04 16:20:44Green Day Giving Away Custom ‘Holiday’ Video Convertible In Wheels For Wishes Sweepstakes
