Shaboozey scores his maiden top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated July 13), as his launch entry “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” jumps six spots to No. 6. It surged by 20% to 20.5 million audience impressions June 28-July 4, according to Luminate.

The track interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 hip-hop classic “Tipsy,” with the pair performing a mash-up of the songs on June 30 at the 2024 BET Awards. The makeover by Virginia native Shaboozey (born Collins Obinna Chibueze) has already led the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart for three frames beginning in May.

The song is the lead single from Shaboozey’s LP Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, which arrived at its No. 2 Top Country Albums high in June. The crossover hit is also the first song ever to go top 10 on all four of these charts: Country Airplay, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay.

Baldridge Banks First Top 10

Drew Baldridge notches his first Country Airplay top 10 as his co-written “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined)” pushes 11-10 (18.3 million, up 7%). The hit is a rerecording of the Patoka, Ill., native’s 2019 track “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” and marks his fifth entry on the chart.

In addition to writing, recording and touring, Baldridge is a radio personality, currently handling weekend shifts on Mt. Wilson Broadcasting’s KKGO Los Angeles.

‘Help’ Ties 2024’s Best

Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, controls Country Airplay for a third week (32.6 million, up less than 1%). The former’s first No. 1 and Wallen’s 13th ties for the longest command among the 15 leaders in 2024, joining Sam Hunt’s “Outskirts,” which started its reign in April.

Ice Cube‘s popular three-on-three basketball league, BIG3, is setting down roots. Since its founding in 2017, the 12-team league featuring former NBA and international players has barnstormed around the country setting up shop in cities and playing a series of games, with last year’s contests rolling into Chicago, Dallas, Brooklyn, Memphis, Miami, Boston, Charlotte and Detroit.

In May, BIG3 CEO Cube announced the plans to pivot to a more traditional city-based model, writing on Instagram, “We need to plant our roots in cities so we can be more than a rolling all-star game coming through. It’s really about growing the sport and the league.” The league sold its first franchise in Los Angeles in May for $10 million to a group of investors led by DCB Sports.

In June the league welcomed a Miami franchise (also to the tune of $10 million) and on Thursday (July 4), the BIG3 announced that businessmen Eric Mullins and Milton Carroll had purchase the rights to a team in Houston. Those three teams will join a group of colorfully named squads including the Ghost Ballers, 3 Headed Monsters, 3’s Company, Aliens, Ball Hogs, Bivouac, Enemies, Killer 3s, Power, Tri-State, Trilogy and Triplets.

The BIG3’s 2024 season marches on this weekend, with six games scheduled for Sunday (July 7) in Newark, N.J. at the Prudential Center, followed by weekend contests in Anaheim (July 14), Portland (July 20), Cincinnati (July 28), San Antonio (August 4), Nashville (August 11) and Boston (August 18). In March, Cube offered college superstar Caitlin Clark $5 million to join the BIG3, though she opted to sign a four-year contract with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever that was reportedly worth $338,000.

Taylor Swift is having a blast watching Sabrina Carpenter shine. In honor of the younger singer’s speedy ascent to the top this summer, the 34-year-old pop superstar gushed in Instagram comments that she’s the first in line to congratulate her former Eras Tour opener’s recent successes — the whole of which Swift coined the “summer of Sabrina.”

The “Anti-Hero” singer’s praise came in response to one of Carpenter’s posts, in which the latter thanked her fans for selling out her upcoming Short ‘N’ Sweet arena tour. “i can’t wait to see you on the road,” the Girl Meets World alum wrote in her caption, also noting that her smash “Espresso” went No. 1 on pop radio.

Swift replied in ecstatic all-caps fashion: “SUMMER OF SABRINA AND MAY IT CONTINUE FOREVER 😇.”

Carpenter also included a video of hers and Swift’s mutual friend, Ice Spice, decreeing that “Espresso” is the song of the summer at the BET Awards earlier this week. “I don’t think we have a choice,” the rapper quipped on the red carpet. “It’s ‘Espresso.’”

The “Nonsense” singer’s post and Swift’s praise come shortly after the Carpenter chalked up another major feat this summer. During the last week of June, Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” became her first-ever No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, following over a decade in the music industry.

“I’m very immensely grateful so i will surely always remember this day for the rest of my life!” she reacted to the news at the time. “thank you everyone who’s listened and made it so much fun to have these songs out in the world. more to come soon.”

The singer-actress’ meteoric rise was arguably catapulted by her tenure on the Latin America, Australia and Asia legs of Swift’s Eras Tour, during which she won over fans across the world with a supporting set full of tracks from 2022’s Emails I Can’t Send. After finishing her time on the trek, Carpenter praised the “Fortnight” musician on Instagram, writing of Swift, “I feel so lucky to witness the magic that is you and this tour.”

“there is truly no one like you and there never will be!” she added at the time. “i love you with all my heart and i will cherish this taybrina era (and all the eras) till the end of time.”

It’s time for a July 4th weekend edition of the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. Check out this year’s Pride List of top LGBTQ+ executives in the industry. We also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive and a regularly updated gallery honoring many of the industry figures we’ve lost throughout the year.

Thomas Coesfeld celebrated his one-year anniversary as CEO of BMG by joining the executive board of Bertelsmann, parent company of the Berlin-based music giant. The 34-year-old executive is point-person for Bertelsmann’s music business as a member of the board, which also includes chief executive Thomas Rabe and Thomas’ big brother Carsten Coesfeld, CEO of its venture capital arm, as well as company CFO Rolf Hellermann and chief human resources officer Immanuel Hermreck. Coesfeld took the reigns of BMG from longtime CEO Hartwig Masuch on July 1 of last year, and in short order instituted a new organizational structure by globalizing its catalog, sales and marketing teams and a “recalibration” of its presence in continental Europe, among other changes. Prior to rising to CEO, Coesfeld had been named deputy CFO at BMG in October 2021 before taking over as full-on CFO the following spring. During that time he oversaw BMG’s balance sheet and helped the company land 70 deals, including acquiring the catalogs of Mötley Crüe and Tina Turner, as well as those of Paul Simon, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Frampton and others.

He previously served as chief strategy officer on the executive committee of the Bertelsmann Printing Group, but began his career in 2014 as a consultant at McKinsey. Coesfeld is also a member of Bertelsmann’s Group Management Committee (GMC), which advises the executive board.

“[Coesfeld] knows Bertelsmann well from various positions,” Rabe raved in the announcement. “As CEO of BMG, he has made important decisions for the future of the business, for example by bringing digital distribution in-house and using artificial intelligence in various areas of the music business. Thomas will enrich the work of the Management Board as well. I look forward to working even more closely with him.”

Meanwhile…

Universal Music UK promoted Hannah Neaves to sole president of its catalog division, Universal Music Recordings. Her co-president over the last two years, Azi Eftekhari, has left the company, Billboard can confirm. Neaves and Eftekhari joined UMR in early 2022, roughly a year after the pair launched a London-based creative agency called Remedy Inc. Prior to joining forces, Neaves was creative director at TaP Music and Eftekhari had been head of label relations (EMEA) at YouTube. In the last two years, UMR’s wins include “Now and Then” — the “last Beatles song” — and other releases featuring Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, the Spice Girls and more. “Hannah is, first and foremost, an artist person with an innate understanding of where creativity and discovery meet, something she has brought in abundance since re-joining our team,” said Universal Music UK chief David Joseph, referencing Neaves’ tenure at UMG’s Polydor earlier in her career. “A truly exceptional and inspiring executive, Hannah has already had huge success, most recently creatively leading the global and record-breaking Now And Then campaign for The Beatles, and there’s so much more to come.”

Former BMI executive Jody Williams was elected to a one-year term as the new chair of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum‘s board of officers and trustees. The publishing veteran, who founded Jody Williams Songs in 2020 following a 14-year run at BMI, has served on the museum’s board for 17 years. He replaces outgoing chair Mary Ann McCready, who remains as a trustee. CMHFM CEO Kyle Young remarked that Williams is “woven into the fabric of country music’s creative community in a true and meaningful way” and “resolute in furthering country music’s vitality as a cultural artform.” The Nashville institution also elected several new members to the board, including artist manager Clint Higham and WME agent Becky Gardenhire.

Merlin, the digital licensing partner for the independent music sector, welcomed Neil Miller as its new general counsel. Miller arrives from Greenberg Traurig, where he served as partner of the global law firm for three years. Prior to that, Miller was an associate general counsel at Facebook and earlier in his career spent six years as GC at SoundCloud. He is based in the UK. “Merlin is a dynamic organisation operating in a complex and ever changing legal and commercial environment,” said Charlie Sexton, Merlin COO. “Neil’s wealth of experience across music and digital entertainment is exactly what we need to meet these challenges. He is highly respected across the industry and brings a valuable blend of long-term thinking, technical skills, and impressive leadership.”

Believe has new leadership in place for its efforts throughout China, naming Charles Liu as general manager and Rebecca Dong as managing director for the growth-ready region. Based in Beijing and reporting to Sylvain Delange, Believe’s president of Asia-Pacific, Liu will focus on building partnerships and growing Believe’s roster of labels and artists. Dong rolls up to Liu and will manage all operations, along with legal, finance and HR matters. Believe has operated in China since 2016 and has grown to 80-plus “digital and music experts” across offices in five cities, the company said. “Greater China is both an exciting and challenging market where Believe’s unique approach can significantly contribute to accelerate the rise of a strong, diverse and thriving local music ecosystem as we’ve done is so many other markets in Asia Pacific,” said Delange.

NASHVILLE NOTES: Universal Music Group Nashville hired Houston Gaither as director of radio marketing. She was previously Sony Music Nashville’s manager of content, promotion and artist development … Former PLA Media director of publicity and branding Becky Parsons formed Found Sound Media, a PR and management firm focused on developing LGBTQ+ and female artists … Kylie Taylor joined Black River Entertainment as a graphic designer. Reach her at ktaylor@blackriverent.com.

OTM Music, a boutique publishing company with footholds in London, New York and Los Angeles, welcomed Kristin Genovese as the firm’s new U.S. head of sync and Kate Sweetsur as the new head of A&R. The company, which provides creative services for its roster of songwriters and brands, also noted the recent additions of Chi Chi Nwakodo as senior creative and Ethan Mizen as A&R manager.

ICYMI:

Hipgnosis Song Management founder Merck Mercuriadis will step down as chairman of the investment manager, months after vacating the CEO role … Stephanie Rosa is managing director of Tixr‘s new London office … Former Capitol Music Group executive Britney Davis was named general manager at Quality Control … Warner Records promoted Robert Santini to senior vp of brand partnerships and ad sync … and Mano Sundaresan is the new head of editorial content for Pitchfork.

Last Week’s Turntable: Audacy OG Elevated