Ella Langley’s second week with Dandelion at the summit of Top Country Albums and the all-genre Billboard 200 dated May 2 places her in rare company. The set earned 106,000 equivalent album units in the United States in its second frame (April 17–23), according to Luminate, making her one of just three women with country projects to post at least 100,000 units in a second consecutive week.

Langley joins Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in the achieving feat. Beyoncé met the mark with Cowboy Carter (2024), which debuted with 407,000 units and followed with 128,000. Swift has done so multiple times in the past decade. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) opened in 2023 with 716,000 and followed with 121,000, while 2021’s Red (Taylor’s Version) logged three consecutive 100,000-plus weeks (605,000, 159,000 and 102,000). Dandelion follows with 169,000 and 106,000.

Swift’s 2021 Fearless (Taylor’s Version) also reached multiple 100,000-plus weeks, though not consecutively. It opened with 291,000 units, dipped below the mark in its second week at No. 1, then returned to the summit later that year with 152,000.

Before Billboard’s genre album charts shifted to their current streaming and sales hybrid methodology in February 2017, the sole metric was album sales. Swift reached back-to-back 100,000-plus weeks with the original versions of Fearless (its first seven frames in 2008-09) and Speak Now (its first nine in 2010-11). Her Red (2012) did even better, debuting with 1.21 million sold and selling more than 100,000 in its first 10 weeks. Carrie Underwood also earned the honor in 2012 with Blown Away, which began with 267,000 and followed with 120,000.

Dandelion flexes its second-week strength as Langley’s profile continues to grow beyond the charts, including a high-visibility Stagecoach appearance the day after the tracking week closed, positioning the album for continued momentum beyond its second week at No. 1. Plus, the set’s “Choosin’ Texas” tops Hot Country Songs for a 22nd week; follow-up “Be Her” holds at its No. 2 high, and her new duet with Morgan Wallen, “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” newly added to Dandelion with its April 24 release, is set to splash onto next week’s charts (dated May 9).

Metallica are prepping the definitive reissue of their seventh studio album, ReLoad, which will be issued as Reload (Remastered) on June 26 through their own Blackened Recordings label. The new edition of the album originally released in 1997 will come in a variety of formats, including a 2-LP vinyl edition, as well as a 3-CD expanded edition, CD, cassette and digital downloads.

It will also come in a sprawling deluxe box set that features the album on an 180-gram double LP and CD, “The Memory Remains” 7″, three live LPs, 15 CDs and four DVDs with unreleased content (live shows, rough mixes, demos), and MP3 download card of all the audio, as well as three tour laminates, posters, pins, stickers, guitar picks, lyrics sheets and a 128-page hardcover book with never-before-seen photos.

Fans who preorder the deluxe box will get instant grat versions of “The Memory Remains,” including the remastered original recording, an instrumental mix and the Take 18 Floor Take and Live in Brisbane. In addition, a Live in Philadelphia version of “The Memory Remains” is available now (see below).

According to a release, the deluxe, numbered pressing version of the quadruple platinum album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart at the time is “bursting” with exclusives, including on-air and TV performances, the Live at Ministry of Sound ’97 triple live album on 140g vinyl, never-before-released collections of riffs, 13 Rorschach Test cards and much more.

The news about the reissue also coincides with the opening of the #GetTheReLoadOut fan cover competition, which last year found thousands of Metallica fans submitting their interpretations of Load tracks for the first round of the #GetTheLoadOut contest. Round two will add a new category, so in addition to traditional musical covers, performance and visual artists are invited to participate. A different song from the album will be highlighted each week through the stunt, ending with two grand prize winners each earning an autographed ReLoad Remastered Limited Edition deluxe box set.

ReLoad was the sequel to 1996’s Load album, and like its predecessor, it expanded the band’s thrash metal sound, from adding hurdy-gurdy and violin to “Low Man’s Lyric” to collaborating with their first-ever guest vocalist, Marianne Faithfull, on “The Memory Remains.” It also featured “The Unforgiven II,” the sequel to their 1991 song “The Unforgiven.”

Watch “The Memory Remains” (live in Philadelphia, Nov. 11, 1997) below.

Janet Jackson isn’t even mentioned in Michael, the hit biopic about her brother Michael Jackson, but she will be front and center at the 2026 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala next week, as her 1989 album, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, is inducted. The ceremony will be held Friday, May 8, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame is a Jackson family tradition. Michael was inducted with both Off the Wall and Thriller, his first two albums with legendary producer Quincy Jones. The Jackson 5 made the grade with three of their four 1970 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100: “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “I’ll Be There.”

Rhythm Nation 1814 was Janet Jackson’s fourth studio album. Although A&M executives were hoping for material similar to that on her previous album, Control (1986), Jackson insisted on creating a concept album addressing social issues. The accompanying video won a Grammy for best music video, long form, but the album and its many hit singles won no Grammys, despite receiving six nominations across two years. In what must have been a huge disappointment for all involved, the album was passed over for a nomination for album of the year, a nod that Control had garnered.

The Gala will celebrate the 2026 Grammy Hall of Fame inducted recordings, a group of 14 titles spanning nearly a century of recorded music. The Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, which jointly present the Gala, revealed details of some of the performances:

Additional performances include a set by Norah Jones, this year’s Ray Charles Architect of Sound Award recipient. Josh Groban and Teddy Swims are slated to perform as part of a tribute to Warner Records, this year’s Visionary of Music Award recipient.

Broadcast journalist Anthony Mason will host the event. The show will be produced by former Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich, alongside Renato Basile, Chantel Sausedo, and Lynne Sheridan, with musical direction by Cheche Alara, Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning composer, producer and conductor.

Tickets for the Grammy Hall of Fame Gala are on sale now. For more information, go here.

An online auction will run alongside the Grammy Hall of Fame Gala beginning May 5 and closing May 21, featuring a collection of guitars signed by such artists as Charli xcx, ROSÉ and Sabrina Carpenter, as well as Platinum tickets to the 2027 Grammy Awards. Proceeds will benefit the Grammy Museum. More information will be available after May 5.

Keke Palmer has a lot of jobs these days: movie and TV star, singer, game show and podcast host and Pilates instructor. But the gig she’s most excited about at the moment is hosting the Billboard Women in Music 2026 event on Wednesday night (Apr. 29) at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Palmer told Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday night’s (April 28) Jimmy Kimmel Live! Palmer will keep things rolling at the ceremony that will feature presenters Bella Poarch, Brandi Carlile, Cara Delevingne, Ciara, Coco Jones, Dionne Warwick, Eva Longoria, Victoria Monét, Kim Petras, Lainey Wilson and Tyla.

In addition to hosting, Palmer is hyped to perform on the show, where she will be rolling out her new single, “Text Message Unsent,” which she collaborated on with the director of her upcoming all-star film, I Love Boosters (May 22), Boots Riley, and his daughter, Alina Kanin.

“I get to perform one of the songs — ‘Text Message Unsent’ — which is on the soundtrack EP for the movie,” she said of the mini album from the film starring Palmer, Demi Moore, Naomi Ackie, Don Cheadle, Alexa Demie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu and LaKeith Stanfield. When Kimmel asked her to explain the song’s title, Palmer said, “It’s like when you want to say the things to this person that you love but you just know it’s never gonna go anywhere, so it just stays in a text message unsent.”

Kimmel wondered if Palmer was nervous about performing on a show with a stellar lineup of honorees — some of whom will also perform — including:  Kehlani (Impact Award), Laufey (Innovator Award), Mariah the Scientist (Rising Star Award), Tate McRae (Hitmaker Award), Teyana Taylor (Visionary Award), Thalia (Icon Award) and Zara Larsson (Breakthrough Award).

She seemed chill about it, but when the host mentioned that the key honorees also included the singers behind the KPop Demon Hunters‘ phenomenon — HUNTR/X (EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI) — who will receive Women of the Year — Palmer freaked out. “Oh my gosh! That took my house by storm! Those Demon Hunters were with us,” she said of the excitement in her house about the movie thanks to her three-year-old son, Leo.

“That one tune that’s in my head?,” she said of the Oscar-winning Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Golden.” Asked if she’ll bring Leo along tonight to meet HUNT/X in person, though, Palmer shook her head. “He doesn’t want to be there. He tells me all the time, ‘Mama, you bother me.’ I think he gets tired of my life a little bit. It’s a little too much for him.”

Billboard Women in Music 2026 will stream live on Billboard.com and the Billboard YouTube channel.

Watch Palmer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! below.

Sundowner Artists’ Simone Ubaldi and Andrew Parisi were the big winners at the Association of Artist Managers’ fifth annual awards, presented lunchtime Wednesday (April 29) at Sydney’s Crowbar, just hours before the APRA Music Awards.

The pair, who manage the international breakthrough punk rockers Amyl And The Sniffers, won manager of the year, the same category they nabbed at the inaugural AAM Awards in 2022.

“They’ve helped each of the Sniffers through areas they didn’t need to which is a testament to their generosity,” explains Amy Taylor, the ARIA Award winning band’s firebrand singer, in a statement. “Not only are they music managers, they also run a live music venue and contribute to community radio, and love going to watch live music. They’re not persuaded by dodgy deals and they’re fiercely protective, as anyone whose come in their crossfires I’m sure is aware of. Their job isn’t easy but they’ve not only managed us as a band they’ve also managed to not blow their brains out dealing with our shit for eight-odd years.”

Manager of the year was one of seven categories announced on the day, all recognizing notable achievements and activity from January 2025 to December 2025.

The AAM Awards “recognize the managers at the center of artist careers; the ones driving strategy, navigating complexity, and making the work happen behind the scenes,” comments AAM executive director Maggie Collins.

This year’s nominees, she continues “reflect the strength, diversity and ambition of our community. Our winners set the benchmark for modern management: forward-thinking, resilient, and deeply invested in their artists’ success. But they’re also part of a broader ecosystem of managers who are all shaping the future of Australian music.”

Finalists were determined thorough consultation with a panel of respected representatives from different areas of the Australian and international music industry.

Also on the day, AAM presented the Legacy Award to Melita Hodge of Six Boroughs Management, an honor curated by the trade body’s board. Hodge’s long-time artist Kasey Chambers, the ARIA Hall of Fame inducted country legend, was on hand to pay tribute with words and song.

“I wouldn’t be the artist, I would be the woman, I am today without you,” Chambers remarked, holding back tears. “Let’s do it for another 30 years, if you can put up with me,” she quipped. Chambers then performed a solo rendition of “The Captain,” the first song she and Hodge worked on together. The performance ended in happy tears.

Also during the ceremony, the Patron’s Gift Award to Ben Pierpoint of Ben Pierpoint Management, an accolade curated by the AAM patrons, and the 2026 APRA AMCOS Lighthouse Award was presented to Neon Tiger Mgmt’s Kristie McCarthy. In addition to the award, McCarthy receives a grant valued at A$5,000 to support her business and professional pursuits.

“Receiving the Lighthouse Award at this point in my management career feels incredibly special – just days before my daughter’s first birthday and only a month after launching my own business,” she remarked.

“Like many first-time mothers, I was apprehensive about how I would manage maternity leave, especially as an artist manager. I’m so grateful to my former teammates for looking after The Cat Empire while I was away, and to Felix and Ollie for taking this next step with me as I begin Neon Tiger Mgmt.

Matt Okine emceed the ceremony, a week after he co-hosted the Queensland Music Awards on the Gold Coast.

Guest speakers included John Graham, special minister of state, minister for the arts, minister for transport, minister for music and the night-time economy. “When you look at the music industry, so much has challenged the years, but one of the constants has been a value of high quality managers, guiding us through an incredibly complicated system, and changes every time you turn around,” he remarked from the podium. “That’s why it’s so good to be here to acknowledge the role that managers part.”

Presented by White Sky, this year’s show, like all previous editions, was a lunchtime gathering before the APRAs, hosted this year at the Hordern Pavilion. Last year’s edition was presented in Melbourne.

The not-for-profit AAM boasts more than 400 artist manager members, representing over 1,250 Australian artists globally. Read more here.

2026 AAM Awards winners:

Manager Of The Year (Presented by White Sky) — Simone Ubaldi & Andrew Parisi, Sundowner Artists

Roster: Amyl and The Sniffers, Grace Cummings, The Gnomes, Girl and Girl, Nice Biscuit (Consultant Managers), Baby Cool (Consultant Managers)

Breakthrough Manager Of The Year (Presented by DMT Law Firm) — Christopher Kevin Au, 24 Karat Enterprises

Roster: POSSESHOT, SPEED (Co-Manager), Shady Nasty (Co-Manager), FUKHED (Co-Manager)

Emerging Manager Of The Year Winner (Presented by PPCA) — Ali Tomoana, Soul Has No Tempo

Roster: Miss Kaninna

Community Engagement Award Winner (Presented by The Orchard) — Tani Webb, First Nations Focus (FNFocus)

Roster: FLEWNT, Inkabee, Taija

Legacy Award Winner (Presented by Frontier Touring) — Melita Hodge, Six Boroughs Management

Roster: Kasey Chambers, Andy Golledge, Denvah, Ball Park Music (Co-Manager), Ruby Jackson (Co-Manager)

Patron’s Gift Award Winner (Presented by the AAM Patrons)

Ben Pierpoint, Ben Pierpoint Management

Roster: Dino Dimitriadis, DOBBY, GODTET, Jamaica Moana (Co-Manager), Milan Ring, Ngaiire (Co-Manager), Rose Riebl, Wallace

Lighthouse Award (Presented by APRA AMCOS — Kristie McCarthy, Neon Tiger Mgmt

Roster: Riebl Tedesco McGill and The Cat Empire