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☆ Sabrina Carpenter may have dropped this year's summer bop with 'Espresso.' Here's how valuable a summer hit can be.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Katie Balevic | Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sabrina Carpenter just dropped "Espresso," which is already topping the charts. With her new song "Espresso," the pop star may have just dropped this year's summertime hit. Cyrus' 2023 single "Flowers" breathed new life into her career after a rocky public personaMiley Cyrus performs at the 2024 Grammys. Like Carpenter, Cyrus was a Disney child star who amassed international fame with "Hannah Montana." So with "Espresso," Carpenter has a chance to catapult herself onto the big stage and secure her place as a bonafide star.

Persons: Sabrina Carpenter, —, Taylor, Barry Keoghan, She's, Carpenter, Theo Wargo, Sabrina Carpenter's, Morgan Wallen's, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Cyrus, Amy Sussman, cushioned Cyrus, Forbes, Vijat, Hannah Montana, Pharrell Williams, Cowboy Carter, Armando L, Sanchez, Bill, Timothy Norris, J, Cole, Nicki Minaj Organizations: Service, Coachella, Spotify's, Spotify, Apple, NBC, Getty, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Billboard, iHeart Locations: Disney

☆ Morgan Wallen Arrested, Accused of Throwing a Chair From a Bar Roof
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The country singer Morgan Wallen was arrested early Monday in Nashville on charges of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, after he was accused of throwing a chair from the roof of a downtown bar, according to reports. Mr. Wallen, 30, a superstar who had last year’s most popular album, and who had just opened his latest tour with two shows at a stadium in Indianapolis, was arrested and booked by police in Nashville, according to court records. The chair hit the ground near where some police officers were standing, and staff members at the restaurant told officers that Mr. Wallen had been responsible, the station reported, citing the police. Mr. Wallen was arrested on three counts of reckless endangerment, a felony; and one count of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. He was released early Monday and has a court date set for May 3.

Persons: Morgan Wallen, Wallen, tonks, Eric Church Organizations: CBS, Broadway Locations: Nashville, Indianapolis

☆ Twice, a K-Pop Girl Group, Tops the Billboard Chart for the First Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The nine-woman K-pop group Twice leads the Billboard album chart for the first time this week with its latest mini-LP, thanks to collectible CD and vinyl sales, while Morgan Wallen marks a full year of blockbuster streaming numbers. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with the equivalent of 95,000 sales in the United States. “With You-th” also garnered 6.3 million streams, the lowest streaming total for a No. 2 in its 52nd week on the chart, with the equivalent of 67,000 sales. 6 on the all-genre album chart — and even then, only hitting that low point two times.

Persons: Morgan Wallen, Celine Dion’s “, ” Locations: United States

☆ Beyoncé debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and makes history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Beyoncé’s new song “Texas Hold ‘Em” debuted in the top spot of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart on Tuesday, the publication announced. Beyoncé’s other new country song “16 Carriages” ranks No. She is also the first woman to have topped both the Hot Country and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since the lists began in 1958. Morgan Wallen, Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles are the only other artists to have reached No. Both “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” were released on Feb. 11 after Beyoncé teased the release of new music in a surprise Super Bowl ad for Verizon, accompanied with eye-popping visualizer videos on YouTube.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus, Ray Charles, Veep, Tony Hale, Queen Bey Organizations: CNN, Billboard, Verizon, YouTube Locations: Texas

☆ Beyoncé's 'Renaissance: Act II' is officially on the way. Here's what to know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The second act of her recent album "Renaissance" will arrive on March 29. Shortly after, Beyoncé's website was updated to announce "Act II" of her latest album "Renaissance" will arrive on March 29. Both songs recall "Daddy Lessons," the sixth track on Beyoncé's album "Lemonade." AdvertisementFans had already speculated that Beyoncé was teasing more country music when she wore a cowboy hat and a leather bolo tie to the 2024 Grammy Awards. Last April, Variety reported that country music was seeing a "historic streaming spike," largely fueled by Wallen's blockbuster album "One Thing at a Time."

Persons: Beyoncé, —, Chuck Berry, Morgan Wallen, Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman's, Wallen Organizations: Service, Verizon, Radio, Variety, The Locations: Radio Texas, Houston , Texas, Texas

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Swift leads the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations with nine, followed closely by Jelly Roll, SZA, and 21 Savage with eight. The iHeartRadio Music Awards honor the most played artists of the year on their stations and app, and fans can vote in several categories including best lyrics, best music video, best fan army, social star award, favorite tour photographer, TikTok bop of the year, favorite tour style and two new fields: favorite on screen and favorite debut album. Social voting begins today at iHeartRadio.com/awards and will close on March 25 at 11:59 p.m. PDT for all categories. There are a total of seven new categories this year, from the two aforementioned socially-voted category to pop song of the year, pop artist of the year, K-pop artist of the year, K-pop song of the year and best new K-pop artist. It will also air on iHeartRadio stations across the U.S. and the app.

Persons: — Taylor Swift, Jelly Roll, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift's “, Selena Gomez's, ” Luke Combs, Tracey Chapman's, ” Miley Cyrus, ”, ” Morgan Wallen's “, Olivia Rodrigo's “ Organizations: ANGELES, Rema, ” Metro Boomin, Dolby Theatre, FOX Locations: Los Angeles

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesStill, country music has broken new ground. He says country music is now in a position where people who “maybe never gave us a chance” are listening to country music with an open-mindedness. Smyers has his own theories to why country music is experiencing this explosive period. “And I feel like country music kind of does the authenticity thing better than any other genre.”Up-and-comer Megan Moroney agrees. “I just kind of stay in my lane and do the best I can with supporting country music,” she told AP.

Persons: Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, Roll, Harvey Mason, ”, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Aldean’s “, Wallen’s “, Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, Oliver Anthony’s, “, Richmond ”, Wilson’s Deana Carter, Bailey, Wilson, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Ingrid Andress, Dan Smyers, Dan, Shay, Justin Bieber, I’ve, Smyers, Dustin Lynch, Darius Rucker, “ I've, Megan Moroney, there's, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, John Legend, Chance, Garth Brooks, Brooks, fiddles, ” Brooks, it’s Organizations: ANGELES, Recording Academy, Associated Press, North, Richmond, “, AP, United, CBS, Paramount, Crypto.com Locations: —, U.S, Luminate, United States, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Vietnam, Europe, America, Nashville, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ten of the top albums of the year, as chosen by Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman. Instead of embracing the antiquated practice of ranking very different albums against one another, we're celebrating the best next to the best. Leading the charge is Peso Pluma, whose third studio album, “Génesis,” became the highest-charting regional Mexican album of all time. “Hackney Diamonds,” The Rolling StonesPrior to “Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones hadn’t released an album of original material in 18 years. AP's Jocelyn Noveck put it best: This album is their best new work in decades — tight, focused, full of heart and swagger.

Persons: Maria Sherman, “ Barbie, “, Carín León, ”, Pluma, Olivia Rodrigo, Rodrigo, —, Joan Didion, ” Rodrigo, “ Lucky, Megan Moroney Let’s, Morgan Wallen’s “, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, Megan Moroney, Taylor Swift, Charlie Watts, Andrew Watt, Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, AP's Jocelyn Noveck, Raven, Kelela, Shaadi Devereaux, ” Karol G, reggaetón, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Rauw Alejandro, Karol G's, there's, Ojos, Shakira, It’s, Carlos Niño, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar’s, Arlo, Arlo Parks Organizations: ANGELES, Associated Press, banda, Tennessee, “ Hackney, Ojos Ferrari, Sun, Chicago, NFL, Carolinas, — Locations: Mexican, Mexico, Kelela, Será, Puerto Rican, Panamanian, , New York, Colombian, “ Carolina, California, Sunbeams, ”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s her, hi — Taylor Swift is Spotify’s 2023 most-played artist. According to Spotify Wrapped, Swift was 2023's most-streamed artist globally, raking in more than 26.1 billion streams since January 1. It's not such bad news for Bad Bunny, however: his 2022 album “Un Verano Sin Ti” was Spotify's most-streamed album for the second year in a row, raking in 4.5 billion global streams. Political Cartoons View All 1270 ImagesMiley Cyrus' empowerment anthem “Flowers” is Spotify’s most-streamed song of the year with 1.6 million streams globally. “Kill Bill” by SZA is the second most-streamed song of the year, while Harry Styles' “As It Was,” BTS member Jung Kook featuring Latto's “Seven,” and Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma's “Ella Baila Sola” came in third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Persons: — It’s, Taylor Swift, Swift, Bunny, Drake, It's, Taylor Swift's, SZA's, ”, Karol G's “, Miley Cyrus, “, Bill ”, SZA, Harry Styles, Jung Kook, Latto's, Armado, Pluma's “ Ella Baila Sola ”, Morgan Wallen, Wallen's, Wallen’s, Luis Fonsi, Yankee, Justin Bieber’s “ Organizations: ANGELES, Spotify, Puerto, Apple Music Locations: He's, Mexican, Será, U.S

☆ Stray Kids Score Another No. 1 With ‘Rock-Star’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Stray Kids, the eight-piece K-pop group that was formed on a South Korean reality TV show, has scored its fourth No. 1 in two years on Billboard’s album chart, bumping Taylor Swift to No. “Rock-Star,” an eight-track mini album — including two versions of a song called “Lalalala” — becomes Stray Kids’ latest No. 1, selling 213,000 copies in the United States, mostly on CD, and racking up a modest 16 million streams, according to the tracking service Luminate. After striking a deal in the United States in 2022 with Republic Records — also the label for Swift, Morgan Wallen, Drake and other stars — the group landed two albums at No.

Persons: Taylor Swift, ”, —, Republic Records —, Swift, Morgan Wallen, Drake, Swift’s, Chris Stapleton Organizations: Republic Records Locations: Korean, United States, Memphis

☆ SZA, ‘Barbie’ Songs and Young Women Lead 2024 Grammy Nominees
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In past years, the Grammys have been criticized for failing to adequately reward female artists, and this year’s woman-heavy nominations will likely be welcomed in the industry as a sign of progress. As always, the nominations included some surprises in the top tier, particularly when it came to country artists. (“Fast Car” was not, however, eligible for song of the year, since it had already been nominated for that award in the ’80s.) (Wallen’s hit “Last Night” is up for best country song, though Wallen was not among its four writers.) Harvey Mason Jr., the chief executive of the Recording Academy, said in an interview that the nominations simply reflect the musical judgment of the academy’s 11,000 or so voting members.

Persons: Noah Kahan, Jelly Roll, Fred, Coco Jones, Swift, Gracie Abrams, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, ”, Zach Bryan, Kacey, Morgan Wallen, Wallen, Harvey Mason Jr Organizations: Nashville, Recording Academy Locations: Nashville, British

Aldean and Anthony's dominance wasn't long — and Combs did earn a 2024 Grammy nomination for best country solo performance — but Wallen stands out as an obvious exclusion. While “Last Night” is nominated for best country song, a songwriter's award, Wallen himself isn't despite his successful year. Monét has also picked up record of the year and best R&B song nominations for her glossy, brassy “On My Mama,” best R&B performance and best traditional R&B performance. Her 2023 release, “Jaguar ll,” is up for best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical. IT'S RAINING WOMEN, HALLEJUAHThe best story of the 2024 Grammy nominations, of course, is just how many women are represented in the major categories.

Persons: “ Barbie, Reneé Rapp, Rapp's, ”, Rapp, PinkPantheress, Eslabon, Ella Baila Sola, Bunny, Natanael Cano, Karol G's, Jason Aldean's “, Morgan Wallen's “, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman's, Oliver Anthony Music's, Combs, Wallen, isn't, he's, NewJeans, Barbie, PRINCE HARRY, Michelle Williams, Britney Spears, Prince Harry, Meryl Streep, William Shatner, Rick Rubin, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama, WHO'S, There's, Travis Scott's, Scott, Cole’s, Uzi Vert’s “, Victoria Monét's, Monét, Ariana Grande’s, Chloe x Halle, she’s, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Batiste Organizations: ANGELES, música Mexicana, Grupo Frontera, Fuerza, North Locations: Será Bonito, ”, Richmond

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The CMA Awards are back Wednesday to honor the top artists in country music, with Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wallen among the acts hitting the stage. Wilson is the leading nominee for the second year in a row, competing for entertainer of the year along with Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs. Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning will host the ceremony, which will feature a musical tribute to the late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Wilson is up for nine awards, including her collaborations with HARDY ("Wait in the Truck") and Jelly Roll (“Save Me.”)Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesRapper-turned-singer Jelly Roll, who earlier this year topped the CMT Music Awards, has five nominations, including best new artist. More than 30 years after she won two Grammy Awards for “Fast Car,” Tracy Champman could win a song of the year trophy at the CMA Awards thanks to Luke Combs' cover.

Persons: Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Morgan Wallen, Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Stapleton, Dan + Shay, Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, Jimmy Buffett, HARDY, Zach Bryan, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Hailey Whitters, ” Tracy Champman Organizations: Bridgestone, ABC, CMT, CMA Locations: Tenn, Hulu

☆ Can’t Make the Concert? Livestreamers Are Coming to the Rescue.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nell Gallogly | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More artists got back on the road in 2022, yet still hit pandemic-related snags. Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Drake, Travis Scott, Ed Sheeran, Morgan Wallen, Maluma and Madonna filled arenas and stadiums. Buying concert tickets, however, has become an increasingly complex and expensive endeavor as costs continue to rise and companies like Ticketmaster and SeatGeek battle bots and scalpers. Fans hoping to attend the year’s hottest tours endured a maze of presale registrations, digital waiting rooms and hourslong queues. Those fortunate enough to reach checkout were met with lofty ticket prices — some because of confusing “dynamic pricing” — and additional fees.

Persons: Covid shutdowns, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Drake, Travis Scott, Ed Sheeran, Morgan Wallen, camerapersons Organizations: Ticketmaster

☆ Taylor Swift helps fuel Universal Music Group's third-quarter revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Universal Music Group logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 26 (Reuters) - Cultural phenomenon Taylor Swift helped fuel revenue at Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) in the third quarter, the world's largest record label said on Thursday. Universal Music and a number of its artists also partnered with YouTube on a Music AI Incubator, to explore how to use the technology to enhance artist creativity. EBITDA for the quarter fell 11.3% to 478 million euros, reflecting the impact of non-cash share-based compensation expenses of 103 million euros during the quarter. Revenue from music publishing rose 17.5% to 491 million euros, while merchandise sales increased 20.1% to 227 million euros.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Taylor Swift, Swift, Lucian Grainge, Grainge, we're, Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, King, Prince, Dawn Chmielewski, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Universal, REUTERS, Universal Music, YouTube, Revenue, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’ Is Her Second No. 1 Album
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, “Guts,” has a blockbuster opening at No. “Guts,” the second LP by the 20-year-old Rodrigo, becomes her second No. Rodrigo’s new album, which is also No. 1 in Britain, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, had 200 million streams in the United States and sold 150,000 copies as a complete package. Last week, Rodrigo announced a 75-date world tour to begin in February 2024.

Persons: Olivia Rodrigo’s, ”, ” —, Rodrigo, Taylor Swift’s, Morgan Wallen’s, Travis Scott’s Organizations: BTS Locations: United States, Britain, Canada, Australia

☆ 'Rich Men North of Richmond': A virtually unknown conservative singer just rocketed to the top of the charts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The right-wing media universe is maturing — and finding great success — beyond typical news commentary. That’s quite a feat, considering singer Christopher Anthony Lunsford was virtually unknown just weeks ago. It’s also illustrative of the power amassed by right-wing media forces, taking unknown quantities and churning them out into overnight blockbuster hits, a weaponized cudgel against perceived enemies in mainstream institutions. And, while he is a well known country singer, Jason Aldean’s widely criticized “Try That In a Small Town” was not much of a commercial success until it was boosted by right-wing media to the top of the Billboard charts. As conservatives increasingly see legacy media companies and performers as not only disagreeable, but outright evil, it makes sense that they would look toward outsiders to fill their entertainment needs.

Persons: Oliver Anthony Music’s, “, Christopher Anthony Lunsford, Lunsford, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, It’s, Donald Trump, Tom Cruise, Jason Aldean’s Organizations: CNN, North, Billboard, Fox News, Trump, Daily, Disney Locations: Richmond, Washington

☆ Travis Scott’s ‘Utopia’ Repeats at No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

1 on the Billboard album chart for a second time this week, while Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” logs its 16th time as the top single. That total includes 146 million streams and 37,000 copies of the LP sold as a complete package. The last rap album to spend at least its first two weeks at No. 2, while his song “Last Night,” a monster hit on streaming services and pop radio, holds at No. Only Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” with 19 weeks in 2019, had a longer run at the top.

Persons: Travis Scott, Morgan Wallen’s “, ”, —, Tyler, Luis Fonsi, Yankee’s, Mariah Carey, Lil Nas Locations: United States, ”

☆ Opinion | From Taylor Swift to Beyoncé, Concerts Are Turning Into Something New
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Elamin Abdelmahmoud | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Ms. Swift’s tour alone is on pace to earn over a billion dollars, while Harry Styles’ Love On Tour ended a couple of weeks ago as the fourth-highest-grossing tour of all time. Elton John wrapped a tour earlier this summer that stands as the highest-grossing of all time — at least for now. While the average ticket price for the Bruce Springsteen tour is an already hefty $250, thanks to so-called dynamic pricing, tickets have been on sale for as much as $5,000. Beyoncé’s tour this summer boasts a giant metallic tank and robot arms, and Ms. Swift’s set is like a traveling Vegas production. For everyone else, there’s social media — and there’s been plenty this summer for online audiences to enjoy.

Persons: Drake, Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, Morgan Wallen, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, Swift’s, Harry Styles ’, Elton John, there’s, concertgoer Organizations: Bloomberg Locations: Europe

☆ Analysis: Country music is at a crossroads. Two of its most viral songs show why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The struggle for the soul of country music is on full display now as two very different songs have been making headlines. Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesThese two songs, so differently received yet recorded under the same big country umbrella, are an embodiment of the crossroads where country music currently stands. Like all musical traditions that fuse, evolve and splinter, country music and its legions of fans are engaged in a negotiation for the genre’s main identity. When the Dixie Chicks spoke out against the Iraq War in the early 2000s, their popularity in country music circles never fully recovered.. Small towns, fast cars and American values are as essential to country music as four chords and the truth.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman, Chapman, Combs, ”, Tracy, ” Chapman, “, Luke, Bryan Bedder, they’ve, Aldean, Little Richard, Otis Redding, ” Aldean, —, Holly G, Morgan Wallen, Michael Loccisano, foremothers, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, ” Combs, it’s Organizations: CNN, CMT, Billboard, Singer, Amarillo, Black Opry, Washington Post, Texas Democrat, country’s, Dixie, Grand Ole Opry Locations: Copenhagen, underrepresentation, Aldean, Macon , Georgia, Iraq

☆ Universal Music earnings boosted by strong sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - The world's largest record label Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) on Wednesday posted a better than expected second quarter core profit margin, boosted by strong sales from artists including Taylor Swift and South Korea's SEVENTEEN. Universal Music's quarterly margin on adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to 21.9%, from 20.0% a year earlier, the group said in a statement. Adjusted EBITDA rose by 16.4% to 590 million euros ($653 million), higher than a company-provided consensus of 547 million euros. Universal Music reported revenues of 2.7 billion euros in the quarter, helped by a 10.6% yearly rise in recorded music subscriptions, the company added. Apart from Taylor Swift and South Korean boy band SEVENTEEN, other top sellers in the second quarter were King & Prince, Morgan Wallen, and Stray Kids, Universal Music said.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Lucian Grainge, Prince, Morgan Wallen, Alessandro Parodi, Toby Chopra, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Universal Music, Universal, Thomson Locations: South Korean

☆ Jason Aldean, Decrying ‘Cancel Culture,’ Has a No. 2 Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In May, the country star Jason Aldean released a single, “Try That in a Small Town,” with lyrics that paint contemporary urban life as a hellscape of crime and anarchy: “Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk/Carjack an old lady at a red light.”“You think you’re tough,” Aldean sings. “Well, try that in a small town.”Initially, the track got relatively little notice, landing at No. “Try That in a Small Town” makes its debut at No. 2 on the Hot 100, Aldean’s best showing ever on Billboard’s all-genre pop chart, beating current hits by Olivia Rodrigo and Morgan Wallen. Aldean was surpassed this week only by Jung Kook of the South Korean supergroup BTS, whose debut solo single, “Seven,” opens at No.

Persons: Jason Aldean, Aldean, Aldean —, “, Olivia Rodrigo, Morgan Wallen, Jung Kook, ”, Henry Choate, — Organizations: Korean, BTS Locations: ”, Maury, Columbia, Tenn

☆ Jelly Roll’s ‘Save Me’ and the Music of Addiction and Recovery - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Crispin Sartwell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

In a country riddled with crises — the opioid epidemic, mass incarceration, the mental health crisis and gun violence among them — Jelly Roll’s music is an expression not just of musical tastes, but also of a desperate national hunger for healing and recovery. Disclosure: Jelly Roll’s music makes me cry, too. I lost a brother and two stepbrothers to addiction and mental illness: Bob was killed in a drug-motivated shooting in 1984. These are the sorts of experiences that Jelly Roll is bringing to the charts: very common devastating experiences of betrayal and survivor’s guilt and despair that, despite their prevalence, are not usually made public. And as the ABC News Studios documentary “Jelly Roll: Save Me” makes clear, he is still struggling.

Persons: Rollmania, Bob, Adam, Jim, Jelly Roll’s, Morgan Wallen’s, Wallen’s, ”, “, David Allan Coe, Nan Goldin Organizations: ABC News Studios Locations: Nashville

☆ Taylor Swift Now Has More No. 1 Albums Than Any Woman in History
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Taylor Swift released “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” this month, there was no doubt it would debut at No. The only questions were how forcefully it would smash records, how many mountains of vinyl it would sell and how far down the chart Swift’s catalog would push everybody else. 1 albums, but the only acts with more are Jay-Z (14) and the Beatles (19). Swift is the first living act to have four albums in the Top 10 since Herb Alpert in 1966. (Prince had five after his death in 2016, and for many years Billboard barred older “catalog” albums from reappearing on its main chart — a rule that was changed after Michael Jackson’s death, in 2009.)

Persons: Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen’s, Barbra Streisand, Drake, Swift, Herb Alpert, Prince, Michael Jackson’s Organizations: Beatles Locations: United States

☆ Taylor Swift Halts Morgan Wallen’s Run at No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For 12 weeks, nothing could stop Morgan Wallen’s domination of the Billboard chart with his latest album, “One Thing at a Time.” Not Metallica. Then came deluxe reissues of “Midnights,” Taylor Swift’s seven-month-old LP. In the United States, “Midnights” has had the equivalent of nearly five million sales and been streamed 3.2 billion times. Lately, as Swift’s Eras Tour has become a cultural juggernaut, her wider catalog has also dotted the upper ranks of the album chart. Last week, Swift had nine titles in the Top 40.

Persons: Morgan Wallen’s, ”, Ed Sheeran, Jonas Brothers, ” Taylor Swift’s, Midnights ”, “, Swift Organizations: BTS Locations: United States

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