When music sales last boomed in the 1980s and 1990s, with many fans snapping up CD versions of the albums they already owned on cassette and vinyl, record companies quietly offered a rare concession to some of their top-selling ’70s and ‘80s stars in order to re-sign them: they granted the artists ownership of their earlier albums. Now, as streaming fuels another boom, the major labels are paying handsomely to get those classic albums back.

The latest such in-the-works purchase is Sony’s negotiations to acquire Bruce Springsteen’s album catalog, sources say. While it is unknown what the asking price is for Sony to acquire complete owner-ship of his masters — which could mean no longer paying royalties to Springsteen depending on how the deal is structured — Billboard estimates that the albums carry a valuation of between $145 million and $190 million.

Sources say Springsteen is also shopping his pub-lishing catalog, with some of those sources adding that the Springsteen camp had been looking for upwards of $350 million for both the publishing and recorded

masters catalogs.The Springsteen album catalog, which has racked

up 65.5 million sales in the United States according to the RIAA website, and which includes the 15-times platinum Born In The U.S.A. and the five-times times platinum The River, still has plenty of firepower, as his music has generated 2.25 million album consumption units in the U.S. since the beginning of 2018, according to MRC Data.

While Springsteen has long been associated with Columbia Records and Sony Music, he was among a handful of superstar artists like Garth Brooks, AC/DC, Pink Floyd and other Sony artists Neil Dia-mond, Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson who all managed to win back ownership of their recorded masters in the last decades of the 20th century.

But now seems to be the perfect time for artists who own their copyrights to cash in and sell them and the income streams they generate — especially older artists who need to begin thinking about estate planning. In the past few years, music assets have been generating the

Bruce Springsteen In Talks to Sell Recorded Music

Catalog to Sony MusicB Y   E D C H R I S T M A N

(continued)

YOUR DAILY ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE

BulletinN OV E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 1 Page 1 of 36

• Morgan Wallen Is Still Dropped by

WME, But an Agent There Is Booking His

2022 Tour

• Avril Lavigne Announces Signing

to Travis Barker’s DTA Records

• Cameo for Songs? This ‘Shark Tank’

Startup Wants to Dominate the

Personalized-Music Market

• Five Burning Questions: What’s

the Deal With These ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Songs on the Hot

100?

• Normani Shows Her ‘Wild Side’ in

New Airplay Arena: R&B/Hip-Hop

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highest multiples in history, with iconic song catalogs selling for 25 to 30 times net publish-ers share (gross profit), while superstar re-corded masters are selling for a 15 to 20 times multiple of net label share (also gross profit, but with more complicated cost-of-goods expense deductions than publishing).

Besides that, with the Democrats in pow-er in Washington, there is a movement to increase capital gains taxes well above their current 20% level. So despite a widespread fear that any capital gains tax increases will be retroactive, plenty of sellers are scram-bling to get deals done before the end of the year in the hope that the increase won’t apply until 2022. It looks like Springsteen is about to accomplish that — at least for his master recordings.

Billboard estimates that the Springsteen catalog generated about $15 million in rev-enue in 2020 in a year that saw his catalog activity buoyed by a new release — last Octo-ber’s Letter To You — and the carryover from 3 albums that were released in 2019: West-ern Stars, the Western Stars soundtrack and the Blinded By the Light soundtrack.

By averaging the last three years of finan-cial statistics from the Springsteen catalog — a common strategy used in determining valuations — Billboard estimates the Spring-steen master recording catalog averaged about $12 million in sales. After deducting production and distribution costs of 20% of revenue, Billboard estimates the Springsteen

catalog produced a gross profit of $9.6 mil-lion. At a 15-times multiple, that would sug-gest a $145 million valuation; at a 20-times multiple that would put the valuation at about $190 million.

Further, Billboard estimates that Springs-teen’s publishing catalog brings in about $7.5 million a year. Consequently, the estimated value of the Springsteen publishing catalog is between $185 million (at a 25-times multi-ple) to $225 million (at a 30-times multiple).

However, it’s unclear if Springsteen has settled on a buyer for his publishing catalog. Some sources suggest Sony is acquiring the publishing catalog along with the master recordings; others say the publishing catalog might still be in play. According to those lat-ter sources, the publishing catalog is being looked at by one or more of the big, private-equity-backed publishing companies.

In any event, sources say the Springsteen camp was very selective about who they shopped his rights to and, in fact, some sug-gest that big private equity firms might have been approached so they could be used as a stalking horse in obtaining the desired pric-ing target from Sony.

All told, if Springsteen is selling all of his rights, that means his pay day could be anywhere from $330 million to $415 million, according to Billboard estimates.

Sony declined to comment, while a rep-resentative for Springsteen was unable to provide any information.

Morgan Wallen Is Still Dropped by WME, But an Agent There Is Booking His 2022 TourBY DAVE BROOKS

Nine months after Morgan Wal-len faced industry-wide con-demnation over a video leaked showing him using the n-word,

sources tell Billboard that tentative plans are in place for the country star to return to the road in 2022 for a tour promoted by Live Nation.

The yet-to-be finalized tour, as well as six shows scheduled for the remainder of 2021, were booked by Austin Neal, an agent at WME who sources say was acting “as a friend” of the artist and not in his profes-sional capacity at the agency. WME dropped Wallen from its roster in February af-ter TMZ posted that video of the star shout-ing the racial slur after a night of partying.

Neal is the son of longtime WME agent Kevin Neal, who was formerly Wal-

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len’s agent and currently represents Ja-son Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Colt Ford and Parmalee. Earlier this week, WME confirmed it was no longer repre-senting Wallen but declined to comment when asked about the work Neal was doing with the “Whiskey Glasses” singer. Neither Austin Neal nor Kevin Neal responded to requests for comment.

The arrangement, while unusual, is legal as long as all parties involved are upfront about their involvement in booking the shows, says entertainment litigator Ed McPherson. “As long as the agent is clear in his dealings that he is representing Wallen as a friend and not as a client of WME,” he notes, “it shouldn’t be a problem.”

After Wallen broke out in 2018 with his single “Whiskey Glasses,” which became his first solo No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Air-play chart following “Up Down,” his chart-topping duet with Florida Georgia Line. His 2021 album, Dangerous: The Double Album, which came out through a partnership between Big Loud and Republic, topped the Billboard 200 for 10 weeks and is the year’s most popular release in the U.S. as of the week ending Oct. 28, with 2.82 million equivalent album units earned — despite, or perhaps propelled by, the scandal surround-ing the star.

Wallen is less established as a live per-former, though, and has mostly toured as a supporting act — with Florida Georgia

Line in 2017, with Luke Bryan in 2018 and with Luke Combs in 2019. However, he had plans for a full 2021 arena tour before the scandal broke.

One of Wallen’s 2021 tour stops includes the biggest concert series of his young career — a three-night run at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky — selling 36,000 tickets for the Dec. 3-5 run in less than 90 minutes. The promoter for the three shows is Mike Smardak, owner of Outback Pres-ents. Like Neal, Smardak isn’t promoting the concert through his promotion company, but is doing so as an individual. Smardak declined to comment for this story.

Representatives at Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Wallen is performing Nov. 19 and 20, also declined comment, as did a those at the Landers Center in South Haven, Mississippi, where Wallen is playing Dec. 11 and 12.

Wallen’s publicist and label, Big Loud, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Big Loud partner and co-found-er Seth England also manages Wallen.

The only person to comment on the concerts was Rupp Arena general manag-er Brian Sipe, who sent out a press release declaring “Lexington loves country music!” to celebrate Morgan’s impressive sales.

“We are thrilled that country music superstar, Morgan Wallen, is coming here to Rupp Arena for three back-to-back nights!” Sipe wrote. “We can’t wait to show why

Lexington is one of the top cities for artists to play, and for fans to come see some of the greatest performers in the world.”

The secretive nature of the shows comes as the entertainment industry grapples with how to deal with artists who have been “cancelled” — while remaining in high demand by fans. Both DaBaby and come-dian Dave Chappelle have been accused of making transphobic and homophobic com-ments this year, but have continued to tour and play live shows despite public backlash.

Wallen’s 2022 tour is expected to be an-nounced before the end of the year.

Avril Lavigne Announces Signing to Travis Barker’s DTA RecordsBY JASON LIPSHUTZ

In the midst of a prolonged pop-punk revival, Avril Lavigne has signed a label deal with DTA Records, which is run by one of the movement’s main

players: Travis Barker.“Let’s f—k s—t up!” Lavigne posted on

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Wednesday (Nov. 3), in an Instagram cap-tion of a shot of her alongside Barker. “Just signed a record contract to Travis Barker’s record label DTA Records! Should I drop my first single next week?”

DTA Records was launched in late 2019 by the Blink-182 drummer as a joint venture with Elektra Records. The label has served as both a home for rising acts like jxdn and Caspr, as well as a hub for Barker’s collaborations across hip-hop and rock.

Lavigne’s last album, Head Above Water, was released through BMG in 2019. Last week, Lavigne performed at Barker’s House of Horrors concert special, which also in-cluded Machine Gun Kelly and his Blink-182 bandmate Mark Hoppus.

“Grow,” a Willow song featuring both Lavigne and Barker, was released on her al-bum Lately I Feel Everything album in July. Lavigne also released the Mod Sun collabo-ration “Flames” earlier this year.

See Lavigne’s post below.

Jamie Spears Asks For ‘Unconditional’ End to Britney ConservatorshipBY BILL DONAHUE

After an overhaul of his legal team, Jamie Spears is now asking a California court for an immedi-ate and “unconditional” end

to Britney Spears’ conservatorship – “not tomorrow or next week, now.”

In a filing on Monday (Nov. 1), Jamie asked the judge overseeing the case to end the conservatorship without “any caveat” and said he would hand over all documents related to the 13-year arrangement because he has “nothing to hide.”

The filing was written by Alex M. Wein-garten, an attorney at the firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher who replaced Jamie’s longtime lawyer last month.

“Jamie unconditionally loves and supports his daughter. Full stop,” Weingarten wrote.

“As he has done for her entire life, Jamie will do everything he can to protect and care for her. For the last 13 years, that included serving as her conservator. Now, it means ending her conservatorship.”

The filing is not quite as dramatic as it seems. Jamie has already been suspended as Britney’s conservator, and has already asked to end the conservatorship. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12, where it is expected that L.A. County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny will do so.

But it had previously been unclear the extent to which Jamie would leave uncon-ditionally, including whether he would seek stipulations or compensation, or whether he would seek to avoid turning over records to Britney’s attorney Mathew Rosengart – a former federal prosecutor who has vowed to investigate potential misconduct.

In the new filing, the elder Spears made clear that his support for ending the con-servatorship was not “subject to a demand for releases or compensation” and that he would “unconditionally cooperate in trans-ferring all files.”

“Jamie believes that every aspect of the conservatorship should be made available for public examination – not the targeted leaks and misinformation that have resulted in such tabloid fodder,” Weingarten wrote. “The time for innuendo, misrepresentations and impudent gossip is over.”

Britney Spears was placed in the conser-vatorship, under control of her father, in 2008 following a string of erratic behavior and public incidents. But the arrangement began to be scrutinized in 2019, leading to high-profile investigative documentaries and a #FreeBritney movement among fans.

On Sept. 29, after months of increasing tension, Judge Penny temporarily suspend-ed Jamie as conservator of his daughter’s estate. A hearing to terminate the conserva-torship entirely is set for next Friday (Nov. 12).

But that is unlikely to be the end of the legal battle.

Britney’s attorney, Rosengart, of Green-berg Traurig, has made serious allegations of wrongdoing by Jamie, echoing claims made by documentaries and other critics. He has vowed a “top-to-bottom” examination of his

behavior and records, and has even hinted that the case could bring a “hard look” from law enforcement. Jamie and his attorneys have denied all such accusations.

Rosengart declined to comment Tuesday evening on Jamie’s new filing.

Cameo for Songs? This ‘Shark Tank’ Startup Wants to Dominate the Personalized-Music MarketBY CHRIS EGGERTSEN

In July, Ellen and Omayya Atout ar-rived on the set of ABC’s Shark Tank with a $4 million valuation for their company Songlorious, a

Cameo-like startup where customers can request personalized tracks written and per-formed by professional musicians. Though the show’s four investor “Sharks” quickly chewed that valuation down to just $1.2 million over the course of the episode, the Atouts also left with a $500,000 joint invest-ment from four of them: Mark Cuban, Day-mond John, Kevin O’Leary and Peter Jones. (A fifth Shark, Lori Greiner, stayed out.) More importantly, they secured the cumulative PR power and acumen of some of the world’s brightest business minds.

“We decided to take the deal because we realized that the Sharks — the value they bring — is way more than the money that they’re giving us as an investment,” Omayya tells Billboard. “Monetarily the valuation is down, but really, we think [the deal] actually brought our valuation up.”

The Atouts’ official deal with the Sharks isn’t yet done — investors and entrepreneurs on the show make what amounts to a hand-shake agreement on-air — but the married couple tells Billboard that negotiations are close to being complete and that all four Sharks currently remain committed to in-

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vesting in Songlorious in exchange for a 10% share of the business (for a total of 40%).

Like so many businesses that launched over the past 18 months, Songlorious was a product of the pandemic. Omayya, who worked as a civil engineer at Amtrak, suf-fered a pay cut due to the economic crash, while the coffee shop where Ellen worked as a barista was forced to shut its doors. At the same time, the extra money they had earned as musicians — the couple met on-line while searching for collaborators before eventually falling in love and marrying — disappeared after music venues across the U.S. shuttered due to COVID-19.

In search of additional income, the Atouts soon landed on an idea: launch a website offering custom songs for a price. It didn’t take long for the business to take off; after buying ads on social media, “it just really ex-ploded from there,” Ellen says. Soon, other musicians sidelined by the pandemic began contacting the Atouts to see if they needed extra hands. “We decided that seem[ed] like a great opportunity,” Ellen continues. Before long, and with the business growing rapidly, they began placing ads specifically to recruit additional musicians (referred to as “artists” on the Songlorious website).

Today, Songlorious is projecting revenues of $2.5 million for this year and $5 million for 2022, driven in part by the value of the Atouts’ Shark Tank appearance. (Omayya says the website’s organic traffic has in-

creased roughly 20-fold since the episode aired on Oct. 15.) Meanwhile, the company has paid out over $650,000 to 160 artists — who are paid between 35% and 50% of the revenue generated from each song they contribute, depending on the specifics of the order — since launching in June 2020. Now, with a collection of brand-name, TV-famous investors on board, they’re hoping to take the business to the next level.

With the market for personalized songs heating up as of late, Songlorious’ new investment and heightened visibility have come at a crucial time. Another similar platform, Songfinch — launched in 2016 by veteran music executives John William-son, Rob Lindquist, Scott Kitun and Josh Kaplan — closed a $2 million funding round in June from industry giants including The Weeknd, his manager Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, Atlantic Records CEO Craig Kallman, School of Rock CEO Rob Price and Reverb founder David Kalt (legendary songwriter and producer Quincy Jones made an addi-tional investment in August for an undis-closed amount). A Songfinch representative says the platform hosts over 650 active artists who have created more than 25,000 original songs, and that it has paid out over $2.1 million to artists this year alone. Cameo CEO Steven Galanis has also indicated a potential move into personalized songs for the entrenched platform, which is already utilized by a host of well-known musical

artists and last year pulled in $100 million in revenue, 75% of which went to talent. (The company is reportedly valued at $1 billion.)

Custom songs on Songlorious start at $45 for a 30-second acoustic jingle but can cost as much as $230 for a three-minute track. (The average order is around $179, the Atouts say). In addition to length, add-ons include more complex instrumentation, a faster turnaround time (seven days vs. four days) and the ability to choose a specific art-ist for an additional $20 (it behooves an art-ist to be requested specifically, as they then receive a larger cut of the revenue). For an extra $150, the company also offers a com-mercial license option for small businesses.

When placing an order on Songlorious, customers specify the occasion, who the song is for and the story behind the request. They can also choose from among several genres and moods and identify up to four lyrical elements that must be included. Revisions cost extra if there’s a “preferential issue,” says Ellen, though changes are free if Songlorious makes a mistake. But errors aren’t typical, say the Atouts: before making their way to the customer, completed songs undergo a quality check to ensure the pro-duction is up to snuff and that all requested elements are included.

To ensure quality, artists are subjected to an audition process during which they must complete a hypothetical order for a 30-sec-ond track. If approved, they undergo a small

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training session where a Songlorious team member (the company has four employees) walks them through the company’s stan-dards for creating, in Omayya’s words, “a five-star song.” For artists, Songlorious has the potential to provide a healthy income on its own, but only for those who commit to it full-time. The Atouts tell Billboard that one particularly prolific Songlorious contributor is tracking to pull in between $80,000 and $100,000 from the platform this year alone.

With the Shark Tank investment, the Atouts plan to expand Songlorious’ market-ing while streamlining operations, includ-ing by improving the technology on their website. In the future, they’re also looking to offer songs in languages other than Eng-lish, with Arabic up first (Omayya’s father’s family hails from the Middle East). They’ve additionally discussed working with celeb-rity musicians, though that comes with a serious limitation: “Most famous artists,” says Ellen, “aren’t willing to do it at a price point that most customers would be willing to pay.” Still, Omayya says, adding a charita-ble component — as Cameo has done in the past — could draw A-listers to the platform in the future.

Now that live performances are taking place with greater and greater frequency across the U.S. and abroad, one might reasonably expect the demand from gig-starved musicians for income-generating platforms like Songlorious to be on the

wane. But so far, at least, its stable of artists have remained highly engaged, with orders snapped up almost as fast as they come in. “We’ve had no problems with [turnaround],” says Omayya. “The songs get taken pretty quickly.”

Five Burning Questions: What’s the Deal With These ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Songs on the Hot 100?BY BILLBOARD STAFF

This election week, you may have noticed that the Billboard Hot 100 features not one, but two songs titled “Let’s Go Brandon” in its

top 40 — both from artists with little, if any, prior chart history.

The shared title derives from a NASCAR event in Alabama (won by driver Brandon Brown), in which an audience chant of “F—k Joe Biden!” was interpreted by an NBC Sports announcer as “Let’s go Bran-don.” Since then, the three-word phrase has

become a conservative meme, used by politi-cians, organizations and even a Southwest Airlines pilot — and now, a number of rap-pers who have capitalized on the trend.

The first “Let’s Go Brandon” to hit the Hot 100 came from New Jersey rapper Loza Alexander, built around sound clips of the “Let’s go Brandon” call and the accompany-ing “F—k Joe Biden” chant at the Alabama event, which debuted at No. 45 on the chart last week. This week, the song climbs to No. 38 — but it’s lapped by a song of the same name by Christian rapper Bryson Gray (also featuring Chandler Crump and Tyson James), which features more rapping and no audio samples than the Alexander song, and debuts this week at No. 28 on the Hot 100.

Both songs are clearly positioned to be right-wing anthems — down to both Alexander and Gray wearing a MAGA hat in their respective “Brandon” videos — and follow other conservative-leaning songs from artists like Tom MacDonald and Aaron Lewis onto the Hot 100 this year. Like those songs, the two “Brandon”s mostly owe their splashy debuts to robust sales weeks, with the songs occupying the top two spots on this week’s Digital Song Sales chart, as Gray’s version sells 48,000 copies and Alex-ander’s sells 39,000.

What does all of this mean? And what does it portend for the Hot 100 moving forward? Billboard staffers debate these questions and more below.

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Sam Hunt’s second studio full-length, and first in over five years, Southside (MCA Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville), debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart dated April 18. In its first week (ending April 9), it earned 46,000 equivalent album units, including 16,000 in album sales, ac-cording to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

Southside marks Hunt’s second No. 1 on the chart and fourth top 10. It follows freshman LP Montevallo, which arrived at the summit in No-vember 2014 and reigned for nine weeks. To date, Montevallo has earned 3.9 million units, with 1.4 million in album sales.

Montevallo has spent 267 weeks on the list, tying Luke Bryan’s Crash My Party as the sixth-longest-running titles in the chart’s 56-year history.

On the all-genre Billboard 200, Southside ar-rives at No. 5, awarding Hunt his second top 10 after the No. 3-peaking Montevallo.

Hunt first released the EP X2C, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on Top Country Albums in August 2014. Following Montevallo, Between the Pines: Acoustic Mixtape started at its No. 7 high in November 2015.

Montevallo produced five singles, four of which hit the pinnacle of Country Airplay: “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party” and “Make You Miss Me.” “Break Up in a Small Town” peaked at No. 2.

Hunt co-penned all 12 songs on Southside, including “Body Like a Back Road,” which was released in 2017. The smash hit ruled Country Airplay for three weeks and the airplay-, streaming- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart for a then-record 34 frames. It now ranks second only to Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant to Be” (50 weeks atop the latter list in 2017-18).

“Downtown’s Dead,” which is also on the new set, reached Nos. 14 and 15 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, respectively, in June 2018. “Kin-folks” led Country Airplay on Feb. 29, becoming Hunt’s seventh No. 1. It hit No. 3 on Hot Country Songs.

Latest single “Hard to Forget” jumps 17-9 on Hot Country Songs. It’s his eighth top 10, having corralled 8.2 million U.S. streams (up 96%) and 5,000 in

sales (up 21%) in the tracking week. On Country Airplay, it hops 18-15 (11.9 mil-lion audience impressions, up 16%).

TRY TO ‘CATCH’ UP WITH YOUNG Brett Young achieves his fifth consecutive and total Country Airplay No. 1 as “Catch” (Big Machine Label Group) ascends

2-1, increasing 13% to 36.6 million impressions.Young’s first of six chart entries, “Sleep With-

out You,” reached No. 2 in December 2016. He followed with the multiweek No. 1s “In Case You Didn’t Know” (two weeks, June 2017), “Like I Loved You” (three, January 2018), “Mercy” (two, August 2018) and “Here Tonight” (two, April 2019).

“Catch” completes his longest journey to No. 1, having taken 46 weeks to reach the apex. It out-paces the 30-week climb of “Here Tonight.”

On Hot Country Songs, “Catch” pushes 7-5 for a new high.

COMBS ‘DOES’ IT AGAIN Luke Combs’ “Does to Me” (River House/Columbia Nashville), featuring Eric Church, ascends 11-8 on Country Airplay, up 10% to 24.7 million in audience. The song is Combs’ eighth straight career-opening top 10, following a record run of seven consecutive out-of-the-gate, properly promoted No. 1 singles.

Church adds his 15th Country Airplay top 10.

THAT TOOK QUITE ‘A FEW’ MONTHS Travis Denning shatters the record for the most weeks it has taken to penetrate the Country Airplay top 10 as “After a Few” (Mercury Nashville) climbs 12-10 in its 57th week, up 4% to 21.4 mil-lion in radio reach.

The song surpasses two tracks that took 50 weeks each to enter the top 10: Easton Corbin’s “A Girl Like You,” which reached No. 10 in January 2018 be-fore peaking at No. 6 that February, and Aaron Watson’s “Outta Style,” which achieved its No. 10 high in December 2017.

“After” is Denning’s second Country Airplay entry. “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs” traveled to No. 32 in September 2018.

SamHunt’s Southside Rules Top Country Albums; Brett Young ‘Catch’-es Fifth Airplay

Leader; Travis Denning Makes History

ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER jim.asker@billboard.com

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 13, 2020 | PAGE 4 OF 19

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1. “Let’s Go Brandon” was a surprising-enough chart phenomenon when Loza Alexander debuted at No. 45 with his song of that title on the chart last week. Now, not only has Loza’s song climbed to No. 38, but we have a new song of that title from Bryson Gray, Tyson James and Chandler Crump debuting ten spots ahead of it at No. 28. How has this meme spread wide enough to support not one, but two hit singles on the Hot 100? 

Katie Atkinson: A large, riled-up group has rallied around a cheeky catchphrase and hoisted an inside joke all the way to the top 40 — twice. The impetus of the phrase was the rise of “F—k Joe Biden” chants this fall at some sporting events, where hundreds or even thousands of fans joined in. That’s the kind of promo you can’t buy, and these two songs got in early and are reaping the ben-efits. Also, like-minded people are clearly getting a kick out of the phrase itself, which recalls Britney Spears’ “If U Seek Amy” as a sort of juvenile wink-wink to radio censors.

Jason Lipshutz: When a meme is slightly clever and also supported by large swaths of a political party, it’s not shocking that it will find legs. The original “Let’s Go Brandon” offered both a sticky hook and sly oppor-tunity for coded anger against the current administration; it’s still short of a phenom-enon, but the fact that it’s begat a successful spin-off indicates that this chant is not just a blip on the conservative-music radar.

Kristin Robinson: I think the Facebook Files reveal last month reminded us that what we see on social media is an echo chamber of previously held beliefs (to keep us scrolling) and some content that pro-vokes outrage and hatred (to get us engag-ing). These algorithms, I believe, are the reason why the “Let’s Go Brandon” meme has proliferated so quickly. You’ll either see it because you are already conservative and may find it funny, but you might see it if you’re left-leaning because it may provoke reactions and outrage.

Andrew Unterberger: It’s a decently clever secret-password sort of a meme — one that sounds perfectly innocuous to the uninitiated, and with an amusing origin story that takes a full minute’s worth of explanation to introduce to anyone not

already familiar. Obviously political tensions are once again at a new high in this country, and it makes complete sense that “Let’s go Brandon” would catch fire as a sort of absurdist rallying cry. (Though I’ll admit I never would’ve guessed that multiple top 40 hits were in the cards for its virality.)

Christine Werthman: There’s nothing too revelatory to report here: The meme, as memes do, blew up (on social media, across news outlets), and these performers are capitalizing on the trend. But why is it burn-ing so hot? As we can see from this week’s election results, voters are not looking fa-vorably upon Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, so it makes sense that two anti-Biden anthems would take off, especially now. And while many ongoing Trump supporters are not shy about expressing their views about this president, these memes reach wider by giving other people a less profane way of showing their distaste. As Tyson James says, “I’m a Christian, so how do I say this? Let’s go Brandon.”

2. It’s not the first time music fans have launched right wing-leaning hits onto the Hot 100 this year — Tom MacDon-ald and Aaron Lewis have also found similar success with songs with a con-servative bent. Do you see their chart success as more of an incidental side effect of their natural popularity, or as a purposeful statement being made by their supporters via the Hot 100? 

Katie Atkinson: I think whenever a fan purchases music in 2021, they’re making a statement — whether that statement is “I need to collect all of Taylor Swift’s vinyl” or “I need to buy every version of a song to help BTS on the charts” or, um, “Let’s go Brandon.” They could easily stream the songs for free, but they want these anti-Biden songs to make the biggest impact, and that is definitely accomplished through sales.

Jason Lipshutz: The former. Based on their sales and streaming numbers, I suspect that there’s not an enormous audience for these songs relative to that of an average Hot 100 hit, but that their audience is pas-sionate enough about their messaging to buy them as well as stream them and ultimately boost their chart placements. That act leads

to more incidental chart gains than purpose-ful ones — it’s hard to imagine the “Let’s Go Brandon” Hive caring that much about pushing the song higher on the Hot 100 — but chart gains nonetheless.

Kristin Robinson: I believe its support is intentional by the right based on its state-ments, but I don’t think that’s a phenom-enon unique to the right. There are many songs that have been bolstered by the left for political messaging in the past decade. I think “This Is America” by Childish Gam-bino is a good example of that. I will say, however, that these two songs that made the Top 40 are not actually serious and thought-ful, like Gambino’s “This Is America,” but more akin to meme-ier songs that were never were able to reach this kind of height.

Andrew Unterberger: I think that Tom MacDonald’s Hot 100 success — which, it should be said, has thus far been kept to the lower half of the chart — is likely largely organic, since he seems to have a real fanbase and his success has been repeated a couple times already. The triumph of the “Brandon”s is almost certainly Hot 100 success for Hot 100 success’ sake, audiences doing what they have to in order to get these songs on the charts in order to prove a point, regardless of how much they’re really jamming out to the actual songs. Just look at the YouTube description for the Bryson Gray “Brandon” — it’s a message from Gray rallying his conservative followers to “fight back within the culture” by shelling out the $1 for the song on iTunes.

Christine Werthman: Let’s look at Aaron Lewis. The Staind frontman hadn’t been on the chart since 2011 and then landed at No. 14 in 2021 with “Am I the Only One?” Maybe tons of people were jamming to “It’s Been Awhile,” thought, “Wow, it really has been!” and went searching for Lewis’s latest. But it’s more likely that the conservative message, not so much the messenger, attracted a wider swath of listeners who sent the song sky high. As Jason Lipshutz prophesied in July, the success of Lewis and MacDonald among right-wing listeners spurred imitators, and much like the Toby Keith acolytes before them, there will be plenty more to come.

3. Plenty of left-wing protest songs emerged and found support in the wake

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“His skill for hitmaking shines”“As an artist and producer, the multi-talented West Coast troubadour is paving his own way”

of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and four years in office, but few if any had the chart success of “Let’s Go Bran-don” or Lewis’ “Am I the Only One.” (YG and Nipsey Hussle’s “FDT,” for instance, never cracked the Hot 100.) Why do you think these right-wing protest songs have been able to make such a more concen-trated chart impact? 

Katie Atkinson: You only have to look at the Trump and Biden inaugural performers to know that the bulk of famous musicians skew to the liberal side of things, so there are definitely fewer out-and-out conserva-tive songs breaking through. In this case, some artists you had never heard of were able to bring a conservative viewpoint to the mainstream thanks to a viral meme. Basically, a musician saying “f—k Donald Trump” is a lot less of a novelty than a musi-cian saying “f—k Joe Biden.” Also, the irony of both of these songs being performed by hip-hop artists — who typically draw the ire of right-wing pundits, like when Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” became a five-alarm fire on Fox News last fall — is not lost on me.

Jason Lipshutz: It all comes back to the sales numbers for these right-wing protest songs, an effect of the concentrated passion that will compel listeners to spend money on “Let’s Go Brandon” and the like — which results in greater chart success than songs that accrue far more streams. That said, I do think left-wing protest songs had an impact during the Trump administration, even if they were more focused on social change than calling out the president; last summer, for instance, the Black Lives Matter move-ment sparked a whole new era of protest songs.

Kristin Robinson: I honestly don’t know. I guess it’s possible there are less openly conservative songs, so, in turn, when they do come up, republicans rally around the songs with more concentration? I also think we are living in a different time that when “FDT” came out – with TikTok proliferat-ing songs so quickly and widely, I could see TikTok virality being the determining factor in these songs’ successes.

Andrew Unterberger: I think a large part of it is timing — in 2016 and 2017, when

anti-Trump anthems were at their cultural peak, music fans had not yet really weapon-ized the Digital Song Sales portion of the Hot 100 as a shortcut to getting songs an attention-grabbing chart debut. (Hit songs were also selling more on average in those days, making it harder to launch a song this high on the chart via such grass-roots measures.) But in 2021, even the biggest hits don’t sell that much, and pop fans have long since demonstrated how achievable a big chart debut is with an organized push through download sales. Conservatives seem to have been paying attention, and now that Trump is out of the White House, they’re letting their protest be heard via the Hot 100.

Christine Werthman: I would guess that YG and Nipsey naturally attract a younger demographic, while older listeners would be turned off by the profanity suggested in the title, so they lost out on that audience as well as radio play. Staind has a longer history, so Lewis might have a more varied and larger listenership. And then “Let’s Go Brandon” as a meme is receiving wide-spread media attention, so curious listen-ers of all ages and from both sides of the aisle are tuning in to the song to hear what it’s all about. There’s also a simpler answer — which is that conservatives are still angry about the election and will eagerly embrace any song whose message matches their feelings.

4. While “Am I the Only One” has picked up minor country radio airplay, neither that song nor any of MacDonald’s hits has really become a breakout hit on radio or streaming. Do you think either version of “Let’s Go Brandon” might crossover to one of those formats, or will they both stay as sales hits only? 

Katie Atkinson: I think the Loza Alexan-der song could become a streaming hit; it’s surprisingly catchy, and I could see it going over well at college parties after the games where those chants are heard. The Bryson Gray one, however, doesn’t feel like a fun repeat listen to me at all.

Jason Lipshutz: Sales hits only, for sure. Even if they boost their streaming numbers and find the occasional radio spin, both “Let’s Go Brandon”s are likely too polarized

to become a true crossover hit. I could be wrong — I certainly didn’t foresee a top 40 Hot 100 hit when this whole thing started! — but I can’t picture either as a multi-format smash.

Kristin Robinson: I can’t see radio sta-tions picking these up, except maybe the oc-casional spin on a conservative news radio station. Both songs are rap-leaning, and I don’t see them fitting on rap radio. Also, “Am I The Only One” wasn’t a joke like the “Let’s Go Brandon” songs are, so country radio could take it much more seriously. I think comedy-driven political music will fare far better on the internet than on radio.

Andrew Unterberger: I could maybe see the Bryson Gray version catching on with slightly different lyrics, since the production and rapping feel close enough to a plausibly popular trap song in 2021. But the lyrics are probably a little too specific and unsavory to catch on in most mainstream spaces.

Christine Werthman: Loza Alexander’s track is catchier, but it doubled down on the explicit Biden chant, making it not radio-friendly, and the Bryson Gray version, clock-ing in at just under four minutes, is a little too long to have high replay value. Both are going to flame out eventually and not make a big impact on radio or streaming, but the “Let’s Go Brandon” meme and chant are go-ing to outlive them both.

5. Back in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, it was actually not that uncommon for conser-vative spoken-word monologues (with light musical accompaniment) to become popular, with Victor Lundberg, Johnny Sea and Byron MacGregor all scoring Hot 100 top 40 hits along those lines. Do you see America trending back towards that era, or do you think this is close to as extreme as it’s likely to get on the charts? 

Katie Atkinson: There’s clearly an audience ready to put their money behind conservative musical messages. In this case, Alexander and Gray seized on the right mes-sage at the right time. In Aaron Lewis’ case, he had the familiarity from his nu-metal days coupled with the Fourth of July holi-day. It’s not far-fetched to think someone else could come along and capture these listeners’ attention again.

Jason Lipshutz: There will be more of

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these. As user-generated social media has become increasingly influential in popu-lar music, our country has become more politically polarized, and more incidental left-wing and right-wing anthems will be produced by unknown voices catching fire on a particular platform. If conservative spoken-word monologues were taking off a half-century ago, more TikTok-friendly, haphazard chants like “Let’s Go Brandon” can thrive in this world.

Kristin Robinson: don’t think it will go that far, but I think the mostly-liberal music business often underestimates how many conservatives are out there, looking for music that speaks to their beliefs. I see more songs like “Okie from Muskogee” by Merle Haggard, a song that took shots at anti-war protestors in 1969, to pop up. Something that speaks to conservative values, but perhaps isn’t so jarring and in-your-face as “Lets Go Brandon” and the like.

Andrew Unterberger: That this is even a question worth asking is pretty sobering.

Christine Werthman: Oh boy, I hope this is where we’re headed. Imagine one of these paired with a modern dance performance at the next RNC. Chills.

Normani Shows Her ‘Wild Side’ in New Airplay Arena: R&B/Hip-HopBY DARLENE ADEROJU

Since going solo in 2018 after Fifth Harmony’s hiatus, Normani has charted several pop hits including “Love Lies” and “Dancing with a

Stranger,” her respective duets with Khalid and Sam Smith and “Motivation.” But with her latest single, “Wild Side” featuring Cardi B, Normani is establishing her foothold in a new arena with her first major R&B/hip-hop success as the song scales to the highest ranks of mainstream urban radio airplay.

Released in July through Keep Cool/RCA Records, “Wild Side” cracked the charts on what had been Normani’s home format – pop – with nine weeks on Billboard’s Pop Airplay list. But it peaked at No. 28 in late August, the lowest rank of the singer’s four solo entries to date. Prior to that, Love Lies” reigned at No. 1 for two weeks on Pop Air-play while “Stranger” peaked at No. 2. Her last solo single, 2019’s “Motivation,” reached No. 15.

However, on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, “Wild Side” made a strong initial impact with a No. 28 entrance in early August and has continually pushed upward in the weeks thereafter. It broke into the chart’s top 10 in early October and on the latest published chart (Nov. 6), climbed three spots to a new peak of No. 3. Interest isn’t leveling off – in the latest avail-able tracking week (Oct. 25-31), “Wild Side” improved by more plays on monitored U.S. mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations compared to the week of Oct. 18-24 than any other song on the 40-position list.

After having reached No. 20 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart in September, “Wild Side” fell in subsequent weeks. But now the single is reviving on that radio format — a middle ground that mixes pop fare and R&B/hip-hop tracks — with a 31-25 rebound in the latest ranking.

“[‘Wild Side’] is a real moment for Normani to show a different side,” says her manager Brandon Silverstein, founder and CEO of S10 Entertainment. “She wants to show her roots, where she came from and the music that inspired her while she was growing up. We’re certainly seeing those results on TikTok, in clubs and now in intro-ducing herself to a radio format we’ve never impacted before.”

Aiding the singer-songwriter’s transi-tion to R&B/hip-hop radio, in part, is the nostalgic vibe of the track itself, reminiscent of the 1996 hit “One in a Million” by Aaliyah — whom Normani has cited as a favorite in-spiration growing up. Samantha Selolwane, RCA’s co-head of promotion (R&B, hip-hop, mixshow) also notes that the song’s visual is a nod and ode to Aaliyah, Janet Jackson and Ciara.

But those aren’t the only elements con-

tributing to the song’s airplay success at mainstream urban radio.“’Wild Side’ is in line with what R&B/hip-hop stations are playing,” explains Selolwane. “It has the grimy grittiness of Cardi B. Normani was also in Cardi’s ‘WAP’ video [with Megan Thee Stallion] so there’s a real relationship there — it’s not a label maneuver. Normani has always had Black girl magic. And Black girls want to see her win.”

WGZB in Louisville, Kentucky is one of the mainstream urban radio stations where Normani is winning. The outlet posted the most plays for “Wild Side” in the past week. Additional mainstream urban stations play-ing the song in high rotation include WJLB in Detroit, WRNB in Philadelphia and WQNC in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Hearing what Cardi B was going to be doing with Normani on this particular single and how the song was going to pull up on the charts sparked my interest,” says WGZB radio content director Armand “DJ Q” Flowers. “What’s really standing out aside from the vibe is the content of the lyrics. Everything is more direct and upfront. It really reflects this generation and how they deal with relationships.”

Growing radio reach may also be helping the song in other sectors, namely streaming. Though “Wild Side” debuted at No. 1 on the R&B Streaming Songs chart upon release, it slipped from the perch in the ensuing weeks and briefly dipped out of the top 10 in Sep-tember. As the song has lodged itself in the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay top 10, however, it has likewise secured a consistent run in R&B Streaming Songs’ upper tier.

“We’re breaking Normani into a new format,” says Selolwane, “But her star power is not new. She’s got R&B roots and I think she’s going to continue down this path.”

Between Normani’s show-stopping performance of “Wild Side” with Teyana Taylor on the MTV Video Music Awards in September, her Allure cover that same month and increased R&B/hip-hop airplay momentum, Silverstein says the perfect storm has resulted in “getting exposure for Normani in a world that she hasn’t spent a lot of time in. The community is becom-ing aware of who she is. She’s creating her sound right now; not trying to alienate any

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WARM WINTER BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM“...Good relaxing music on a cold winter day, during the holidays or beyond, Warm Winter

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RECOVERY BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM“Aesthetic song art from a true master of her craft” —Indie Dock Music

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audiences or genres. She’s just going to cre-ate Normani — a triple threat able to live on urban, rhythm and pop radio.”

Additional reporting by Trevor Anderson.  

A2IM Adds 3 to Board of Directors, Elects New Executive CommitteeBY CHRIS EGGERTSEN

The American Association of Inde-pendent Music (A2IM) has solidi-fied its 2021/22 board of directors and elected three to the executive

committee, the organization tells Billboard.On the executive committee — all

three of whom were elected by the A2IM board — Partisan Records global managing director Zena White will serve as chair-person, Hopeless Records president Louis Posen will serve as secretary and Robbins Entertainment vp digital & product manage-ment Lisa Levy will serve as treasurer.

The organization has also brought on three new board members: Mariah Czap, co-general manager of Yep Roc; Victor Za-raya, COO of Concord; and Heather John-son, CEO of Ninety9lives, who will move to the full A2IM board from the advisory board. Outgoing board members from the prior year are Laura Ballance, co-founder of Merge Records; Tony Kiewel, president of Sub Pop Records and current chair of the A2IM board; and Rosie Lopez, president of Tommy Boy and previous chair of the A2IM Board.

In a statement, White praised A2IM for being “at the forefront of the issues that matter most to the independent community, advocating for its members and striving for the betterment of the sector as a whole.” Posen added, “The music industry is in a critical juncture, and I believe A2IM’s ef-forts in advocacy, education, networking and member services are most important at this

time.” In her own statement, Levy noted her creation and leadership of the A2IM Mentor Program and added that she looks forward “to diving deeper and contributing more to the inner workings of the board.”

“This year as every year, A2IM is grate-ful to have the guidance of such experi-enced senior music executives,” said A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess. “Especially as the music industry continues to move through a time full of challenges and unex-pected pivots, we appreciate these leaders stepping forward to offer their perspective, their advice, and their time to help support independent music.”

A2IM’s 2021/22 board of directors:Marie Clausen – Ninja Tune

Mariah Czap – Yep Roc Steven Hill – Warp Records Heather Johnson – Ninety9lives Lisa Levy – Robbins Entertainment Madeline Nelson – Heads Music Martin Mills – Beggars Group Louis Posen – Hopeless Records Darius Van Arman – Secretly Group Zena White – Partisan Records Victor Zaraya – Concord

Gap Band Co-Founder Ronnie Wilson Dead at 73: ReportBY GIL KAUFMAN

Ronnie Wilson, one of the found-ing members of long-running sibling R&B/funk act The Gap Band had died at age 73. “The

love of my life was called home this morn-ing, at 10:01am,” Wilson’s wife, Linda Boulware-Wilson, wrote in a Facebook post. “Please continue to pray for The Wilson, Boulware, and Collins family, while we mourn his passing. Ronnie Wilson was a genius with creating, producing, and play-ing the flugelhorn, Trumpet, keyboards, and singing music, from childhood to his early seventies. He will be truly missed!!!”

A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for confirmation of Wilson’s death at press time.

According to a TMZ report, Linda Boule-ware-Wilson said that her husband suffered a stroke last week, which sent him into a coma that he never recovered from.

Wilson formed the group in 1967 with his brothers Charlie and Robert in Tulsa, Okla., and they scored a series of Billboard R&B hits over a 40-year career during which they released 15 albums and such beloved singles such as “Shake,” “Oops Up Side Your Head,” “Early in the Morning,” “Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” and one of their highest-charting single, 1982’s No. 31 funk bop “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.”

The brothers originally named their group the Greenwood Archer Pine Street Band — for the three streets in the Black part of Tulsa that were attacked by a white mob during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massa-cre — and they released their full-length debut, Magicians Holiday, in 1974. The group finally broke through on their self-titled 1979 album — which featured R&B hits “Shake” and “I’m in Love” — crossing over to the pop charts in 1979 with their first platinum album, Gap Band III, which topped out at No. 16 on the Billboard album charts and yielded the singles “Humpin’” and “Burn Rubber.”

Though their chart success began to wane by the late 1980s and 1990s, their funky songs gained a robust second life during that period when they were heavily sampled and covered by everyone from Snoop Dogg, Nas and Ice Cube to Tyler, the Creator and Mary J. Blige.

Following the death of Robert Wilson of a heart attack in 2010, Charlie Wilson is the only living member of the group. Their 15th and final album, Y2K: Funkin’ Till 2000 Comz, was released in 1999 and they retired as a group in 2010.

See Boulware-Wilson’s tribute and listen to “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” below.

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GRUPO FIRME10TH ANNIVERSARY

2 0 2 1

On November 20th, Billboard will celebrate Grupo Firme 10th year Anniversary career.

Regional Mexican breakout band Grupo Firme continues to sell out arenas across the country and break ticket box office records. The seven-member ensemble from Tijuana recently completed a seven-show run at Staples Center in Los Angeles, making them the only concert headliner to play that number of shows in a two week run during the arena’s 22-year history, according to box office archives. Founded by Edwin Caz chart-topping Grupo Firme has become one of the leading Mexican bands, winning multiple awards and honors.

Join Billboard in congratulating Grupo Firme on their remarkable career over the past 10 years

C O N T A C T S

Marcia Olival 786.586.4901 | marciaolival29@gmail.com

Joe Maimone201.301.5933 | joe.maimone@billboard.com

Lee Ann Photoglo615.376.7931 | laphotoglo@gmail.com

Cynthia Mellow615.352,0265 | cmellow.billboard@gmail.com

Ryan O’Donnell +447843437176 | rodonnell@pmc.com

Adele Spends 12th Week at No. 1 on Artist 100 Chart, Thanks to ‘Easy on Me’BY XANDER ZELLNER

Adele tallies a 12th total week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Nov. 6), holding as the top musical act in the U.S.

thanks to her latest hit song, “Easy on Me.”The ballad logs a second week at No.

1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 61.5 million radio audience impressions, 31.8 million U.S. streams and 23,100 downloads sold in the week ending Oct. 28, according to MRC Data. The lead single from her alum 30, due Nov. 19, became her fifth leader a week ago, and her first since “Hello” in 2015-16.

With her 12th week atop the Artist 100, Adele ties Billie Eilish and Ed Sheeran for the eighth-most weeks spent at No. 1, dating to the chart’s launch in 2014. Taylor Swift has led for a record 49 weeks, followed by Drake (36), The Weeknd (22), BTS (20), Ariana Grande (15), Post Malone and Justin Bieber (14 apiece).

Drake rises 3-2 on the Artist 100, powered by his latest LP, Certified Lover Boy. The set spends a fifth week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 74,000 equivalent album units, be-coming his third album to spend at least that many weeks on top, after 2016’s Views (13 weeks) and 2018’s Scorpion (five).

Olivia Rodrigo rises 7-3 on the Artist 100 as her LP Sour stands at No. 5 on the Bill-board 200 (38,000 units) and its former No. 1 single “Good 4 U” holds steady in the top 10 of the Hot 100 at No. 8. Ed Sheeran rises 6-4 thanks to his singles “Bad Habits” and “Shivers,” which place at Nos. 5 and 7 on the Hot 100, respectively. Sheeran is likely to see gains on next week’s Artist 100, thanks to the Oct. 29 release of his new album =.

Rounding out the Artist 100’s top five, The Weeknd jumps 10-5 thanks to his new

single with Swedish House Mafia, “Moth to a Flame,” which debuts at No. 27 on the Hot 100, the chart’s highest debut of the week. He’s also aided by four additional singles on the Hot 100: “You Right,” with Doja Cat, at No. 16; “Save Your Tears,” at No. 17; and “Take My Breath,” at No. 32.

Plus, two acts reach the Artist 100’s top 10 for the first time, led by Elton John, who surges 57-7 as his new album The Lockdown Sessions starts at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 (29,000 units). The set includes his Dua Lipa collaboration “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix),” which jumps 21-15 on the Hot 100.

Plus, SEVENTEEN re-enters the Art-ist 100 at No. 10 (after the act previously peaked at, fittingly, No. 17). The group’s new release SEVENTEEN 9th Mini Album: At-tacca debuts at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 (27,000 units).

The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio air-play, streaming and social media fan interac-tion to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

For all chart news, you can follow @bill-board and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber’s ‘Stay’ Is One of the Longest-Leading No. 1s Ever on the Pop Airplay ChartBY GARY TRUST

The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” has proven aptly titled when it comes to Bill-board’s Pop Airplay chart, as the

song adds a 10th week at No. 1 on the list dated Nov. 6.

The single, released on Raymond Braun/Columbia/Def Jam, is just the 15th No. 1 to reign for double-digit weeks, among 400 total leaders, dating to the chart’s inception in October 1992.

Here’s a recap of the longest-leading No. 1s on the chart, which reflects airplay, as tabulated by MRC Data, on over 150 main-stream top 40-formatted radio stations.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay Chart: 14, “The Sign,” Ace of Base, first led Feb. 12, 1994 11, “Closer,” The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, Oct. 8, 2016 11, “Over and Over,” Nelly feat. Tim McGraw, Nov. 6, 2004 11, “Torn,” Natalie Imbruglia, April 25, 1998 11, “I Love You Always Forever,” Donna Lewis, Aug. 31, 1996 11, “One Sweet Day,” Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, Dec. 9, 1995 10, “Stay,” The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, Sept. 4, 2021 10, “Circles,” Post Malone, Nov. 16, 2019 10, “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell, July 20, 2013 10, “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey, July 2, 2005 10, “How You Remind Me,” Nickelback, Dec. 22, 2001 10, “Bye Bye Bye,” ‘N Sync, March 4, 2000 10, “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion, Feb. 7, 1998 10, “Don’t Speak,” No Doubt, Dec. 14, 1996 10, “I Know,” Dionne Farris, April 1, 1995

“Stay” has topped the multi-metric, all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for seven total weeks. It has drawn 1.1 billion cumulative in airplay audience and 537.6 million U.S. streams and has sold 177,200 downloads from its release through Oct. 28.

As for the song’s further, well, staying power, “I don’t think it’s going to slow down anytime soon,” says Erik Bradley, music director at Audacy-owned KNOU Los Angeles and assistant program director/md at WBBM-FM Chicago, both of which report to the Pop Airplay chart. “I predicted a few months ago that it would probably be in power rotation through the holidays and into the new year. We’re still on track for that timeline.”

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BOYARSKI FRITZ LLP10TH ANNIVERSARY

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On November 20, 2021, Billboard will celebrate Boyarski Fritz LLP on its 10th anniversary.

Boyarski Fritz LLP was founded in 2011 by two longtime multi-industry veterans, Jason Boyarski and David Fritz, who sought to bring an entrepreneurial spirit, a boutique-oriented feel and a roll-up-your-sleeves approach to entertainment law. With many years of experience at big music and media companies, the founders created a practice that fostered meaningful advisory relationships, while also playing a crucial role in the decisions, welfare and health of their clients’ businesses. Their mantra was to promote, preserve and protect creativity and innovation.

A decade later, with offices on two coasts, the firm’s mission is still vibrant, transforming its role beyond that of a traditional legal advisor into one of a career-spanning teammate. The firm has earned industry-wide recognition, including multiple Top Music Lawyer honors by Billboard, and has been cited as industry experts amongst many leading publications including The New York Times, Time Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter.

C O N T A C T S T O A D V E R T I S E

Marcia Olival 786.586.4901 | marciaolival29@gmail.com

Joe Maimone201.301.5933 | joe.maimone@billboard.com

Lee Ann Photoglo615.376.7931 | laphotoglo@gmail.com

Cynthia Mellow615.352,0265 | cmellow.billboard@gmail.com

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Jesse Aratow, Madison House Partner and Booking Agent, Dies of Sudden Illness at 48BY DAVE BROOKS

Friends, family members and long-time clients are paying tribute to music manager, booking agent and entrepreneur Jesse Aratow of

Madison House Entertainment, who died Friday (Oct. 29) after a sudden, unexpected illness. Aratow, 48, was a partner and agent at Madison House in Boulder, Colorado, managed singer JJ Grey and represented the String Cheese Incident. He is survived by his wife Liza and his two young daugh-ters Kalea and Lily.

Born in Oakland, California, Aratow at-tended Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and went on to Cornell University, from which he graduated in 1994. In 1999 he join Madison House Entertainment as a partner, helping grow the company’s roster of agents, artists and managers.

Aratow’s sudden passing shocked many who had worked with him since the 1990s. Billboard spoke and emailed with several of them in the wake of his death.

“How do you describe a relationship where you spent five days a week (plus a lot of weekends) with someone for over two decades?” says Nadia Prescher, Aratow’s longtime business partner and co-founder of Madison House. “We were rocks for each other. Absolute unwavering support and de-fense of the other. Who I am and how I am says a lot about Jesse Aratow and his impact on people. Jesse always gave love. The hole Jesse left is a chasm in our community and in my heart and soul. I know I’ll never be the same, but I know Jesse wouldn’t want that anyway. He’d want me to be even better than before. So I’m going to attempt that

and I challenge everyone who loved him to do the same.”

Nearly “25 years ago Jesse and I started our first company in Telluride named Box Canyon Concerts. One of our first shows was with a local bluegrass band called The String Cheese Incident,” says friend and business partner Jeremy Stein, president at Madison House Presents. “We never looked back. It’s a rare scenario to constantly be inspired by a close friend for such a long time. Yet, it was always easy with Jesse. Jesse relentlessly grew his life through true connection, clear integrity, love, and caring for all who crossed his path. I will always be incredibly proud and honored to call myself his friend and brother.”

Kevin Morris of Red Light Manage-ment, an original partner in Madison House, tells Billboard, “you will never find a more genuine person in this business. There are no words that can describe the loss we are all feeling right now.” Mike Luba, a founding partner of Madison House and senior vp at AEG Presents, says, “there were five unique voices in Madison House and undoubtedly Jesse was always the voice of reason. My life will personally and profes-sionally never be the same.”

Michael Travis of The String Cheese In-cident says the group feels “profoundly sad-dened by the premature loss of our amazing brother Jesse. We have no words as the tears continue to flow as we sort through this shocking event.” Travis added that Aratow was “our first road manager and our stead-fast teammate for 23 years.” String Cheese Incident’s Michael Kang adds that Aratow “was and will always be much more than our manager and booking agent. He was our fellow powder hound, connoisseur of fine food and libation, father extraordinaire, lov-ing partner, adventure seeker and through thick and thin, he remained fiercely loyal and principled in all his affairs. He is family. We will miss him terribly and hope to honor his legacy and time in our presence.”

JJ Grey describes Aratow as an incred-ible manager but noted that their business relationship “pales in comparison to what knowing him has done for me as a human being. The truth of it is just knowing Jesse has made me a better man.” Grey’s agent and

Aratow’s long-time friend Joshua Knight, now a vp at Wasserman Music, says Aratow was “like a brother to me in and out of work and will be sorely missed. He cared so much for his artists and his Madison House family and fought for them every day. But more than that, he was the best human, friend, fa-ther and husband. Everyone in our industry should take a note on how to prioritize your life from Jesse. Dedicate your time to your family and people you love first.”

Artist Keller Williams recalled the first time he met Aratow. “I believe it was the El Rey theater in Albuquerque New Mexico,” he says. “I was opening for String Cheese and he was the new tour manager for them. A warm smile and a handlebar mustache gave him that friendly bodyguard vibe. I think he quickly learned that it smells better working in an office. I miss him already.”

Don Strasburg, co-president of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and PNW, tells Billboard, “Our community, our fam-ily and the music world is suffering. Jesse Aratow was a beacon of goodness. We are all stunned to write these tributes. He was too young, too good a father, husband, friend and lover of life. I will carry his love, com-mitment and wisdom forever.”

Pete Shapiro of Dayglo Presents de-scribes Aratow as “a good friend to many, and a great champion for his artists. He was willing to fight his friends on behalf of his artists. He would know when to push, and he did it in a way where you actually wanted to agree with him. He was fair. He was hon-est. He was strong. The world needs more of him. I just wish I could book another show with him.”

FPC Live president Scott Leslie says Aratow was “the crazy combination of an agent who always got the most for his cli-ents while also being an absolute joy to work with.” Michael Sanders with Opus One Productions says that “in 2005 Jesse Aratow was my first and only phone call when I pitched a new artist I was managing, Lo-tus. Ever since he started booking the band and guiding their career, Jesse has been my closest business ally and friend in the music industry.”

Alicia Karlin, vp of global touring and talent at AEG Presents and Aratow’s first

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mailto:joe.maimone@billboard.com

Page 28 of 36

assistant, tells Billboard that working with Aratow “was the greatest gift” because “we trained each other on being a team. He showed me that the best way to succeed in this business was to do it all and always sup-ported me on my journey from touring and working at festivals to being an assistant, agent, manager and promoter. He taught me how to fight hard while acting with integrity and kindness.”

Agent Cassie Siegel from MINT Tal-ent Group also got her start working for Aratow and was on his team for 12 years. “He was my mentor and my boss, but more than anything he was my friend,” she says. “He showed me that patience, kindness and thoughtfulness were the keys to success and that a big bear hug would always help. For 12 years Jesse was only a sliding glass door away from me, I will forever remember his cheesy dad jokes, I will miss our rose birthday lunches and no matter how much time passes, I promise always ‘to keep the dream alive.’”

Jon Hardage, partner at More Music Group, says Aratow “epitomized soul and kindness, two characteristics that can some-times be missing in the music industry. Jesse was the kind of person who would pause whatever he was doing to listen to what was going on in my life and give thoughtful feedback.” Bobby Clay at C3 Presents notes that “there was no limit to Jesse’s generos-ity. He was abundantly generous with his time, guidance and most of all his wisdom. It’s hard to put together words that really describe what this loss means to the busi-ness.”

Friends can read through more comments on Aratow’s life and leave their own trib-utes here. Details on a memorial service and celebration of Aratow’s life will be added to this article when details become available.

Jazz Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield Scheduled For Sentencing in Charity Fraud CaseBY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Irvin Mayfield, the jazz trumpet player who became a symbol of New Orleans resilience after Hurricane Ka-trina, was scheduled to be sentenced

in federal court Wednesday (Nov. 3) for steering charity money meant for public li-braries to his personal use. Mayfield and his musical and business partner, pianist Ronald Markham, each pleaded guilty in November of last year to a single charge of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Prosecutors alleged they steered more than $1.3 million from the New Orleans Public Library Foundation to themselves, largely by funneling it through the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, which Mayfield founded. Book One, an album by Mayfield and the Jazz Orchestra, won a Grammy in 2010. But the library foundation scandal led to his resignation as artistic director of the orchestra in 2016 while scrutiny of his role with the library grew following investigative reports by WWL-TV.

Markham and Mayfield each faced a pos-sible 5-year prison sentence. Mayfield was among musicians who took a high-profile role in promoting New Orleans after levee failures and catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Mayfield’s father died in the floodwaters. Mayfield was also a founding member of the Afro-Caribbean jazz ensemble Los Hombres Calientes.

Prosecutors said that in addition to orchestra operating expenses and salaries for Mayfield and Markham, library founda-tion money went into Mayfield’s personal bank accounts and toward the purchase of a gold-plated trumpet. Prosecutors said the

men also took steps to mislead the library foundation and others about their money transfers, including falsifying foundation board meeting minutes. Prior to his indict-ment and guilty plea, Mayfield had outlined grand plans for the city’s libraries in an AP interview in 2008.

“A library is democracy inside four walls, the freedom to information,” he said then. “Jazz is democracy we hear.”

Stevie Wonder Brings Back House Full of Toys Benefit ConcertBY GAIL MITCHELL

Stevie Wonder’s House Full of Toys Benefit Concert returns to the Mi-crosoft Theater in Los Angeles on Dec. 18. This will mark the holiday

event’s 23rd anniversary.“In a most challenged time throughout

the world is when we show up to show our deepest love and commitment to helping those to still enjoy this holiday season,” Wonder said in a release announcing the event. “It is my joy to be able to return and present House Full of Toys.”

Wonder, who underwent a kidney trans-plant in 2019, last hosted House Full of Toys in 2018. The 25-time Grammy winner then welcomed a lineup of special guests that included Anderson .Paak and Ella Mai.

On behalf of Wonder’s nonprofit organi-zation, We Are You Foundation, concert-goers are asked to bring an unwrapped toy or gift to the holiday event to help children, people with disabilities and families in need. Tickets for House Full of Toys 2021 go on sale to the public on Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. ET via AXS.com.

IN BRIEF

Year in Music, the No. 1’s, will wrap up 2021 with an extraordinary editorial package.

Included will be year-end charts, interviews, and analysis on the year’s top artists, titles and labels as well as the year’s top producers, songwriters and publishers.

The year-end Boxscore rankings will shine a light on the most successful tours as well as the top venues and promoters.

This highly-anticipated year in music—the No.1s, serves as a compilation of must-have information. It is referenced year-round by everyone in the music and touring industry as their de facto resource for billboard

billboard’s

historical data and information.

Advertise in this signature collector’s edition and position your company, artist or breakthrough achievement to the power players in the industry. This issue provides the ideal showcase to run a brand or congratulatory message to acknowledge success over the past year.

YEAR IN MUSIC

THE NO. 1s ISSUE

IS S U E DATE 12/18 | AD CLOSE 12/7MATERIALS DU E 12/8

CONTACT East Coast: Joe Maimone | joe.maimone@billboard.com.Southeast: Lee Ann Photoglo | laphotoglo@gmail.comLatin: Marcia Olival | marciaolival29@gmail.comTouring & West Coast: Cynthia Mellow | cmellow.billboard@gmail.comInternational: Ryan O’Donnell | rodonnell@pmc.com

Year in Music, the No. 1’s, will wrap up 2021 with an extraordinary editorial package.

Included will be year-end charts, interviews, and analysis on the year’s top artists, titles and labels as well as the year’s top producers, songwriters and publishers.

The year-end Boxscore rankings will shine a light on the most successful tours as well as the top venues and promoters.

This highly-anticipated year in music—the No.1s, serves as a compilation of must-have information. It is referenced year-round by everyone in the music and touring industry as their de facto resource for billboard

billboard’s

historical data and information.

Advertise in this signature collector’s edition and position your company, artist or breakthrough achievement to the power players in the industry. This issue provides the ideal showcase to run a brand or congratulatory message to acknowledge success over the past year.

YEAR IN MUSIC

THE NO. 1s ISSUE

IS S U E DATE 12/18 | AD CLOSE 12/7MATERIALS DU E 12/8

CONTACT East Coast: Joe Maimone | joe.maimone@billboard.com.Southeast: Lee Ann Photoglo | laphotoglo@gmail.comLatin: Marcia Olival | marciaolival29@gmail.comTouring & West Coast: Cynthia Mellow | cmellow.billboard@gmail.comInternational: Ryan O’Donnell | rodonnell@pmc.com

Page 30 of 36

Seventeen’s ‘Attacca’ Arrives at No. 1 on Top Album Sales ChartBY KEITH CAULFIELD

SEVENTEEN scores its second No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, as the group’s latest release, SEVENTEEN 9th Mini

Album ‘Attacca’ debuts atop the tally (dated Nov. 6). The set sold 25,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 28, according to MRC Data. The Korean pop group landed its first No. 1 earlier in 2021 with Your Choice: 8th Mini Album (July 3-dated chart).

Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of the Attacca was issued in multiple collect-ible packages (including a Target-exclusive edition). CD sales comprised 96% of the album’s first-week sales, while the remain-ing 4% came from its digital album.

SEVENTEEN is the first group with two No. 1s on Top Album Sales in 2021.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Pure album sales were the sole mea-surement utilized by the Billboard 200 al-bums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Lana Del Rey’s new album Blue Banis-ters starts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales with 19,000 sold. It marks her second album to debut in the top two in 2021, following the No. 1 arrival of Chemtrails Over the Country Club (April 3 chart). In total, Blue Banis-

ters is Del Rey’s eighth top 10 on Top Album Sales.

Duran Duran scores its highest charting album ever on the 30-year-old Top Album Sales chart, as its new studio set Future Past debuts at No. 3 with 17,000 sold. Previ-ously, the band’s highest-ranking album on the tally had been its 1993 self-titled album, which debuted and peaked at No. 7 in 1993. (The band’s Billboard 200 charting history dates back to the early 1980s, but the Top Album Sales chart did not start until 1991.)

On the Billboard 200, Future Past debuts at No. 28 – the band’s 13th top 40-charting album. Future Past also launches at No. 1 on the Tastemaker Albums chart, which ranks the top-selling albums of the week at inde-pendent and small chain record stores. (The set sold a little over 5,000 copies at the indie and small chain sector.)

Elton John’s all-star collaborations album The Lockdown Sessions bows at No. 4 on Top Album Sales (17,000 sold) – his high-est charting effort since 2013’s The Diving Board debuted and peaked at No. 4. The new album features a bevy of A-list stars, includ-ing Dua Lipa, Stevie Nicks, Charlie Puth, Eddie Vedder and Stevie Wonder.

The Rolling Stones’ classic 1981 al-bum Tattoo You debuts at No. 5 on Top Album Sales, following the set’s deluxe an-niversary reissue on Oct. 22. The set, which topped the Billboard 200 for nine weeks in 1981, was reissued in a variety of expanded formats, with many including previously unreleased tracks. All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. Altogether, Tattoo You sold 17,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 28 – up from a negligible sum in the previous week.

Dream Theater’s latest studio album, A View From the Top of the World, enters at No. 6 on Top Album Sales with 12,000 cop-ies sold. It’s the sixth top 10-charting effort for the act. My Morning Jacket collects its fourth top 10 on Top Album Sales, as its new self-titled effort starts at No. 7 with just under 12,000 copies sold. Rock band Every Time I Die rounds out the debuts in the top 10, as its new Radical set enters at No. 8 with 11,000 sold.

The Beatles’ Let It Be falls from No. 1 to

No. 9 (11,000; down 77%) following its surge back onto the chart a week ago following its deluxe expanded reissue.

Closing out the top 10 is John Col-trane’s A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle, which vaults from No. 87 to No. 10 in its sec-ond week on the chart, selling 11,000 copies (up 583%). It’s the second top 10 for the jazz legend on the chart, following 2018’s Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (No. 5).

Makin’ Tracks: ‘Damn Strait’ It’s Easy to ID Scotty McCreery’s IdolBY TOM ROLAND

Scotty McCreery’s first country concert as a fan boasted a really solid lineup: George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack at

the Greensboro Coliseum, when he was 16 years old.

When McCreery made his life-changing run on American Idol the next year, he com-peted with the Strait hit “I Cross My Heart” during one episode and performed “Check Yes or No” — at his hero’s request — in the finale.

“I’m a big old Strait fan,” says McCreery. “And that will always be the case, for sure.”

McCreery wears his allegiance on his sleeve in his latest release, “Damn Strait,” a steel-tipped heartbreak ballad that refer-ences a series of the Cowboy’s familiar titles. It mimics the latter’s style, too, with a bit of wordplay delivered through a subtle melody, devoid of theatrics. He also sings it like Strait would, with a sturdy matter-of-fact-ness that acknowledges the very emotion he’s holding back.

“I never thought about it that way, but I’m sure that was subconsciously there,” says McCreery. “I was definitely thinking of Strait the whole time we were recording this. That probably just came through.”

Former Lyric Street artist Trent Tom-linson, who landed a cut on Strait’s 2006

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album It Just Comes Natural, lived out the story in “Damn Strait.” He and an ex shared an affinity for the Cowboy’s music, and when that relationship came crashing down, it changed his relationship with Strait’s catalog.

“Every time a George Strait song would come on the radio or on Spotify or some kind of playlist, I didn’t want to hear it because it reminded me of that situation,” explains Tomlinson. “I never thought in a million years I would turn George Strait off my radio.”

Tomlinson shared that experience with songwriter Jim Collins, who co-wrote Strait’s “It Just Comes Natural,” and they decided to make that story the basis for their own song. They would need to incorporate enough Strait references to make the plot work, but they also knew they shouldn’t get carried away.

“The trick to a song like this is you don’t want to overdo it with the song titles because then it shifts into a grocery list of George Strait titles,” notes Collins. “The songs needed to fit into a storyline, and we tried to do it as subtly as possible.”

They led with a title, though — “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her” — making it the ex-girlfriend’s favorite Strait song, mirroring Tomlinson’s real-life experience. They wrapped a total of six titles — including “Baby Blue,” “Marina Del Rey,” “Blue Clear Sky,” “Give It Away” and “I Hate Everything” (“You kind of have to be a George Strait fan to get that one,” says Collins) — into the lyrics, though it feels like more.

It was only after they started that the phrase “Damn Strait” revealed itself: They used it as the opening to the chorus, as if the singer were cursing all those songs. As the chorus unwound, it recycled that same phrase, but with a different meaning, as the singer asks rhetorically, “Do I wish I could get her back?” The answer: “Damn straight.”

“The turn of a phrase made it all come together,” says Tomlinson. (The setup line sounds a tad like another Strait title, “I’d Like to Have That One Back,” though the writers say that was coincidental.)

Right or wrong, they structured it musically like a Strait tune. The chorus is

distinct, but unlike many hits, it remains mostly in the same range as the verses that support it.

“That was intentional,” says Collins. “It just seemed like it ought to be kind of a George Strait vibe.”

More importantly, it fit Tomlinson’s range, since he envisioned it as a song he would record himself. And he did, giving a tip of the Resistol to the track’s inspiration in the process.

“If George Strait would’ve cut it in 1982, that’s what it sounds like,” says Tomlinson.

Riley Green heard Tomlinson do “Damn Strait” at a live acoustic show, and he con-sidered recording it for a bit. Meanwhile, Tomlinson played it casually for Triple Tigers senior vp national promotion Kevin Herring, who was vp promotion at Lyric Street when Tomlinson was on the roster. Herring thought it was perfect for McCre-ery, so he relayed it via Triple 8 Manage-ment day-to-day manager Scott Stem in August 2020. And it rang true for McCreery.

“The way Jim and Trent wrote the song, there’s Strait titles that are in there obvi-ously, but they make sense in the story of the song and they’re grammatically correct,” he says. “I just thought it was so cleverly writ-ten; then the hook is a clever twist on that as well.”

McCreery recorded it during the first few months of 2021 at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios with producers Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis and Derek Wells, paying homage to Strait while retaining McCreery’s musical personality.

“The conversation was, ‘How can we make this natural to Scotty and not so on the nose of like, ‘See what I did there?’ with the Strait references,’” says Eshuis. “Just make it feel sincere, like it belonged on a Scotty record and sounds like something he would actually say.”

Wells felt compelled to warn everyone that he had played on a Granger Smith re-cording of “Damn Strait” — another song with the same title. It turns out there are 21 different compositions with the same title and spelling in ASCAP and BMI’s Songview database, which Tomlinson and Collins had already discovered. Titles are not protected by copyright, but the two still wanted to get

a blessing from all the writers whose songs they referenced, and they even gave them a one-time payment to acknowledge their inspiration.

“We just felt like it was the right thing to do,” says Collins.

The bulk of the track went down live in the studio, with a pulsing tone putting a modern spin on the old-school Strait vibe. That traditional portion of the production was enhanced when Mike Johnson blanket-ed the song with steel guitar at a later date.

“Scotty was really running the show, and he’s good at it,” says Eshuis of the tracking date. “He trusts the people he hires, but he knows what he wants, and it goes kind of smoothly and uneventful, for lack of a bet-ter word. And Scotty, you know, we could almost just keep his live vocals.”

“Damn Strait” was viewed as a potential single from the moment it arrived in Mc-Creery’s camp, and it officially went to AM/FM radio via PlayMPE on Oct. 4. It rises to No. 47 on the Country Airplay chart dated Nov. 6 in its second week on the list.

“We have entered a time and place where country radio just doesn’t play George Strait anymore,” says Tomlinson. “And I had the thought of like, in some weird way, we’re kind of responsible for them playing George Strait again.”

That happens in a roundabout way, with McCreery essentially singing about how the Strait canon is so meaningful that he simply can’t listen to it. It’s kind of a backhanded compliment, though he believes his idol understands.

“I’m not sure that I’ve heard that storyline from a fan before,” says McCreery, “but I imagine I’d be flattered by it.”

This article first appeared in the Billboard Country Update newsletter, which fea-tures the latest airplay, sales and streaming charts along with compelling analysis of market trends and conditions. All for free. Click here to subscribe.

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Lana Del Rey Rewrites Record for Most Alternative Albums No. 1sBY KEVIN RUTHERFORD

Lana Del Rey claims the record for the most No. 1s in the history of Billboard’s Alternative Al-bums chart all to herself, as Blue

Banisters debuts atop the survey dated Nov. 6, marking her sixth leader.

The set, released Oct. 22, starts with 33,000 equivalent album units earned in the Oct. 22-28 tracking week, according to MRC Data.

With six rulers, Del Rey breaks out of a three-way tie with Coldplay and Foo Fight-ers for the most No. 1s ever on Alternative Albums, which began in 2007.

Blue Banisters becomes Del Rey’s second Alternative Albums No. 1 in 2021 alone, following the one-week reign of Chem-trails Over the Country Club in April. Her dominance dates to 2012, when her debut LP Born to Die led for two weeks, fol-lowed by 2015’s Honeymoon, 2017’s Lust for Life and 2019’s Norman Fucking Rock-well! (each of which spent a week at No. 1).

On the all-format Billboard 200, Blue Banisters bows at No. 8, opening as her eighth top 10.

Meanwhile, seven songs from the album reach the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alter-native Songs chart, led by “Dealer,” which starts at No. 19 driven by 2.8 million U.S. streams. That track and “If You Lie Down With Me” (1.8 million streams) also repre-sent the album on Hot Alternative Songs, at Nos. 17 and 23, respectively.

AC/DC Joins Billion Views Club on YouTube – But Not With the Song You’d ExpectBY JOE LYNCH

Hard rock trailblazers and mainstays AC/DC are one of the most enduring classic rock bands of the 20th century, so it’s

no huge surprise that the Australian rockers just entered YouTube’s ‘billion views club’ (an unofficial group of artists who can boast that at least one of their music videos has crossed the one-billion views mark on the video streaming platform).

But which AC/DC classic crossed the threshold into that rarified company? Well, it’s probably not the song you’d expect. While their blockbuster Back to Black al-bum contains two top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hits in “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Back In Black,” those aren’t the first AC/DC tracks to hit one billion views on You-Tube; although they notched five No. 1s on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, none of those bangers have crossed the billion mark; nor is it one of the band’s undying classics from the Bon Scott era, such as “Highway to Hell,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” or “T.N.T.”; and it’s not their highest charting hit on the Hot 100, “Moneytalks,” which peaked at No. 23 in 1991.

As a matter of fact, it’s the previous single from The Razor’s Edge, the album “Moneytalks” hails from: “Thunderstruck.” Is “Thunderstruck” — with its intricate guitar work, relentless build-and-release tension and hellhound shriek vocals from Brian Johnson – an absolute masterpiece? Hell yes. But when you think AC/DC’s most popular song, “Thunderstruck” isn’t exactly the top song that comes to mind. The video is certainly one of their more memorable clips, opening with close-up action shots of the earth-shaking drums and frenetic fret

work, but at the end of the day, it’s also just a music video based around live concert performance (which, to be fair, is also true of the videos for a number of their other classics).

So what makes “Thunderstruck” such a favorite on YouTube? Perhaps it’s the fact that many of their classic hits with stronger mainstream recognition preceded the MTV music video era (although “You Shook Me” did receive a second video in the format’s golden era when AC/DC did the soundtrack to the bizarre killer-vehicle movie Who Made Who); “Thunderstruck,” meanwhile, came out well after MTV debuted and be-fore music videos became a scarce commod-ity on cable TV. A strong argument could be made that the inclusion of “Thunderstruck” in both Iron Man 2 and Deadpool 2 has gone a long way toward establishing it as the go-to AC/DC rocker for new generations. Or perhaps “Thunderstruck” is just the slow and steady runner that wins the YouTube race. Either way, no excuse is needed to press play and push this brain-melter a little bit further over the one-billion mark.

Travis Scott’s ‘Astroworld: Live’ Is Coming to Apple MusicBY LARS BRANDLE

Travis Scott’s all-action Astro-world fest is coming to a small screen near you.

Scott’s first performance at the 2021 edition of Astroworld Festival will stream worldwide this Friday from 10pm ET, through an exclusive with Apple Music.

Astroworld: Live takes its name from the rapper’s third studio album, which logged multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and established Scott as one of the biggest names in the hip-hop game.

The Houston star caps his hometown event by headlining a two-day concert which, according to a statement from Apple,

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will stream in 167 countries and regions.Astroworld the album was an astronomi-

cal success, pushing its way to more than half-a-million equivalent album units in week one.

All 17 tracks from it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, including two in the Top 10 (“Sicko Mode” and “Stargazing”), making Scott just the fourth act to debut multiple songs in the tier simultaneously.

Along the way, he has collected eight Grammy Award nominations and launched a limited-edition partnership with Mc-Donalds, becoming just the second-ever celebrity to team with the burger chain for a personalized meal, after Michael Jordan in 1992.

Read more here and watch the Astro-world: Live trailer below.

Halestorm Is ‘Back’ at No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay ChartBY KEVIN RUTHERFORD

For the first time in three years, Halestorm tops Bill-board’s Mainstream Rock Air-play chart.

“Back From the Dead,” the first taste of the band’s upcoming fifth studio album, jumps 3-1 on the survey dated Nov. 6. It’s Halestorm’s fifth No. 1 and first since “Un-comfortable,” which ruled for two weeks beginning in August 2018.

The Lzzy Hale-led act first crowned the list in 2013 with “Freak Like Me.” Between “Uncomfortable” and “Back,” Halestorm charted three titles: “Do Not Disturb” (No. 8, February 2019), “Vicious” (No. 13, June 2019) and “Black Vultures” (No. 25, Novem-ber 2019).

Concurrently, “Back” climbs 13-11 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Al-ternative Airplay ranking with 2.6 million audience impressions, up 7%, according to MRC Data. It’s the band’s highest-charting

song ever on the tally, having exceeded the No. 15 peak of “I Miss the Misery” in November 2012.

“Back” also leaps 17-11 on the multi-met-ric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, equaling its best rank first reached in early September. In the Oct. 22-28 tracking week, in addition to its radio audience, it earned 157,000 U.S. streams.

A release date for Halestorm’s latest album has not yet been announced. The group’s most recent album, Vicious, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts in August 2018 and has earned 140,000 equivalent album units to date.

Lizzo to Perform Live in Miami for Final American Express UNSTAGED Concert of 2021BY KATIE ATKINSON

All the rumors are true: Lizzo is set to perform live in Miami next month for the final American Express UNSTAGED concert of

2021, Billboard can exclusively announce.On Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. ET, Lizzo will perform

a pyrotechnic set in front of a live audience that will also be livestreamed for Amex card members and fans. The announcement promises Lizzo will play “fan favorites and new songs,” likely including her most recent single, the Cardi B-featuring “Rumors,” which has so far peaked at No. 4 on the Bill-board Hot 100.

“Performing is one of the most realistic interactions of love that I get to experience with fans and to be able to close out this year with a special live American Express UNSTAGED performance for my fans all around the world is truly incredible,” Lizzo said in a statement. “Connecting authenti-

cally with my audience matters to me and I can’t wait for them to see what we have planned for this amazing performance.”

Tickets for Lizzo’s livestream — which will broadcast exclusively on LIVENow and will be available to watch on-demand for 48 hours — will be available at noon ET on Wednesday (Nov. 3). Fans can watch the livestream with up to three friends by joining a video chat and using LIVENow’s “Watch Together” feature. A limited number of American Express Platinum cardholders will be able to purchase tickets to watch the concert in person in Miami at a later date.

Lizzo is fresh off her headlining perfor-mance at San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival this past weekend, where she led concertgoers in breathing exercises, showed off her impressive flute-playing skills, and ran through her chart-topping catalog.

“American Express worked with Lizzo in 2019 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall Pride in New York as well as on her ‘Cuz I Love You Too’ tour and the response was overwhelming,” said Brandy Sanders, American Express’ vice presi-dent, Global Entertainment Partnerships & Experiences. “Not only did we know, in that moment, that we had to work with her again but that we had to bring it to a global audi-ence, which American Express UNSTAGED provides us the opportunity to do. It’s just another way we show our Card Members that music is better with Amex.”

Other American Express UN-STAGED performances this year included Maroon 5 and SZA.

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H.E.R. Is Top Nominee at 2021 Soul Train Awards; Maxwell & Ashanti to Receive Special Awards: ExclusiveBY PAUL GREIN

H.E.R. leads the 2021 Soul Train Awards nominations with eight nods. Jazmine Sulli-van and Chris Brown follow

with six nominations each.Wizkid and Tems are next in line with

five nods each, followed by Blxst with four. Silk Sonic, Doja Cat, and Yung Bleu each have three nods.

H.E.R., Sullivan and Wizkid are each nominated for three marquee awards – song, album and video of the year. Silk Sonic, the duo comprised of Bruno Mars and Ander-son .Paak, are nominated for both song and video of the year for “Leave the Door Open,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Soul Train Awards, which recognizes the best in soul and R&B, will be taped at the legendary Apollo theater in Harlem on Nov. 20. It will premiere on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her. As previously announced, Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold will co-host the show for the fourth consecutive year.

The show will be special on two counts. This will mark the first time the show has been taped at the Apollo (or in New York, for that matter). It will also honor the 50th anniversary of Soul Train, which made its debut in October 1971.

Maxwell will receive the Legend award, which has gone in recent years to Babyface (2015), Teddy Riley (2016), Toni Braxton (2017), Erykah Badu (2018) and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (2019).

“It’s an honor to be presented with the Legend award by a community that’s been growing with me throughout my career,”

Maxwell said in a statement. “I’m so grateful to be sharing this moment with everyone and returning to the Apollo for an evening of excellence.”

Ashanti will be the recipient of the Lady of Soul honor, won in recent years by Jill Scott (2015), Brandy (2016), SWV (2017), Faith Evans (2018), Yolanda Adams (2019) and Monica (2020).

“I’m honored to be recognized as this year’s Lady of Soul honoree,” Ashanti said. “This is a full circle moment for me because I received the Aretha Franklin entertainer of the year award at the Lady of Soul Awards in 2002. As we commemorate 50 years of Soul Train, I’m proud to be a part of this legacy and to return to the Apollo to celebrate.”

BET Soul plans to dedicate a full hour to music videos by Maxwell and Ashanti, start-ing Wednesday (Nov. 3) at 10 a.m. ET. Check local listings.

Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy, will oversee the show, with Jamal Noisette VP, specials, music programming & music strategy, set to co-executive produce for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment’s Jesse Collins and Jean-nae Rouzan–Clay will serve as executive producers.

Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 2021 Soul Train Awards:

Song of the year: Blxst feat. Ty Dolla $Ign & Tyga – “Chosen” Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) – “Leave the Door Open” H.E.R. – “Damage” Jazmine Sullivan – “Pick Up Your Feelings” Wizkid feat. Tems – “Essence” Yung Bleu feat. Drake – “You’re Mines Still”

Album of the year: Blxst – No Love Lost Doja Cat - Planet Her Giveon - When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time H.E.R. - Back of My Mind Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales Wizkid - Made in Lagos

Video of the year: Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) – “Leave the Door Open” Chris Brown, Young Thug feat. Future, Lil Durk, Latto – “Go Crazy (Remix)” H.E.R. – “Damage”

Jazmine Sullivan – “Pick Up Your Feelings” Normani feat. Cardi B – “Wild Side” Wizkid feat. Tems – “Essence”

Best R&B/soul female artist: Alicia Keys Doja Cat H.E.R. Jazmine Sullivan Jhené Aiko SZA

Best R&B/soul male artist: Blxst Chris Brown Giveon Lucky Daye Tank Usher

Best collaboration: Chris Brown, Young Thug feat. Future, Lil Durk, Latto – “Go Crazy (Remix)” Doja Cat feat. SZA – “Kiss Me More” H.E.R. feat. Chris Brown – “Come Through” Jazmine Sullivan feat. H.E.R. – “Girl Like Me” Wizkid feat. Tems – “Essence” Yung Bleu feat. Drake – “You’re Mines Still”

Best new artist: Blxst Capella Grey Morray Tems Tone Stith Yung Bleu

Certified soul award: Anthony Hamilton Ashanti Charlie Wilson The Isley Brothers Jam & Lewis T-Pain

Best dance performance: Chloe X Halle – “Ungodly Hour” Chris Brown, Young Thug – “City Girls” Lizzo Feat. Cardi B – “Rumors” Normani Feat. Cardi B- “Wild Side” Usher – “Bad Habits”

Best gospel/inspirational award: Brian Courtney Wilson James Fortune Kelly Price Kirk Franklin Maverick City Music Tasha Cobbs Leonard

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The Ashford and Simpson songwriter’s award: “Can’t Let It Show” - written by: Kate Bush, Durrell Babbs (Tank) “Come Through” - written by: Carl Mccor-mick, Chris Brown, H.E.R., Kelvin Woo-ten, Michael L. Williams Ii, Tiara Thomas (H.E.R. Feat. Chris Brown) “Damage” - written by: Anthony Clemons Jr., Carl Mccormick, H.E.R., James Harris, Jeff Gitelman, Terry Lewis, Tiara Thomas (H.E.R.) “Essence” - written by: Ayodeji Ibrahim Ba-logun, Oniko Eddie Uzezi, Oniko Evawero, Richard Isong, Temilade Openiyi (Wizkid Feat. Tems) “Leave the Door Open” - written by: Bruno Mars, Brandon Anderson, Dernst Emile Ii, Christopher Brody Brown (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic) “Pick Up Your Feelings” - written by: Blue June, Chi, Audra Mae Butts, Jazmine Sullivan, Kyle Coleman, Michael Holmes (Jazmine Sullivan)

BTS’ ‘Butter’ Hits No. 1 on Weekly Hot Trending Songs Chart, Powered by TwitterBY XANDER ZELLNER

BTS succeeds itself at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter, as “Butter” supplants the group’s

“Permission to Dance” in the second itera-tion of the weekly chart, dated Nov. 6.

“Butter,” released on HYBE/BigHit Music/Columbia, jumps 7-1 with 2.7 million Twitter mentions in the tracking week, which ran from Friday, Oct. 22 to Thursday, Oct. 28.

The song’s surge in conversation can be attributed in large part to the Oct. 28 an-

nouncement that it’s nominated for favorite pop song at the American Music Awards (airing Nov. 21 on ABC). It’s up against Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA; Dua Lipa’s “Levitating”; Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driv-ers License”; and The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Save Your Tears” remix.

Much like “Permission to Dance,” “But-ter” already has a successful history on Bill-board’s charts. “Butter” spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the longest reigning hit this year so far. It also spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Global 200 and five atop Global Excl. U.S. (“Dance” also topped all three tallies).

Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs charts, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Remy Martin, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twit-ter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday to Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday. The charts highlight buzz around new releases, award shows, festival moments, music nostalgia and more. Hot Trending Songs is unique in that it tracks what songs people are talking about, not necessarily what they’re listen-ing to.

SEVENTEEN’s “Rock With You” debuts at No. 2 on the weekly Hot Trending Songs chart with 2.6 million Twitter mentions. The song is from the group’s new EP SEV-ENTEEN 9th Mini Album: Attacca, which debuts at No. 1 on World Albums and No. 13 on the Billboard 200 with 27,000 equivalent album units, according to MRC Data.

Among other entries on the weekly Hot Trending Songs chart, musician/actor Mew Suppasit’s “Spaceman” debuts at No. 7 (423,000 mentions) and Harry Styles’ “Fall-ing” begins at No. 11. The latter, from Styles’ 2019 sophomore LP Fine Line, drew new buzz after BTS’ Jungkook released a solo cover on YouTube Oct. 28.

BTS places five songs on the latest Hot Trending Songs chart, the most among all acts: “Butter,” “Permission to Dance” (No. 3), “My Universe,” with Coldplay (No. 9), “Dynamite” (No. 10) and “Boy With Luv,” featuring Halsey (new at No. 15).

Keep visiting Billboard.com to check out the constantly evolving rankings, and check back Tuesdays for each weekly seven-day chart.

Dan + Shay Cancel Two Arena Concerts Due to COVID-19BY JESSICA NICHOLSON

On Tuesday (Nov. 2), Dan + Shay shared some disappointing news — followed by some hap-pier news — with fans. First, the

duo revealed they have had to cancel two upcoming shows on their Dan + Shay The (Arena) Tour due to a positive COVID-19 test within their touring camp.

“A member of our immediate touring party has tested positive for COVID-19 and to protect the safety of our fans and every-one around us, we will sadly have to cancel the upcoming dates in Orlando and Atlanta,” the duo said in a social media post.

The affected concerts include shows at Orlando’s Amway Center on Nov. 4 and in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Nov. 5. The duo shared the news with fans on social media, adding that they were unable to reschedule the shows.

“We know a lot of y’all have traveled or plan to travel for these shows, and it breaks our hearts to let you down,” the duo’s Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney said.

On a positive note, they did tease some other upcoming news — namely, a few holi-day surprises set to be revealed beginning Wednesday. The duo previously released two holiday songs last year, including “Take Me Home for Christmas” and “Christmas Isn’t Christmas.”

That’s not the duo’s only recent uplifting news. Next year, they will tour stadiums as part of Kenny Chesney’s Here and Now 2022 tour. Dan + Shay will open shows for Chesney, alongside Old Dominion and Carly Pearce. For fans bummed about the two

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now-canceled Orlando and Atlanta shows, Dan + Shay also noted the 2022 Chesney stadium tour will be visiting markets near Atlanta and Orlando.

“We’ve always dreamed of being a part of this tour, so these shows will be extra special and we hope to see so many of y’all there,” Dan + Shay’s post read.

Pavement Adds North American Dates to 2022 Reunion TourBY TAYLOR MIMS

Pavement is bringing the band’s 2022 reunion show to North America. The indie band will kick off dates in the U.S. and Canada

on Sept. 7 at Balboa Theatre in San Diego and make their way through an additional 22 shows.

Pavement will perform – for the first time since 2010 – throughout the country in Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Boston and more. The group has also scheduled multiple nights in major cities including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Brooklyn and San Fran-cisco.

Current North American dates are sched-uled to close out with a performance on Oct. 11 at Austin City Limits Live in Texas. Following their U.S. and Canadian dates, the band will go on to play U.K. and Europe through mid-November.

The beloved 1990s group – made up of Mark Ibold, Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West – will launch their 2022 reunion performances in June with a show in Spain and a slot at Primavera Sound in Portugal.

Tickets for Pavement’s North American dates go on sale Friday at 10am. Check out a full list of dates below.

The Weeknd Now Has the Second-Most Top 10s on This ChartBY KEVIN RUTHERFORD

The Weeknd earns his 24th top 10 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart with Swedish House Mafia collaboration “Moth to

a Flame,” debuting at No. 9 on the survey dated Nov. 6.

“Flame” starts with 12.9 million U.S. streams earned in the Oct. 22-28 tracking week, according to MRC Data.

With 24 top 10s, The Weeknd takes over sole possession of the second-most top 10s in the history of Streaming Songs, which began in 2013; previously, he was tied with Justin Bieber at 23 apiece. Drake leads all acts with 64.

Most Top 10s, Streaming Songs 64, Drake 24, The Weeknd 23, Justin Bieber 22, J. Cole 22, Kanye West 20, Ariana Grande 20, Lil Baby 20, Post Malone 19, Lil Uzi Vert

“Flame” is The Weeknd’s fourth new top 10 in 2021, following the No. 2 peak of “Save Your Tears” (May 8) and the No. 4 peaks of Doja Cat collaboration “You Right” (July 10) and “Take My Breath” (Aug. 21). He first reached the chart’s top 10 in 2014 as part of Ariana Grande duet “Love Me Harder” (No. 4, Nov. 22, 2014).

“Flame” is Swedish House Mafia’s second top 10 on Streaming Songs in as many en-tries. The group’s other appearance, “Don’t You Worry Child,” featuring John Martin, was part of the inaugural Streaming Songs tally on Jan. 26, 2013, and peaked that week at No. 6.

Concurrently, “Flame” bows at No. 27 on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100. In

addition to its streams, the song earned 1.7 million audience impressions and 4,000 digital downloads.

IN BRIEF