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bbcharts  ·  bbnews  ·  Billboard  ·  Chart Beat  ·  Cher  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
Cher Scores No. 1 Song on a Billboard Chart In Seventh Decade With ‘DJ Play a Christmas Song’

For a seventh straight decade, Cher has earned a new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart, as her latest hit, “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” jingles 3-1 on the Dec. 2-dated Dance/Electronic Song Sales survey. The track is the lead single from the pop diva’s first holiday album, Christmas.

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Cher joins the Rolling Stones with at least one new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s (excluding any Bubbling Under rankings).

Cher scored her first No. 1 as half of Sonny & Cher, when “I Got You Babe” topped the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 14, 1965.

In the 1970s, she logged a trio of Hot 100 No. 1s of her own: “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” in 1971, “Half-Breed” in 1973 and “Dark Lady” in 1974. She also claimed another No. 1 with Sonny, “All I Ever Need Is You,” on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart in 1971.

In the 1980s, Cher landed a pair of No. 1s on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1989 with “After All,” with Peter Cetera, and “If I Could Turn Back Time.” In the next decade, Cher returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Believe” in 1999, and it also crowned the Dance Club Songs tally. She notched two more No. 1s on the Dance Club Songs list that decade: “Strong Enough” and “All or Nothing.” (Cher additionally topped other Billboard rankings that decade, such as the now-defunct Hot Singles Sales and Dance Singles Sales charts.)

In the 2000s, Cher achieved three more No. 1s on the Dance Club Songs chart with “Song for the Lonely” (it also topped the Dance Singles Sales list) and “A Different Kind of Love Song” in 2002, and “When the Money’s Gone” in 2003. The following decade, she racked up further No. 1s on Dance Club Songs with “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” in 2011 and “Woman’s World” in 2013.

The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, began their streak of No. 1 songs in seven straight decades just a month before Cher, when “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated July 10, 1965. They most recently led a songs survey with “Living in a Ghost Town,” which ruled the Rock Digital Song Sales chart dated May 9, 2020.

November 30, 2023

News
Tina Knowles Fires Back At Haters Who Accuse Beyoncé Of Lightening Her Skin At ‘Renaissance’ Film Premiere: ‘I Am Fed Up’

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Beyoncé attended the premiere of her upcoming Renaissance film at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Since silver is the theme of her record-breaking world tour, the majority of celebrity attendees like Kelly Rowland and […]

November 29, 2023

Business  ·  News
Harlem Candle Company Pays Tribute To The Trailblazing Black Creatives Of The Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Candle Company pays tribute to Black creatives who led the charge in the Harlem Renaissance.

Owner Teri Johnson honors pioneers, including Josephine Baker and James Baldwin, through luxurious fragrances, intricately designed vessels and specialized information cards.

According to Inc., Johnson’s inspiration came during her college internship in Paris in the early ’90s. While there, she learned about Baker and other Black creatives who spent time in Europe experiencing relief from America’s racist society of the 1920s. 

Johnson’s studies introduced her to the Harlem Renaissance, motivating her to dive deeper into the infamous era. In 2014, she was struck with the idea of using her candle-making hobby as a way to honor those who shifted Harlem’s culture.

“Everything just fell into place she said,” she said in her interview with Inc. “I was encouraged by friends and family who had received my candles. I was making the candles in Harlem and I loved the Harlem Renaissance. My goal became to put Harlem on the map with a beautiful, luxurious fragrance.”

November 29, 2023

Culture  ·  News
Black Immigrants On How The Racial Reckoning Of 2020 Shifted Their Perspective On Black Identity

Though America was built on the forced labor of millions of people who were ripped from their homes and brought to the then-foreign land to make it something great, the immigrant experience is a challenging one in the U.S., particularly for immigrants of color.

When my parents moved stateside from Kenya in the mid-1980s, they were not welcomed, and they both had to fight for every opportunity they acquired. Unfortunately, things aren’t much different today. America’s hostility toward those not from the country who dare to build a life for themselves in the U.S. is just as palpable today as it was generations ago. However, the Black immigrant experience has become more nuanced since the racial reckoning that erupted following the murder of George Floyd. Blavity spoke to three Black immigrants about their experiences and relationships with their Black identity to unpack that shift.“Prior to coming to America, the only experience of Blackness I had was what was portrayed by Hollywood, and it’s far-fetched from the true nature of being Black in America. Experiencing it firsthand made me garner a newfound respect for the struggles and triumphs of Black America and also made me appreciate hard work and diligence that goes into building Black culture and success,” 42-year-old Tolu Adesina explained of how immigrating to the U.S. has changed his perception of his Black identity.Adesina shared that Floyd’s murder only made him more aware of the realities of being Black in America, and it’s been a hard pill to swallow.“It unfortunately made me more guarded, just from the fact that in the narrative, you could get in trouble even if you’re not doing anything wrong,” he said. “There’s a constant looking over your shoulder even if you’re an upstanding citizen; it’s created an enormous amount of anxiety for me.”Eyvonne Eleko, 35, who, like Adesina, immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria, was similarly affected by Floyd’s death.“I became more aware and empathetic to the maltreatment of people of color by authorities who are meant to protect them. George Floyd’s death was a very sensitive issue and, as with millions around the country, it was deeply hurting to witness that happened right in front of our eyes,” she shared.The mentality shift was significant for Eleko. She had a different awareness when she first moved to the U.S.“As an African immigrant, you’re never really faced with the whole concept of “diversity” because all you’re used to is different tribes; however, everyone else is on the same wave, unlike when you move to what we refer to as the Western world,” she said.Though Floyd’s death did open her eyes to the depths of racism in America, Eleko has learned that African and Black American cultures are more similar than advertised.“While our struggles may not be exactly the same, I do believe that at our very core, both identities’ values are the same, which are family, rich history and culture; maybe throw in religion/spirituality for good measure, but the two driving values remain family and hustle,” she explained, adding that moving to the U.S. has given her “a new sense of pride in my identity as a Black woman.”For Wanjira Jama, who immigrated to the U.S. from Kenya, embracing her identity as a Black woman has been more complicated.“Coming from Kenya by way of South Africa (I completed high school in Johannesburg), where being Black is celebrated due to being a majority and our nation’s journey with colonialism, I knew myself and came in carrying a lot of pride in my identity as a Black, African, Kenyan, Kikuyu woman,” she wrote via email to Blavity. “Living here, I soon realized that my individual cultural identity, as it pertained to being Kenyan or Kikuyu, didn’t matter as much, if at all, because when people first see me, they see a Black woman.”That reality has started altering Jama’s expectations and how she identifies herself.“I also carry less expectation of people to care or accommodate my cultural background,” she confessed. “That sounds a little brash, and it doesn’t mean that I tolerate disrespect or ignorance, but I think there’s less of an emotional tie now between my Blackness and my Kenyan heritage, at least in America.”Floyd’s passing and others were pivotal moments for Jama and how she understands her cultural identity.“Less than a year before his [Floyd’s] passing, I was racially profiled for the first time in what I initially considered to be a safe space (my university campus),” she shared. “Whilst these two events may seem unrelated, they further emphasized how my cultural heritage was dissociated from my Blackness, and how America’s perceptions of Black people could actively harm innocent Black people. For me, it being my first time experiencing this, made his passing hurt more, but even more so with what felt like the back to back passings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and then George Floyd.”Jama added that she was living in a predominantly white area at the time, which only exasperated her inner turmoil.“It made me feel helpless and contemplate how my life could be so easily reduced to nothing but a name, another number added to the death toll,” she said. “I don’t think there are words that can quantify the fear that one feels even despite being in positions of privilege — at the time, living with some family friends due to the pandemic, but similarly, fearing for my life because it was a predominantly white neighborhood, that anything could happen because of someone’s implicit biases.”Cam Dee, whose parents immigrated to New York from Grenada, told Blavity that while Floyd’s death “saddened me,” she wasn’t “completely shocked about what happened to him.” It was moving to the South that had more of an impact on how she sees her Black identity and her Caribbean one.“I learned recently though, that many Black people in America who are direct descendants of American chattel slaves do not see people like me as ‘Black American’ because my roots are in the Caribbean,” she shared. “It’s made me think more deeply about the nuances of language when talking about Black people ethnically and historically.”Like many second-generation immigrants, Dee grew up “highly conscious of our Caribbean roots.” She also noted being very aware of her parents’ sacrifices to give her a new life stateside.“I’ve always felt like my parents were fearful that if they weren’t hard on us, their journey to the States would be for naught,” Dee confessed. “Things that they said and did always made us understand that they saw us and themselves as different from [foundational] Black Americans.”Because of her experiences, Dee looks at Blackness as a kaleidoscopic existence.“Blackness is nuanced and sensitive in every corner of the world where it exists,” she explained. “Sometimes, I forget that certain things I say and feel might be very different in the eyes of another Black person from London, for example, versus a Black person from Kenya, a Black person from Honduras, etc. Our distinct histories and regions also impact our world view and although we have a shared race, there are so many different histories and perspectives present.”That reality is unifying. Blackness can look like and be so many different things and is often under attack because of its vastness. Eleko believes that our vastness is mighty and, if harnessed, could improve the lives of Black people everywhere.

November 29, 2023

Blavity-U  ·  Health  ·  News
1 In 5 Children Under The Age Of 14 Regularly Take Melatonin To Sleep, Study Says

Regular use of melatonin has become “exceedingly common” to help children sleep, according to a new study published by JAMA Pediatrics. One in five children under 14 take it regularly, while 18% of children aged between five and nine receive supplements from their parents. 

November 29, 2023

Blavity-U  ·  Education  ·  News
6-Year-Old Genius Has An IQ Almost As High As Albert Einstein

A 6-year-old girl from Rockaway, New Jersey, was recorded to have an IQ on the same level as Albert Einstein.

November 29, 2023

bbnews  ·  Billboard  ·  Chart Beat  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Wyatt Flores, Ye Vagabonds, Nicotine Dolls & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.
While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 titles by artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Dec. 2-dated charts:

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Wyatt Flores

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The singer-songwriter from Stillwater, Okla., arrives on Billboard’s charts for the first time with his breakout single “Please Don’t Go,” and his two sets The Hutson Sessions and Life Lessons. The track, released in July 2022 via OEG Records, debuts at No. 43 on Hot Country Songs with 3.4 million U.S. streams (up 26%) Nov. 17-23, according to Luminate. TikTok has been a significant factor in the song’s growing profile, as a portion has been used in over 40,000 clips on the platform.

Flores’ 2022 debut four-track EP The Hutson Sessions (which includes “Please Don’t Go”) debuts at No. 19 on the Heatseekers Albums chart with 3,000 equivalent album units earned, and his new seven-track set Life Lessons enters at No. 24 (2,000 units). Flores released Life Lessons Nov. 17 on OEG/Island/Republic Records – his first release on a major label.

Flores is currently on the road on his Times Are Getting Hard Tour, which runs through mid-December. On Dec. 7 and 8, he’ll support recent Billboard first-timer Charles Wesley Godwin at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Ye Vagabonds

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The Irish folk duo, comprising brothers Diarmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn, scores its first Billboard chart appearance, thanks to “The Parting Glass,” with boygenius. Released Nov. 17 on Interscope Records, the collaboration debuts at No. 10 on the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart with 1,000 sold.

“The Parting Glass” is a traditional Scottish folk ballad, also popular in Ireland. It’s often sung at the end of a gathering of friends, similar to “Auld Lang Syne.” On the new version, boygenius’ Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus trade vocals, while the Gloinn brothers provide instrumentation. The song was released as a tribute to the late Sinead O’Connor, who also recorded it for her 2002 album, Sean-Nos Nua. The cover art for the new song is a photo of O’Connor, with proceeds going towards the Aisling Project, an after-school initiative to help children growing up in disadvantaged areas of Dublin, Ireland.

Ye Vagabonds have released three LPs: Ye Vagabonds (2017), The Hare’s Lament (2019) and Nine Waves (2022).

Nicotine Dolls

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The New York City-based band lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time, thanks to its cover of Tina Turner’s classic hit “The Best.” The song, released Nov. 17 on Nettwerk Music Group, debuts at No. 9 on Rock Digital Song Sales with 1,000 sold. TikTok has been a key factor in the song’s rise, as the cover went viral on the platform leading up to its official release.

Nicotine Dolls are fronted by lead singer Sam Cieri and also comprises John Hays (guitar), John Merritt (bass) and Abel Tabares (drums). Cieri appeared on NBC’s America’s Got Talent in 2022 and was part of the second national tour of the musical Once (playing one of the leads, Guy) in 2016-17.

Turner’s original recording only reached No. 15 on the Hot 100 in 1989, but has since become one of her seminal songs. The track is her second-most-streamed song in the U.S. in her career (after “What’s Love Got To Do With It”), since Luminate began tracking music data in 1991.

Ocean Alley

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The Australian psychedelic rock band draws its first Billboard chart placement with its single “Confidence.” The song, released in 2018 on the act’s album Chiaroscuro, debuts at No. 27 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart with 2.6 million U.S. streams (up 35%), boosted by buzz on TikTok. It’s also new at No. 15 on Hot Alternative Songs and No. 21 on Hot Rock Songs.

Ocean Alley, from the Northern Beaches of New South Wales, Australia, has released four LPs: Lost Tropics (2016), Chiaroscuro (2018), Lonely Diamond (2020) and Low Altitude Living (2022). The latter two sets both reached No. 3 on the Australian Albums chart. The band comprises Nic Blom, Baden Donegal, Lach and Mitch Galbraith, Angus Goodwin and Tom O’Brien.

Sistek & Sadie Rose Van

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Both artists score their first Billboard chart entry, as their collaboration “Pull You Closer,” released Sept. 29 on Armada Music, begins at No. 36 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay (up 17% in plays). Sistek, a DJ and producer from Santiago, Chile, has been releasing music since 2017. He has also collaborated with Rosie Darling, Ethan Hodges and Mark Mendy, among others. Sadie Van Rose, from Southern California, has released over a dozen songs, all since 2019, including tracks with Ryan Ennis and Matoma.

Maxine Ashley

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The singer-songwriter reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with her single “Somebody Else.” Released Oct. 13 on JBR, it debuts at No. 40 on Rhythmic Airplay (up 34% in plays). Ashley has been releasing music since 2014. She dropped her debut four-track EP Intuition in 2019 and collaborated with Black Coffee and Sun-El Musician on “You Need Me” in 2021. The song is from Black Coffee’s Subconsciously, which won for best dance/electronic music album at the Grammy Awards in 2022.

Saxl Rose

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The multi-instrumentalist, producer and touring musician earns his first-ever Billboard chart hit, thanks to his featured appearance on Jacob Webb’s “All In.” The song, released in August on Next Paradigm, debuts at No. 23 on Smooth Jazz Airplay (up 32% in spins).

Saxl Rose (real name: Antonio Hancock; his name is a play on his go-to instrument, the saxophone, and Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose) has performed onstage alongside many other artists, including Chris Brown, Paramore, The Used and Wiz Khalifa. Earlier this year, he collaborated with Motionless in White on a “synthwave” version of the group’s viral track “Werewolf.” He is also active on social media, where he posts videos of himself adding his signature saxophone solos to popular songs.

Cody Webb

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The singer lands his first Billboard-charting hit, thanks to “Out of This World.” The track, which he self-released in November 2018, debuts at No. 24 on the Holiday Digital Song Sales chart with 1,000 sold. Webb released his debut self-titled six-track set in 2016. He has served up a string of songs in 2023 alone, including “If Daddy Didn’t Have a Truck,” “Don’t Grow Up Too Fast” and “Peaches.” Outside of his own recorded music, he’s also written songs for other artists, including Luke Combs (“Memories Are Made Of”).

Riordan

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The DJ makes his Billboard chart debut with “Needle on the Record.” The song dropped Nov. 10 on REALM Records and debuts at No. 11 on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales. Riordan, from the United Kingdom, has released eight house tracks on streaming services, all since 2020.

Melinda Lindner

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Lindner notches her first Billboard chart hit thanks to her new cover of “White Christmas.” The song, released Oct. 20 on her holiday album Melinda Lindner… At Christmas on Heaven Records, debuts at No. 25 on Adult Contemporary. Lindner has been releasing music, including other covers of popular hits, since 2020. She released her debut eight-track studio album It Only Happens With You in July.

Lindner’s new recording was produced by Michael Lloyd who, notably, hit the Hot 100 in 1975 as a member of the trio Cotton, Lloyd & Christian with its cover of Peter and Gordon’s “I Go to Pieces.” He also produced songs by Shaun Cassidy and the Osmonds in the ‘70s and Belinda Carlise’s No. 3-peaking 1986 hit “Mad About You.”

Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas” for the 1942 film Holiday Inn, and it has since become a holiday standard. Bing Crosby’s recording, with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, debuted on the Hot 100 in 1958 (the chart’s inaugural year) and peaked at No. 12 in 1962. The song has re-entered the Hot 100 every year since 2018. Last season, it reached No. 16, its highest rank since its 1962 peak. One other version of “White Christmas” has charted on the Hot 100: The Drifters’ 1956 classic, featuring Clyde McPhatter and Bill Pinkney, reached No. 88 in 1962.

“It’s been a forever dream of mine to have my first Billboard hit,” Lindner tells Billboard. “‘White Christmas’ is one of my and my mom’s very favorite holiday songs. It has a very special place in my heart.”

November 29, 2023

Blavity-U  ·  News
How Usher’s Eldest Son Cinco Celebrated His 16th Birthday

“This is a special night to me because my firstborn was born tonight. It’s Cinco’s birthday, and I dedicated this performance to him, which is why I was going so hard,” he told the crowd. Usher also shared a video […]

November 29, 2023

Billboard  ·  Chart Beat  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News  ·  Top Album Sales
ENHYPEN Score Sixth Top 10 on Album Sales Chart With ‘Orange Blood’

ENHYPEN score their sixth top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Dec. 2), as the Korean pop ensemble’s Orange Blood bows at No. 2. The set sold 87,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 23, according to Luminate.

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Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Dolly Parton notches her first No. 1 on the 32-year-old list with the arrival of Rockstar; Taylor Swift has half of the top 10 thanks to sale pricing and promotions for Black Friday, and Cher’s Christmas vaults 23-10 after its release on vinyl.

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 Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums 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.

Of the 87,000 copies sold of Orange Blood, physical sales comprise 86,000 (all on CD) and digital download album sales comprise 1,000. Its sales were bolstered by its availability across a dozen collectible CD packages (including exclusive versions sold by Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart; all with branded merchandise inside, some with randomized elements).

As previously reported, Parton’s Rockstar rules Top Album Sales with her biggest sales week of the modern era (since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991), with 118,500 copies sold. Its sales were enhanced by a variety of iterations available on vinyl and CD.

Swift has half of the top 10 on Top Album Sales for a third time, thanks to sale pricing and promotions previewing the Black Friday shopping holiday on Nov. 24. (Swift previously had five of the top 10 on the Nov. 11-dated list, and six of the top 10 on the July 22-dated chart.) On the latest Top Album Sales ranking, Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) falls 2-3 (64,000; down 7%), Folklore jumps 14-6 (20,000; up 77%), Midnights rallies 11-7 (19,000; up 57%), Lover leaps 16-8 (18,000; up 80%) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) shoots 15-9 (17,000; up 72%). All are former No. 1s on the tally.

Stray Kids’ ROCK-STAR falls 1-4 in its second week on Top Album Sales, selling 46,000 copies (down 78%). Jung Kook’s chart-topping Golden dips 4-5 with 20,000 sold (down 42%).

Rounding out the top 10 is Cher’s Christmas, which returns to the region, zipping 23-10 with 14,000 sold (up 82%) following the set’s release on vinyl on Nov. 17. It sold a little over 6,000 copies on vinyl. Christmas debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the Nov. 4-dated chart.

In the week ending Nov. 23, there were 2.34 million albums sold in the U.S. (up 1.7% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.98 million (up 2.6%) and digital albums comprised 361,000 (down 3.1%).

There were 923,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Nov. 23 (down 3.4% week-over-week) and 1.046 million vinyl albums sold (up 8.6%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 31.921 million (up 2.9% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 41.441 million (up 17.1%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 90.474 million (up 6.1% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 73.857 million (up 10.4%) and digital album sales total 16.617 million (down 9.4%).

November 29, 2023

Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
Nardo Wick Responds to Viral Video of Fan Being Assaulted by Security After His Show

A video showing two members of Nardo Wick‘s entourage knocking out a fan who was trying to ask for a photo made the rounds on social media earlier Tuesday (Nov. 28), and now Wick has released a statement. The video, […]

November 28, 2023

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