Innholdsfortegnelse for May-16-15 i Billboard Magazine

RAPPER T-WAYNE IS AS “Nasty” as he wants to be. The 24-year-old Texas native’s viral debut hit, “Nasty Freestyle,” vaults into the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10, bounding 17-9. As the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer for a second week, the track flies 10-3 on Streaming Songs, doubling to 12.8 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music, and also soars 11-4 on Digital Songs, up by 29 percent to 106,000 downloads sold. The self-assurance anthem — “10 times sharper than Michael Myers’ machete,” he boasts — has surged thanks to user-generated viral videos of the Whip dance featuring the track. “ ‘Nasty Freestyle’ took off because it’s so catchy,” says T-Wayne (born Tyshon Dwayne Nobles), who built a following by posting songs on YouTube nearly every week for seven years.…

THE 2012 SOUNDTRACK TO Pitch Perfect was a rare gold-cup winner in the sales sweepstakes, thanks in part to the viral success of Anna Kendrick’s “Cups,” the flukiest of fluke hits. Now, with a Pitch Perfect 2 album arriving just three days before the movie’s May 15 bow, the challenge for the team behind the sequel’s music is not to clone “Cups,” which was “a lightning-ina-bottle moment that’s really not replicable,” as Mike Knobloch, president of film music at Universal Pictures, puts it. It’s to remind people the first soundtrack did fine without that late-breaking hit. Indeed, there has yet to be a buzzing prerelease tune from Pitch Perfect 2, even though the sequel has something the first one didn’t: an original song. “Flashlight,” a “Firework”-style inspirational ballad, is a…

The week of May 4 began well for Pandora, which has been embroiled in legal battles over royalty rates for years. The result may be even lower payments for songwriters and publishers, who already believe they are underpaid in the digital economy. On May 4, the FCC dropped its objections to Pandora’s acquisition of the small FM radio station KXMZ-FM in Rapid City, S.D. — which it agreed to acquire in June 2013 for $600,000 — clearing the way for the Internet radio giant to receive lower royalty rates and other financial advantages for companies that own broadcast and digital radio services. Then on May 6, the U.S. Second Court of Appeals determined that the 1.85 percent of Pandora’s total revenue set by the ASCAP/Pandora rate court ruling is reasonable…

On its 30th anniversary, Brazil’s Rock in Rio — the world’s biggest music festival (held in Brazil’s capital city), with 7 million tickets sold in three decades — finally will make its North American debut in Las Vegas during two weekends in May. Founder/CEO Roberto Medina is building a 37-acre, 85,000-capacity “City of Rock” (in partnership with MGM Resorts, Cirque du Soleil and SFX) that will feature nearly 100 acts including Metallica, Linkin Park and Mana (The Rock Weekend, May 8-9), and Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran (The Pop Weekend, May 15-16). You’ve lined up some big sponsors: Mercedes-Benz, Red Bull, Barcardi. Was it a challenge? Music sponsorship is very small in America. Each edition of Rock in Rio gets $54 million in sponsorships; we have $14 million…

The Dish On Tish Bronx-raised MC-vocalist Tish Hyman, 32 — whose indie album Dedicated To:, produced by Bink and William Larsen, arrives this fall — is already drawing buzzworthy names into her orbit. Spike Lee, DJ Clinton Sparks and singer/songwriter/producer Jeremy Greene attended a private listening session in Los Angeles on April 27, and the following night, Sean “Diddy” Combs caught her show at Hollywood’s Viper Room. Hyman’s first single, “Subway Art,” drew Twitter props from Alicia Keys, Fabolous and Ty Dolla Sign when it arrived on March 15. Jack White’s Next Act On April 26, Jack White performed what his PR firm called “his final live performance ... for the foreseeable future.” So, what will he do next? According to one insider, White’s plans include focusing on his acting…

“I’m not stopping — my wife spends all of my money, so I can’t.” —OZZY OSBOURNE The Black Sabbath frontman explaining why he’ll continue touring and releasing music at a press conference in Brazil. “This one kid said, ‘Do you want to hook up in my mom’s car?’ And I was like, ‘Not really.’ ” —MEGHAN TRAINOR The singer on her pre-fame experiences with Tinder during a visit to the Shazam Top 20 studios in Australia. “She’s good to talk to about boys. She knows her stuff.” —FLORENCE WELCH The “Dog Days Are Over” singer on her friendship with Taylor Swift, to the U.K. Sunday Times. “I kissed a girl and I liked it.” —MADONNA The pop icon describing her onstage smooch with Drake at Coachella on Saturday Night Online…

APRIL 10 /Billboard and Renaissance welcomed industry influencers and talent to a poolside Billboard Festival Brunch at Indian Wells. The brunch was a welcome oasis for festivalgoers who enjoyed tunes by Myles Hendrik, a full brunch buffet and signature cocktails. Talent was gifted by Alex and Ani, Flower Children Only and Koolaburra. Guests at the Billboard Studio and Billboard Festival Brunch were treated to Dobel tequila, Freixenet Sparkling Cava, Palm Breeze alcohol spritz, Vita Coco and Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea. 1. The incredible brunch buffet at the Billboard Festival Brunch. 2. Hedrik spun at the event. 3. Cheers at the Billboard Festival Brunch. 4. The view at the poolside brunch. 5. Palm Breeze Alcohol Spritz, Vita Coco, Freixenet Sparkling Cava, Dobel tequila and Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea kept guests cool…

Best celebrity encounter you have had at an awards show? I definitely drank out of the Hennessy bottle Kanye West brought to the Video Music Awards in 2009. Worst celebrity encounter? We once brought a tiny monkey with us to a show. We ran into Shakira, and she was like, “Ooh! Can I pet him?” Then the monkey bit Shakira. Have you ever brought your mom as a date? I brought her to the preparty when we were up for the best new artist Grammy in 2006. She met Jay Z. He took off his sunglasses when he met my mom, which was a very good lesson in humility. Then we didn’t win. I was mad, and at the after party, my mom made me introduce her to Sting. It…

What was your first awards show? The only awards show I’ve been to is the Grammys — wait, I did go to something called the Choice Music Prize. It’s an Irish thing. If I was to make a comparison between the two, everyone at home would think I was an asshole. Who did you sit next to at the Grammys? I was sitting next to my dad, and Childish Gambino was just a seat down from me. I’m a big fan of his work. It was kind of like the first day of school. What was the first thing you said to Annie Lennox after your Grammys performance together? We just exchanged hankies. That was a lot of fun. We’d met a few days previous, and she had some really…

1 VY QUEEN “I embrace the term ‘diva’ because it’s what my fans call me,” said the Latin urban music icon before appearing on “The Divas Panel,” where the 43-year-old Puerto Rican held court with Latina acts Kany Garcia, Rosana Arbelo, sister duo Ha*Ash and Sofia Reyes. 2 KANY GARCIA “At the end of the day, it is not where we are from that matters, “ said the Puerto Rican “Pasaporte” singer and Latin Grammy winner, 23. “It’s about what we say.” 3 DADDY YANKEE “I realized early on that, just because I do Latin music, that doesn’t mean it can’t have a global reach,” said the reggaeton star, 38, before his business panel, where he discussed his new role as musical creative director for mobile carrier Metro PCS. 4…

COPING WITH AN ALL-TOO public breakup often yields raw, humanizing creative boosts for music stars — Marvin Gaye’s withering Here, My Dear is the classic example. For R&B singer Ciara, whose sexy turn-up jams have always been more style than substance, splitting with her baby’s father, rapper Future, last August seemed like a ripe opportunity to finally open the emotional blinds and let people in. And sure enough, “I Bet,” the first single from her sixth album Jackie, seemed to do just that. “Is that your bitch over there, giving me the ugly stare?” she sings, presumably referring to the alleged infidelity that ended their relationship. But that’s one of the few seemingly genuine moments on Jackie, which, despite being named after her mother, feels oddly impersonal. Instead, the album…

Josh Groban lands his eighth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 with the No. 2 debut of Stages. The set opens with 180,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music, of which 176,000 were pure album sales. The release performed stronger than expected, as some industry forecasters pegged it to start with 125,000. Stages’ sales start also surpasses the bow of Groban’s last release, 2012’s All That Echoes, which entered with 145,000 (and debuted at No. 1). Stages starts at No. 2 on Digital Albums — with Groban’s best digital sales week ever, 41,000 — and Internet Albums, with 41,000 sold online as well — his largest debut week on that list. His handsome sales figure was aided by a concert ticket/album…

Rap duo Insane Clown Posse (below) returns to the Billboard 200 with its latest effort, Marvelous Missing Link (Lost). The set — the pair’s first studio effort since 2012 — starts at No. 17 with 18,000 equivalent album units sold in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music. (Nearly all of the total is owed to traditional album sales.) The set also takes a bow at No. 7 on Top Album Sales. On Rap Albums, the effort starts at No. 2, giving the act its highest-charting set yet on the nearly 11-year-old tally. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the veteran rap act’s first appearance on a national chart: Riddle Box debuted on Heat seekers Albums on Oct. 28, 1995. (The duo earlier charted on a regional…

Ciara reappears on the Social 50 chart, after a month’s absence, as the pop diva dances back in at No. 39. She makes her return thanks to buzz generated by the promotion of new album Jackie (which is due to debut on the May 23 Billboard 200). Her promo included the announcement of a May 5 performance on NBC’s Today (dubbed Cici de Mayo, referencing Cinco de Mayo). Her Twitter mentions for the week ending May 3 grew by 48 percent and created a 23 percent bump in traffic to her Wikipedia page, according to Next Big Sound. Elsewhere, Becky G experiences a substantial rise in the rankings, moving 35-18 in her 28th cumulative week on the chart due to social buzz generated by appearances on two awards shows and…

R&B group Jodeci notches its first Adult R&B chart topper as “Every Moment” steps 2-1 to crown the list. It’s down 2 percent in plays for the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music, but still earns a bullet for its first week on top. The foursome appeared on the inaugural Adult R&B chart (dated Sept. 18, 1993) with “Lately.” Thus, the ascent of “Every Moment” marks the longest wait for any act to reach No. 1 on the list (dating to the act’s first chart appearance). The new single is from Jodeci’s first album in 20 years, The Past, The Present, The Future, which entered Top R&B Albums at No. 2 on the April 18 chart. On Hot R&B Songs, “Every Moment” dips one rung to No. 16…

Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore (above) grabs his first No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums with MG (credited to the acronym MG). The instrumental electronic set sold 2,000 units in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music. While his previous solo efforts were credited to Martin L. Gore, this album continues the MG moniker that Martin used on Ssss, his 2012 album with fellow Depeche Mode founder and Erasure coleader Vince Clarke. That similarly instrumental work, credited to VCMG, reached No. 10, while Gore’s only other full-length solo album, Counterfeit2, capped at No. 3 in 2003. On Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Armin van Buuren earns the Hot Shot Debut with “Another You” (No. 24). The first release from an upcoming studio album, the track combines the trance king’s production with…

“A Guy Walks Into a Bar” is surprisingly vulnerable. How important was it to show that side of yourself? It’s very important to me, because I’m not a one-dimensional person, some country bumpkin that likes to eat chicken tenders and ride four-wheelers. I also like the beach. I like Cabo. I like sushi. There’s a lot more behind the picture than the wall. Country radio is rife with songs about partying the pain away. Why did you steer away from that trend? I’m in it for the marathon, not the sprint. I’m thinking, “Let’s not release a single just because that’s the thing that’s popping right now.” One of my goals is to be known 100 years from now and make the Country Music Hall of Fame. You don’t get…

Sony Music has removed original recordings from the SoundCloud pages of at least a dozen acts — including Adele, Hozier, Miguel, Kelly Clarkson, Passion Pit and Leon Bridges — due to a breakdown in negotiations between the label group and the streaming-audio platform, helmed by Alexander Ljung. Representatives for Sony Music and Columbia Records, the label with the most affected artists, declined comment, but an executive familiar with negotiations says the recent takedowns are due to “a lack of monetization opportunities” on the platform. The Sony impasse comes at a transitional time for SoundCloud, which introduced its first monetization play last August. Titled On SoundCloud, the program has paid out more than $2 million in advertising revenue to 100-plus partners, including Warner Music, which became the first of the three…

EXECUTIVE POV WHEN A DOCUMENTARY IN 2013 asked Who the F— Is Arthur Fogel?, Bono answered: “The most important person in live music.” Such fawning is to be expected from the U2 singer. After all, Fogel, 61, is the master of the megatour. His Toronto-based, 25-person team, backed by Live Nation’s international network of promoters, producers, merchandisers and marketers, has seen tour grosses of more than $3.2 billion combined during the past decade, according to Billboard Boxscore — among them, five of the top 10 biggest moneymaking treks ever, all steered by Fogel. A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Fogel got his start in music from behind a drum kit, then rose through the live-music ranks — from booking nightclubs to arenas to stadiums, first in Canada and later around the…

SURE, THERE WAS STAR POWER AND ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME collaborations, but the 26th annual Billboard Latin Music Awards also made history. The show, which aired on Telemundo, was the most-watched edition ever, with a cumulative audience of more than 6.4 million, according to Nielsen. Romeo Santos and Enrique Iglesias — both riding high off major albums in 2014 — swept the night with 10 and nine awards, respectively. But the festivities, under the direction of veteran producer Tony Mojena, also proved to be a statement on Pan-Latin unity. “I think people get it now,” reggaeton artist Wisin told Billboard. “It’s time to break barriers and behave like one big family.” Highlights included Marc Anthony and Cuban duo Gente de Zona’s debut of new party anthem “La Gozadera,” and Afrojack, Luis Fonsi and…

LORDE “My mum is the best ever: When I was 8, she drove to my school and shouted at a boy who made fun of my mono-brow. Then she taught me about Frida Kahlo and why mono-brows are cool.” JESS GLYNNE “When I got my vocal-cord nodules removed, I was on bed rest and couldn’t talk for a week. So my mom brought me a bell: Every time I rang it, she’d come and get me what I needed. I love her more than anything.” ANGELA GAIL (OF IN THE VALLEY BELOW) “My mom is so rock: She named me after her favorite Rolling Stones song, and taught me the importance of occasional irresponsibility.” THOMAS RHETT “My mom called in to a radio station and told them they had to…

Music trained me for the job “Politics is similar to when you’re a young band and execs say you need to stand next to a brick wall, smoke and look apathetic in photos. Great bands insist on being themselves, and the industry changes around them. Politics is the same way: Candidates conform, but I won’t. I couldn’t run that way. Being a musician also means I’m up late cruising around Seattle, and that’s how I got a deeper sense of how a city operates — that’s when we replenish supermarkets, move shipping containers.” I’ll bring more music to Seattle “When I started playing in ’93, the local government was hostile to live music, making all-ages shows and posting fliers illegal. It took 20 years, but the government came around to…

Shamir Bailey was just an 18-year-old working at Ross Dress for Less and recording demos in the suburbs of northern Las Vegas when producer Nick Sylvester signed him to the Brooklyn label Godmode in 2013. The now 20-year-old, whose debut album Ratchet arrives May 19 on XL, is riding a wave of success with first singles “Call It Off” and “On the Regular,” a rap anthem that’s being called the “212” of 2015. “I thought no one would like it, but people would go crazy every time I’d play it,” says Bailey. “Concertgoers are always surprised that I’m not just a rapper.” The other thing that might surprise fans of the skinny-jean aficionado? His love of country music. 1 . SOUTHEN CHARM “I love vintage country T-shirts — I have…

You recently hosted the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and were ceremonially slimed. Gross or awesome? Well, J.Lo slimed me, so that wasn’t so bad. Who’s your favorite awards show host? Ellen [DeGeneres] always does an amazing job. I like the way that she catches people off guard — it’s an environment that can be really uptight, and she disarms people. Also, Jack Black is an amazing host. What’s your best awards show celebrity encounter? Worst? The best one was probably with Angelina Jolie at the Kids’ Choice Awards. She was so nice and said I did a great job, which made me feel good. And her kid was very sweet. The worst? There have been times, especially in the early days of [the Jonas Brothers’] career, when people were in…

STAY SHOP DINE GAMBLE TRANSPORT WHY NOT? $250K (Rare tiger inclusive) gold The Crown Penthouse at 1 Queensridge Place With a 360-degree view of Las Vegas, private swimming pool and private elevator, this 15,000-square-foot space is well worth the $35,000 per month price. Don’t be surprised if you bump into Olivia Newton-John; she’s been spotted on the property. oneqrp.com 12AM What would it cost to shop, dine and party with Nas? For $50,000, indulge in retail therapy at the hip-hop artist’s 12AM sneaker store, and after dinner, tag along to whatever club appearance he’s doing that night. A prime table and bottle service are a given. 12amrun.com Krug Chef’s Table at Restaurant Guy Savoy The six-seat dinner at $500 per setting includes a 10-course tasting menu that pairs each plate…

AS AN IDEA, SNOOP DOGG’S 13TH SOLO album, Bush, sounds great. It’s his return to character after the detour of 2013’s reggae hybrid, Reincarnated (recorded as Snoop Lion), and his first with a single (and singular) producer since his classic 1993 debut, Doggystyle, which Dr. Dre masterminded. (For contrast, his last Snoop Dogg album, 2011’s Doggumentary, featured a dozen producers.) That the boardsman on Bush is Pharrell Williams only raises the excitement level. Despite being in the game as long as Snoop himself, Williams remains a powerhouse, incontestably owning 2013 with a trio of indelible hits: Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and his own “Happy.” It’s a match made in musical heaven — the artist in search of a proper canvas, the producer in need of a…

NUMBERS : YOU GO ‘GIRLS ’ The pop pairing of Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea on “Pretty Girls” is off to a pretty good start, as the RCA Records single is heading for a top 40 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 dated May 23. The track officially premiered May 4, after leaking a day earlier. 11.2 The collab drew nationwide hourly plays on iHeartMedia’s top 40 radio stations on May 4, yielding 1,100 plays at the format that day, according to Nielsen Music. That translated to a lofty 11.2 million in first-day audience. 100 “Pretty Girls” is on course to sell upwards of 100,000 downloads in its first week (ending May 10), according to industry forecasters. That’s down from the 174,000 launch of Spears’ last new single, “Work B**ch!,”…

Legendary singer-guitarist Eric Clapton continues his lengthy chart history on the Billboard 200 as the new compilation Forever Man debuts at No. 26. The set earned 8,000 equivalent album units in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music. The new effort is his 44th charting album and comes almost 45 years after he made his solo debut with his self-titled album on the chart dated July 25, 1970. Forever Clapton, which focuses on his work with Reprise Records, is available as both a double and triple album. The double-length set’s first half is devoted to classic Clapton hits, while the second half contains live cuts (like a sampling of tunes from his No. 1 Unplugged album). The three-CD set has a bonus disc of Clapton’s blues material. Since…

Two Steps From Hell (above) — whose original music has been heard in dozens of film trailers — debuts atop Heat seekers Albums with new album Battlecry. The set sold 3,000 copies in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music, and also launches at No. 1 on Classical Crossover Albums and the overall Classical Albums chart. Led by Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix, the act launched in 2002 and has provided music for film trailers ranging from The Avengers and Skyfall to Brave and The Help. Meanwhile, as Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” rules for a fourth week atop the Billboard Hot 100 (see page 1), featured artist Charlie Puth bows at No. 3 with the Some Type of Love EP (2,000 sold). It’s the debut effort from…

Blake Shelton (above) stirs up his latest hit on the Hot Country Songs chart as “Sangria” soars 11-4. The third single from Bringing Back the Sunshine, following the No. 3-peaking “Neon Light” and No. 2 “Lonely Tonight” (and his 23rd career top 10), bumps 3-2 on Country Digital Songs with a 50 percent gain to 58,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music. The track, also up 17-15 on Country Airplay (20 million in audience, up 16 percent), vaults after Shelton sang it on the April 27 episode of NBC’s The Voice, where he is a coach. He previously performed “Sangria” at the April 19 Academy of Country Music Awards (which he co-hosted with Luke Bryan). Also on Country Airplay (see Billboard.com/charts), A Thousand Horses gallops into the top five with…

Cuban act Gente de Zona earns the Hot Shot Debut on Hot Latin Songs as “La Gozadera” (featuring Marc Anthony) lands at No. 38. The entrance is primarily due to downloads of the track following the premiere performance of the song on April 30 at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, which aired live on Telemundo. The song sold nearly 4,000 downloads in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music, enough for a No. 7 debut on Latin Digital Songs. Gente de Zona won six awards, including hot Latin song of the year, for its participation in Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando,” which also features Descemer Bueno. The awards also score a big sales gain for Selena, whose 1995 death was memorialized in a medley performance by Jennifer Lopez alongside Selena’s…

It has been a busy year on the road for Ed Sheeran, who has taken his x Tour to 24 countries on four continents since January. With treks through Europe, Asia and Oceania already in the books, the English singer-songwriter headed to South America during the last two weeks of April for shows in six cities. All of the concerts from that leg of the tour appear on the May 16 Boxscore chart, including his highest ranked engagement: a two-show run in Argentina at No. 7. With box-office revenue nearing $1 million, the concerts on April 25 and 26 at Luna Park in Buenos Aires drew 15,884 fans. Following at No. 8 is his other multiple-show engagement, a two-night stint at the Espaco das Americas center in Sao Paulo on…

Mariah Carey debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 82 with the breakup ballad “Infinity,” starting with 26,000 downloads sold and 1.8 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music. After launching her Las Vegas residency Mariah Carey #1’ on May 6 (ahead of the May 18 companion hits set, #1 to Infinity), Carey collects her 47th Hot 100 entry just two weeks shy of the 25th anniversary of her first appearance on the chart. Next up, she’ll perform on the May 17 Billboard Music Awards (see page 34 for full coverage). 17 ANDY GRAMMER Honey, I’m Good This hyper hoedown bounds into the top 20 of the Hot 100, spurred by its 14-6 vault on the Digital Songs chart, and it surges by 47 percent to 105,000 downloads sold.…

APAIR OF TV SHOWS ABOUT THE hip-hop business are moving full speed ahead less than a month after the season finale of Fox’s surprise smash rap soap opera, Empire. Although the programs in question — both from Viacom: VH1’s scripted drama The Breaks and BET’s documentary series The Label — were already in development when Empire premiered on Jan. 7, there’s little doubt about their target audience. As Breaks co-executive producer Maggie Malina puts it, “Empire encouraged us to believe there’s a big audience for shows about the music world, and its massive success” —Empire’s audience grew from 9.9 million to 16.7 million from premiere to finale — “has certainly put the pressure on.” The new shows offer grittier and more nuanced takes on the hip-hop business than Empire’s entertaining…

JUST TWO YEARS AGO, ELECTRIC ZOO was the Northeast’s premiere EDM festival, drawing 150,000 fans to New York’s Randall’s Island during Labor Day weekend with some of the biggest DJs in the world, including Avicii, Tiesto and Bassnectar, on two massive main stages. But after two attendees died from drug overdoses, escalating an already alarmed public reaction to the EDM festival scene, the 2014 edition consequently felt borderline Orwellian: Organizers required attendees to watch drug PSAs before ordering tickets, security checks (complete with mandatory shoe removal) resulted in threehour-long waits for entry while police and drugsniffing dogs patrolled the grounds, and on the final day, a severe thunderstorm caused organizers to shut down the festival six hours early. A source tells Billboard that ticket sales dropped 30 percent from 2013.…

JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, CHARLIE PUTH WAS A MOSTLY unknown 23-year-old singer from Rumson, N.J., waiting for his big break. But on this sunny afternoon in Manhattan, he’s fresh off rehearsing for his Saturday Night Live debut, unwinding in a twofloor penthouse suite at the ritzy Gansevoort Park Avenue hotel, and turning down weed from none other than Wiz Khalifa. “Want some?” asks the rapper, proffering an expertly rolled blunt. “I really wish I could smoke, but I can’t,” says Puth. “My voice...” “Just stand in the room with me and it’ll happen at some point,” replies Khalifa. (Puth eventually partakes.) The unlikely pair, who only met two months ago, rehearsing for their March 16 Tonight Show appearance, have every right to celebrate: Khalifa’s “See You Again” (featuring Puth)…

Meet dance music’s improbable new star — rapper Pusha T. The 37-year-old’s gritty lyrics, as both a soloist and one-half of Clipse, have already made him a go-to collaborator of Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. But he’s quickly become one of EDM’s most in-demand vocalists as well, appearing on a slew of recent singles by dance’s leading men, including Axwell & Ingrosso, iSHi, Tiga, Yogi and a collab with Diplo’s Major Lazer, “Night Riders.” Pusha T, born Terrence Thornton, took a break from recording his next LP (expected this summer on West’s G.O.O.D. Music and Def Jam) to dish on bridging the gap between rap and EDM. How did dance pique your interest? I’ve been going to Europe for some time on the festival circuit, and once you get in…

APRIL 9 / At the stunning Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa in California’s Coachella Valley, Billboard and Renaissance Hotels launched their musical partnership timed to the Coachella music festival. The Billboard Studio, powered by Renaissance Hotels, hosted more than 15 acts from the Coachella lineup during two days. Artists came to talk to Billboard’s editorial team about their latest albums and tours, and how they felt to be at the ultimate desert festival. 1. Flower Children Only brought some floral festival flair to the Billboard Studio. 2. Senior director of Billboard’s Adapt Studios M. Tye Comer interviews artists at the studio. 3. A bird’s eye view of the Billboard Studio tent on the beautiful grounds at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa. 4. Alex and Ani provided beautiful…

It’s Vegas, baby, as the 23rd annual BBMAs get set to rock the MGM Grand (May 17, 8 p.m. ET, ABC), and the night’s hosts and performers pre-party right here, spilling everything about wardrobe malfunctions, awkward encounters and what music’s big accolades mean to them C HRISSY TEIGEN IS ALREADY MY new best friend!” Ludacris is speaking into his iPhone, narrating a behind-the-scenes clip of Billboard’s cover shoot for his 3.8 million Instagram followers. He has just captured Teigen — his 2015 Billboard Music Awards co-host, the hilariously blunt supermodel and wife of John Legend — as a stylist adjusts the hemline of her black dress. The two have met only a few times before this afternoon in New York, but the rapport between Luda, 37, and Teigen, 29, is…

What’s the stupidest question you have been asked on the red carpet? “If you could wear a celebrity’s underwear for a day, whose would it be?” That was the grossest. I said, “Brad Pitt,” but oh, my God. Best celebrity encounter at an awards show? My Beyoncé moment felt like a movie. I was at the Billboard Women in Music [event], and she came up to me and said, “My daughter and I watch your music videos all the time.” My life was complete! Strangest celebrity encounter? I’m the biggest Adam Sandler fan, and I saw him at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. I went up to him and slapped his shoulder, and said [in a gruff voice], “Wassup, dude. My name is Meghan Trainor, and I’m all about the…

HOW DID A 75-YEARold become one of the hottest DJs in the EDM scene? Giorgio Moroder is enjoying a late-career renaissance, while a new generation of electronic musicians honors him as a pioneer in the field — a producer and songwriter who created Donna Summer’s string of smash hits in the 1970s (“Hot Stuff,” “I Feel Love,” “Last Dance”) and also has worked with Blondie, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Elton John, Barbra Streisand and, more recently, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Skrillex. The plaudits in his distinguished career include three Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, four Grammys and more than 100 gold and platinum records. The mischievous, Italian-born Moroder met with Billboard to discuss his new album, Deja Vu — the first under his own name in more than…

CHRIS STAPLETON’S BACKSTORY is something out of a country myth. His dad was a coal miner; the Nashville singer-songwriter, 37, who has written for everyone from Adele to Tim McGraw, was moved to record his solo debut, Traveller, after his death. Given the inspiration, Traveller is an understandably solemn album, the work of a man gripped by life’s impermanence. Whether Stapleton is dreaming into the starlit night or staring down a grave, undercurrents of regret, loss and resignation lurk around the corner. There’s the glum “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore,” which shrouds reflections about his father in the language of religious backsliding, while “Nobody to Blame” and “Devil Named Music” tally up life’s losses with an impact deeper than the usual brokenhearted, beer-nursing country-radio fare. Despite the pain, Stapleton’s songs are…

Floyd May weather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have made the biggest headlines regarding fighting of late, following their pop culture conquering May 2 bout, but pop singer-songwriter Rachel Platten answers the bell on the Billboard Artist 100, debuting at No. 75 thanks to the success of “Fight Song.” The Massachusetts native’s single packs a big punch on the Billboard Hot 100 (71-50) and Digital Songs (31-22), up by 47 percent to 54,000 downloads sold in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music. Digital song sales account for the majority (78 percent) of Platten’s Artist 100 points. Fellow rising pop act Tori Kelly enters the Artist 100 at No. 88. Song sales likewise carry the bulk of her standing (71 percent) as breakthrough single “Nobody Love” hits a new…

Your latest mixtape,You Should Be Here, debuts at No. 36 on the Billboard 200. As a 20-year-old, was it difficult for you to be so vulnerable on the project? It just felt like, “Are people going to take me as seriously as if I were 25 or 26?” That was the only thing that popped in my head. But then I realized that everyone who’s going through the things I’m going through are my age, so why wouldn’t they relate even more? “Bright” has a powerful message about coming of age and struggling with identity when you’re young. What was the inspiration for that? It’s just sad because I see it every day. I go on Twitter and I literally see girls posting a picture of one of the Jenners…

Carly Rae Jepsen (below) springs 14-1 on the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks chart with “I Really Like You” thanks to her latest assist from Justin Bieber, who tweeted on April 27 that the song was newly available in the United Kingdom and encouraged fans to create lip-sync videos to it. Bieber previously starred in a celebrity-filled lip-sync clip for “Really,” which helped push the song 26-3 on the May 2 chart. The track continues to perform well domestically, with 2.7 million U.S. streams in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music. Pop singer-songwriter Tori Kelly debuts at No. 18 with “Unbreakable Smile,” the title track from her June 23 debut album on Capitol Records. The Scooter Braun-managed artist bows thanks to supportive tweets from Meghan Trainor and…

Florence & The Machine propels 3-1 on the Triple A airplay chart with “What Kind of Man,” the third leader on the list from the band led by Florence Welch (above). The group first reigned with “Dog Days Are Over” (three weeks in 2011) and “Shake It Out” (also three, in 2012). On Alternative, “Man” reached No. 8 (April 11), tying “Dog Days” for the band’s highest peak at the format. The group’s new chart-topper, whose cinematic video boasts nearly 8 million worldwide YouTube views, previews its third full-length, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (June 2). Previous set Ceremonials debuted at No. 1 on Top Rock Albums and No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 105,000 sold, according to Nielsen Music, in November 2011. On Hot Rock Songs, X…

Singer-songwriter Matthew West celebrates his first No. 1 on Top Christian Albums as Live Forever arrives with slightly more than 9,000 sold in the week ending May 3, according to Nielsen Music. That is West’s largest debut sales week since 2010, when The Story of Your Life launched with 10,000 at No. 3. Live Forever is West’s fifth top 10 album and seventh entry overall. One step below West, Christy Nockels bows at No. 2 with Let It Be Jesus (9,000). It’s the best sales week yet for the singer songwriter and her third top 10. The album’s title track debuts at No. 40 on Hot Christian Songs, giving Nockels her fifth chart hit and first since “Ever Lifting” peaked at No. 28 in 2012. Elsewhere on Hot Christian Songs,…

TWENTY YEARS AFTER AEROSMITH released its self-titled debut album, Boston’s bad boys of rock finally earned their first No. 1. Titled Get a Grip, the set topped the May 8, 1993 Billboard 200 during a remarkably successful period for the quintet in the late 1980s and early ’90s. While the act enjoyed a Billboard 200 hot streak in the late ’70s with the top 20 albums Toys in the Attic, Rocks and Draw the Line, Aerosmith’s chart fortunes had faded by the mid-’80s. Guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whit ford left the band in 1979 and 1981, respectively, due to internal strife — Perry and lead singer Steven Tyler are well-known for their constant power struggles — but returned in 1984. The reunion failed to generate much excitement for Aerosmith’s…