Innholdsfortegnelse for Feb-07-15 i Billboard Magazine

THE YEAR’S MOST unlikely pop team just added a new member. Kanye West and Paul McCartney first joined forces for “Only One,” which debuted and peaked at No. 35 on the Jan. 17 Billboard Hot 100. Now, the two have teamed with Rihanna for “FourFiveSeconds” — the first song from her as-yet-untitled forthcoming album — entering the Hot 100 at No. 54 following the song’s arrival on Jan. 24. In less than two full days on sale, it sold 53,000 downloads, according to Nielsen Music, good for a No. 19 debut on Digital Songs. It also logged 24 million in out-of-the-box radio audience through Jan. 28 (aided by hourly plays on participating iHeartMedia-owned stations on Jan. 25). Following a full first week of sales and airplay, the single, on which…

A MAVERICK MOMENT Leave it to manager Guy Oseary to, er, edge out his fellow big guns by introducing a U2 member during his Maverick management presentation on Jan. 20. Says iHeartMedia programming chief Tom Poleman: “The Edge came by to say hi. We’ve been championing ‘Every Breaking Wave’ on our stations, and he was connecting with the programmers.” AND INTRODUCING... The new artist who had everyone buzzing on Jan. 21: Capitol’s Tori Kelly. “After that performance,” says Poleman, “we decided on the spot to make her single our ‘On the Verge’ artist for pop” (previous picks: Sam Smith, Banks and Nick Jonas). Adds Justin Bieber manager Scooter Braun: “The notes she hits are ridiculous.” KANYE SCHOOLS, CONQUERS During Def Jam’s Jan. 21 presentation, CEO Steve Bartels quickly ceded the…

Fifty Shades Of Harmony How Beyoncé, Ellie Goulding and more are being deployed to sell a steamy movie THE TWO SINGLES FROM THE Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack are like a throwback to the format’s 1990s heyday, when songs and videos acted as prerelease trailers to lure viewers into theaters. Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” has moved from No. 45 to No. 36 to No. 20 on the Feb. 7 Billboard Hot 100 and debuted at No. 31 on the Jan. 31 Mainstream Top 40 chart with a 336 percent increase in plays, according to Nielsen Music. A video for the song had 1 million YouTube views within 16 hours of its release on Jan. 21. The end-credits song, The Weeknd’s “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” climbs…

On Jan. 26, Sam Smith’s camp acknowledged that the songwriting credits of the singer’s Grammy-nominated hit “Stay With Me” now include “I Won’t Back Down” co-writers Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, owing to similarities between the songs that were a “complete coincidence.” With Smith scheduled to perform at the Grammy ceremony on Feb. 8, opportunity seems ripe for a show-stopping duet. Even better: a multi-act medley including these famously contested copyright-infringing hits. HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS’ “I WANT A NEW DRUG” (1983) / RAY PARKER JR.’S “GHOSTBUSTERS” (1984) Similarities between the two songs’ basslines and verses resulted in a Lewis-filed lawsuit that was settled in 1984. Later, when Lewis talked about the case in an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, Parker sued him for breaching a confidentiality agreement.…

Ally Brooke Hernandez Age: 21 Born: San Antonio Non-music hero: Mom Can make a: “Mean” molten chocolate cake Camila Cabello Age: 17 Born: Cojimar, Cuba Spirit animal: Platypus Favorite movie: 2001 rom-com Serendipity Dinah Jane Hansen Age: 17 Born: Santa Ana, Calif. Favorite sport: Football Style essential: Jessica Simpson heels Lauren Jauregui Age: 18 Born: Miami Secret hobby: Painting Karaoke jam: “My Boo” by Alicia Keys and Usher Normani Kordei Age: 18 Born: Atlanta If I wasn’t a singer I’d be: Acting Best gift ever received: Beyoncé’s autograph…

When President Obama’s 16-yearold daughter Malia rocks a tee with your group’s name on it in a leaked selfie, the stakes go sky high. “My phone is tapped!” jokes rapper Joey Badass, whose Pro Era crew got a signal boost from the pic that went viral off Instagram. The timing was perfect: The 20-yearold, real name Jo-Vaughn Scott, just released his full-length debut, B4.DA.$$ (Cinematic Music Group), following a string of buzz-building projects, including 2012’s 1999 mixtape and 2013’s Summer Knights EP. His retro style — crinkly samples, dense lyrical turns — has set him apart from his peers, prompting co-signs from rap vets like Q-Tip and Jay Z (who reportedly tried, and failed, to sign him to his Roc Nation imprint). He may be young, but this is only…

The James Beard Award-winning chef’s twin obsessions, music and food, get equal airtime on his online series Feedback Kitchen, which debuted Jan. 26 on Dailymotion.com. For five episodes, rock stars (including The Edge, Patti Smith and Flea) dish on their craft while chowing down. How did the show come about? Food and music have always gone together; celebration, joy, pleasure for me are associated with both worlds. I was curious about how my musician friends create their art and thought, “Maybe if I make them lunch, they’ll open up.” Do you listen to music while cooking? Absolutely. For breakfast, I love Yo-Yo Ma. To get really jacked up at lunch, I’ll play Jack White. For dinner, I’ll start with [Miles Davis’] Bitches Brew, move into Willie Nelson and then The…

1. Lock In Your Locks Keating uses beeswax-based moustache cream on hair for its “fantastic hold and unobtrusive scent.” Plus, she adds, “it’s pocket-size and perfect for touch-ups.” 2. Fake A Facial No time for the spa? This lightning-quick mask will even out complexions without leaving behind blotches. ”It’s essential for photographers’ flashes.” 3. Get The Glow Avoid UV rays (and wrinkles) and instead, massage a small amount of this bronzer into the skin. “It provides that perfect touch of warmth without makeup.”…

BACKSTAGE AT THE TOP-SECRET rehearsals for the biggest gig in American showbiz, in a large, stuffy room marked “Wardrobe,” a dozen or so half-naked female dancers wriggle into candy-colored, body-hugging costumes and pull on matching socks and sneakers. At the center of the action is Katy Perry, lying belly-down on a massage table with one bare leg poking out from under a blanket — simultaneously getting treatment for a bad hamstring and giving notes on her dancers’ and bandmembers’ costumes. “It’s obscene, I know,” Perry says, referring to her elaborate multitasking. “But it’s not because I’m a diva!” It’s hard to argue with her — after all, she’s a busy woman. In less than two weeks, on Feb. 1, Perry will take the stage at Super Bowl XLIX’s halftime show,…

FOR MUCH OF THE LAST DECADE, IT HAS felt as though Icelandic warrior-sprite Bjork has placed greater value on innovation and experimentalism than on creating compelling, enjoyable music. It’s a trend that began with 2004’s Medulla, with its a cappella construction and single-minded focus; it continued with 2007’s Volta and 2011’s Biophilia, albums that positioned themselves at the vanguard with omnivorous energy and cutting-edge rollouts. (The latter was billed as the first “app album.”) These records contained offered occasional glimpses of the genius that characterized her first decade, but mostly suffered: They were formless, taken with gimmickry and at turns cold and impenetrable. That has changed with Vulnicura, her ninth studio album and her finest since 2001’s masterful Vespertine. In many ways, Vulnicura, which Bjork seemingly rush-released days after it…

PRODUCER Graham Walsh LABEL Jagjaguwar RELEASE DATE Jan. 20 How does a young quartet from Calgary, Alberta, end up sounding distinctly like an early-’80s U.K. post-punk group, along the lines of Josef K or The Fire Engines? It’s hard to say, but that’s exactly what happens on the debut full-length from Viet Cong, which hews a similar mash of towering guitar arpeggios, jumpy rhythms, echo-drenched vocals and insistent hooks that shine through the dense racket and odd song structures. The band features vocalist-bassist Matt Flegel and drummer Matt Wallace, both formerly of the art-rock group Women, which went on hiatus after a dramatic onstage fistfight between Flegel and his guitarist brother Pat, and split for good once singer-guitarist Christopher Reimer died of complications from a heart condition in 2012. Viet…

GIORGIO MORODER FEATURING KYLIE MINOGUE “RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW” RCA At 74, Moroder is still crafting opulent dance productions. His collaboration with Minogue lacks the heart-stopping hooks of his greatest disco achievements, but still sparks movement with robotic synths that sound inspired by his recent work with Daft Punk. KANYE WEST AND PAUL McCARTNEY “FOURFIVESECONDS” ROC NATION Rihanna embraces a new sound on a stripped-down folk-pop track where she pairs with West and Sir Paul. The acoustic delivery amplifies her voice’s vulnerability while West remains unapologetic, singing, “They want to buy my pride/But that just ain’t up for sale.” ZAC BROWN BAND “HOMEGROWN” BIG MACHINE/REPUBLIC The message of “Homegrown” is plain enough: Who needs to be bothered by life’s complexities when one has good friends, a “good-looking woman” and a…

Despite an 8 percent drop in activity, Taylor Swift returns to the top of the Billboard Artist 100 (2-1), logging a record-extending 14th week at the summit (dating to the chart’s July 2014 inception). She fends off Fall Out Boy, which vaults 10-2 (marking a new peak), powered by the arrival of its album American Beauty/American Psycho. The band roars by 207 percent in overall Artist 100 points, with 80 percent of its total from album purchases, as the new set bows at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with 192,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen Music. Meanwhile, Flo Rida (above) reaches the Artist 100 for the first time, debuting at No. 93 on the strength of his single “G.D.F.R.” (featuring Sage the Gemini and Lookas). Digital Songs sales account…

Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, which debuts at No. 28 on the Billboard 200, is Belle & Sebastian’s danciest album yet. What inspired that? This is probably the least conscious record the band has ever written. I think that was good, in a way, because we got in the room and everybody was bringing in songs and ideas. We just went at it without really thinking about it too much. The songs are much more upbeat, but you’re still considered the poster boys for sensitive indie rockers. Do you think that’s fair? Am I the last man standing? (Laughs.) I’m Head Honcho Wallflower No. 1. If you’re going to make any sort of public statement, like release a record, then you have to be prepared for labels. I’ve got…

Teen duo Jack & Jack (below) log a No. 6 bow on the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks chart with “Like That,” which features newcomer Skate. The song’s music video prompts the high arrival as the official YouTube clip collected 642,000 U.S. views for the week ending Jan. 25, according to Nielsen Music. “Like” scored a lot of love on the real-time Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 tally, where it topped the list on Jan. 22 and 25. Meanwhile, atop Top Tracks, 5 Seconds of Summer re-enters with “Amnesia,” its fifth nonconsecutive leading week. The return comes courtesy of Vevo’s Australian arm, which tweeted Jan. 22 that “Amnesia” was halfway to the milestone 100 million view count, otherwise known as Vevo Certified. The announcement spurred the 5SOS fan base into…

Sleater-Kinney (above) scores its highest rank on the Billboard 200 (No. 18) and starts at No. 4 on Top Rock Albums with its eighth full-length album, and first in nearly 10 years, No Cities to Love. The influential punk trio, formed in 1994, also logs its best sales week: 28,000 units, according to Nielsen Music. The new title also begins at No. 2 on Vinyl Albums with 7,000 vinyl copies sold, accounting for 25 percent of its total sales. The act’s previous best-seller and prior release, 2005’s The Woods, opened at No. 80 on the Billboard 200 with 15,000 sold. Borns’ “Electric Love” debuts at No. 8 on Rock Digital Songs and reenters Hot Rock Songs at No. 13, fueled by a 1,456 percent boom to 15,000 downloads sold. The…

Jason Nelson scores his first No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums (and his second-largest sales week) with sophomore album Jesus Revealed, which arrives with 5,000 copies sold in the week ending Jan. 25, according to Nielsen Music. He posted his previous best rank and biggest weekly sum with his debut release, Shifting the Atmosphere, which bowed and peaked at No. 3 with 6,000 copies on the June 9, 2012 list. Concurrently, Nelson holds for a second week atop the Gospel Airplay chart (see Billboard.com/biz) with “I Am,” the lead single from Jesus Revealed and his first solo leader on the chart. He spent 11 weeks atop Gospel Airplay two years ago as a featured singer on Israel Houghton’s “It’s Not Over.” On Hot Gospel Songs, “I Am” bullets for a…

23 Years Ago GEORGE MICHAEL AND ELTON JOHN ROSE TO NO. 1 Their chart-topping concert recording of the piano man’s 1974 hit “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” book ended an acrimonious seven-year feud THE SIGNATURE MOMENT OF ELTON JOHN AND GEORGE Michael’s 1991 live recording “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” can be heard halfway through the song when Michael dramatically announces to the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen ... Mr. Elton John!” The audience’s wild cheers nearly drown out the performance, foreshadowing the success of the single, which was released in late 1991 to benefit 10 charities. On Feb. 1, 1992, the track rose from No. 3 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing the performance of John’s original studio version, which peaked…

JUST MONTHS SHY OF THE 10-YEAR anniversary of The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey and Antonio “L.A.” Reid are prepping another kind of comeback. According to multiple sources, the 45-year-old singer is returning to Sony Music through Epic Records, where Reid has served as chairman since 2011. A nearly finalized multi-album deal would see Carey’s first new material through the label since 1999’s Rainbow, beginning with a greatest-hits set to coincide with her upcoming residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Dubbed “#1’s,” the concert series booked by Creative Artists Agency begins May 6 and will include all 18 of Carey’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers, from 1990’s “Vision of Love” to 2008’s “Touch My Body.” (An Epic representative declined to comment.) Although Carey left Sony on tumultuous…

ARGUMENTS OVER MICROSCOPIC differences in font size may seem petty, but the dimensions and placement of an artist’s name on a music-festival poster is a matter of extreme importance — and, often, intense negotiation — to the talent buyers, artists and agents who represent them. Though not all admit it, many agents rank billing just below fees and time slots as a deal point. “When you list 50 acts, who goes before who can be a big issue, especially if there are bands who have history,” says one concert-industry insider. “It’s a little like dodgeball in grade school, where you don’t want to be last.” The frequent result, according to Jordan Wolowitz, partner in Governors Ball/Farmborough producer Founders Entertainment, is this: “The poster comes out, the artist complains to the…

Although Lady Gaga wasn’t at Sundance, the singer helped launch The Hunting Ground, a documentary about college campus sexual assaults, by announcing on Twitter that her song “Till It Happens to You” soundtracks the film’s end credits. Written with Diane Warren, who left the Park City festival early due to a bout of laryngitis, the track comes just weeks after Gaga herself revealed she had been raped when she was 19. Warren says Gaga “brought some really cool stuff to the [song] — she sounds amazing on it.” Gaga’s “Swine” also is featured in the film, which opens March 20. At a WWE-sponsored dinner, actor Ken Jeong told Billboard he will make his songwriting debut in Killing Hasselhoff, a film produced by the network that is slated for a festival…

Billboard’s WinterFest PARK CITY, UTAH, JAN. 22-31 “I CAN TELL I’M NOT IN NEW YORK or L.A. right now because those crowds just fold their arms and nod their heads,” rising rapper Hoodie Allen, 26, told the audience at Park City Live halfway through his set for night three of Billboard’s 10-day WinterFest concert series at Sundance, presented by Citi. True to Allen’s observation, WinterFest’s first four concerts from headliners B.o.B, Skrillex, Iggy Azalea and Diplo made sure the rowdy Utah locals could bring out the fun side of the industry crowd, with Skrillex, 27, shouting, “Who came here to party and not watch any damn movies?” and admonishing one balcony bro with “I see you, dude, on your cellphone texting!” before amping the crowd with selections from his forthcoming…

‘Big Grams’ Update Outkast’s Big Boi and Phantogram’s Josh Carter have been talking for some time now about their collaboration on a record called Big Grams and, according to Carter, the work continues. “I’m doing a lot of the production,” he says, adding that one thing he likes about recording with Big Boi is “there’s no formula or barrier with how we work. We’re just letting things flow.” Queen Latifah Plays Bisexual ‘Empress’ Does Queen Latifah enjoy toying with media interest in her sexual orientation? At the 2014 Grammy Awards, she officiated a mass wedding with gay and straight couples during Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ performance of “Same Love.” This spring, she’s starring in and executiveproducing HBO biopic Bessie about “The Empress of the Blues”Bessie Smith, whose bisexuality was an…

Meghan Trainor’s inaugural LP, Title, which debuted at No. 1 on the Jan. 24 Billboard 200 with sales of 195,000 copies (according to Nielsen Music), put a big Happy New Year exclamation point on the 21-year-old singer-songwriter’s breakthrough in 2014. But the album also set up the third act in the unlikely career of Kevin Kadish, 43, the writer-producer behind 11 of Title’s 14 tracks, including the singles “All About That Bass” and “Lips Are Movin’.” “I figured out a long time ago,” says Kadish, “that sometimes what you want to be isn’t always what you’re meant to be.” Originally a front-line artist signed to a then-indie Republic in 1998, Kadish toured with Vertical Horizon and SR-71 in support of an album that never arrived. Five years later, he reinvented…

From top: DELFINA DELETTREZ Detaille Unique necklace, $1,600; matchesfashion.com. JENNIFER FISHER brass ball choker, $350, and brass Jennifer Fisher x Stop It Right Now choker, $375; jenniferfisherjewelry.com. VALENTINA KOVA Amazon necklace, $2,208; available at Urban Flower Grange Hall, 214-443-0600. GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI DESIGN gold jewel-encrusted elephant necklace, $1,795; giuseppezanottidesign.com. DAVID YURMAN Hampton cable necklace in 18K yellow gold, $27,000; davidyurman.com. EDDIE BORGO rectangle estate necklace, $600; available at Bergdorf Goodman, 212-872.8901. JESSIE J The “Bang Bang” hitmaker’s simple choker made the cut at Logo TV’s NewNowNext Awards in December. RIHANNA The singer’s Giuseppe Zanotti sparkler made a statement at the 2014 British Fashion Awards. ZOE KRAVITZ Lolawolf’s frontwoman wore a Dior necklace at the Guggenheim International Gala in November.…

1 Pin sections of damp hair away from the neck and forehead. Use clippers to buzz the hair just above the ears, along the skull bone and down the neck to one-eighth to one-quarter-inch long. 2 Unclip top section of hair and cut the ends to create a bowl shape around the head. There should be some weight in the line to add definition. 3 Part hair on the side and cut front sections short to long so that it swings across the face. After blow-drying, finish with Fatboy Perfect Putty to create separation and shine ($21; fatboyhair.com).…

The search for the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show began last May. That’s when Sarah Moll, the NFL’s senior manager of TV programming and acquisitions, and Ricky Kirshner, who has executive-produced the halftime show since The Who headlined in 2010, flew to catch Katy Perry’s Prismatic tour stop in Nottingham, England. “What I loved about Katy is she’s able to treat everyone in the audience like she’s talking directly to them, which is hard to do,” Moll says. “She deserves a lot of credit for being so involved in every part of the product she puts out there.” After Moll recommended Perry to her bosses and official halftime sponsor Pepsi, the NFL reached out to the performer last August, before the NFL kicked off its season on Sept. 4. Around…

HITS THE DECEMBERISTS SING YOUTUBE COMMENTS, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! (JAN. 22) Instead of plugging its new album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, the iconoclastic indie folk-rock band got laughs and modest viral love for putting music to YouTube video comments about Kim Kardashian and kittens. TESS HENLEY, “POSITIVELY ME,” JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! (JAN. 21) This was Henley’s national TV debut, so the Kent, Wash., singer-songwriter’s gawky stage moves were forgivable — even endearing. Most importantly, her sunny, soulful voice hit all the right notes on this upbeat 1970s-style R&B number. RAE SREMMURD, “NO TYPE,” CONAN (JAN. 22) Southern brothers Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown, 19, and Aaquil “Slim Jxmmi” Brown, 21, brought a coiled energy to their performance, which sounded like hip-hop MGMT. Extra points: Swae Lee brought…

PRODUCER Aaron Dessner LABEL Descendent Records RELEASE DATE Jan. 27 SELF-PROFESSED “BROOKLYN COUNTRY” evangelists The Lone Bellow arrived on the scene in 2013 with a rootsy self-titled debut. With harmonies borrowed from Fleetwood Mac and gravitas borrowed from The Band, it was instantly lumped in with groups like Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers and Edward Sharpe. The comparison wasn’t entirely unfair: The Lone Bellow’s music has that same shambolic, shopworn feel to it, plus all these groups dress like extras from There Will Be Blood (seriously, enough with the suspenders and moustache wax). But The Lone Bellow deserves a closer look. As evidenced by its second album, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, the band’s record collections are deeper, and its songcraft subtler. Opener “Then Came the Morning” is an…

NUMBER: FALL OUT BOY RISE UP The band earns its third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as American Beauty/American Psycho arrives atop the tally. The Island Records release, which arrived Jan. 20, sold 218,000 equivalent-album units in the week ending Jan. 25, according to Nielsen Music. 192k American Beauty/American Psycho’s launch was powered by 192,000 in pure album sales — the group’s second-best sales week ever, and largest since 2007. That year, the quartet’s Infinity On High became its first No. 1 when it opened in the penthouse with a career-high 260,000. 10 The new album’s lead single, “Centuries,” concurrently climbs 12-10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (see page 3), making it the group’s fourth top 10, and first since 2007’s “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms…

James Newton Howard’s unlikely single “The Hanging Tree,” featuring Jennifer Lawrence, is now a top 10 airplay hit as it climbs 11-10 on Mainstream Top 40 (see page 63). The radio fortunes of the somber cut — from the Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 soundtrack (No. 38 on the Billboard 200) — were enhanced by an uptempo EDM-friendly Rebel Remix (by Jared Piccone, aka Spacebrother). The original song’s music was written by Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers (above), and its lyrics were by Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins. It was the second time The Lumineers had contributed to a Hunger Games soundtrack, following “Gale Song” for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013. Schultz tells Billboard that Francis Lawrence (the director of Mockingjay and Catching Fire) explained…

The Now 52 compilation steps past the half-million sales mark, as the nothing-but-the-hits album sold another 9,000 copies in the week ending Jan. 25, according to Nielsen Music. It is the 54th album in the Now That’s What I Call Music! series to sell more than 500,000 copies. Now 52’s to-date total rises to 502,000, and the set slips 22-31 on Top Album Sales and 1-2 on Compilation Albums (see chart, below). On the latter tally, it is displaced by the new 2015 Grammy Nominees album. Its sales are a marked improvement over the so-far sum of Now 51, which has tallied 405,000. The title before that, Now 50, has moved 704,000. That milestone title is the biggest seller in the series since Now 44 (792,000), which arrived in November…

Once again, baby-related news shared across social media sparks interest in Shakira (above), who is expecting her second child with Gerard Pique. On Jan. 19, the Latin-pop star took to Facebook to share about the couple’s involvement with a “World Baby Shower” UNICEF charity campaign, duplicating the efforts the pair made with UNICEF for their first child, Milan. That movement pushed Shakira to No. 1 on the Social 50 for the first time in February 2013. The new campaign and buzz propels her 24-8, returning her to the top 10 for the first time in six months. Shakira added 750,000 new followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and scored a 60 percent rise in weekly reactions on Twitter during the tracking week. With the pending birth (as of press time)…

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums greets two new rap releases entering at Nos. 1 and 2. Topping the ranking is Brooklyn-based rapper Joey Badass with his first studio set, B4.Da.$$. It sold 54,000 copies in its first week (ending Jan. 25), according to Nielsen Music. It’s the second showing on the list since his EP Summer Knights spent a week at No. 48 in 2013. The 20-year-old MC leads the New York hip-hop collective Pro Era, which also includes fellow rappers CJ Fly and Kirk Knight, among other musical and multimedia artists. Meanwhile, Lupe Fiasco (above) takes No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with Tetsuo & Youth (39,000 units). The set marks the rapper’s fifth charting title, and fifth consecutive top five debut, following Food & Liquor ll: The Great American Rap…

Above & Beyond (above) banks its first Top Dance/Electronic Albums No. 1 — and best career sales week — as We Are All We Need starts with 14,000 units, according to Nielsen Music. The sum easily bests the English trio’s previous top sales frame of 5,000, established with its stripped-down non-dance set, Acoustic, in February 2014. The group has charted 10 titles on Top Dance/Electronic Albums, with its prior best rank being No. 4 with Group Therapy in June 2011. Also achieving his best career sales week and highest chart position is Hardwell, with United We Are (No. 2; 5,000). It’s the third top 10 for the Dutch DJ, who previously sold no more than 2,000 units in a single week. A week after topping Dance Club Songs, Mark Ronson…

Long before social media became a required weapon in a pop star’s arsenal, TLC was closer to its audience than most acts — the trio included thousands of fans’ names on a pull-out poster inside of its third album, 1999’s FanMail. So when TLC turned to Kickstarter to fund its fifth and final album, it was no surprise that the group reached its $150,000 goal in just three days, collecting nearly $235,000 by Jan. 28 (led by a $5,000 contribution from Katy Perry). But that’s just the beginning of the journey. TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, 43, and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, 44, are seeking songwriters and producers, and although few details are set, veteran producer/label executive Ron Fair — most recently Virgin’s chief creative officer — has signed on as executive…

Anheuser-Busch long has been the largest sponsor of the Super Bowl — TV’s perennial most-watched event of the year, with a record 111.5 million viewers in 2014, according to Nielsen — and it has prepared more than three minutes of collective ad time for the 2015 game, on which it’s spending upward of $18 million. Budweiser vp marketing Brian Perkins talks about what goes into the most high-pressure TV advertising of the year. How do you choose the songs for Budweiser’s Super Bowl ads? In a spot like “Lost Dog,” the music is pivotal to telling an engaging story. We reviewed countless songs before deciding on Sleeping at Last’s cover of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” As a familiar song with a slower, more emotional tone, it spoke…

You know how some moments are burned into your psyche like an eternal Technicolor snapshot? I was a 17-year-old Sunset Strip newbie back in that dreamy molten year of 1966, wandering in my vintage velvets like a fawn in Caddy headlights, traipsing toward that mystic mecca: Ben Frank’s Coffee Shop. I was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, almost ready for the multitude of temptations headed my way, when I noticed a small crowd gathered around a very short fellow with perfect bangs and an extremely tall praying mantis of a man, all angles, teeth and bravado, spewing vivid commentary to the hippie throng. Intrigued and caught up, despite my shyness, I edged into the colorful fray and tried to look as if I hadn’t just arrived on the scene. Within seconds, the…

IT’S NOON ON A THURSDAY AND THE FIVE members of Fifth Harmony are destroying a half-dozen bags of Mexican takeout. The girl group earned it, working up a sweat with its choreographer at a dance studio in North Hollywood. Both in rehearsal and out, the members are a whirlwind of hair, giggles and shouts. “They have a lot of energy,” their instructor says with a wink. A small mountain of luggage is stacked by the door, and outside, a couple of black SUV limos wait to ferry the quintet away to the airport. The former X Factor stars’ three-person management crew hovers over laptops and smartphones in the break room, buzzing about scheduling and travel plans. “You know that saying, ‘It takes a village?’ ” asks Fifth Harmony’s Camila Cabello,…

URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM Beyoncé, Beyoncé 52% Pharrell Williams, Girl 33% Jhene Aiko, Sail Out 5% Chris Brown, X 5% Mali Music, Mali Is... 5% RAP ALBUM Iggy Azalea, The New Classic 23% Common, Nobody’s Smiling 18% Schoolboy Q, Oxymoron 18% Wiz Khalifa, Blacc Hollywood 18% Childish Gambino, Because the Internet 13% Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 10% ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM St. Vincent, St. Vincent 50% Alt-J, This Is All Yours 18% Cage the Elephant, Melophobia 14% Arcade Fire, Reflektor 14% Jack White, Lazaretto 4% COUNTRY ALBUM Eric Church, The Outsiders 30% Dierks Bentley, Riser 25% Miranda Lambert, Platinum 25% Lee Ann Womack, The Way I’m Livin’ 15% Brandy Clark, 12 Stories 5% POP VOCAL ALBUM Katy Perry, Prism 26% Sam Smith, In the Lonely Hour 26% Miley Cyrus, Bangerz…

“Pizza is not part of my new diet. Sorry ... I blacked out. I don’t remember.” —LADY GAGA The pop star, apologizing to her trainer in an Instagram picture of her posing with a pizza slice, posted the day after throwing a bachelorette party for a high school pal. “That performance was just going to stop me from crying.” —ASAP ROCKY The rapper to Billboard, following a show at the Sundance Film Festival days after the sudden death of his ASAP Mob crewmate Steven “ASAP Yams” Rodriguez. “Oh my god what am I doing with my life?” —EL-P The Run the Jewels producer-rapper, captioning an Instagram video showing him working on beats for Meow the Jewels, a Kickstarterfunded joke-remix album entirely composed of cat sounds. “Are we dysfunctional? Yes.” —TOM…

HIP-HOP COMES FROM THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN this country — and in that experience we use clothing, graffiti, dance, music and hair to reinvent ourselves,” says 38-year-old celebrity barber and image consultant Ibn Jasper. For nearly two decades the Chicago native has been behind the constant reinvention of Kanye West’s hair: Keith Haring-inspired motifs, ornate squiggles, as well as manicured mullets that can take between 45 minutes and two hours to execute. The two met when West was 18 and Jasper had just finished barber school. He drew inspiration for early hair designs from the skateboarding world (Jasper almost went pro even though he says it was seen as an “outcast activity” within the hip-hop community at the time). “I used to draw the graphic art beneath the boards, so…

2014 Pharrell Williams The producer’s vintage Vivienne Westwood topper went viral, spawning its own Twitter handle (with more than 19,500 followers). 2012 Nicki Minaj The rapper channeled monastic vestments in a satin, scarlet Versace cloak accessorized with matching gloves and a pope impersonator. 2010 Lady Gaga Iridescent rhinestones spiraled around Gaga’s custom Armani prive dress — the first of three over-the-top looks worn that night. 2009 M.I.A. Not even her baby’s due date (that day!) could stop the artist from hitting the carpet. She eschewed maternity wear for a mesh Henry Holland dress and Reeboks. 2000 Jennifer Lopez Looking like it would blow open at any moment, the silk chiffon Versace gown that goes down (way down) in red carpet history was fastened by a citrine-studded broach — and no…

WHEN CLIVE DAVIS FORMED ARISTA RECORDS IN 1973, THE LABEL lacked the renown of its competitors. To level the playing field and heighten Arista’s profile during Grammy season, Davis used not just his business acumen, but his love of showbiz — and the spotlight — to promote his new venture. Clive’s annual Grammy party, held on the Saturday night before the awards in five-star hotel ballrooms, became the industry’s most exclusive and storied bash. The Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-Grammy Gala, as it’s now officially known, turns even the most jaded A-lister into a gushing fan, packed with breakthrough performances and intimate sets from Hall of Famers. When the music stops, top executives get to clink Champagne glasses with a dizzying array of stars and moguls culled from Hollywood,…

PRODUCER Jessica Pratt LABEL Drag City RELEASE DATE Jan. 27 IT’S EASY TO FIX SAN FRANCISCO SINGER-songwriter Jessica Pratt with trendy, obscure labels. Lo-fi/garage-rock vet Tim Presley launched Birth Records just to release the then-5-year-old songs on Pratt’s acclaimed eponymous 2012 debut. Her voice’s delicate, nasal quaver brings to mind Joanna Newsom’s so-called freak-folk and forgotten acid-folkie Linda Perhacs (both, not coincidentally, hail from San Francisco as well). But On Your Own Love Again, Pratt’s exquisite second LP, both reinforces the 27-year-old’s place in the folk tradition and sets her apart as an exceptional songwriter who is a master of nuance and minutiae. Pratt’s signature sibilance is again enhanced by home-grown tape hiss, but this album is in sharper focus than her debut, as though dust has been wiped from…

All was going according to plan for the October 2013 release of Diana Krall’s Wallflower (Verve), featuring songs by Bob Dylan, Elton John and more — until pneumonia struck. After pushing the LP to Feb. 3 and canceling her U.S. tour, Krall is (mostly) recovered and ready to pick up where she left off. How did you deal with getting sick? I was sick for five months. I had no idea it would be that long. I thought I would get better, and then I couldn’t do anything — I had to cancel everything. I’m just getting back to normal. How did Paul McCartney’s “If I Take You Home Tonight” end up here? The day after Hurricane Sandy we did a rough, but it didn’t fit on [his 2012 LP…

WILL THE GRAMMYS PUSH SAM SMITH’S In the Lonely Hour to the top of the Billboard 200? The singer is nominated for six trophies at this year’s awards on Feb. 8, including an album of the year nod for In the Lonely Hour, which so far has peaked at No. 2. He’s up for all of the “big four” general field categories — a rare feat, and one that indicates he has plenty of momentum going into the ceremony. In Grammy history, there have been just four album of the year winners that first hit No. 1 after their award coronations. Smith’s album could join that elite club, as In the Lonely Hour debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the July 5, 2014 chart, stuck behind Lana Del Rey’s…

Less than a week after Bjork (above) announced her new album, Vulnicura, on Jan. 13, the set leaked online a week later, prompting the singer to rush-release the effort as a download on Jan. 20. That was months before its original release date in March. Perhaps the publicity surrounding the leak and the accelerated release helped spur sales for the set, which enters at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 with slightly more than 23,000 album-equivalent units, and at No. 15 on Top Album Sales with 23,000 sold. It’s a stronger start than Bjork’s last studio effort, 2011’s Biophilia, which launched at No. 27 on the Billboard 200 with 15,000 sold in its first week. Vulnicura, which Bjork describes on her website as a “complete heartbreak album,” will be released…

After crafting a string of hits for One Direction, singer-songwriter Jamie Scott arrives at No. 3 on Heatseekers Albums with his first solo album, My Hurricane. It sold slightly more than 3,000 copies in the week ending Jan. 25, according to Nielsen Music. Scott co-wrote songs on each of One Direction’s first four albums (all of which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200), including the top 40 Billboard Hot 100 singles “Story of My Life,” “Midnight Memories” and “Night Changes.” While My Hurricane gives Scott his first chart entry as a solo artist, he previously visited a few tallies as half of the (currently on hiatus) pop-rock duo Graffiti6. The pair (Scott and Tommy Danvers) reached No. 85 on the Billboard 200 in 2012 with Colours, and notched…

Luke Bryan (above) banks his fourth Hot Country Songs leader from his 2013 album Crash My Party as “I See You” rises 2-1. The set yielded its first No. 1 with second single “That’s My Kind of Night,” which led for 12 weeks beginning Aug. 31, 2013. “Play It Again” (nine weeks) and “Drink a Beer” (five) followed in 2014. (The album’s title track/lead single reached No. 2; fifth single “Roller Coaster” climbed to No. 5.) Bryan has scored nine No. 1s overall. Crash My Party is the first album to generate four No. 1s since Zac Brown Band’s You Get What You Give in 2010 and 2011. The most Hot Country Songs No. 1s that were ever spawned from an album is five. It was first accomplished by Rodney…

Colombian rocker Juanes returns to Hot Latin Songs with his 26th hit as “Juntos (Together)” is the top debut at No. 30. The song was recorded for Disney’s new film McFarland, USA (out Feb. 20), and is accompanied by a music video shot by the movie’s director Niki Caro. Selling 3,000 downloads in the week ending Jan. 25, according to Nielsen Music, the track enters Latin Digital Songs at No. 3 (Juanes’ highest debut since the chart’s inception in 2010). “Juntos” takes Greatest Gainer honors on Latin Airplay, where it arrives at No. 38 (3.1 million audience impressions). Meanwhile, rising salsa singer Yanfourd earns his second Tropical Airplay No. 1 as “Traicion” rises 20 percent at the plays-based format, hopping 4-1. The Dominican artist notched his first crowning track when…

Michael Buble (above) rises to No. 2 on the Boxscore chart based on ticket sales from two shows in December during his To Be Loved Tour’s final trek through Europe. Two concerts at London’s O2 Arena on Dec. 15 and 16 brought the tour full circle, returning it to where the trek began in the summer of 2013. The Canadian crooner kicked off his tour with a run of 10 shows in London, the first stop on a world tour that will have spanned 21 months by the time it wraps in March. With 12 performances at the O2, Buble joins a short list of touring artists who have performed 10 shows or more at the arena during a single tour. Topping that list is Prince with his run of…