Innholdsfortegnelse for November 10, 2018 i Billboard Magazine

A chatbot recently began asking fans who visit Migos’ Facebook page, “Yo. Wanna chat with migos?” By clicking “YESSIR,” marked with a fire emoji, instead of “Nah,” the bot responds: “Cool I’ll keep you updated,” and invites fans to browse upcoming shows, shop, stream music or watch videos. The hip-hop trio is one of more than 100 major acts who have launched such bots on Facebook Messenger through a Los Angeles-based startup called Stashimi. It caters to artists who have millions of social media followers but haven’t figured out who they are or how to talk to them, let alone monetize them, with social media companies guarding such data tightly. “Why should artists speak to every fan the same way?” says Stashimi CMO Kosta Elchev. To engage fans and…

LEE ZEIDMAN HAS BEEN running AEG’s Staples Center since it opened in 1999 — and the evidence blankets every inch of wall in the 63-year-old Detroit native’s corner office. There are gifts from the star athletes and musicians who played the arena and mementos from every awards show that L.A. Live — the entertainment district surrounding the arena — has hosted, including the Grammys, the Emmys, the American Music Awards and ESPN’s ESPY Awards. But while the room celebrates Zeidman’s run atop the world of sports and entertainment, the office is also at the epicenter of one of the biggest construction booms in downtown L.A.’s history. The $6 billion development in the surrounding neighborhood includes an AEG-backed, 875-room hotel that will anchor an upgrade for L.A.’s AEG managed convention…

THE PAST MONTHS HAVE BEEN a trying time for Clean Bandit. The British dance-pop trio, one of music’s most unassumingly successful singles acts, has been hard at work completing its much delayed second album, What Is Love?, featuring 24 guest vocalists — among them Marina and Luis Fonsi (“Baby”), and Ellie Goulding — across 16 tracks. It means that the bandmembers have spent more time in the studio than might have been necessary, bending their schedules to those of their collaborators. Today, in southwest London, the three multi-instrumentalist members — Grace Chatto, 32, and brothers Jack and Luke Patterson, 32 and 26, respectively — exchange a complicit look. It’s unclear which of them sighs first. “There was a time, just recently, actually, when each of us quit,” admits Jack.…

ASK BILLBOARD ANYTHING Quite possibly. At 11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, Grande surprise-released “Thank U, Next,” which, she revealed on Twitter, is the title track to her upcoming album. Grande’s last full-length, the Billboard 200-topping Sweetener, arrived less than four months earlier, and while the LP’s singles — “No Tears Left to Cry,” “God Is a Woman” and “Breathin” — are all still performing well (“God Is a Woman” reached No. 1, and “Breathin” is No. 9 on the Mainstream Top 40 tally — see page 7), “Thank U, Next” surpassed them all in first-day streams on Apple Music. The song — on which Grande thanks her exes, from Pete Davidson to Mac Miller —became the first pop song to reach No. 1 on Apple Music’s Top 100…

Composer Ennio Morricone is celebrating his 90th birthday on Nov. 10, and he has been nothing but prolific as of late. He won his second Oscar at 87 for scoring Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, and is currently on The 60 Years of Music Tour of Europe, which runs through late January 2019. While his work for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is considered some of the best music ever written for film, it’s just one small part of the more than 500 film and TV works he has composed, as well as 100 pieces in his classical music canon. Just shy of entering his 10th decade, Morricone shares some knowledge from real-life experiences. Combating writer’s block “In order to overcome this challenge, everything depends on the…

Spooky Spikes With Halloween (Oct. 31) falling on a Wednesday in 2018, the Nov. 10 charts reflect a robust amount of impact from the holiday in the tracking week ending Nov. 1. On the Billboard 200, an obvious beneficiary of the spooky holiday is Michael Jackson’s former No. 1 Thriller, which bolts up the list 102-42 with 14,000 equivalent album units earned (up 83 percent). Most of its gain is owed to streaming, thanks in large part to the popularity of the title track. Thriller hasn’t been this high on the chart since Sept. 15, 1984, when it placed at No. 39. (Thriller was on the chart from its debut on Dec. 25, 1982, through April 20, 1985. Afterward, due to Thriller’s age, it was ineligible to chart until…

Turner’s Savior Debuts I Serve a Savior, the first faith-based set from Josh Turner (above), bows at No. 2 on Top Country Albums with 15,000 equivalent album units, according to Nielsen Music, marking his eighth top 10. It also arrives at No. 2 on Top Christian Albums, where he makes his first appearance. “I’m floored. God is good,” Turner tells Billboard. “I had no expectations going into this project, other than to make a record I was proud to share. I want [listeners] to feel some hope and joy that maybe they’ve never experienced before, even if they don’t understand where it’s coming from exactly.” Maren Morris earns her fourth Hot Country Songs top 10 as “Rich” rises 11-10. It gains by 5 percent to 30.7 million audience impressions…

Maluma Leads; Draco Returns As Maluma’s “Mala Mia” climbs 7-1 on Latin Airplay (14.9 million audience impressions in the week ending Nov. 4, up 54 percent, according to Nielsen Music), the track also jumps 9-1 on Latin Pop Airplay and 6-1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay. It’s the second time in 2018 that Maluma has led all three lists at once, after “Clandestino” (with Shakira) hit No. 1 on Sept. 29. “Mala Mia” marks Maluma’s 11th No. 1 on Latin Airplay and his fifth of 2018. On Hot Latin Songs, the track rises 17-9, becoming his 10th top 10. Maluma continues to make waves in the top 10 on Latin Airplay as his collaboration with Reik, “Amigos Con Derechos,” ascends 12-9 (9.3 million audience, up 15 percent). It’s the 12th…

Robyn’s Sweet Start Swedish singer Robyn (above) rockets in at No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums with Honey, earning 15,000 equivalent album units, according to Nielsen Music. With 11,000 from traditional album sales, Robyn scores her second best pure sales week, following the slightly higher opening sum of 2010’s Body Talk, her last full-length before Honey. The new set, which also tops Dance/Electronic Album Sales, is Robyn’s third No. 1 — and first leading LP — on Top Dance/Electronic Albums, following the EPs Do It Again and Love Is Free in 2014-15. Four Honey tracks have hit Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, including lead single “Missing U” (No. 18 in August) and the title track (a re-entry at No. 26, a new peak). Also on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Steve Aoki achieves…

This fall, A Bowie Celebration: The David Bowie Alumni Tour announced its first European dates while making its second round through the United States without its namesake, with cameos by stars like Sting. This fall also saw the launch of 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince, curated by Tonight Show bandleader Questlove. The instrumental renditions of the late pop star’s hits have been inspiring audiencewide singalongs. “Aside from when I toured with [Bowie], it’s the busiest I’ve ever been,” says Bowie Alumni bandleader Mike Garson. The artistless shows are tricky to market — sometimes requiring repeat visits to cities before fans buy in — and pull in a fraction of the seven figures they did when their star honorees were alive and onstage; the Bowie tour’s 2017 date at…

THE MUSIC BUSINESS MAY HAVE A new go-to benefit organizer on its hands: music manager Jeffrey Azoff. Earlier in 2018, Azoff learned that the 12-year-old son of entertainment lawyer Doug Mark, Tommy, had died in his sleep in April due to heart problems. Azoff didn’t know the family himself, but Mark had once worked for his father and business partner, Irving Azoff. So two months ago, when Mark reached out, he sprang into action to launch a fundraiser for a memorial soccer field in the young athlete’s honor. “The fact that [the Marks] are willing to take something that is so tragic and make something amazing out of it, we were really moved by,” says Azoff. Azoff, Mark and Mark’s friend and client Benny Blanco quickly tapped their…

BHAD BHABIE “Playboy Style” CHATTO “We had been working on the song with Charli XCX, and she wrote all of those lyrics — the best on the album, I think. She recommended getting Bhad Bhabie in. She contacted [Bhabie] on Twitter, and that’s how the collaboration with her came together in Los Angeles.” SEAN PAUL “Rockabye” JACK PATTERSON “The song was almost finished when he came to the studio. He wrote his part about single moms in the booth. It was like watching a stalactite grow: a little line, a little droplet; then it freezes, but it’s malleable. By the end, it’s done, the song complete. That was amazing to watch.” DEMI LOVATO “Solo” CHATTO “We were in London and we sent it to her; she…

WHEN “HAPPIER” REACHED ITS CURRENT PEAK OF NO. 3 ON THE BILLBOARD Hot 100, DJ-producer Marshmello and British band Bastille both hit new career highs: The former made his top five debut, while the latter made its first return to the Hot 100 since 2013 breakthrough single “Pompeii” (No. 5). Since its Aug. 17 release, the dance-rock track has been propelled by a robust combination of streaming (No. 2 on Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs), sales (No. 4 on Digital Song Sales) and radio airplay (No. 5 on Radio Songs). But for Marshmello’s manager, Moe Shalizi, the song’s relatability is the biggest factor behind its rapid rise: “It just hits you in the feels immediately.” THE MANAGER Moe Shalizi “My colleague James Sandom, who manages Bastille, sent an email asking if…

No. 10 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart Love at first listen Before they connected romantically, they fell for each other’s music. “I listened to all of his songs,” recalls Shpresa Lleshaj, 25, of discovering Cole Randall’s music on SoundCloud in 2012 while living in her native Stockholm. “And he had a lot of them.” Randall, based at the time in Minneapolis and now 25, was equally transfixed by his new online pen pal. (The pair began exchanging messages after Lleshaj commented on Randall’s tracks.) “I felt like I’d uncovered this hidden gem,” he says of hearing her music. Hard work pays off The two met up in 2012 (Lleshaj flew to Minneapolis so they could write together), and got married in September 2013. They have since independently released several…

Strutting Into The Top 10 The Struts (above) debut at No. 7 on Emerging Artists as the English band’s sophomore LP, Young & Dangerous, arrives at No. 7 on Alternative Albums with 8,000 equivalent album units, according to Nielsen Music. The set’s “Body Talks” concurrently hits a new high on Alternative at No. 12. Billie Eilish returns to No. 1 on Emerging Artists for a second total week on top. Her new single, “When the Party’s Over,” jumps 43-32 on Streaming Songs, as it drew 14.8 million U.S. streams in the first full tracking week after the premiere of its official video. Plus, Yella Beezy bounds to the Emerging Artists top 10 (20-9) as his breakthrough hit, “That’s On Me,” gains by 33 percent to 11.7 million streams after…

Kanye Quits Politics (For Now) “My eyes are now wide open,” tweeted Kanye West (below) on Oct. 30, addressing rumors he had designed merchandise for conservative personality Candace Owens’ Blexit initiative. “And now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in.” The tweets were taken to indicate that West was removing himself from the world of politics, following weeks of controversy led chiefly by his outspoken support of President Donald Trump. West re-enters the Social 50 at No. 3, gathering 243,000 Twitter mentions in the week ending Nov. 1 (up 433 percent), according to Next Big Sound. While West used Twitter to distance himself from controversy, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B used social media to more deeply immerse themselves in it. The feuding rappers’ next…

Panic! Hits New ‘High’ Panic! at the Disco, led by frontman Brendon Urie (above), earns its first No. 1 on the Hot Rock Songs chart as “High Hopes,” the second single from the band’s Pray for the Wicked album, ascends 2-1. The track was the group’s first chart-topper on Rock Digital Song Sales a week earlier. “Hopes” is the top Airplay Gainer on Hot Rock Songs for a fifth week, up 26 percent to 71.3 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music, and drew 10.5 million U.S. streams and 20,000 sold. Marshmello and Bastille’s “Happier” jumps 3-1 on Alternative Songs, becoming Bastille’s first No. 1 on the list since the band’s debut hit in 2013, “Pompeii,” while masked DJ Marshmello crowns the chart in his first visit. “Happier” leads…

Cortez Back At No. 1 Zacardi Cortez (above) earns his third No. 1 on Gospel Airplay and first in over four years as “Oh How I Love You” lifts 2-1 in its 36th week, increasing by 4 percent in plays during the week ending Nov. 4, according to Nielsen Music. “Love” is Cortez’s first leader on the list since “1 on 1” ruled for five weeks beginning Feb. 1, 2014. Cortez first reigned as a featured artist, with Shawn McLemore, on James Fortune & FIYA’s 19-week No. 1, “I Believe,” in 2010 and 2011. Now, Fortune’s “Favor of God,” featuring Cortez — the former’s 12th Gospel Airplay top 10 and the latter’s sixth — returns to its No. 9 high. Chris Tomlin banks his 11th top 10 on Top…

Taylor Swift (above) closed out the North American leg of her Reputation Stadium Tour on top. She leads the Boxscore chart with a $15 million gross from a two-night engagement at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. Those two shows (Oct. 5-6) are representative of the mammoth growth for Swift from one tour to the next. Her first time playing the AT&T Stadium was on 2013’s Red Tour, where the then-country star grossed $4.6 million from 53,000 tickets sold from her one show at the venue. Upon her return for 2015’s 1989 World Tour, she grossed $7.4 million and sold 62,000 tickets (again at one single show). This time around, she sold out two nights at the venue (105,002 tickets) and raked…

Robert Earl Keen and Randy Rogers want to come clean about their fictional identities: They are the Stryker Brothers. After secretly collaborating on a 12-song album, Burn Band, which they released under the fake band name on Sept. 7, the Texan country stars tell Billboard they’re ready to take credit for the LP, a mix of honky-tonk and the hard-driving sound of Texas’ red dirt country. They plan to perform the one and only Stryker Brothers show on Dec. 22 at The Moody Theater in Austin. Keen, a 62-year-old singer-songwriter, met Rogers, the 40-year-old leader of the Randy Rogers Band, five years ago, and after a songwriting session at Keen’s ranch, they decided to release their work anonymously so fans could judge the music on its own merits.…

DAY 1: NOV. 13 “Masters of Illusion: The Magic and Money Behind Successful Hologram Tours” (9 a.m.) They’ve got Roy Orbison, Ronnie James Dio and Amy Winehouse. But do hologram tours have a long-term future? Paradigm agents Dan Weiner and Seth Malasky discuss with Base Hologram’s Bob Ringe and Marty Tudor. “Representation Matters: Agents at the Top of Their Game” (11:25 a.m.) Artist Group International’s Marsha Vlasic, Madison House’s Nadia Prescher, United Talent Agency’s Cheryl Paglierani, Creative Artists Agency’s Alli McGregor, WME’s Samantha Kirby Yoh and Paradigm’s Corrie Christopher Martin talk touring power with Billboard West Coast editor Melinda Newman. “Rock the Bells: Meet Hip-Hop’s Next Generation of Festival Promoters” (4:30 p.m.) Vibe editor-in-chief Datwon Thomas interviews the promoters behind such hip-hop festivals as J. Cole’s Dreamville Fest, Broccoli…

Bocelli’s First No. 1 After over 20 years of charting on the Billboard 200, Andrea Bocelli achieves his first No. 1 as the singer’s new studio set, Si, debuts atop the tally. The LP earned 126,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Nov. 1, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 123,000 were in album sales. In total, Si marks Bocelli’s ninth top 10 set. Si’s 123,000 sales start is his best sales week since My Christmas sold 284,000 copies during Christmas week in 2009 (reflected on the chart dated Jan. 9, 2010). Si’s debut was powered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer tied to a series of Bocelli shows in 2018 and early 2019. Si, which also bows at No. 1 on both…

AIRPLAY DATA COMPILED BY RADIO SONGS: The week’s most popular songs, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Nielsen Music. Stations are electronically monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. DIGITAL SONG SALES: The week’s top-downloaded songs, ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music. POP/RHYTHMIC/ADULT: The week’s most popular current songs at mainstream top 40, rhythmic, adult contemporary and adult top 40 formats, respectively, ranked by radio airplay detections, as measured by Nielsen Music. Songs are defined as current if they are relatively recently-released titles, or songs receiving widespread airplay and/or sales activity for the first time. Stations are electronically monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. See Charts Legend on billboard.com/biz for complete rules and explanations. All charts © 2018,…

Joji’s 1 Is No. 1 Joji (above) earns his first No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums as Ballads 1 opens atop the list with 57,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Nov. 1, according to Nielsen Music. Of the LP’s first-week unit sum, 34,000 were in album sales, bolstered by a range of merchandise/album bundles. Ballads gives Joji, who first came to prominence on YouTube, his second appearance on the chart after he reached No. 28 with the EP In Tongues in November 2017. Ballads contains the single “Slow Dancing in the Dark,” which hits a new No. 7 peak on Hot R&B Songs this week. Meanwhile, Cardi B collects her eighth top 10 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs as “Money” moves 27-7 after its first full week…