This week was a great one for boy band fans, as One Direction announced how they’re going to be celebrating their 10-year anniversary! (Meanwhile, Billboard staffers picked the 30 best boy band albums of the past 30 years.)
Plus, Cardi B made history, DJ Khaled and Drake unleashed two new collabs, a big festival announced its 2021 lineup, and much more.
Take a look at some of the week’s biggest music happenings below.
The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton reached hit a new peak on the Billboard 200
We were willing to wait for it…Hamilton: An American Musical surged to a new peak on the Billboard 200 albums chart, vaulting from No. 14 to No. 2 following the musical’s Disney+ premiere on July 3. The album earned 102,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending July 9, as Billboard’s Keith Caulfield reports. As for the last cast recording to reach the top two on the chart? The original cast album of Hair, which spent 13 weeks at No. 1 in 1969. Congrats, fam!
Splendour in the Grass announced its 2021 lineup
Tyler, The Creator, Gorillaz and The Strokes have been revealed as headliners for Australia’s rescheduled Splendour In the Grass festival, now set for July 23-25, 2021. (Flume, who had been seat to co-headline the 2020 edition, is no longer available for the 2021 fest.) The rest of the lineup has yet to be unveiled, but here’s everything we know so far.
Jennifer Lopez and Maluma announced they’re working on new music together
Looks like Jennifer Lopez and Maluma have a new song coming! In photos posted to their Instagram accounts, the two superstars revealed they’re “recording a hit.” J.Lo also asked her fans, “Are you ready?” (The answer is a resounding “yes!”) See the teasers here.
Billboard announced new chart rules
This week, Billboard revealed that it is changing the rules to its Billboard 200, Hot 100 and other album and song charts. “The announcement comes in an effort to rectify how sales are counted with respect to album bundles with merchandise and concert tickets, as well as instant digital sales attached to purchases for physical albums delivered at a later date,” Chris Eggertsen reports. Learn more about the new rules here.
…And compiled a list of teen Latin artists you need to know about
Chart-topper Junior H, Latin Grammy nominee Angela Aguilar and more are changing the game, as Billboard‘s Jessica Roiz writes. From Adexe & Nau to Xylon, here are all of the rising teen Latin artists you should have on your radar.
…And picked the 30 best boy band albums of the past 30 years
It’s never a bad time to celebrate boy bands, and Billboard staffers ranked the 30 best boy band albums of the last 30 years (with the aim being to cover the entirety of the modern boy band canon). BTS, One Direction, Aventura, B2K, *NSYNC and more of our favorite boy bands made the list, but we won’t spoil the No. 1 spot for you. Check out the list here.
Cardi B made history at ASCAP’s virtual Rhythm & Soul Awards
Congrats to Cardi B, who has become the first woman to repeat as songwriter of the year at ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Awards! As Paul Grein reports, “The rapper will win songwriter of the year for the second year in a row at this year’s show, making her the first female songwriter to win songwriter of the year twice (whether consecutively or not) at the annual event. Kandi Burruss (2000), Alicia Keys (2005) and Mary J. Blige (2007) each took the award once.” Learn more about Cardi’s feat here.
One Direction revealed how they’re celebrating a major anniversary
Let’s rewind to July 23, 2010: the day that Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik made their debut as One Direction. As July 23 approaches, it’s time to celebrate 1D’s 10th anniversary, and according to a release, a “10 Years of One Direction” website will launch on July 23 that promises to be an “immersive and exciting interactive fan experience.” Learn more about the festivities here. Plus, Billboard looked back at the group’s rich history — check that story out here.
The short list for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize was announced
Congratulations are in order for Kaytranada, Caribou, Jessie Reyez and more! They’re among the artists nominated for the award celebrating the best Canadian album, and the winner will be announced during a “cinematic tribute” on Oct. 19. Learn more about the short list here.
DJ Khaled revealed the title of his upcoming 12th studio album and dropped two new Drake songs
That’s right, Khaled Khaled is on the way — and you can hear the first taste in the form of two new Drake collabs, titled “Popstar” and “Greece.” Learn more about DJ Khaled’s next album here, and listen to the Drake tracks here.
Portugal The Man launched their PTM Foundation
Portugal The Man have used the last few months of lockdown to finalize the culmination of years of activism and advocacy, and on Thursday (July 16), the Alaska rockers officially launched the PTM Foundation. “Our band has been engaging the community at our shows for years around a lot of issues, and that really just started to become part of the fabric of who we are over time,” says lead vocalist-guitarist John Gourley. “It got to the point where we were doing so many different things but without any organization to it. We knew that if we focused things a little bit better, it could make a difference.” Learn more here.
Artists didn’t hold back during Billboard Live At Home performances
Lonr. and Caroline Jones brought joy to our screens via Billboard‘s Facebook page, all while raising funds for The Bail Project and Camp Southern Ground, respectively — check out this week’s performances all in one place here.
Ellie Goulding, Dixie Chicks and (many) more dropped new music
The Chicks unveiled their highly-anticipated album Gaslighter, Anne-Marie teamed up with Doja Cat, Kygo put a fresh spin on Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and so much more. Billboard has rounded up all of the releases you need to know about this week here!
