USA
Billboard Report (excerpt)
'Like That' holds atop Hot 100
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles

Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” lands a third total and consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, two weeks after it soared to the summit.

Released on Boominati / Freebandz / Republic / Epic Records, drew 40 million streams (down 13%) and 14 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 39%) and sold 3,000 (down 56%) April 5-11. The single adds a third week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart; drops 8-14 on Digital Song Sales; and debuts at No. 41 on Radio Songs. Notably, “Like That” is the first song to clear 40 million in streams in its first three weeks, after it registered 46.1 million the week before and 59.6 million in its debut week, since Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” began with 52.6 million, 59.7 million and 48 million consecutively in January-February 2023. Further, “Like That” is the first song to log any three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in over nine months, since Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” linked 10 frames in a row on top (of 16 total) in May-July 2023. Hozier’s “Too Sweet” ascends 4-2 on the Hot 100, winning top Streaming Gainer honors (36.7 million, up 15%).

The singer-songwriter ties his prior best rank on the chart, as his breakthrough hit “Take Me to Church” peaked at No. 2 for three weeks in December 2014-January 2015. Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” holds at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2, as it earns the chart’s top Airplay Gainer award for a third consecutive week (57.4 million, up 14%). Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” rises 5-4 on the Hot 100, three weeks after becoming his first No. 1. The single likewise becomes his first leader on Radio Songs (69.7 million, up 6%). Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” slides 2-5 on the Hot 100, after it reigned for two weeks in early March. J. Cole’s “7 Minute Drill” debuts at No. 6 on the Hot 100, led by 23.4 million streams. The song is his 13th top 10 and first since Drake’s “First Person Shooter,” on which he’s featured, debuted at No. 1 in October 2023, becoming his first leader. On “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole is widely interpreted as responding to Kendrick Lamar’s apparent disses directed at himself and Drake in Future, Metro Boomin and Lamar’s “Like That.” Days after releasing “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole publicly apologized for the track’s arrival, explaining that it doesn’t “sit right with my spirit.” The song was removed from the streaming edition of his album Might Delete Later on April 12, one day after the end of the latest charts’ tracking week. (As of April 15, the song is still available on the set’s digital download edition.) Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” rebounds 8-7, following, as noted above, six nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, beginning last December; Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” climbs 9-8, after it debuted at No. 1 in March; Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti’s “Type Shit” lifts 10-9, after it arrived at its No. 2 best; and Noah Kahan’s first top 10, “Stick Season,” returns to the region and its highest rank (15-10). Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter holds atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated April 20), after debuting at No. 1 a week ago, as the set earned 125,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending April 11 (down 69%), according to Luminate. Of Cowboy Carter’s second-week unit sum of 125,500, SEA units comprise 103,000 (down 54%, equaling 132.69 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), traditional album sales comprise 20,500 (down 88%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 70%). While Cowboy Carter’s CD and vinyl editions were available to purchase only via Beyoncé’s official webstore in the set’s first two weeks of release, those physical configurations became widely available to all retailers beginning on April 12. (The album has also been purchasable as a digital download, widely, since its release on March 29.) At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, J. Cole’s surprise-release album Might Delete Later arrives with 115,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 105,000 (equaling 137.95 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 12 songs), album sales comprise 9,000 and TEA units comprise 1,000. The album was only available to stream or to purchase as a digital download. Might Delete Later was issued on April 5 without warning, and boasts collaborations with Gucci Mane, Cam’ron, Bas, Central Cee, Ari Lennox and Young Dro, among others. Might Delete Later is J. Cole’s seventh album to reach the top two rungs on the Billboard 200, after he notched six earlier No. 1s in 2011-21. He has logged one other entry on the list, with the Forest Hills Drive: Live, which hit No. 71 in 2016. Tomorrow X Together notches its fifth top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200, as Minisode 3: Tomorrow debuts at No. 3 with 107,500 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 103,500 (making it the top-selling album of the week), SEA units comprise 4,000 (equaling 5.54 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The album’s sales were supported by its availability across 17 collectible CD editions (including exclusive editions sold by Barnes & Noble, Target and the act’s webstore), all containing randomized paper merchandise (but with the same audio tracklist). With the Nos. 1-3 titles on the Billboard 200 each earning at least 100,000 equivalent album units, it’s the first time we’ve had as many albums clear 100,000 in a week since the Dec. 2, 2023-dated list. That week, Drake’s For All the Dogs jumped 4-1 with 145,000, Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) held at No. 2 with 137,000 and Dolly Parton’s Rockstar debuted at No. 3 with 128,000. Future and Metro Boomin’s chart-topping We Don’t Trust You falls 2-4 in its third week on the list, earning 99,000 equivalent album units (down 24%). The set’s sequel album, We Still Don’t Trust You, was released on April 12 and will impact next week’s chart dated April 27. Morgan Wallen’s former leader One Thing at a Time is pushed down 3-5, despite a 4% gain, with 72,000 equivalent album units earned. Benson Boone’s debut full-length studio album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, skates in at No. 6 with 58,000 equivalent album units earned. It’s the first chart entry for the singer-songwriter. Of the set’s starting sum, SEA units comprise 52,000 (equaling 70.21 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 4,000 (largely from its digital download, as the set’s only physical availability was through a limited release on CD) and TEA units comprise 2,000. The album was led by the hit single “Beautiful Things” (the most-streamed song on the set), which has spent the last nine weeks inside the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (through the list dated April 13), peaking at No. 2. Ariana Grande’s chart-topping Eternal Sunshine falls 4-7 on the Billboard 200 with 48,000 equivalent album units earned (down 17%), Noah Kahan’s Stick Season slips 7-8 (though up 2%) with 45,000 units, Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Guts dips 6-9 with 43,000 (down 13%) and SZA’s chart-topping SOS drops 9-10, though with a 1% gain, to 40,000 units.

Record Of The Month
24-year old British / Cypriote singer-songwriter Artemas Diamandis lands his first global smash
with the retro-futuristic sound collage 'I Like The Way You Kiss Me'.

United Kingdom
Music Week Report (excerpt)
Hozier's 'Too Sweet' remains at number one
Monday, April 22, 2024
by Alan Jones, London
 
It took nearly 10 years to progress from first hit to first No.1 for Hozier, and the Irish singer / songwriter is in no hurry to relinquish his hard-earned crown, with consumption of Too Sweet ramping up a further 17.68% to 71,822 units (1,790 digital downloads and 70,032 sales-equivalent streams) as its

logs its second week at the summit. Beverage news: While current Top 10 hits by Hozier, Beyonce and Dasha extol the virtues of whiskey, Sabrina Carpenter’s new hit, Espresso, uses coffee as a metaphor for relationship addiction. It is Carpenter’s fourth hit and first Top 10 entry, debuting at No.6 (40,308 sales). Illusions debuts at No.9 (26,974 sales), becoming Dua Lipa’s 16th Top 10 and 28th Top 75 entry. Her fourth straight Top 10 hit, it is the third from upcoming third album, Radical Optimism. Meanwhile, Perrie (Edwards) – veteran of 45 hits, including 19 Top 10 entries and five No.1s with Little Mix – debuts at No.10 (25,915 sales including 1,283 CDs) with her first solo single, Forget About Us. Little Mix are on extended hiatus at the moment. Her bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock reached No.11 last year with her debut solo single, Don’t Say Love, while former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson reached No.4 with Boyz (feat. Nicki Minaj) in 2021. The band's other

member, Jade Thirwall, has yet to release any solo material. In a Top 10 comprising only solo acts for the second week in a row, there are new peaks for I Like The Way You Kiss Me (5-3, 46,306 sales) by Artemas and Austin (8-7, 32,858 sales) by Dasha. In fact, the highest-ranking hit by anything but a solo act is No.14. The rest of the Top 10: Beautiful Things (2-2, 48,798 sales) by Benson Boone, Lose Control (4-4, 45,167 sales) by Teddy Swims, Texas Hold ‘Em (3-5, 41,237 sales) by Beyonce and We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Love) (7-8, 30,944 sales) by Ariana Grande. Overall singles consumption is up 2.69% week-on-week to 29,156,712 units, 11.62% above same week 2023 consumption of 26,121,536 units. Paid-for sales are down 1.12% week-on-week at 265,306 – 10.01% below same week 2023 sales of 294,808. Twenty-six years to the month after they topped the chart with compilation The Best Of, indie rock legends James finally return to No.1 with 18th studio album, Yummy on consumption of 18,542 units (11,651 CDs, 4,695 vinyl albums, 1,623 digital downloads, 573 sales-equivalent streams). Still spearheaded by 1982 founder members Tim Booth (vocals) and Jim Glennie (bass), it is their first album as a nontet, arriving just 10 months after they reached No.3 (13,972 sales) with its immediate predecessor, Be Opened By The Wonderful, on which they reimagined previously recorded material in stripped-down orchestral versions. Their 20th Top 75 and 12th Top 10 album, Yummy arrives at the summit nearly 38 years after their introductory 1986 album Stutter debuted and peaked at No.68. Four of their subsequent studio albums reached No.2 – Gold Mother (1990), Seven (1992), Millionaires (1999) and Girl At The End Of The World (2016). It secures James’ highest debut sale since Millionaires opened its account with 34,136 pure sales in 1999. Their biggest ever first week sale came from The Best Of, which sold 58,503 copies as it toppled Celine Dion from No.1 in 1998. Although they have released subsequent, more comprehensive compilations, The Best Of remains James’ biggest selling album, with to-date consumption of 1,013,286 units. The only other act to have their first No.1 studio album further into their chart career than James is The Specials, who topped with Encore in 2019, more than 39 years after their debut, breaking the record held by The Eagles since their one and only No.1, Long Road Out Of Eden in 2007, came more than 34 years after their 1974 chart debut. Mark Knopfler’s 10th regular solo studio album – 18th including soundtracks – One Deep River debuts at No.3 (14,996 sales), equalling the highest solo chart position yet for the 74-year-old Glasgow-born Geordie, matching the peak of 2015 set, Tracker. As leader of Dire Straits, Knopfler racked up four No.1 albums between 1982 and 1991; and reached No.2 with Missing: Presumed Having a Good Time, his only release fronting one-off country rock band The Notting Hillbillies in 1990. Across his entire career, One Deep River is his 20th Top 10 album. In Germany, it debuts at No.1 this week, becoming his seventh chart-topper there in total, and fourth solo. Seven years after their most recent studio effort, Californian rockers Linkin Park’s first ever bona fide hits set, Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023), debuts at No.4 (10,830 sales). It is their 15th Top 75 and ninth Top 10 entry. Former martial arts fighter Kris Barras fell short of the Top 75 with his first two albums – Lucky 13 in 2016 and The Divine And Dirty in 2018 – fronting his eponymous band, but gets more popular with every release. Third album, Light It Up, reached No.49 in 2019, fourth album Death Valley Paradise reached No.27 in 2022, and this week his Earache label debut, Halo Effect, opens at No.5 (10,427 sales, including 25 USB sticks). The 38-year-old singer/songwriter is from Torquay. Leeds indie quartet English Teacher’s first full-length album, This Could Be Texas, debuts at No.8 (7,807 sales). Glasgow hard rock veterans Gun’s ninth studio album in a 35-year-chart career, Hombres is their eighth chart entry, third Top 10 album and highest-charting set since Swagger reached No.5 in 1994, opening at No.10 (7,166 sales). Some 88.11% of that total (6,314 sales) is physical (4,751 CDs, 1,493 vinyl, 70 cassettes). 3,513 of those physical sales are in Scotland, where the album duly debuts at No.1. Increased physical availability more than offset declining streaming to help boost consumption of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter by 3.20% week-on-week to 15,355 units as it holds at No.2. It is still No.1 on streaming, despite its consumption there tumbling 32.99% week-on-week to 8,894 units, while its pure sales are up 302.05% to 6,461. The rest of the Top 10: The Highlights (6-6, 8,552 sales) by The Weeknd, Guts (5-7, 7,862 sales) by Olivia Rodrigo and Stick Season (10-9, 7,298 sales) by Noah Kahan. Overall album sales are up 0.49% week-on-week at 2,396,004, 10.18% above same week 2023 sales of 2,174,548. Physical product accounts for 305,160 sales, 12.74% of the total.