Billboard Magazine

Written for music industry professionals and fans. Contents provide news, reviews and statistics for all genres of music, including radio play, music video, related internet activity and retail updates.

Billboard

‘Time’ To Celebrate: Lizzo Lands Second Hot 100 No. 1

IT ALL ADDS UP • ED SHEERAN RETURNS TO NO. 1, LEADING A SLEW OF EUROPEAN STADIUM RUNS THAT DOMINATE JUNE’S BOXSCORE RECAP

NO. 1 Lacy’s ‘Rights’ Looms Large

NO. 1 Bad Bunny Makes More Billboard Chart History

Miami Is The New Music Industry Mecca • Long the power city of Latin music, Miami has drawn executives fleeing L.A. and New York in search of a better quality of life (and lower taxes)

BAD BUNNY HELPS SONY HOP UP • At the midyear point, Sony claims the second quarter’s three biggest albums

Can Streamers Make Distribution Work? • TikTok and SoundCloud have ventured into a crowded market. Here’s why they — and a number of managers — think they can succeed

Summer Slowdown? • Soft sales lead to hard questions about the concert business

BRAZIL’S BIGGEST GENRE MIRED IN CONTROVERSY • As an election approaches, a national scandal erupts about overpaying artists who dominate Brazil’s music charts

From The Desk Of… Keith Bernstein • FOUNDER, CRUNCH DIGITAL

THE WAITING GAME • The songwriter of the year honor has been a long time coming for the Grammy Awards. But whom will it actually end up honoring?

No More Playing Around

BEST BETS FOR THE BIG FOUR • When the nominations for the 65th annual Grammy Awards are announced Nov. 15, Adele, Beyoncé, Silk Sonic and Harry Styles could each wind up competing for album, record and song of the year. Adele, Beyoncé and Silk Sonic’s Bruno Mars have each swept those three nominations twice before, but this would be Styles’ first nod in any of those marquee categories. For now, there is only one thing that’s for sure: There will be 10 nominees in each of the Big Four categories for the second year in a row. Below are Billboard’s best bets for who will be in the running.

SONG OF THE YEAR • Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version),” an expanded take of a song from her 2012 album, Red, isn’t eligible. The rules state: “A song … must have been released on a recording for the first time, or achieved prominence for the first time, during the current eligibility year.” Last year, seven of the 10 works that were nominated for record of the year were also nominated for song of the year. This year, it looks like six could be up for both awards.

RECORD OF THE YEAR • Six hits that would have been strong contenders in this category were released prior to Oct. 1, 2021, the start of the eligibility year. That’s a tough break for Latto’s “Big Energy,” Lil Nas X’s “Thats What I Want,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers,” Justin Bieber’s “Ghost,” Doja Cat’s “Need To Know” and GAYLE’s “abcdefu.”

BEST NEW ARTIST • This contest seems more wide open than in the last three years, when Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion and Olivia Rodrigo, respectively, were clear favorites. As past Grammy nominees, Tems, Walker Hayes, Big Thief and Chlöe are ineligible. Though the hits by GAYLE and Latto were released prior to this eligibility year, the academy has shown a bit more flexibility in this category in an effort to be inclusive.

THE (POTENTIAL) 6 BIG LATIN GRAMMY RECORD BREAKERS • Over the course of the Latin Grammys’ 22-year history, the awards ceremony has become one of the hardest to predict. Case in point: Last year, two veteran acts with outlier projects — Rubén Blades with Roberto Delgado & Orquesta and Caetano Veloso — won album and record of the year, respectively, over global chart-toppers. With its bilingual scope (recordings must be at least 51% in Spanish or Portuguese) and vast, pan-regional reach...