On July 30, as part of his 2026 global tour, Moby took the stage in the country of Georgia for the first time. The highly anticipated show at the Rustavi International Motorpark near Tbilisi was organized by the local promoter Flitz Collective, with Billboard Georgia serving as the main media partner.
The rich history of the music industry holds the names of many outstanding musicians. However, artists who truly redefined the scene are rare exceptions – and Moby is one of those artists, having helped bring electronic music into the mainstream while bringing emotional depth to the genre. He proved that electronic music goes beyond the club scene and can be globally popular and commercially successful.
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Right before the show, Billboard Georgia sat down with Moby backstage, where the artist spoke about music, activism and more. [Editors note: This interview has been translated from Georgian.]
This is your first time in Georgia. What are your feelings and emotions as you’re about to meet the Georgian audience?
I’ve only been here for a couple of days, and I’m really fascinated by Georgia. Tbilisi feels like such a European city, even though it’s a thousand miles away from Europe. What’s interesting about Georgia is that I really like it, yet I don’t fully understand it yet. And that’s what makes it so fascinating.
With your long journey in the music industry, what do you think is the biggest illusion [the industry] creates for emerging artists?
That’s an interesting question. The biggest illusion… I think one of them is, when you’re young and successful, everybody’s nice to you. And the biggest illusion is thinking that they will continue to be nice to you when you’re old and not successful.
A lot of my friends who are young musicians, or young actors, or writers, or whatever, they’ll say things like, “Oh, my agents are great. They’re so nice, and the people at the record label are so great, they’re so nice.” And I’m like, “Yeah, wait until a few years pass.” If you’ve gone a few years without success, they might not be quite as nice, which is just, I guess, the nature of things. But I think a lot of musicians think that their agents, managers, record labels are their friends. And they find out pretty quickly that they’re not.
I have to ask about your activism. What do you think is the main shift in the human mind-set that’s necessary for people to understand the importance of animal rights?
From my perspective, it’s the ability to act logically and in accordance with our beliefs. The strangest thing about humans is that we are so illogical.
If we were to walk around and stop people to ask them three questions: “Do you like animals?” They’ll probably say “yes.” “Do you want to hurt and kill them?” Their answer would be “absolutely not.” “Are you a vegan?” Most of them would say no. And I’m like, “But you like animals and you don’t want to hurt or kill them. Wouldn’t the logical action be to not eat them, to not pay someone else to kill them for you?”
So it’s almost not about ethics, it’s about logic. But our species behaves so illogically, especially in the United States. People care about health, but they pollute the environment. They care about their children, but they won’t pass sensible gun control. We’re just deeply illogical people. I hope that we’re either going to figure out how to behave logically and build an ethical structure from that logic, or, as a species, we’re going to get wiped out.
We’re living in an era of global conflicts and shifting values. In times like these, what role and purpose do you think music plays in society?
Music can do almost anything. It can help people sleep, dance, worship or meditate. It helps people exercise, but it also calms them down. I feel really fortunate that I get to work with music, because it obviously has so much power. I’m not saying my music does, but music’s ability to reach everybody – and to reach them in the most personal way – is just deeply profound. Again, I’m not talking about my own music, I’m just talking about music in general.
Your work has always been defined by artistic exploration – offering listeners new perspectives and a different side of the art form. Today, as we live in an era of rapid technological progress and AI, how do you see the future of music?
I’ll use myself as an example: Sometimes I just love a good generic pop song, and I don’t care who made it. AI is actually really good at that. I feel like there’s room for both – for generic AI pop music and for Leonard Cohen. There’s room for a person onstage with a guitar and a cello, just as someone like Nick Cave is as far from AI as possible. There’s room for Nick Cave, and there’s room for generic pop music. And the exact same person might love both. I don’t think Nick Cave is going to put AI out of business, but I also don’t think AI is going to put Nick Cave out of business. Think of painting: Putting color on paper can result in a McDonald’s billboard, or it can be fine art. Nobody is going to a concert hall just to listen to AI. But they will do that for Nick Cave.
Just minutes after this conversation, Moby took the stage, kicking off the live show with “Bodyrock” – the iconic hit from his seminal 1999 album, Play.
Moby’s concert wasn’t just a nostalgia trip. Once again, he proved that his music goes beyond trends and temporary industry standards. This performance showed the real truth – Moby’s true power lies not just in the scale of his catalog, but in his ability to remain deeply relevant across eras, leaving a lasting impact on every listener.
—This story was written by Nino Imerlishvili for Billboard Georgia
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Set throughout locations across Thailand, host T.J. Lavin returns for The Challenge: Cutthroat. For season 42, watch contestants from The Real World, Love Island, Survivor, Big Brother, Too Hot to Handle and other reality series battle it out to become the ultimate challenger and win the grand prize.
Starting with a two-episode season premiere on Wednesday (Aug 5), you can stream The Challenge: Cutthroat on Paramount+ — instead of its longtime home on MTV.
How to Watch The Challenge: Cutthroat Online, At a Glance:
- Date: Starting on Wednesday, Aug. 5
- Start Time: 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT
- Streaming Platform: DirecTV, Paramount+
When Does The Challenge: Cutthroat Start?
The reality series The Challenge: Cutthroat streams on Paramount+, with a release time of 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT on Wednesdays.
Where to Watch The Challenge: Cutthroat Online for Free
For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch The Challenge: Cutthroat, especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV has a five-day free trial, which features free access to Paramount+.
STREAM ON 3 DEVICES AT ONCE
Paramount+
There are two plans to choose from: Paramount+ Essential and Paramount+ Premium (with Showtime).
Paramount+ has The Challenge: Cutthroat streaming online, as well as past seasons. If you don’t already have a Paramount+ subscription, the streaming service plan goes for $8.99 per month (or $89.99 per year). With Paramount+, you’ll get access to a wide selection of TV shows and movies, live sports, 24-hour news with CBS News and more.
In addition, the streaming service includes a wide selection of music programming and specials, such as The New Edition Story, Love & Hip Hop Miami, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, MTV Unplugged, Willie Nelson & Family and others.
Although it doesn’t offer a free trial anymore, you can get access to Paramount+ for just $1, if you sign up for Walmart+. The retailer’s rewards program offers access to Paramount+ at no extra cost, while Walmart+ also offers a 30-day trial to take the service out for a test drive.
Meanwhile, a subscription to DirecTV — which comes with access to The Challenge: Cutthroat on Paramount+ — gets you more than 185 live TV, local and cable channels, like NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN and others. The signature package “Premier” comes with Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited and Starz, and it goes for $129.99 for the first month of service ($169.99 per month afterward). DirecTV even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
Starting on Wednesday (Aug. 5), The Challenge: Cutthroat streams on Paramount+. One of the best services that features Paramount+ is DirecTV because it comes with six other streaming services and more than 185 live TV channels.
Carson Daly is setting the record straight after this week’s announcement of The Voice: Celebrity caused questions to arise about his future with the NBC show.
Following the news that Keke Palmer will host the spin-off edition of The Voice, the emcee took to Instagram on Tuesday to reassure fans that he isn’t leaving the singing competition after hosting the series for 30 seasons.
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“‘Celeb Voice’ is a fun, NEW IDEA that features some big differences like… FAMOUS PEOPLE singing for 3 coaches to see if they have what it takes,” Daly wrote. “There’s lots of new twists & turns.”
The television personality explained that the new format called for “a NEW amazing HOST!” before praising Palmer as “the triple threat queen” who is “PERFECT” for the job.
“I’m so grateful she carved out the time in her busy career to help us out,” he continued. “We’re all big fans & welcome her to the family.”
After welcoming Palmer to the Voice family, Daly addressed speculation that the hosting change meant he was parting ways from the show.
“Many today have asked if I’m leaving the show. Nope,” he wrote. “We’re gonna try out these 2 formats this fall/spring & see how it goes! Hopefully this post clears up any confusion. I am still hosting the show currently.”
Daly also reflected on his long history with the franchise, expressing that he has “hosted and produced every single second of the show since day 1, 30 seasons, 16 years.” While Palmer will lead The Voice: Celebrity, Daly said he’ll remain involved behind the scenes as a producer.
“I’ll be producing Celeb Voice only & helping it launch from behind the scenes,” he added.
NBC announced The Voice: Celebrity earlier this week, revealing Palmer as host alongside coaches Joe Jonas, Queen Latifah and Riley Green. Unlike the competition audiences are used to, the special edition will feature actors, musicians, influencers, athletes, comedians and reality television personalities competing in blind auditions instead of undiscovered singers.
Read Carson Daly’s full statement via Instagram below.
On his most recent single, “My Body Isn’t Ready,” sombr gets vulnerable about his body image — something he opened up about more deeply in a new interview with Variety published Wednesday (Aug. 5).
In his conversation for the publication’s Power of Young Hollywood issue, the 21-year-old pop star touched on why he feels it’s important for him to be completely honest about his feelings in his music, even when it’s on a song that’s as personal as “Body” is. The track dropped in late June and finds sombr singing, “I like you, but my body isn’t ready/ I want you, but the mirror won’t let me.”
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“I want people who look up to me that might not be happy about their body image to understand that I’m not always happy about my body image,” he told Variety. “I saw a comment today that was like, ‘I’m so glad that my favorite artist goes through the same things that I go through.’ That made me want to cry.”
The New York native went on to discuss one big reason his relationship to his body is complicated. “I have issues with eating,” he explained. “Sometimes I do not like eating, and it makes me want to throw up to eat. I can never choose what to eat. I never crave anything.”
“It’s a weird thing I have,” he continued. “Most of the time before shows I’m literally eating against my will, so I have enough energy to get through the show. It’s been my lifelong struggle.”
In his rise to stardom starting with the success of 2024 single “Back to Friends” — which climbed to a peak of No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 this past January — sombr has not been immune to invasive public discourse surrounding his appearance. The musician’s figure is admittedly striking, standing well over 6 feet tall with a slim build. “That’s ‘My Body Isn’t Ready,’ you know?” he added of his apathy toward food in the interview, laughing. “That’s why my body is like that.”
In October, a person on TikTok went viral with a video criticizing Sombr’s performance style and likening his physical appearance to “Slenderman.” The Grammy nominee responded at the time with his own video calling the latter remark “a massive body-shaming hate train,” adding, ““You guys need to find problematic people to hate on, because I am just existing.”
This year, sombr has also released the singles “Homewrecker” and “Potential,” both of which charted on the Hot 100. His debut album I Barely Know Her peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 in September.
The star’s conversation with Variety comes shortly after he helped the Songwriters Hall of Fame induct Taylor Swift by performing “Cardigan” and “Dear John” at the 2026 ceremony, during which the Eras Tour headliner also sang sombr’s praises during her speech. According to him, he couldn’t even look at Swift in the audience as he was singing her songs.
“If I looked at her for three seconds during the performance, my mind would have completely blanked because that’s Taylor Swift,” sombr told Variety. “That’s a goddess. I remember looking at her for a split second while performing and almost losing it, but then I looked away.”
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Another day, another KPop Demon Hunters collab, only this is one that hardcore fans and aspiring performers alike will want to pick up.
Netflix and eKids have released an official KPop Demon Hunters Karaoke Machine, available now for under $20 on Amazon. The portable karaoke machine comes in the film’s signature purple colorway, with the HUNTR/X logo on the speaker grill.
SING AT HOME
KPop Demon Hunters Bluetooth Karaoke Machine
Save 10% off for a limited time when you apply the on-site coupon on Amazon.
The officially-licensed karaoke machine lets you sing your favorite songs from the Oscar-winning animated film (or any song, really) while enjoying an accompanying light show from the built-in, color-changing lights. Five different voice effects let you turn your sing-along into a real performance, whether you’re rehearsing for the Idol Awards or just sharing your “Strategy” at home.
This Amazon deal gets you a 9 x 3.7-inch speaker, a wireless microphone, built-in multi-colored LED lights and an included mini disco ball, that you can hang on the side of the speaker for every more lighting effects. Play your music by connecting the speaker to your phone, laptop or music player via Bluetooth (you can also plug in a flash drive).
Everything powers up via the built-in rechargeable battery, and a charging cable is included with the set. A handle on the speaker makes it easy to take your K-pop karaoke on the go.
LARGER SETUP
KPop Demon Hunters Bluetooth Karaoke Machine With Microphones
Want to take your soundtrack session up a notch? Sam’s Club sells this official KPop Demon Hunters karaoke machine which comes with a larger speaker and two wireless microphones (with the ability to plug in a third mic via a wired mic jack).
This karaoke system also lets you stream audio via Bluetooth and features seven light modes, including a “reactive” mode that pulses to the beat of your music. The two included mics have four built-in voice-changing effects, and you can also use the control pad at the top to adjust echo levels, volume, skip tracks and more.
Like the Amazon model, this Sam’s Club KPop Demon Hunters karaoke machine comes in a purple colorway with a glowing HUNTR/X logo front and center. And if you don’t have WiFi or Bluetooth, you can also connect your music via AUX, USB, and SD card inputs. Though it’s larger than the Amazon unit, this karaoke machine is still super portable, measuring approximately 7 x 10 inches in size.
Note: you don’t need to be a Sam’s Club member to score this KPop Demon Hunters karaoke setup, but non-members will be charged a 10% extra service fee online (consider it like a guest membership that lasts for 24 hours).
If you do want to sign up for a membership to the big box store, Sam’s Club is currently offering more than 50% off annual plans, with a subscription starting at just $25 (regularly $60+). Your membership lets you shop at Sam’s Club retail locations and online, and also gets you savings on gas, pharmacy, optical, auto servicing and more.
OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK
KPop Demon Hunters HUNTR/X Light Stick
Add to your karaoke night by picking up the official KPop Demon Hunters Light Stick. This HUNTR/X-themed device features five light-up colors and more than eight light sequences.
The official karaoke machines, meantime, come as the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack continues to break records. The multi-platrinum album was the highest-debuting soundtrack of 2025 on the Billboard 200 chart, while lead single, “Golden,” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and broke the record for longest leader on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, earning a record-breaking 20th week at No. 1 on the latter chart in January.
Ed Sheeran can sing and play ball.
The singer took a break before his Loop Tour performance in Seattle to take batting practice with Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez, also known as J-Rod. In a video posted by the Mariners and Major League Baseball on their social media accounts, Sheeran appears inside the batting cages taking swings at pitches from a simulated pitching machine, as well as soft tosses from Rodríguez.
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Rodríguez appears in the video cheering on Sheeran, whose swing connected with every pitch. “I’m surprised, though — I’m surprised,” says the athlete, who at the end of the video, exits the protective tent and shakes hands with Sheeran, who successfully hit all three balls.
The two connected during the artist’s tour stop in Seattle on Aug. 1, when the singer hung out with Rodríguez, who was still in the clubhouse after a Mariners win, according to an article on MLB.com. Following batting practice, J-Rod signed a baseball bat for Sheeran, who gifted the athlete suite tickets to his concert and promised to send him a custom guitar.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour kicked off Jan. 16 in Auckland, New Zealand, following the release of his eighth studio album, Play, in September 2025. The tour features arena performances in Australia and Latin America and is currently in North America.
Following its release, Play debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The album’s Persian-infused lead single “Azizam” reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 while surging into the top 10 across several of Billboard’s radio airplay charts.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The “BTS effect” is real – and it goes far beyond music. Whenever one of the seven members shares a favorite snack, drink, fashion piece or beauty product, fans around the world take notice. In the beauty space, that influence has helped introduce millions of people to the world of K-beauty. Now, as BTS continues their ARIRANG World Tour, fans are celebrating the group’s return while revisiting the products and trends endorsed by the members.
The latest product receiving the BTS fan treatment is mixsoon’s Bean Sunscreen, an SPF 50 Korean sunscreen that SUGA was spotted applying in a lifestyle vlog. After the moment gained attention online, mixsoon’s sunscreen quickly became a talking point among fans and beauty creators alike.
Already a popular pick among shoppers, the lightweight formula has sold more than 9,000 units on Amazon in the last 30 days. The sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays while delivering a hydrating, dewy finish without the heavy feel or white cast often associated with sunscreen. Its formula includes fermented soybean, pomegranate, barley and Korean pear extracts designed to nourish skin while providing everyday protection.
SUGA’S SKINCARE FIND
Mixsoon Bean Sunscreen SPF 50 Moisturizer
A shopper-loved Korean sunscreen with 9,000+ units sold on Amazon in the last month.
Thanks to one viral clip, mixsoon’s Bean Sunscreen is becoming one of K-beauty’s most talked-about SPFs. After SUGA was seen applying the sunscreen, fans quickly took notice. The SPF 50 formula protects against UVA and UVB rays while ingredients like fermented soybean, pomegranate, barley and Korean pear extracts help keep skin hydrated and glowing.
That viral moment is just the latest example of BTS’ impact on beauty trends. From Jin’s connection to Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask to the skincare and self-care products fans have spotted throughout the members’ careers, BTS has played a major role in making K-beauty a global phenomenon.
With BTS currently on their ARIRANG World Tour following their highly anticipated reunion, the Billboard Shopping team rounded up the beauty products connected to the members — from viral sunscreens to skincare staples — that have sparked buzz among ARMY, BTS’ dedicated global fandom.
BTS’ Members Favorite Beauty Products
CUSTOM LIP MASK
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Two-Scent Custom Swirl
A customizable lip mask featuring Berry Fruit Complex and nourishing butters.
BTS’ Jin (Kim Seok-jin) brought even more attention to Laneige when he became the brand’s first-ever male ambassador in 2024. Now, fans can shop a new take on one of the brand’s most recognizable products: the Lip Sleeping Mask. Available exclusively on Amazon, the customization experience lets shoppers blend two scents into their own overnight treatment powered by Berry Fruit Complex, vitamin C, murumuru seed butter and shea butter.
SKIN BARRIER CARE
Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer
The K-beauty essential featuring ceramides, peptides and soothing white leaf tea water.
Laneige’s Cream Skin Toner and Moisturizer was one of the products featured in Jin’s 2024 campaign with the brand. Starting at $16, the multitasking formula uses ceramides and peptides to help strengthen the skin barrier, while white leaf tea water provides soothing hydration. The lightweight, milky texture leaves skin looking soft, smooth and radiant.
V’S BEAUTY PICK
TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation
The K-beauty cushion foundation that became an Amazon bestseller.
Following BTS’ return from military service, TIRTIR was among the brands that partnered with the members, launching a viral global campaign featuring V, also known as Kim Tae-hyung. The campaign earned more than 80 million views within hours, putting the spotlight on the brand’s Mask Fit Red Cushion. The K-beauty favorite offers buildable coverage, a lightweight texture and a natural-looking finish.
BTS’ Suga and J-Hope (Jung Ho-seok) revealed their skincare routines during a 2017 VLive, showing just how different their approaches can be. While the members didn’t share the same number of steps, they found common ground with Mediheal sheet masks. The popular K-beauty brand offers targeted formulas made with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and botanical extracts to help support hydrated, healthy-looking skin.
JIMIN’S BEAUTY PICK
Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tinted Balm
Jimin’s longtime lip balm favorite with a hydrating tinted finish.
When BTS’ Jimin, also known as Park Ji-min, opened up about his favorite essentials for Vogue’s “In the Bag” series, one product stood out: Bobbi Brown’s Extra Lip Tint. The longtime beauty favorite combines the comfort of a lip balm with a hint of color, making it an easy everyday step for hydrated, naturally tinted lips.
TRAVEL BEAUTY ESSENTIAL
L’Occitane Immortelle Overnight Reset Oil-in-Serum
The overnight serum formulated with a resilient botanical extract.
BTS brought their skincare essentials along for the ride during Bon Voyage Season 4, where Jimin and J-Hope were spotted using L’Occitane’s Immortelle Overnight Reset Serum. Featuring immortelle, a resilient botanical known for its antioxidant benefits, the serum helps support skin against daily stress while boosting the look of radiance and hydration.
SMELL LIKE BTS
Hermès Terre d’Hermès Pure Perfume Spray
A woody Hermès fragrance combining fresh citrus with earthy notes.
J-Hope’s beauty essentials go beyond skincare and grooming. In a backstage “What’s In My Bag” clip from his Hope on the Stage Tour, he revealed Terre d’Hermès Original Parfum as his cologne pick. The Hermès scent blends woody cedar, citrus grapefruit and herbal notes, all housed in a bottle inspired by the brand’s travel heritage.
With “Swim” topping the Billboard Hot 100 and ARIRANG landing at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, BTS’ return has been nothing short of historic. As the group continues its ARIRANG World Tour, the BTS effect remains stronger than ever — from sold-out shows to the beauty products fans can’t stop shopping.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
This week: Spider-Man: Brand New Day songs new and old experience huge gains, while ADÉLA takes another step towards stardom, U.S. listeners mourn a couple sadly passed European artists and more.
‘Brand New’ Streaming Gains for Tame Impala, Steve Lacy Songs in New ‘Spider-Man’ Movie
It was a blockbuster opening beyond all other blockbuster opening for Spider-Man: Brand New Day over the weekend. The fourth film about the superhero as part of the extended Marvel Cinematic Universe, led by the now-married real-life couple Tom Holland and Zendaya, debuted to over $360 million in domestic box office returns in its first weekend, topping 2019’s Avengers: Endgame for the biggest opening weekend in U.S. history.
Unsurprisingly for such a widely watched movie — with a fairly diverse soundtrack of classic hits and underground staples, with a couple modern favorites mixed in — the streaming gains for its most prominently featured songs have been similarly robust. Each of the older songs featured in the film (from iconic artists as far-flung as Chaka Khan and Brian Eno) have seen increased streams, with the biggest catalog beneficiary undoubtedly being TV on the Radio’s “Wolf Like Me,” featured in the film’s opening montage. The ‘00s indie standard-bearer racked up over 550,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the film’s first four days of release (July 31-Aug. 3), according to Luminate — a 353% gain over its total from the prior Friday-to-Monday period.
But the biggest winners overall from the soundtrack are likely its two most contemporary hitmakers: Steve Lacy and Tame Impala. Lacy’s “Oh Yeah?,” which debuted on his parent album of the same name two weeks earlier featured over the film’s end credits, rose 181% to nearly 2.5 million streams over the same four-day period. Meanwhile, Tame’s “Loser,” from the artist born Kevin Parker’s polarizing 2025 album Deadbeat, skyrocketed a jaw-dropping 838% to over 2.6 million streams in the movie’s first four days.
As Brand New Home keeps on raking in the millions, expect the soundtrack cuts to continue to make their presence felt — and possibly make a visit to the Hot 100, the first for “Loser” since it debuted at No. 91 in November, and the first of any kind for “Oh Yeah?” – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
ADÉLA Levels Up With Fast-Rising New Single “Ain’t in L.A.”
Dream Academy alum and rising pop star ADÉLA has been steadily building buzz over the past year with a string of pithy, punchy singles and acclaimed live shows. Now, she’s eyeing her first proper streaming hit with her newly released “Ain’t in L.A.,” single which dropped on July 23.
According to Luminate, “Ain’t in L.A.” earned over 1.74 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the four-day period of July 24-27. A week later (July 31-Aug. 3), that number leapt 34.7% to over 2.35 million official on-demand U.S. streams. Over on TikTok, the song’s official sound plays in over 280,000 posts, while its official music video has collected over three million views in just under two weeks. “Ain’t in L.A.” also features in over 12,000 Instagram Reels.
The song’s hefty debut was buoyed by both ADÉLA’s overall momentum and her steady, months-long teasing of the soaring synth-pop track. During her opening stint on Demi Lovato’s arena-headlining It’s Not That Deep Tour, ADÉLA performed several new tracks, including “Ain’t in L.A.” — and over the weekend (Aug. 2) the song was a standout moment in her Lollapalooza debut.
With the song’s barre choreography frequently going viral and the overlooked-but-mighty cohort of “small town baddies” continuing to rally around the song’s rejection of Los Angeles exceptionalism (ambition lives everywhere!), expect “Ain’t in L.A.” to continue scaling the charts. — KYLE DENIS
Streaming Audiences Mourn Glen Hansard and Kavinsky
Two very different cult-favorite European artists died very unexpectedly last week, with news of both deaths emerging early on Wednesday (July 29). Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter who first came to national prominence as leader of The Frames at the turn of the century before earning global notice with his starring role in 2006’s musical drama Once, died in a motorcycle crash at age 56. And Kavinsky, the French house DJ/producer known to international audiences for his work on the soundtrack to the 2011 thriller Drive and his performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, was found dead at his home at 50, with his exact cause of death still pending.
Both artists experienced a posthumous boom in streams immediately following their passing. Hansard’s solo catalog racked up over 4.1 million official on-demand streams in the five days after his death (July 29-Aug. 2), a 2,221% gain over the 177,000 streams he amassed in the same five-day period a week before. (“Falling Slowly,” Hansard’s signature Oscar-winning hit alongside co-star and partner Marketá Irglová, was the biggest beneficiary, gaining 1,025% to 713,000 streams.) And The Frames also saw a major boost, totaling 570,000 streams over the five-day period after just 14,000 a week before, a gain of 3,903%.
And Kavinsky also saw an enormous rise in streams over the same period, with his catalogue rising 348% to nearly 3 million streams for the five-day span. The biggest chunk of that of course belonged to “Nightcall” — the nocturnal Drive anthem that the DJ/producer played at the Olympics, and which Billboard named the No. 6 Greatest Dance Song of the 2010s in 2019 — which was up 256% to 1.4 million streams. – AU
Dolly Babe Turns Viral TikTok Sound Into Streaming Hit With “Pink Blush”
After flipping Beyoncé’s classic “Diva” into a viral TikTok sound last summer, Dallas rapper Dolly Babe has landed herself a legitimate streaming hit with “Pink Blush.” Trading on her bubbly, tongue-in-cheek delivery, onomatopoeia-laden bars and Danielwsp’s crisp production, “Pink Blush” has quickly grown into TikTok’s favorite audio of late.
The most recent trend tied to the song finds a group of friends or colleagues — normally all men — seductively lip-syncing Dolly Babe’s cunnilingus-exalting post-chorus as a camera pans around the circle. Whether you’re a multi-generational content creator family, an HVAC crew or a group of mechanics, “Pink Blush” is for everybody!
During the week of July 17-23, “Pink Blush” earned 57,000 official on-demand U.S. streams. By the following week (July 24-30), that figure exploded by a massive 1,166% to over 731,000 official on-demand U.S. streams. More recently, during the four-day period of July 31-Aug. 3, “Pink” collected just under 790,000 official streams, up 188% from the 273,000 streams it logged the week prior (July 24-27). On TikTok, “Pink Blush” plays in over 839,000 posts, while a From the Block live performance video of the song has earned over 187,000 views in just eight days. “Pink Blush” also features in over 10,000 Instagram Reels.
With celebrities from Chlöe Bailey to Shenseea showing love to the song, it looks like “Pink Blush” is just getting started. — KD
Desde sus inicios como trío punk en Rodeo, una pequeña ciudad ubicada a las afueras de San Francisco, California, a fines de la década de los 80, Green Day logró cautivar a propios y extraños con su actitud punk y juvenil que los llevó a convertirse en una de las agrupaciones más influyentes y exitosas […]
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A lo largo de la historia de la música, miles de canciones quedaron grabadas en la memoria colectiva. Sin embargo, esto no siempre ocurrió de la forma correcta. En muchas oportunidades, las melodías permanecen, los coros se repiten una y otra vez, pero letras se transforman en algo muy distinto a lo que el artista […]
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