‘Break My Heart’ hitmaker Dua Lipa was a week away from breaking a seemingly untouchable record on the Hot 100.

The aggressive push around her sophomore album, ‘Future Nostalgia,’ may have calmed in the last three months after its surprisingly soft opening (as we reported here), but – much like the set’s buoyancy on the Billboard 200’s top 25 – its singles ‘Heart’ and ‘Don’t Start Now’ have been mainstays in the Hot 100’s upper rankings.

The latter hopped into the tally’s top 10 the second week of February and remained there for a whopping 20 weeks.  Tying fellow Brit beauty Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ and ‘Rolling In The Deep’ (both songs spent 20 weeks in the Hot 100’s top 10 each), Lipa’s ‘Start’ was one week shy of snatching the title of “longest-running top 10 by a British female act.”

The refreshed chart, unveiled Tuesday (June 23), revealed the song had slipped out of the top 10 – thereby leaving the record unbroken.  Landing at #14 after the impressive run, look inside to see who joins her in the top 25 on the new ‘TGJ Chart Check: Hot 100.’

(more…)

JoJo isn’t letting the pandemic put a pause on the campaign for new album ‘Good To Know.’

For, moments ago, the songbird hatched the video for ‘Small Things.’

A fan-favorite from the LP, the track was initially set to serve as its lead single. But the decision was made to press on with the equally well-received ‘Man’ – which is making steady strides on radio.

Unpacking the reason to release the visual, Jo explained:

“I’ve been trying to wait for the right moment to share this video with you. With everything going on in the world and in our own backyard, I didn’t want anyone to misconstrue its release as some kind of indication that I’ve moved on from the revolution at hand, here in America.

I want to say it clear as day: Black people made me who I am. Not only my longest standing friendships, but also the record executives, mentors, teachers, romantic partners, and loyal fans who believed in me and took a chance on me – they have all shaped me. Without their support in every way, and without the artists who inspire me to make music, I would not exist. My support for Black lives/art/love/safety/freedom is not a phase nor does it have an expiration date. I’m honored to be a part of R&B culture and I never take my warm reception for granted. Here’s a piece of art that we made to express how painful it can be to hold in your feelings. To act like you’re okay, when- in all honesty- you’re not. I wanted to video to feel like catharsis.”

Check out the video for ‘Small Things’ below…

(more…)

As Normani fans wait with feverish excitement for her debut album, the singer is continuing to up the ante by way of brand partnerships.

The latest being Finish Line. 

Details below…

(more…)

After watching her latest single, ‘Anything for You,’ rocket up the R&B chart rankings, 12-time GRAMMY nominee Ledisi lifts the lid on news surrounding its parent album, ‘The Wild Card.’

Details inside:

(more…)

Love or loathe him, what can’t be denied is John Legend‘s hustle knows few rivals.

From radio to television, print, and beyond, the EGOT winner’s been on fire for the last two months in promotion of his long-awaited seventh studio effort ‘Bigger Love.’  Branded his sexiest album yet, Legend’s also described the set as a timely, ‘uplifting’ affair given the state of the world.

Yet, despite the onslaught of press allotted the LP’s leading songs – ‘Actions,’ ‘Conversations in the Dark,’ and its title track – he’s certainly seen bigger buzz.

Taking the June 19-released opus to chart battle even though most of its singles missed the Hot 100 all together, look inside to see just how many units ‘Bigger’ is expected move its first week:

(more…)

August Alsina‘s gone from zero to a hundred in a matter of days.

Though pretty quiet over the last few years, the crooner sprang a surprise on his dedicated fans last week by announcing his massive forthcoming effort, ‘The Product III,’ is hitting shelves June 26 (as we reported here).

Dropping a taste of its content via the well-received ‘NOLA,’ now the 27-year-old is venturing west with its follow-up by offering an homage to Houston via the new song, ‘Rounds.’

“Throw that NO up / H-Town down / That’s for my homies / That’s for my rounds / All that herb is really trippy / Clout by the pound /Keep that candy pain’t drippin’ / Chop, chop, grew it up the South,” he wails.

Look inside to hear his tribute to the ‘Space City.’

(more…)

As 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj‘s respective fan bases are setting Twitter alight at news the dynamic duo’s latest duet, ‘Trollz,’ has colored its name atop the Billboard Hot 100 (as we reported here), the rappers have taken to social media to join the celebration.

While in one corner Minaj shared history-making stats from the feat (i.e. the song’s chart premiere making her the first female rapper to debut at #1, surpassing Elvis Presley with 100 Hot 100 appearances, etc.), her ‘Trollz’ co-star popped bottles on Instagram and slammed radio for its lack of support.

See the action inside:

(more…)

June 12 brought with it the highly anticipated release of Chloe x Halle‘s sophomore album, ‘Ungodly Hour.’

Powered to chart competition by its bopping lead singles, ‘Do It’ (their highest charting song to date) and ‘Forgive Me,’ the sister set not only upped the ante on the visual front with increased sex appeal and choreography to boot but also delivered their most radio-friendly offerings yet.

Amplifying awareness of the LP’s arrival with an aggressive promo campaign that saw them touch down on television, Web, print, and more (as we reported here), the campaigning seemed to be doing the trick as ‘Ungodly Hour’ shot straight to the top of real-time sales tallies.

Now, with the inaugural tracking week behind them, Chloe x Halle can celebrate earning their best first week sales to date.

(more…)

Hi, hater! Bye, hater!

Detractors who prayed who for 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj‘s reunion single, ‘Trollz,’ to miss the top spot on the Hot 100 will be sorely disappointed to learn the tune is sitting atop the refreshed tally.

Details inside:

(more…)

Teyana Taylor’s fascination with the 90s and all of its trappings is celebrated on her new album ‘The Album’….;launched via GOOD Music and Def Jam last week.

Today she gave the world fresh insight into the experiences which inspired its conception and its exploration of love, lust, rage and loss during an interview with ‘The Breakfast Club’.

There, she also revealed that many of her songs sample tracks released by the black stars of yesteryear to introduce them to younger audiences and preserve their legacies.

See below…

(more…)

The BBC is determined to dissolve the barriers which block black creatives from soaring in the work place.

Learn how they intend to do so after the jump….

(more…)

Ja Rule is once again being roasted.

Once a fixture at the top of the charts, the rapper now finds himself a mainstay in the media melee.

And this time it centers around a commercial he stars in for Papa Cristo’s Greek deli, whose menu he asserts will “make you wanna slap yo mama.”

Full story below… (more…)