Categoría: Billboard

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated Sept. 21, we look at the chances for KPop Demon Hunters to finally take its victory lap on the albums chart, if it can hold off a pop superstar’s surprise new release-slash-re-release.   Explore See latest videos, charts and news KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack (Visva/Republic): It’s remarkable both that we’re still talking about KPop Demon Hunters as a chart-topping contender nearly three months after its initial Netflix release — and also somewhat remarkable that after owning pop culture for close to the entire summer, the soundtrack still hasn’t reached the Billboard 200’s top spot. For most of that time, of course, it was stuck behind Morgan Wallen’s 13-week No. 1 I’m the Problem, but it finally snuck past that behemoth on last week’s chart — only to then get lapped by a pair of 300k-plus-bowing albums in consecutive weeks: Stray Kids’ Karma and Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend.   Will next week’s chart finally mark HUNTR/X and Co.’s takedown of the Billboard 200? Well, the timing certainly would line up, as the set is getting a clear extra push for this week. For one thing, it’s finally getting its wide retail release on CD, with exclusive variants available at Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble, each with a poster and a randomized photo card. A deluxe version of the album was also released digitally and to DSPs, featuring two additional tracks from the film (“Prologue (Hunter’s Mantra)” and “Jinu’s Lament”) as well as new singalong, instrumental and a cappella versions of the album’s seven big original hits.   Meanwhile, the real-life artists who provide the singing voices of the HUNTR/X trio have also been on the promotional trail. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami made a live in-store appearance at a Barnes and Noble in Manhattan on Saturday to sign CDs and take some photos. The trio also made its television debut on Sunday when they appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Long Island, presenting best album to Sabrina Carpenter (though for 2024’s Short n’ Sweet, not the album that held them at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 this week).   Could it add up to the album at long last reaching No. 1 in its 12th week on the chart? It should post its strongest overall numbers yet, at the very least, as the songs are all still doing very well on streaming  — though they’re maybe finally starting to slip a little in the daily rankings, so the KPDH cast would be well-served to really seize this week as their moment.   Justin Bieber, Swag (ILH/Def Jam): While the lane has finally opened for KPop Demon Hunters on the Billboard 200, another “Speed Demon” from the Republic family is zooming in from out of nowhere to try to pass it. Two months after first mixing it up with the KPop Demon Hunters cast on the chart with his surprise Swag release — both fell behind I’m the Problem at the time, though Swag got the edge for No. 2 — Justin Bieber is back with 23 new tracks’ worth of the stuff, with another new surprise release called (wait for it) Swag II.   While a 23-track brand-new Justin Bieber project would always be a release to take seriously on the Billboard 200, Swag II throws an extra wrench into the proceedings: On DSPs and at digital retailers, the 23 new songs merely comprise disc one of Swag II, with a second disc also containing the 21 songs originally released as Swag the First. So Swag II is essentially less a totally new album than a super-mega-deluxe reissue of its predecessor, akin to how SZA’s Lana release at the very end of 2024 was actually an expanded redo of her SOS.   A combined 44-track Bieber release seems like it could be a Morgan Wallen-sized blockbuster on the Billboard 200 — especially since Swag now comes with a standard CD release and two CD boxed sets, each with a branded T-shirt and a copy of the standard album, all without the 23 new songs.   However, while “Daisies” and “Yukon” from the original Swag are still performing quite well across streaming, the newly released songs have not had much streaming impact thusfar: None of the new cuts even cracked the top 40 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA listing, and as of Tuesday, only “Love Song” still even appeared in the top 200, in the bottom half. (They’ve fared slightly better on Apple Music, where “Speed Demon” is still lingering around the top 50 on the real-time listing.) Even with 44 tracks in total, it’ll be tough for Swag to outperform KPop Demon Hunters if the songs from the latter continue to be among the most-streamed in the country, and only a couple Swag tracks even come close to comparing.   Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend (Island/Republic): Count out Sabrina Carpenter this week at your own peril. Man’s Best Friend had one of the year’s best debut tallies with its 366,000 units moved — though 224,000 of that was in sales, which is likely to recede dramatically in week two. Still, the set’s streaming performance has remained strong, with new songs like “My Man on Willpower,” “When Did You Get Hot,” “Nobody’s Son” and particularly new single “Tears” (which she also performed at Sunday’s VMAs) all continuing to fare very well on Spotify and Apple Music. Short n’ Sweet ended up being a four-week No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2024, so even if Man’s Best Friend can’t hold on top for a second frame, expect it to be a regular contender in the weeks to come.   Source link

Karol G‘s “Si Antes te Hubiera Conocido” music video has surpassed the one billion views, scoring the Colombian superstar her 10th entry to the Billion Views Club. The news comes just days after the artist’s riveting NFL Halftime performance on Friday (Sept. 5), live from Brazil — where the Kansas City Chiefs took on the L.A. Chargers — which drew over 17 million viewers on YouTube, according to the video platform. The music video’s milestone also comes on the heels of Karol earning 10 nods to the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Karol’s “Si Antes” alone earned five mentions, including Latin Airplay song of the year and sales song of the year. She is also a finalist for Top Latin Albums artist of the year, female; Global 200 Latin artist of the year; Hot Latin Songs artist of the year, female; and Top Latin Rhythm Album of the year for Tropicoqueta. Karol G is a top finalist this year, along with Bad Bunny, who scored a historic 27 nods, Rauw Alejandro, Fuerza Regida, Tito Double P and Peso Pluma. See the complete list of finalists here. Karol G’s “Si Antes te Hubiera Conocido” — a 2024 single that was then included in her tropical-leaning Tropicoqueta album — peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it ruled the Hot Latin Songs chart for 14 weeks. Other Karol G music videos that have entered the Billion Views Club include “Bichota,” “Tusa” with Nicki Manaj, the Shakira-assisted “TQG” and “Provenza.” Watch “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” below: Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Major Lazer will bring the fun this Friday (Sept. 12) when the group puts on a free block party in downtown Las Vegas. The event is happening at the intersection of Fremont and 6th Street starting at 6 p.m., and will mark the second installment of Feed the Block, which launched in April with a show from Gryffin. Attendance for the Major Lazer party requires a free RSVP, available on the Feed the Block website. The block party is happening as part of marathon Twitch livestream that Major Lazer is embarking on at 12 p.m. PT on Friday, which go clear until midnight on the group’s Twitch channel. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Along with the downtown Las Vegas block party, the stream will find the group beaming around the planet from locations around Sin City. The event follows an August Twitch stream from London by the group that a rep for Major Lazer says drew more 210,000 unique viewers in an hour.  Friday’s events further activate the hype machine around Major Lazer’s return, with the group dropping its first original track since 2024 in late August. This song, “Gangsta,” features Kybba and frequent Major Lazer collaborator Busy Signal, who made significant contributions to the group’s 2013 classic “Watch Out for This (Bumaye).” In August, the group also announced the addition of a new member, America Foster. The addition of the British-Jamaican artist marks the first time Major Lazer has been a foursome, and the first time it’s included a woman. “We’re starting another journey with America joining the group,” Diplo said upon the announcement in August. “It’s amazing how much she complements the dynamic we’ve already established with Walshy and Ape Drums.” Major Lazer Livestream Courtesy Photo Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Is Morgan Wallen weighing in on the Gavin Adcock-Charley Crockett feud? A TikTok video posted Tuesday (Sept. 9) shows reigning CMA entertainer of the year Wallen and Adcock on stage at the former’s I’m the Problem concert at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 4. In the clip, Adcock holds up a shirt that appears to be emblazoned with Americana/country artist Crockett’s likeness as well as the words “$10 Cowboy Tour” (a reference to one of Crockett’s previous tours and albums). When Wallen sees it, he holds up two middle fingers at the shirt and smiles, before moving on with his performance. Billboard has reached out to reps for both Wallen and Crockett for comment. It’s the latest development in the recent beef between Adcock and Crockett, which began when the latter took to social media on Aug. 19 to defend Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning, country music-inspired Cowboy Carter album, but also spoke out against “bro country” artists. Crockett didn’t directly name names, but he seemed to call out Wallen and Adcock. “Hey country folks. @beyonce ain’t the source of your discontent. It was 25 years of bro country. #1 country artist on earth listen’s to nothing but rap,” Crockett wrote on Instagram. “Openly says he doesn’t really know any country music. Gotta respect his honesty. The machine points to a black woman who’s making a statement about marginalized people being removed from the conversation altogether, and somehow we all act like the entire pop industry didn’t just ambush roots music. These ‘country boys’ been *singing* over trap beats for years.” Crockett’s words seemed to single out Wallen, who had previously mentioned during a podcast interview with Theo Von that he “doesn’t listen to country music a whole lot,” though he also praised country singer Zach Top during that same interview. Elsewhere in that same post, Crockett also seemed to take aim at Adcock, who had previously sparked backlash and praise when he criticized Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album. Adcock had said, “That s–t ain’t country music and it ain’t ever been country music, and it ain’t gonna be country music.” Crockett’s missive noted, in part, “I don’t need to put down a Black woman to advance my music. That’s just embarrassing to the idea of America and I got no respect for it.” Adcock then struck back at Crockett, writing on X on Aug. 19, “Somebody needs to tell the ‘act’ that has let out (the cover) of James town ferry 6 times he should just work on letting out quality original music I got more cows–t under my pinky then you have seen your whole f–kin life. Hank sr called and asked about the cosplay cowboy.” Though Adcock later noted that Crockett seemingly sent him roses and a copy of Crockett’s Dollar a Day album, Adcock also doubled down on his anti-Crockett comments, writing on Instagram on Aug. 24, “Let me expose the cosplay cowboy for the last time. Nobody’s putting on a bigger act than this guy. Idk what you wanna call this but legends would roll over in their grave if you called this country.” Crockett had his own sharp words, responding on social media in a since-deleted post, “Black music made me. I will not apologize. Raised by a single mama. I am not ashamed. Many men have tried to destroy me. I will not lose.” Adcock has been opening select shows on Wallen’s I’m the Problem Tour, while his album Own Worst Enemy, released Aug. 15, debuted at No. 4 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart and at No. 14 on the all-genre Billboard 200. The prolific Crockett’s most recent album, Dollar a Day, released Aug. 8, debuted at No. 196. Crockett is nominated for artist of the year at the Americana Music Honors & Awards, to be held Wednesday (Sept. 10). His album Lonesome Drifter is also up for album of the year. Source link

Selena Gomez announced Wednesday (Sept. 10) that The Marías will perform and Jimmy Kimmel will host at this year’s Rare Impact Fund Benefit, Billboard can exclusively reveal. Going down Oct. 29 at Nya Studios West in Los Angeles, Rare Impact Fund Benefit: A Night of Radiance and Reflection is celebrating five years since Gomez founded the Rare Impact Fund in 2020, with 1 percent of all Rare Beauty sales going toward supporting organizations that expand access to mental health services and education for young people around the world. For the fifth anniversary, five of the Rare Impact Fund’s 30 nonprofit global partners will get a spotlight onstage at the event. “This night is a celebration of how far we’ve come and a powerful reminder of how much more we can do together,” says Gomez, founder and creator of Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund. “I’m incredibly grateful to Jimmy and The Marías for joining me in shining a light on youth mental health. Their support means the world – not just to me, but to millions of young people this work touches around the globe.” The Rare Impact Fund — which was previously held in 2023 and 2024 — has raised more than $20 million and supported 30 nonprofit partners across five continents since its 2020 inception. “The world is an increasingly difficult place, especially for young people,” Kimmel says in a statement. “I’m grateful to Selena Gomez for inviting me to host the third annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and I’m honored to help support their great work.” Jimmy Kimmel Disney/Mark Seliger Back in March, Gomez and her producer fiancé Benny Blanco teamed up with The Marías for “Ojos Tristes,” the second single from Gomez and Blanco’s joint album I Said I Love You First. The single — which interpolates Jeanette’s 1982 song “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes” — topped Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart last month. An auction at this year’s Rare Impact Fund Benefit will include exclusive Rare Beauty experiences, vacation package at five-star resorts and spas, and signed sports memorabilia from legendary athletes. Supporters of the 2025 fundraiser include Rare Beauty, Sephora, Pinterest, Pacsun, lululemon, Google.org and UCLA Health. “Five years ago, we set out to expand access to youth mental health,” says Elyse Cohen, chief impact officer at Rare Beauty and president of the Rare Impact Fund. “What began as a vision has become a thriving community rooted in compassion, fueled by action and united by the idea that access to mental health is a fundamental right. The Rare Impact Fund Benefit has been an integral part of our continued growth. It’s a moment to reflect on the lives we’ve touched, the stories that move us, and the urgent work still ahead. This gathering brings together the people, partners and purpose behind our mission and ensures we can keep showing up for young people in the ways they deserve.” The 2024 Rare Impact Fund Benefit — which included performances from Karol G and Teddy Swims — raised more than $2 million. Karol G, Selena Gomez, Teddy Swims at Selena Gomez’s 2nd Annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit at nya studios West on October 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images Source link

As Lady Gaga continues promoting her latest single “The Dead Dance,” the pop superstar is making sure everyone knows the choreography to her new song — including late-night host Stephen Colbert. In a new video posted to Instagram by the superstar, the comedian and the CBS show, Gaga brought the Late Show host to The Bitter End — the famous Greenwich Village bar where the singer launched her music career in the mid-2000s — and asked him to dance with her to her new single. In the clip, the pair execute the moves to the song’s post-chorus, before a bonnet-wearing Colbert pretends to choke on something, causing Gaga to erupt in laughter. In the video’s caption, Gaga teased that there was more than just a fun dance still to come. “Interview coming soon,” she wrote alongside a skull emoji. The choreography to the new song, created by Parris Goebel, was featured prominently in Gaga’s video for “The Dead Dance.” Directed by Tim Burton and filmed on location at the Isla de las Muñecas (“Island of the Dolls” in Xochimilco, Mexico), the video has garnered more than 20 million views in the week since Gaga shared it. Gaga’s latest video comes on the heels of her recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, where she performed a stripped-down cover of her Mayhem song “Vanish Into You.” The appearance came as the latest in her string of critically lauded live performances from the pop star, including her live debut of “The Dead Dance” at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards and her recently expanded world tour The Mayhem Ball. Watch Gaga and Colbert do “The Dead Dance” below: Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

The 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards have revealed a stacked lineup of performers for the annual awards show. Cohosts Steve Martin and Alison Brown will perform, as will The Del McCoury Band, East Nash Grass, Appalachian Road Show, Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, Della Mae with special guests Wyatt Ellis, Rainy Miatke, Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt and more. Appalachian Road Show, East Nash Grass and The Del McCoury Band are each nominated for the coveted entertainer of the year accolade this year at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. Brown, Martin and Tim’ O’Brien are up for song of the year, collaborative recording of the year and music video of the year for “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back.” Ellis is up for new artist of the year, while Benson, Britt and Brown are up for collaborative recording of the year for a version of “Ralph’s Banjo Special.” Benson, Britt and Brown are each also nominated for banjo player of the year. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Appalachian Road Show is also up for music video of the year (“Gallows Pole”), while East Nash Grass is also up for instrumental group of the year. Carter and Cleveland are up for song of the year (“Outrun the Rain”), album of the year (Carter & Cleveland), twice for instrumental recording of the year (“Bluegrass in the Backwoods” and “Kern County Breakdown”) and collaborative recording of the year (“Outrun the Rain” with Jaelee Roberts and Vince Gill). Cleveland is up for fiddle player of the year, while Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper are up for instrumental group of the year. Carter is up for new artist of the year and fiddle player of the year. The 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, presented by Get It Played, are set for Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tickets for the show are available at Ticketmaster, while the show will also be livestreamed on volume.com. “Everyone is excited to be hosting the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards in Chattanooga!” Jill Snider, executive producer of the awards show, said in a statement. “Our host announcement of Steve Martin and Alison Brown has generated a lot of buzz for the show, and they will be featured in two performances along with their hosting duties. Three of our entertainer of the year nominees will perform: The Del McCoury Band, East Nash Grass and Appalachian Road Show.”    New Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees Hot Rize and The Bluegrass Cardinals will perform, while Dom Flemons will perform in honor of Arnold Shultz. Snider also added, “This show always has unique collaborations and special performances. One highlight will be the Della Mae performance, which is part of the 100-year tribute to Hazel Dickens that has had a limited run across venues and festivals this year. There will be some surprises for our attendees, and collaborations that fans will not be able to see on any other stage.”  The 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards takes place as part of the annual IBMA World of Bluegrass, in partnership with Chattanooga Tourism Co. and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. IBMA World of Bluegrass runs from Sept. 16 to 20, and also includes the IBMA Business Conference (set for Sept. 16-18 at the Chattanooga Convention Center), as well as the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble showcases (Sept. 16-18 at various venues across Chattanooga), IBMA Bluegrass Live! (a two-day festival set for Sept. 19-20). Source link

2025 continues to be a key year for K-pop on top 40 radio, as HUNTR/X’s “Golden” reaches the top 10, rising two spots to No. 10, on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart (dated Sept. 13). The song from the soundtrack to the smash animated Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters is the sixth Pop Airplay top 10 by an act with ties to Korean pop, and the first since BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.,” which became the chart’s first such No. 1, for five weeks, in February-March. As previously reported, “Golden” crowns the multimetric, all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for a fourth week, with HUNTR/X — the singing trio of EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI (in the roles of KPop Demon Hunters star characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey) — having become the first female group associated with Korean pop to top the chart. (EJAE and REI AMI were born in Seoul, South Korea; Nuna is from New Jersey.) Here are the select six K-pop-associated Pop Airplay top 10s, beginning with PSY’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012: No. 1 (five weeks), “APT.,” ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, beginning Feb. 1, 2025 No. 5, “Dynamite,” BTS, Dec. 19, 2020 No. 7, “Cupid,” Fifty Fifty, Aug. 5, 2023 No. 7, “Butter,” BTS, Aug. 7, 2021 No. 10 (to date), “Golden,” HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI, Sept. 13, 2025 No. 10, “Gangnam Style,” PSY, Oct. 27, 2012 Pop Airplay chart reporter KMVQ (99.7 Now) San Francisco leads all panelists with nearly 1,000 plays to date for “Golden,” dating to its first spin in late June. SiriusXM’s Hits 1 and KIIS (102.7 KIIS-FM) Los Angeles have also given the song prominent exposure. The Pop Airplay chart ranks songs by weekly plays on more than 150 mainstream top 40 radio stations monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate. It’s free Billboard charts month! Through Sept. 30, subscribers to Billboard’s Chart Beat newsletter, emailed each Friday, can unlock access to Billboard’s weekly and historical charts, artist chart histories and all Chart Beat stories simply by visiting the newly redesigned Billboard.com through any story link in the newsletter. Not a Chart Beat subscriber? Sign up for free here. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

When girl group KATSEYE met up with Billboard News for the latest edition of the chat-and-chew series “Takes Us Out,” the six-member band were psyched to order whatever they wanted at L.A.’s Jollibee, which offers up a mix of typical fast food (fried chicken) mixed with Filipino comfort food (Palabok Fiesta). Explore See latest videos, charts and news Host Tetris Kelly deferred to “Filipino Queen” Sophia when it came to ordering, with the singer encouraging her bandmates — Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan and Yoonchae — to definitely go for the adobo rice as she broke down the vibe at the popular California spot. “I grew up have Jollibee like all the time, almost every single week with my family,” she said, noting that when the band went to the Philippines last year for a promo tour she specifically requested that their catering be all Jollibee at their mall shows. But it wasn’t all about food, the international group also described what their first night together was like after being brought together on grueling 2023 Dream Academy reality competition series, a collaboration between K-pop superstar factory HYBE and Geffen Records. “Slept like a baby,” Sophia laughed, as Lara added that she, Megan and Daniela had a sleepover to celebrate and watched the series’ finale on YouTube. They stayed up all night and then drove to a fast food joint in the middle of the night after promising themselves they’ve have a big, lavish celebration to mark the special ocassion. Host Kelly reminded Lara that on the finale she promised her bandmates that their music was going to “change the world,” a moment he said brought tears to his eyes. “A year later I’m like, wait, y’all doing it though!” Kelly said to a collective “awww.” They are definitely making their mark, with major performances such as their spot at this summer’s Lollapalooza in Chicago and their run through their Billboard Hot 100 No. 90 hit “Gnarly” during the pre-show of the recent 2025 MTV VMAs; they were also up for two awards at the VMAs and took home PUSH performance of the year for their single “Touch.” “Surreal, like it’s so, so crazy that we have made it so far in such little time,” said Daniela. Speaking of nominations, when Kelly brought up whispers of a possible best new artist nod at next year’s Grammy Awards Lara was like “no way,” saying it doesn’t feel like their time yet, despite their chart success with “Gnarly” and their No. 63 Hot 100 single “Gabriela.” If it happens, Lara said, it would involve a lot of “crying and throwing up” and calling their families. To be fair, they’ve definitely put in the work, including in an instantly viral Gap ad cued to Kelis’ “Milkshake” that featured some fierce dance moves, not to mention accidentally spot-on timing in the midst of the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad controversy. “It’s like so iconic the choreo. I didn’t know it was gonna blow up that much,” said Daniela of the hand motions that have become instant classics. In fact, Manon said she visited a Gap store the day before the chat and saw a group of girls taking turns recording each other doing the ad’s moves among the racks. They also got hyped talking about the upcoming launch of their first-ever world tour, which kicks off on Nov. 15 in Minneapolis. Daniela said it’s “so, so cool” how fast it has all come together, with the Beautiful Chaos outing representing another peak in their rapid rise. “We just can’t wait to travel to new places, meet new icons and just have our own show,” she said. “We haven’t really had that yet, so it’s really cool.” Lara said fans can expect some “variation” in the music, with less structure and a more playful vibe, with the singer teasing that they’d love to pay homage to other girl groups such as Fifth Harmony with a “Miss Movin’ On” cover or maybe songs from SWV, TLC or the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons.” Watch the group discuss the rising success of “Gabriela,” being open about their personal relationships, their mind-blowing Lolla experience and why sometimes not everyone can make it to every performance in the video above.    Source link

Before Tyler Nance released his debut song “Bad News” last fall and eclipsed it this year with his current Billboard Hot Country Songs debut entry “Keeps Me Sane,” he worked as a welder and grew up tending cattle on his family’s farm near Lamar, Missouri, a map dot town northwest of Springfield. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “I thought that was what I’d be doing for the rest of my life,” he tells Billboard. But the success of his music has put Nance on a different trajectory. “Keeps Me Sane,” released via Santa Anna Label Group, has earned 17.9 million official U.S. on-demand streams since it released in July, according to Luminate, while the song’s success propelled Nance to his current No. 32 position on the Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. “Keeps Me Sane” earned six million streams within two weeks of its release, and made it onto Spotify’s Viral 50-Global rankings, while Nance’s monthly Spotify listeners have ballooned to over 2 million. Nance wrote the song this past summer, working with co-writers Brent McCollough and Donnie Napier. “Keeps Me Sane” blends nature imagery of maple leaves and rushing waters, while capturing a sense of the search for relief against heartbreak and anxiety. “I was sitting in my living room one night and grabbed my guitar and started mumbling out words and wrote the first verse,” Nance recalls. “I had a [writing session] the next day, took it in and they loved it. It was like the song was meant to be, in a way. It’s really seemed to have helped people who deal with anxiety and stress.” Nance wrote poetry as a child, but spent most of his time working the family farm, a childhood he says, “taught me a lot about respect and hard work.” Nance learned pipe welding from his uncle, who built fencing for corrals. After high school, Nance moved to Kentucky, living in a camper while working as a welder. During a visit to Missouri, he picked up an acoustic guitar he’d purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic and began learning songs by Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers. “I learned some basic chords and kept writing to those chord patterns. I didn’t take it too seriously, it was just my outlet,” he explains. “Then I shared some music on social media and it started gaining traction.” In August 2024, he released his first song “Bad News,” which now has over 4 million streams on Spotify. He followed with two EPs (I’m Not Him and Wasted Chances), including songs such as “Sorrows of a Sorry Soul” and vulnerable “I’m Not Him” and “Whiskey Me or the Pain.” But “Keeps Me Sane” reaches a new level. “I keep saying, ‘It’s insane,’” he says with a laugh. The Wasserman-booked Nance has opened shows for Bayker Blankenship and Kidd G, and will open for Justin Moore this month. He’s also working on his upcoming full-length project. Nance, Billboard’s Country Rookie of the Month for September, discussed his upcoming album, his influences, his signature mustache and more. You have a full album in the works. How is that shaping up? Hopefully, I will be putting it out next year. A lot of the songs are kind of about my life and my roots, growing up in the Midwest and that story of where I came from. Can we expect any collabs? As of now, no. I have one song on there that has a female [vocal] part and I am looking at getting someone on that. There are a couple of other songs that I have artists in mind that I would love to have on those. Which artists are on your bucket list to collaborate with? Tyler Childers and Sam Barber. Tyler, his music has influenced me. Sam is also from Missouri, and he’s a proficient writer and has a great voice. Who were some of your other influences growing up? I listened to a lot of bluegrass stuff, a lot of Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Everly Brothers, anything before the 2000s is what influenced me. Who was the first concert you went to? I saw a Zach Bryan concert in Kansas City, when he first started touring. His music has gotten me through a lot and taught me a lot, too, with guitar. What is your favorite Zach Bryan song to cover? “Godspeed.” One of my good friends passed away when she was 17 and they played that song at her funeral. That was one of the first songs I ever learned. When you do get time to yourself, what do you like to do for fun? I love to see new things and new places. I’m also a foodie, I guess. I like history. I would love to see Devils Tower in Wyoming, or the Statue of Liberty or Yosemite. Do you have a favorite Nashville restaurant? A lot of the burger places, like Jack Brown’s [Beer and Burger Joint] is amazing. I love beef, of course, since I came out the womb. What podcasts or books are you into? I like the Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Bad Friends podcasts. I read a lot of history stuff and listen to audiobooks, just nerdy stuff. You are also known for your handlebar mustache. What made you want to grow it out? I was a senior in high school when I started growing the mustache. I watched the [1993] movie Tombstone with Val Kilmer and Sam Elliott. I loved [Kilmer’s character] Doc Holliday. That wasn’t the only reason [for growing his mustache], but it’s my way to stick out so people would know who I was when I was out on the road. What’s your favorite mustache product to use? I use mustache wax called Fisticuffs. If I’m in a bind, I’ll use an Elmer’s Gluestick. You have to have one or the other, or it makes eating lunch or dinner not fun… a mouthful of mustache. Source link