Billboard News - music

Elton John Sets Chart Record as ‘Cold Heart’ Lifts to No. 1 in Australia The Rocket Man blasts to another chart record, this time in Australia where “Cold Heart” (Warner/Universal) soars to No. 1. Elton John’s “Cold Heart,” featuring vocals from Dua Lipa and remixed by Sydney trio Pnau , makes the journey to the top in its 12th week on the ARIA chart, all of which were spent in the Top 10. The single, lifted from Elton’s The Lockdown Sessions , moves to the summit after five straight weeks at No. 2. In doing so, it becomes the legendary British singer’s first leader in Australia since the 14-times platinum accredited “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” / “Candle in the Wind … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

Survivors Mourn Astroworld Disaster: ‘It Was Like Hell in There’ HOUSTON — Angry and traumatized mourners of the eight music fans who died and 300 who were injured Friday night at the Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival in Houston fanned out to memorials and vigils throughout the city this weekend. “It really wasn’t a concert. It was like hell in there,” said Angel Rodriguez, an 18-year-old high school student who gathered Sunday afternoon (Nov. 7) with five friends in front of a makeshift shrine outside the festival site NRG Park. “We were just there to have fun. We didn’t know it was going to be a mass tragedy.” Rodriguez and his friends were in the middle of the deadly crush when fans rushed the … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

808 State’s Andrew Barker Dies After ‘Short Period of Illness’ Andrew Barker of Manchester electronic band 808 State died on Saturday (Nov. 6), the group confirmed in a statement on social media this weekend. “It’s with a heavy heart to inform you of the passing of Andrew Barker,” the band posted Sunday on Twitter . “His family and friends asks that people respect their privacy at this time but remember him for the joy he brought through his personality and music. You’ll be sadly missed.” Barker’s cause of death has not been revealed, but on Instagram , a post about the “tragic news of the passing of Andy Barker” on 808 State’s account stated that he had “experienced a short period … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

Ed Sheeran Debuts at No. 1 In Australia With ‘=’ Ed Sheeran wouldn’t be denied the Australian chart crown with = (Equals) (via Atlantic/Warner), which blasts to No. 1 on the national survey. With his latest feat, Sheeran earns a fifth leader on the ARIA Albums Chart , following + (August 2012), x (June 2014), ÷ ( March 2017) and No. 6 Collaborations Project (July 2019). The “Ed Sheeran effect” can be felt up and down the chart, as his three previous albums impact the Top 50: ÷ (No. 19), x (No. 47) and No.6 Collaborations Project (No. 48). Equals , which also leads the U.K. and U.S. charts, features four ARIA Top 10 tracks in “Bad Habits” (No. 1 in July), “Visiting Hours” (No. 3 in August) and … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

Fans Choose Mariah Carey’s ‘Fall in Love at Christmas’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music Mariah Carey ’s holiday season return has topped this week’s fan-voted new music release poll. Music fans voted in a poll that was published Friday (Nov. 5) on Billboard , choosing “ Fall in Love at Christmas ,” Carey’s new holiday tune featuring Kirk Franklin and Khalid , as their favorite new music release of the past week. Carey’s fresh holiday collab was the clear leader on this week’s poll, bringing in 50% of the vote. Post Malone and The Weeknd ’s synth-heavy team-up “One Right Now” followed in second place, with 18.79% of the vote, putting it very narrowly … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

Dionne Warwick Herself Crashes ‘SNL’ Talk Show Skit, Sings ‘What the World Needs Now Is Love’: Watch Saturday Night Live viewers may have found themselves doing a double take during the Nov. 6 episode of the long-running NBC comedy series. For nearly a year, SNL cast member Ego Nwodim has been impersonating iconic singer Dionne Warwick in a hilarious recurring talk show-themed sketch in which she grills celebrities with out-of-the-blue questions reminiscent of her witty tweets. On Saturday’s episode, the 80-year-old Queen of Twitter herself made a cameo during the laugh-out-loud segment following awkward interviews with the evening’s musical guest Ed Sheeran (playing himself), Miley Cyrus (Chloe … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

Travis Scott & Live Nation Sued Over ‘Predictable’ Astroworld Tragedy Travis Scott and other organizers of the Astroworld music festival in Houston are already facing at least one lawsuit over Friday’s deadly crowd surge, filed by an injured concertgoer who called the incident a “predictable and preventable tragedy.” In a petition filed Saturday in Harris County District Court, Astroworld attendee Manuel Souza sued Scott himself, as well as organizer ScoreMore and concert giant Live Nation, over the Friday night incident, which left eight dead and dozens more injured. The lawsuit claims the disaster was the direct result of “a motivation for profit at the expense of … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

Brazilian Star Marília Mendonça Mourned by Thousands in Hometown Struck with grief, tens of thousands of fans gathered Saturday (Nov. 6) to pay tribute to Marília Mendonça , one of Brazil’s most popular singers who was killed a day earlier in an airplane crash at age 26. The Latin Grammy winner and four other passengers, including her producer and uncle, perished Friday when their plane crashed while flying from Mendonça’s hometown of Goiania in Goias state to Caratinga, a small city in Minas Gerais state north of Rio de Janeiro. Some mourners arrived as early as Friday night to bid farewell to the country music singer, spending the night outside the large gymnasium in Goiania where … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news

Ed Sheeran Scores Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With ‘=’ Ed Sheeran scores his fourth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart as his latest studio album, = , bows atop the list (dated Nov. 13). The set, which was released on Oct. 29, earned 118,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 4, according to MRC Data. Over half of that sum was driven by album sales. Sheeran previously led the list with No. 6 Collaborations Project (in 2019), ÷ (in 2017) and x (in 2014). Each of his previous chart-topping albums also debuted at No. 1. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent … Join us for fresh music news @billboard_news --- @billboard_news