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.

It’s time to love an album again.

Aaron Lewis Flies Flag For Country

Billboard

Global Money Makers • Queen are the champions of the world when it comes to 2020 earnings, according to Billboard’s first ranking of the top five acts’ international income. It is joined by three U.S. artists and — surprise — K-pop phenomenon BTS

MARKET WATCH

Streams Up 11%, Vinyl Sales Double In First Half • Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” is the top song, while Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous leads the album chart

That’s The Ticket • Demand for concerts is rising — including among fans who haven’t attended one in a while. Here’s what the data says about touring’s post-pandemic comeback

NELSON ALBAREDA • CEO, Loud and Live

THE SOUND OF (HISTORY-MAKING) MUSIC • As the Grammy picture begins to take shape, these six acts are most likely to set new records

BEST BETS FOR THE BIG FOUR • The Recording Academy’s bombshell announcement in April that it’s disbanding its nominations review committees means that, for the first time in 27 years, voting members will have the final say on the nominations in the Big Four categories. The change makes the Grammy nominations even harder to predict than usual. That’s because the committee’s patterns — striving for gender, genre and racial diversity and generally steering clear of legacy, deceased and controversial artists in the Big Four categories — had become somewhat predictable. Still, early predictions remain an annual tradition. Here are the likely nominees in each of the four categories, followed by a handful of other Grammy hopefuls.

RECORD OF THE YEAR • After getting shut out of the 2020 nominations, The Weeknd said he won’t allow his recordings to be entered in the Grammy process going forward, but artists have been known to change their minds. “Save Your Tears,” which received a smash remix with Ariana Grande, would be a strong contender here. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in May. Last year, 1,463 songs were entered in this category — here is this year’s shortlist of likely candidates.

SONG OF THE YEAR • Some years, there’s a lot of overlap between the record of the year and song of the year nominees. Other years, not so much. Last year, four works were nominated in both categories, with three the year prior and six before that. Last year, 1,443 songs were entered in this category.

BEST NEW ARTIST • This year’s best new artist class may feature a handful of teen pop stars with Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid LAROI and Tate McRae as possible contenders. Polo G, who had top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2019 and 2020, may be deemed ineligible, though if the Grammys let him compete, he’ll be a formidable candidate. And while Giveon won best new artist at the BET Awards in June, he isn’t eligible here, considering he was Grammy-nominated for best R&B album in 2020 for Take Time. Last year, 343 artists were entered in the category.

NEW AND IMPROVED? • With its latest slate of changes, the Recording Academy — and some first-time voters — is more hopeful than ever for long-awaited transparency behind Grammy nominations

R&B/HIP HOP POWER ISSUE

THREE OF A KIND • SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA were dance music kings — and then, at the height of their reign, called it quits. Finally together again in Stockholm, they have a new label, new music and a new outlook on reuniting “for life”

The navigator • Whether he’s crafting whole albums with pop stars like Taylor Swift and Lorde or making his own as Bleachers, JACK ANTONOFF has one goal in the studio: helping everyone find their “North...