Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images

News

Ariana Grande's 'Sweetener' Earns Her Third No. 1 Album

Facebook Twitter Email
The popstar unseats Travis Scott's top spot on the Billboard 200 with her fourth studio album, making this her third No. 1 debut
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 27, 2018 - 3:19 pm

Ariana Grande's  highly anticipated Sweetener is out and the numbers are in. The GRAMMY-nominated popstar's fourth album, released on Aug. 17, has dethroned Travis Scott's No. 1 album spot on the Billboard 200. Her latest chart-topper marks her third No. 1 album debut.

Sweetener has sold 231,000 equivalent album units (which accounts for digital purchases, streams and traditional album sales) in its first week ending Aug. 23. This will place the album at the top of the latest Billboard 200 chart dated Sept. 1, replacing Scott's Astroworld, which also debuted at No. 1. The songs on the new album collected a total of 126.7 million streams in this first week, making it the biggest streaming week ever for a pop album by a woman.

Of the four studio albums the artist has released, this is her third time debuting at No. 1. Last year's Dangerous Woman was the only one to miss the mark, yet it wasn't far behind, debuting and peaking at No. 2 on the chart, behind Drake's Views.

We want to know what you're listening to right now – is Grande's "God Is A Woman" pumping you up as summer comes to a close?

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Ariana Grande & *NSYNC

Ariana Grande & *NSYNC

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

News

Ariana Grande Shines At Coachella Alongside *NSYNC, Nicki Minaj, Diddy & Mase

Facebook Twitter Email
"Coachella, I've been waiting my whole life for this moment," the GRAMMY-winning pop queen proclaims as she reunites the boy band, minus Timberlake, onstage
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 15, 2019 - 3:08 pm

Based on Ariana Grande's headlining Coachella performance last night, it is safe to say that the 25-year-old pop star is truly living her best life and grateful to be doing so. She not only became the fourth solo female artist to headline the iconic festival for its 20th annual event, she also was the youngest-ever headliner.

She seemed just as excited to be there as her many fans singing and dancing along during her no-holds-barred show-stopping set, which included very special guests *NSYNC, Nicki Minaj, Diddy and Mase, multiple glam costume changes for her and her backup dancers between their killer moves and several occasions of bombastic fireworks.

Grande came out to a cheering crowd, establishing her powerful stage presence and angelic voice with two songs from her GRAMMY-winning Sweetener, "raindrops (an angel cried)" into "God is a woman," wearing a maroon shiny satin puffy-shoulder number. Her talented crew of dancers, who also had plenty of costume changes to coordinate with hers, surrounded her during "God is a woman" as they danced on and around a large table for a dramatic Last Supper-evoking scene.

The crowd was captivated by the whole journey Grande took them on, singing along pretty much the entire set; swaying with the slower songs and dancing it out with her for the more upbeat bops. But the biggest moments for everyone, Ari included, was when the pop star shared her special moment on stage with some special friends.

Her first guests up were Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez of *NSYNC, who entered during "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored," her song from thank u, next that samples their No Strings Attached track, "It Makes Me Ill."

When the almost-fully reunited boy band entered, even Grande couldn't contain her excitement; "Coachella, I've been waiting my whole life for this moment," she gushed. They jumped in, singing part of the 2000 track, followed by *NSYNC 1997 hit "Tearin' Up My Heart, complete with epic '90s boy band dance moves. As the group left the stage, Grande's mood reflected that of the crowd. "I could die now," she said.

Oft-collaborator and friend Minaj joined her on stage for two of Grande's big tracks she was featured on, "Side To Side" and "Bang Bang." While there were some technical difficulties during the segment of the show, they danced through it and stunned in their coordinating maroon looks.

In a lavender flowy sleeve outfit, Grande welcomed her final special guests, hip-hop legends Diddy and Mase. The trio sang Notorious B.I.G.'s GRAMMY-nominated classic "Mo Money Mo Problems," which, of course, features the other two rappers on Biggie's posthumous 1997 album Life After Death. As they finished, Diddy paid tribute to some of those we've lost too soon, shouting out Biggie, Tupac, Mac Miller and Nipsey Hussle.

Mase, Ariana Grande & Diddy

Mase, Ariana Grande & Diddy | Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Grande made sure to include all of her big hits and fan favorites, all in very big ways. For "7 rings" her and her dance crew shared the stage with a pink car that said "Arichella" spray painted across it. For "breathin," another crowd pleaser, she was joined by an orchestra who seemed to magically appear on stage as fireworks shot out up above the stage.

"This has been unbelievable. Love you, thank you!" Grande said, smiling at the crowd as she went into her final two songs. She then sang "no tears left to cry," a powerful moment, especially given it was the first song she released following—and as response to—the tragic events at her 2017 Manchester concert.

She closed out with her "thank u, next," her first No. 1 single, as the crowd sang along, extra loud, for one last time as more fireworks filled the sky.

Sofi Tukker On Crafting Their "Ideal" Coachella Set, Giving Hugs To Maggie Rogers & More

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran

Photo: Simone Joyner/Getty Images

News

Ed Sheeran, Mariah Carey & More Broke Big Music Records In 2018

Facebook Twitter Email
Find out which artists made massive waves with record-breaking numbers this year, including GRAMMY winner Sheeran, whose Divide Tour made the most money in a single year of any tour ever
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 28, 2018 - 9:37 am

Before you can listen to all of your favorite songs from this year one more time, we'll be saying "Thank U, Next" to 2018 and ringing in the New Year. As we jump into 2019, let's take a look back at some of the biggest music records your favorite artists broke this year. From Ariana Grande's viral "Thank U, Next" earning the popstar her first No. 1 song while breaking YouTube and other streaming records to BTS earning the title of the first-ever Korean artist with a No. 1 album in the U.S. to Drake beating a record previously held by the Beatles, 2018 was a landmark year for music. Read on to learn more about the big achievements these artists, along with Mariah Carey, Ed Sheeran, Cardi B and Queen, hit this year.

GRAMMY nominee Grande really lived up to her name in 2018—in addition to releasing her currently-GRAMMY-nominated fourth studio album, Sweetener, and her third No. 1 album, she landed her first-ever No. 1 single on Billboard's Hot 100, "Thank U, Next." Following the release of the song's hotly anticipated, 2000s-nostaglia-inspired video, she earned the biggest ever streaming week for a female artist with 93.8 million U.S. streams. A testament to the video's viral success, it also holds the current record for YouTube's most-viewed video in the first 24-hours of its release with 55.4 million views in its first day on the platform, taking the place of BTS' "Idol," which racked up 45.9 million upon its release earlier in the year.

Speaking of the K-pop phenoms, BTS had a record-breaking year as well. They made news in May when their album Love Yourself: Tear debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making them the first K-pop artist with a No. 1 album in the U.S. on the all-genre chart. As the songs are sung mostly in Korean, this was the first primarily foreign-language album to reach No. 1 in over 12 years. This follows their previous record as the first-ever K-pop group to break the top ten on the same chart when Love Yourself: Her hit No. 7 after its release in October 2017.

BTS On What They're Listening To Now & More

GRAMMY winner Drake also had a big year, thanks to the June release of his eighth studio album, Scorpion, which earned the rapper several more GRAMMY nominations for the upcoming 61st GRAMMY Awards. The double album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning his eighth in a row to do so, tying him with fellow GRAMMY winners the Beatles, Jay-Z and Kanye West, who all also have eight No. 1 albums.

In July Drake broke another record previously-held by the Beatles: having the most songs in the top 10 of the Hot 100 at the same time. Drake had seven top 10 songs (from Scorpion) at once, while the Beatles hit the previous record of five back in 1964. With four of the album's singles debuting in the top 10 in the same week, he became the first artist with that many top 10 songs in a week; the previous record was J. Cole's three top 10 debuts earlier in the year.

This year was a huge year for hip-hop, with GRAMMY nominee Cardi B also helping lead the charge for the genre. Her debut studio album, Invasion Of Privacy, also earned her several more GRAMMY nods and other big accolades, including the title of the first female artist to have an album with all of its songs certified gold or above by the RIAA. The LP itself was certified gold only hours after its release in April and ends the year with a double-platinum stamp in the organization's end of year count, tying it for No. 1 with Post Malone's Beerbongs & Bentleys and Migos’ Culture II.

It was a big year for music overall, with 2018 clocking in as the biggest-earning year to-date for live music. Global concert sales hit a record-setting high of $2 billion dollars in 2018, up from $1.8 million in 2017. Leading the charge was GRAMMY winner Ed Sheeran, who's Divide Tour made the most money in a single year of any tour ever, earning $432 million across 94 events in 53 cities.

It was also a good year for movies about music, with the Queen film, Bohemian Rhapsody, taking the place of highest-grossing music biopic of all time. As of Dec. 12, the movie had earned $608.7 million globally, surpassing 2015's Straight Outta Compton, the film about gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A.

Ending the year on a festive note, Mariah Carey's holiday classic "All I Want For Christmas" ended 2018 with another record broken. On Dec. 24, the 1994 song broke Spotify's one-day streaming record, racking up 10.8 million streams on Christmas Eve.

Which music records will be shattered in 2019? We'll have to wait for the next viral hits and game-changing albums to find out…

Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" Breaks Streaming Record

Lorde

Lorde

Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

News

Lorde, Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey & More Named Most Influential Women Musicians Of This Century

Facebook Twitter Email
NPR listeners voted for the most inspiring female artists, what do you think of the list?
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 21, 2018 - 10:41 am

Three weeks ago NPR asked its listeners who they think are the most influential female musicians currently making waves of change. The question inspired over a thousand fans to participate in the poll and on Nov. 20, they shared the top 25 artists from the responses, which put GRAMMY winners Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Taylor Swift in the top five, along with more current-day sheroes, among them fellow GRAMMY winners Lorde, Amy Winehouse and St. Vincent and GRAMMY nominees Janelle Monáe, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande.

Watch Camila Cabello Speak Up For Dreamers

The list also includes GRAMMY winners P!nk, Alicia Keys and Adele and GRAMMY nominees Florence + the Machine, Sia, Halsey, Cardi B, Kesha, Kehlani, Demi Lovato, Lana Del Rey and Katy Perry.

NPR highlighted that while most of these talented artists fall under the umbrella of popstars, their style and influence is far from cookie-cutter, with authenticity playing a prominent role in responders' answers. In NPR's words: "While the majority of the artists you picked are pop singers, your comments show that this commonality doesn't mean they all exert influence in the same way. You remarked on artists' command of their instruments…their inventiveness around genre; their ability to be honest and authentic in their songwriting."

Others on the list include M.I.A., whose hit "Paper Planes" took over the airwaves in 2008, along with Camila Cabello, whose debut single as a solo artist took over the airwaves in 2017, as well as rising star Hayley Kiyoko, who sits at No. 4 on their list, although she only released her debut album, Expectations, earlier this year.

Hayley Kiyoko On 'Expectations' & "What I Need"

The poll also solicited comments from voters. "[Kiyoko] has influenced an entire new generation of youth to be comfortable with their own sexualities and does this with dreamy pop music that lifts spirits," Manpreet told NPR.

Another response pointed to the importance of Beyoncé, who took first place on the list, as a role model for young black girls. "Her mere presence is enough to encourage young black girls to strive for greatness," fan Niharika Palakodety said. "She doesn't shy away from saying things as they are, and her focus on every detail of her music makes it that much more important." 

The superstar herself seems deeply aware of this, which she reflected on during her acceptance speech for Best Urban Contemporary Album for her groundbreaking Lemonade at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. A then-pregnant, glowing-goddess Beyoncé shared during the show:

Beyoncé wins Best Urban Contemporary Album GRAMMY

"It's important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty, so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror, first through their own families, as well as the news, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the White House and the GRAMMYs, and see themselves and have no doubt that they're beautiful, intelligent and capable. This is something I want for every child of every race."

Rosalía Shouts-Out Lauryn Hill, Kate Bush And More Women During Latin GRAMMY Speech

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

News

Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, Drake, Ariana Grande: Who Has Your Back-To-School Anthem?

Facebook Twitter Email
Summer's gone and fall responsibilities are here – what song will you be blasting in between classes?
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Aug 24, 2018 - 5:57 pm

It's that time again. Summer has come and gone and now it's time to say goodbye to every sun kissed memory and hello to fall, like it or not. But getting back to your grind doesn't have to suck. As you and your friends begin to go back to school, we want to know what song you'll be blasting in between classes, using to pump you up before a test or waiting to come on at the next party. Which song is your back to school jam?

Polls

Which Hit Is Your Back-To-School Anthem?

Maybe you still can't get enough of Drake's "In My Feelings," Post Malone's "Better Now," or Ariana Grande's "God Is A Woman" and you'll be blasting a banger from the summer. Maybe you just now got into Juice WRLD 's "Lucid Dreams." If you're over the summer hype, your pick might be between Travis Scotts' "Sicko Mode" and Nicki Minaj's "Ganja Burns," which have recently dropped. Or you might be someone who leans more towards a rock sound, so Twenty One Pilots' "Jumpsuit" or Foster The People's "Sit Next To Me" is more your taste. The indie pick on your list might be Boygenius' "Bite The Hand" or you might go the total opposite way with Shakira's and Maluma's "Clandestino," which could just be your request at a party. Whatever you choose, let us know which song will rule your back to school.

 

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"