Cardi B Earns Five BET Awards Nominations

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s five for fighting for Cardi B…

The 21st BET Awards 2021 nominees list has been released, with the 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar earning five nods.

Cardi B, a four-time BET Award winner, is nominated for Best Female Hip Hop Artist.

Her chart-topping collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, “WAP,” is nominated for Best Collaboration and the Viewer’s Choice Award, while the music video is up for Video of the Year.

The clip for Cardi B’s chart-topping single “Up” is also nominated for Video of the Year, giving her two nods in the category.

Bruno Mars has picked up four nominations…

The 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer is nominated for Best Group for his R&B duo Silk Sonic, composed of Mars and Anderson .Paak.

Silk Sonic’s debut single “Leave the Door Open” is nominated for the Viewer’s Choice Award, while the song’s music clip is up for Video of the Year. The clip also earned Mars a nod for Video Director of the Year alongside Florent Dechard.

Jhene Aiko is celebrating her BET Award nom…

The 33-year-old part-Spanish American singer is up for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist.

Emcida is celebrating his BET Awards callout…

The 33-year-old Brazilian rapper, singer, songwriter and MC, whose real name is Leandro Roque de Oliveira, is nominated for Best International Act.

The awards honor Black excellence across music, television, film, and sports in 21 categories.

The BET Awards 2021 will air live on Sunday, June 27 on BET at 8:00 pm ET/ PT. The show was a virtual event last year during the pandemic.

“We are back and excited to bring culture’s biggest night, the 2021 ‘BET Awards,’ safely back to Los Angeles to celebrate this year’s incredible roster of nominees,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. “We broke ground as one of the first official award shows to move forward during the global pandemic and we are ready to take our pioneer status to the next level with the return of an audience to celebrate the best and brightest creative minds in the entertainment industry.”

Voting for the BET Awards 2021 Viewer’s Choice Award begins on June 7.

Beginning today, vaccinated individuals can register here for consideration to be part of the BET Awards 2021 live show audience.

The complete list of nominees are:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

AFTER HOURS – THE WEEKND
BLAME IT ON BABY – DABABY
GOOD NEWS – MEGAN THEE STALLION
HEAUX TALES – JAZMINE SULLIVAN
KING’S DISEASE – NAS
UNGODLY HOUR – CHLOE X HALLE

BEST COLLABORATION

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
JACK HARLOW FT. DABABY, TORY LANEZ & LIL WAYNE – WHATS POPPIN (REMIX)
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. DABABY – CRY BABY
POP SMOKE FT. LIL BABY & DABABY – FOR THE NIGHT

BEST FEMALE R&B / POP ARTIST

BEYONCÉ
H.E.R.
JAZMINE SULLIVAN
JHENÉ AIKO
SUMMER WALKER
SZA

BEST MALE R&B / POP ARTIST

6LACK
ANDERSON .PAAK
CHRIS BROWN
GIVEON
TANK
THE WEEKND

BEST NEW ARTIST

COI LERAY
FLO MILLI
GIVEON
JACK HARLOW
LATTO
POOH SHIESTY

BEST GROUP

21 SAVAGE & METRO BOOMIN
CHLOE X HALLE
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG
CITY GIRLS
MIGOS
SILK SONIC

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST

CARDI B
COI LERAY
DOJA CAT
MEGAN THEE STALLION
LATTO
SAWEETIE

BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST

DABABY
DRAKE
COLE
JACK HARLOW
LIL BABY
POP SMOKE

BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD

BEBE WINANS – IN JESUS NAME
CECE WINANS – NEVER LOST
H.E.R. – HOLD US TOGETHER
KIRK FRANKLIN – STRONG GOD
MARVIN SAPP – THANK YOU FOR IT ALL
TAMELA MANN – TOUCH FROM YOU

BET HER AWARD

ALICIA KEYS FT. KHALID – SO DONE
BRANDY FT. CHANCE THE RAPPER – BABY MAMA
BRI STEVES – ANTI QUEEN
CHLOE X HALLE – BABY GIRL
CIARA FT. ESTER DEAN – ROOTED
SZA – GOOD DAYS

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT

AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
EMICIDA (BRAZIL)
HEADIE ONE (UK)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
YOUNG T & BUGSEY (UK)
YOUSSOUPHA (FRANCE)

VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
LIL BABY – THE BIGGER PICTURE
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. BEYONCÉ – SAVAGE (REMIX)
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

CARDI B – UP
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
CHLOE X HALLE – DO IT
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

BENNY BOOM
BRUNO MARS AND FLORENT DÉCHARD
COLE BENNETT
COLIN TILLEY
DAVE MEYERS
HYPE WILLIAMS

BEST MOVIE

COMING 2 AMERICA
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
SOUL
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY

BEST ACTRESS

ANDRA DAY
ANGELA BASSETT
ISSA RAE
JURNEE SMOLLETT
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA

BEST ACTOR

ALDIS HODGE
CHADWICK BOSEMAN
DAMSON IDRIS
DANIEL KALUUYA
EDDIE MURPHY
LAKEITH STANFIELD

YOUNGSTARS AWARD

ALEX R. HIBBERT
ETHAN HUTCHISON
LONNIE CHAVIS
MARSAI MARTIN
MICHAEL EPPS
STORM REID

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

A’JA WILSON
CANDACE PARKER
CLARESSA SHIELDS
NAOMI OSAKA
SERENA WILLIAMS
SKYLAR DIGGINS-SMITH

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

KYRIE IRVING
LEBRON JAMES
PATRICK MAHOMES
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
RUSSELL WILSON
STEPHEN CURRY

Bruno Mars’ Silk Sonic Single “Leave the Door Open” Returns to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is back on top…

“Leave the Door Open,” from the 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer and Anderson .Paak’s duo Silk Sonic, rebounds from No. 2 to No. 1 for its second week atop the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

“Leave the Door Open,” released on Aftermath/Atlantic Records, first reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated April 17 (five weeks ago). It returns to the top as it drew 17.8 million U.S. streams (down 4%) and sold 14,200 (up 38%, helped by its placement in the iTunes Store‘s 69¢ Pop Hits sale) in the week ending May 13, according to MRC Data. It also attracted 87 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 8%) in the week ending May 16.

The track adds a fifth week atop the Radio Songs chart, pushes 3-2 on Digital Song Sales and keeps at No. 10 on Streaming Songs.

Notably, the four-week absence from No. 1 on the Hot 100 for “Leave the Door Open” is the longest for a song since Post Malone‘s “Circles” waited four frames between its second and third weeks on top on the charts dated December 7, 2019, and January 11, 2020. The two tracks’ breaks between weeks at No. 1 mark the longest since Taylor Swift‘s “Shake It Off” reigned for two weeks and then spent eight frames at No. 2 (behind Meghan Trainor‘s “All About That Bass“) before returning for two more weeks on top in September-November 2014.

The track concurrently leads Hot R&B Songs for an eighth week and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a fourth frame; the latter two charts use the same methodology as the Hot 100.

Bruno Mars Earns Eighth No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 with Silk Sonic Single “Leave the Door Open”

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is Leave-ing his mark yet again…

“Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic, the duo of the 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer and Anderson .Paak, rises from No. 3 to No. 1 for its first week at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

It’s Mars’ eighth Hot 100 No. 1, while Anderson. Paak earns his first.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data.

“Leave the Door Open” drew 21.5 million U.S. streams (up 13%) and sold 28,600 copies, downloads and CDs combined (up 138%), in the week ending April 8, according to MRC Data. It also attracted 59.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 9%) in the week ending April 11.

Combining digital and physical sales, the song was the most-sold of the tracking week, aided by two CD versions that shipped to purchasers in that span (one for $2.50 and a live version for the standard $1.29 single price), as it wins the Hot 100’s top Sales Gainer award.

Bruno Mars’ Hot 100 No. 1s:
“Nothin’ on You” (B.o.B feat. Mars), two weeks, beginning May 1, 2010
“Just the Way You Are,” four weeks, Oct. 2, 2010
“Grenade,” four weeks, Jan. 8, 2011
“Locked Out of Heaven,” six weeks, Dec. 22, 2012
“When I Was Your Man,” one week, April 20, 2013
“Uptown Funk!” (Mark Ronson feat. Mars), 14 weeks, Jan. 17, 2015
“That’s What I Like,” one week, May 13, 2017
“Leave the Door Open” (Silk Sonic [Mars & Anderson. Paak]), one week to-date, April 17, 2021

With eight Hot 100 No. 1s dating to his first, as featured on B.o.B‘s “Nothin’ on You” on the chart dated May 1, 2010, Mars ties Drake, Katy Perry and Rihanna for the most in that span. Mars becomes one of 18 artists in the Hot 100’s entire history with at least eight leaders.

Meanwhile, “Leave the Door Open” reaches No. 1 in its fifth week on the Hot 100, completing Mars’ quickest coronation. He wrapped a prior-best eight-week ascent to the summit with “Uptown Funk!” in 2015.

Silk Sonic pushes “Leave the Door Open” from No. 2 to No. 1 for its first week atop the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it’s Mars’ fourth leader, after “That’s What I Like” (10 weeks, 2017), “Finesse” (one week, 2018) and “Please Me” (one week, 2019), the latter two with Cardi B.

“Door” concurrently rebounds 2-1 for a third week atop the Hot R&B Songs chart, which, like Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, uses the same methodology as the Hot 100.

Bruno Mars Announces Plans to Launch Limited-Edition CD Single Release of Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open (Live)”

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is opening another door…

The 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer and Anderson .Paak‘s Silk Sonic will release a limited-edition “Leave the Door Open (Live)” CD single on Friday.

The collectible item comes in a jewel-case CD featuring a photo from their 2021 Grammy Awards performance of their single.

It also features the minute-long intro track by funk legend and “special guest host” Bootsy Collins, which will be featured on Silk Sonic’s upcoming album An Evening with Silk Sonic.

“Due to popular demand (and by demand I mean andy’s close relatives and 2 people I employ) we proudly present, #LeaveTheDoorOpen LIVE!,” Mars wrote via Instagram on Tuesday (March 30), adding on Twitter, “Swear this is even more collectible.”

Silk Sonic’s debut single is currently sitting at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week (dated April 3) after peaking at No. 2. It reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B Songs chart earlier this month.

The “Leave the Door Open (Live)” CD single, which can be pre-ordered here, will begin shipping Friday and is only available to order through April 5.

Cardi B’s “Up” Rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay Chart

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Things are looking up for Cardi B…

The 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar’s latest single “Up” jumps from No. 4 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart on the list dated March 20.

“Up” rallies with a 16% surge in plays in the week ending March 14, according to MRC Data, to become the most-played track at the radio format’s monitored stations.

“Up,” released on Atlantic Records, flies to the chart summit in its sixth week on the list and marks the fastest ascent in just under a year, Drake’s “Toosie Slide” was the last leader to arrive at No. 1 quicker, with just five weeks before its coronation in May 2020.

Among female artists, Cardi B’s sprint clocks the speediest time since… well, herself, when “Finesse,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars, also needed six weeks to reach the top spot.

Bruno Mars Earns Third No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs Chart with Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open”

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is celebrating an a-door-ed new single…

The 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer has earned his third chart-topper on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart.

Mars earns the new No. 1 with “Leave the Door Open,” the debut single from Silk Sonic, a new duo comprised of Mars and Anderson .Paak.

The single races 21-1 on the list dated March 20 with their insta-classic single after the input of its first week of sales and streams.

The single, released March 5, debuted a week prior to strong initial radio play in the week ending Sunday, March 7.

Mars collects his third No. 1 on the chart following “That’s What I Like,” a 20-week chart-topper in 2017 and ”Finesse,” his 2018 collaboration with Cardi B that ruled for 12 weeks.

Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” Video Hits 1 Billion Views Mark on YouTube

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a slow blow up for one of Bruno Mars‘ original hits…

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer/songwriter’s music video for “Grenade” has reached 1 billion views on YouTube a decade after its 2010 release.

It’s now Mars’ sixth music video to have reached this milestone, following “Just the Way You Are” (1.5 billion views, 2010), “The Lazy Song“ (2 billion views, 2011), “Uptown Funk“ with Mark Ronson (4 billion views, 2014), “24K Magic“ (1.3 billion views, 2016), and “That’s What I Like“ (1.8 billion views, 2017).

Released as the second single to Mars’ 2010 debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, “Grenade” earned the singer his third Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit. It was nominated for record of the year, song of the year and best pop solo performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards, and “Grenade” was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) last October.

In the visual, Mars depicts the unrequited love he has for his girlfriend by lugging a piano through Los Angeles as a sign of the lengths he would go to for her, only to find her at home with another man, leaving him devastated.

The video’s new feat after his partnership with Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic and the band’s inaugural release, “Leave the Door Open,” on March 5.

The Recording Academy has left the performance lineup open for these two past Grammy winners to join them for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards this Sunday.

Bad Bunny to Make Grammy Performance Debut on Sunday’s Awards Show

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is ready for his Grammy close-up…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap star is set to make his Grammy performance debut at Sunday’s 63rd annual Grammy Awards.

Bad Bunny joins a roster of performers that includes Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift.

The music ceremony, hosted by Trevor Noah, will feature a handful of performances by music’s top artists including BTS, Haim, Harry Styles, Roddy Ricch, Cardi B, Dua Lipa and Post Malone.

Cardi B first performed at the Grammys in 2018, singing “Finesse” alongside Bruno Mars, and then returned in 2019 to perform her track “Money” the following year.

Additional performers include this year’s 3-time nominee Adrian Quesada and his Black Pumas, performing on the Grammy stage for the first time, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Mickey Guyton, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Chris Martin, John Mayer and Maren Morris.

Additionally, the annual awards show will pay tribute to independent venues that have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. From bartenders to box office managers, the people who work day-to-day at Los Angeles’ Troubadour and Hotel Café, in New York City’s the Apollo Theater and Nashville’s The Station Inn will present awards for various categories throughout the night.

The 63rd annual Grammy Awards will air on CBS live Sunday, March 14 starting at 8:00 pm ET.

Fulwell 73 Productions produces the show for the Recording Academy.

Bruno Mars Partners with Lacoste to Launch First-Ever Fashion Brand Ricky Regal

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is expanding his empire…

The 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer/songwriter has launched his first-ever fashion brand called Ricky Regal, which is also the name of his newly adopted “designer” alter-ego.

“When I’m on stage my name is Bruno Mars. When I’m making lavish luxurious garments, I go by Ricky Regal,” he says.

The inaugural collection was created in partnership with Lacoste, and fuses the brand’s heritage elements with Ricky Regal’s 1960-’70s glam aesthetic. The ready-to-wear pieces include tracksuits, fluid button-up shirts, retro-inspired polos, patterned shorts, and a batch of fitted T-shirts. The range is rounded out by a selection of accessories, like slides, socks, and a pair of aviator glasses.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have been asked to do collaborations in the past, but it always came with guidelines,” Mars said in a statement. “Lacoste was the first and only brand that said ‘Bruno we want you to make this truly yours.’ The respect of such creative freedom coming from a heritage fashion house was an honor.”

The collection’s launch coincides with the release of “Leave the Door Open,” a track from Mars and Anderson .Paak. under the Silk Sonic moniker.

The Ricky Regal collection hit select retailers on Friday, and will be available at select Lacoste locations and its online store on Monday.

Lacoste is also showcasing the range at its new concept store on Los Angeles’ Melrose Place. The two-story space will transform every six weeks to highlight one of the brand’s collaborations, the first of which will be Ricky Regal. Lacoste is also launching immersive experiences focused on the Mars collaboration in The Webster Soho, The Webster LA, and UNKNWN in Miami’s Wynwood district.

Cardi B’s “Up” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs Chart

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Things continue lookin’ up for Cardi B…

For the fourth time, the 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar has logged the No. 1 track on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart.

“Up,” Cardi B’s latest single, debuts atop the list dated February 20, with 31.2 million U.S. streams in the tracking week ending February 11, according to MRC Data.

Cardi B first ruled the Streaming Songs chart with the two-week No. 1 “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” in 2017, and followed it up with the Bruno Mars collaboration “Finesse” (one week, 2018) and the 10-week rule of “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion last year.

Cardi B now ties Taylor Swift for the most Streaming Songs No. 1s among women.

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