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Bad Wolves Celebrate 5th Consecutive #1 at Radio with “Sober”

Bad Wolves Podcast, Bad Wolves Nation, Bad Wolves Interview

Haulix client Bad Wolves is topping the charts and inspiring listeners with the latest single off their critically-acclaimed Sophomore album.

“Sober”, the current single from BAD WOLVES’ critically acclaimed album N.A.T.I.O.N. (available for streaming now), has become the band’s 5th consecutive #1 at Rock Radio (unprecedented for their 5th single ever released).  The anthemic track is resonating not just with rock fans, but also with everyone whose lives have been touched by addiction in any way.

The song is the lead track from the soundtrack to Better Noise Films’ forthcoming feature film Sno Babies. The video, featuring footage from the film, portrays the devastating impact of addiction on families and relationships and reinforces that recovery is possible for those who can stay the course.  

“This song was a unique opportunity to talk about addiction not only from the perspective of the addict but also from the perspective of their loved ones,” says lead singer Tommy Vext. “The message is very different from traditional songs that seem to always perpetuate a mentality of self-victimization which is exactly the kind of misguided thinking that perpetuates the mental obsessive side of alcoholism and addiction. In the end, the moral of the story is about holding on to not giving up on ourselves or the people who are trying – who are really, really trying to make and better themselves.”  

The COVID pandemic has created an additional crisis for those in early recovery. In addition to increased anxiety and isolation, mitigation measures in place across the country to prevent the spread of COVID makes access to support and treatment much more difficult.  In a mission to reduce the stigma and make an impact, BAD WOLVES has collaborated with The Global Recovery Initiatives (GRI) to use the video’s release as a platform to raise awareness of GRI’s efforts to provide access to recovery support services all around the US. GRI is raising funds for the specific purpose of putting 1000 AmeriCorps recovery workers in the field. Studies have shown that individuals who access these services after treatment such as recovery housing, recovery coaching, peer support groups and job training resources, are more likely to stay in recovery.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Sno Babies Soundtrack will go to help fund this initiative. 

GRI’s Board Chair Pam Cytron explains “Tommy’s candor is a brave and powerful demonstration of what the successful road to recovery can look like.  We are excited to partner with Bad Wolves and spread that hope to others— because we know for the 21 million people in recovery in the U.S, the benefits are immeasurable.”

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The Black Dahlia Murder Reach #4 On Billboard Album Sales Chart With ‘Verminous’

American death metal titans The Black Dahlia Murder continue their reign as one of the genre’s all-time most successful bands.

Not even the coronavirus can stop The Black Dahlia Murder. The Michigan-born band’s ninth studio album, Verminous, made a massive impact on the Billboard charts during its first week of release. The incredibly LP moved over 7800 unites in pure sales, which led to a fourth-place finish on the top album sales chart. It was only beaten by new releases from Fiona Apple, Upchurch, and Dababy.

Verminous also made a splash on the Billboard 200 chart, which combines sales and streams. The album opened at 99, which is a huge accomplishment for any heavy band, let alone one nearly two decades into a career without virtually no radio play or active touring efforts.

The downside to this news is that the performance of Verminous slightly below the first-week debuts for the two previous Black Dahlia Murder records. The most likely reason for that is the current pandemic, which is preventing record stores from operating and stopping bands from performing. Those factors are the most likely reasons for the dip, as fans and critics agree the record is the band’s best to date, and they speak to why others in the industry are cautious about releasing music in the current climate.

Still, a fourth place chart position is a monumental moment for metal. The Black Dahlia Murder will no doubt recoup any lost sales once touring resumes, and they will continue to move tons of merch and song streams until that time. There is no reason to focus on the negatives. The success of Verminous is a success story for everyone that likes their music heavy.

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Lil Uzi Vert Sets Streaming Records, Stuns Industry with ‘Eternal Atake’

After a three-year absence, rapper Lil Uzi Vert has made a massive return to fame with his chart-topping new album.

GRAMMY® Award-nominated, multi-platinum superstar Lil Uzi Vert has made a historic #1 debut on the Billboard 200 with his critically acclaimed new album, ETERNAL ATAKE, available now via Generation Now/Atlantic Records at all music retailers and streaming services HERE. The groundbreaking release has impacted charts globally, now #1 in both Canada and Australia.

With over 400 million combined audio and video streams in its first week, the extraordinary success of ETERNAL ATAKE marks Lil Uzi Vert’s second #1 album (following 2017’s 2x RIAA platinum certified, chart-topping milestone, LUV IS RAGE 2) and the second-biggest week of 2020 for any album. In addition, ETERNAL ATAKE boasts the fourth-largest streaming week ever for an album, as well as the biggest streaming week for any album since Lil Wayne’s 2018 release, THA CARTER V. These records are not only huge for Lil Uzi Vert’s rockstar career, but for artists worldwide. 

Last week saw the surprise arrival of ETERNAL ATAKE (DELUXE) – LUV VS. THE WORLD 2, available for streaming and download HERE. The deluxe edition includes 14 additional tracks and features from Chief Keef, 21 Savage, Future, Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Durk, Young Nudy, and NAV. 

Along with its phenomenal popular success, ETERNAL ATAKE has received wide-ranging critical applause around the globe. “ETERNAL ATAKE is Lil Uzi Vert’s best album yet,” raved Rolling Stone, “with a cohesiveness, slick concept, and performance that justifies every ounce of hype.” Perhaps Pitchfork said it best: “ETERNAL ATAKE is Uzi’s greatest album to date, a scope-defying hour-long epic that couldn’t be made by anyone else.”

ETERNAL ATAKE was preceded by “BabyPluto,” a short film co-directed by Lil Uzi Vert and acclaimed filmmaker Gibson Hazard (Drake, Billie Eilish, G-Eazy) and streaming now via the official Lil Uzi Vert YouTube channel HERE. The trailer has drawn over 3 million individual views thus far amidst praise from the likes of Billboard, which hailed Uzi’s “out-of-this-world directing skills,” and Vulture, which declared it to be a “weirdly riveting trailer that amounts to more than the sum of its parts.” 

ETERNAL ATAKE includes the recently released hit singles, “That Way” and “Futsal Shuffle 2020,” both available now at all DSPs and streaming services. The latter track dropped last December and immediately proved a blockbuster, rising to #5 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” – Lil Uzi Vert’s highest charting solo single to date. The mass success of “Futsal Shuffle 2020” was of course fueled in part by its irresistible signature dance, invented by Uzi and featured in the track’s official companion video, now approaching 23 million individual views via YouTube alone HERE.

Indeed, Lil Uzi Vert has swiftly racked up a long list of awards and other assorted honors, including prestigious GRAMMY® Award and MTV Video Music Award nominations for “Best New Artist” and the 2017 Billboard Touring Awards for both “Breakthrough Artist” and “Breakout Artist of the Year.” Additional nods include “Favorite Album – Rap/Hip-Hop” at the 2018 American Music Awards, “Best New Hip-Hop Artist” and “Hip-Hop Song of The Year” at the 2018 iHeart Radio Music Awards, and three leading nominations from the 2018 Billboard Music Awards: “Top Rap Artist,” “Top Rap Album” (for LUV IS RAGE 2), and “Top Streaming Song” (for “XO Tour Llif3”).

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Five Finger Death Punch conquer global charts with ‘F8’

With numerous top 10 chart appearances for their new album and over 1-million ticket sales in the last two years, Five Finger Death Punch is proving that rock is far from dead.

Record-breaking rock juggernaut FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has a lot to celebrate as the band’s latest album F8 has earned top positions on the charts worldwide. 

The album has debuted at #1 on Rock charts worldwide with a Top 10 Mainstream chart in US, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and more.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has amassed over 3 billion streams to date, over 2 billion video views and is the 3rd biggest artist in the hard rock space measured by total consumption (digital sales added to digital streams converted to sales) – surpassed only by Metallica and AC/DC.  

Over the last decade, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has become one of the most recognizable names in music. The band has sold over 1 million concert tickets in the past two years and over $40 million in merchandise sales globally. 

Every record since the release of the band’s 2007 debut album The Way of the Fist, has been certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA – 4 Platinum and 6 Gold Records. The band has earned numerous awards and honors and is one of the few recipients of the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award from the Association of The United States Army. Recently, Five Finger Death Punch was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Artist at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards.

The new album, F8 includes the band’s #1 single “Inside Out”, as well as instant grat tracks “Full Circle” and “Living The Dream.” The standout track for press and fans alike since release has been “A Little Bit Off,” with charts in the US, Canada and Germany highlighting the song with #1 debuts.

F8 was produced by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH with long time producer KEVIN CHURKO (Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed, Slash, etc).  “F8, the group’s eighth, is their most mature offering to date,” Billboard states. “It features singer Ivan Moody chronicling his daunting path to sobriety over music that traverses a diverse range of styles, from sensitive ballads to balls-out barnstormers.”

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will kick off the next leg of its U.S. Arena tour in April 2020 and will bring along special guests Papa Roach, I Prevail, as well as highly acclaimed newcomer Ice Nine Kills. For all dates, VIP and more info, please visit www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com.

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Tik Tok, Blanco Brown, and the future of discovery

After propelling Lil Nas X into the spotlight earlier this year, Tik Tok may be on the verge of its second star-making moment with Blanco Brown.

Have you heard of #GitUpChallenge? If not, there is a good chance you are not a Tik Tok user. Based on “The Git Up” by fast-rising artist Blanco Brown, the #GitUpChallenge tasks music fans to create a dance video using the song as their soundtrack. Tik Tok user HarveyBass is largely responsible for creating the challenge, so we might as well take a look at his video first:

Tik Tok’s ability to influence pop culture at large was proven earlier this year when Lil Nas X took the Billboard charts by storm with “Old Town Road.” The song, which has since gone on to be the number one song in the country for ten consecutive weeks, initially rose to popular because Tik Tok users could not stop making videos using the material. The song grew so popular, in fact, that radio station programmers across the country began ripping the song from YouTube to place it in rotation.

“The Git Up,” much like “Old Town Road,” was largely overlooked upon its initial release. The song was quietly dropped on streaming services May 3, which was preceded by a Soundcloud debut in late April. The song did not take off until it gained the attention of Tik Tok users, and it did not begin to find viral success until the HarveyBass clip above started to spread outside the video-sharing platform in early June.

Since that happened, “The Git Up” has been gaining traction online, as well as at terrestrial. The song has accrued more than 2.7 million streams on Spotify to date, which makes it nearly 20x more popular than Brown’s second most-streamed track on the service. There’s another 2.3 million plays on YouTube, as well as millions more on other streaming platforms.

As of this week, “The Git Up” has also entered the Billboard charts, coming in at No. 16 on Country Digital Song Sales (4,000 downloads sold) and No. 38 on Hot Country Songs.

Call it the “Old Town Road” effect, but Brown’s decision to combine the popularity of country and hip-hop while also delivering what is essentially a new “Cha Cha Slide” may have created a monster that will be inescapable at weddings, proms, etc. for years to come.

A glance at Google trends reinforces the song’s growing popularity:

A glance at trends on YouTube does as well:

The only question that remains is where the track and Blanco Brown go from here? Unlike “Old Town Road,” Brown’s “Git Up” is a song made to make people dance. It’s not intended for casual listening (despite being incredibly catchy). Longevity will depend mainly on radio play and the embrace of club DJs around the world.

Regardless, for now, it seems Tik Tok is about to have another moment in the spotlight. Brown’s presence on the charts solidifies the platform’s ability to shift and shape pop culture, so now one must wonder who will be next. Will another country-rap track work? Will tastes evolve to give another emerging genre a chance? Only time will tell.

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News

Spotify Top 5s from 2018

Spotify is the world’s largest premium streaming service with more than 87 million subscribers (and counting). Every one of those subscriptions is linked to a person with unique music preferences who uses the platform to consume audio whenever the mood strikes. That activity creates a lot of data, and unlike many tech companies, Spotify uses that data to promote further engagement. You may have seen their 2018 billboards, which outlined various data points that highlighted just how different, yet similar we are as people. Here is an example:

Last week, Spotify continued to leverage the data we provide them by releasing numerous Top 5 lists based on consumption. There are many takeaways, including the fact that emo rap is positioned for a huge push in 2019, as we reassurance that many contemporary favorites are still mainstays in culture (we’re looking at you, Drake). 

Spotify’s Global Top Lists 2018:

Most-Streamed Artists

Drake is the world’s most-streamed artist, with more than 8.2 billion streams this year. J Balvin, who made his top-five debut, had multiple hits on our global chart, such as “X” (with Nicky Jam) and “I Like It” (with Cardi B).

  1. Drake
  2. Post Malone
  3. XXXTENTACION
  4. J Balvin
  5. Ed Sheeran*

*Ed Sheeran was the top-streamed artist in 2017

Most-Streamed Female Artists

Spotify’s top-streamed female artist, Ariana Grande, released her hotly-anticipated fourth album, “Sweetener,” in August. She had a momentous year with numerous charting singles, including her latest smash “thank u, next.” Grande’s music streamed more than 3 billion times in 2018.  

  1. Ariana Grande
  2. Dua Lipa
  3. Cardi B
  4. Taylor Swift
  5. Camila Cabello

Most-Streamed Tracks

While it was the summer of “In My Feelings,” Drake’s track “God’s Plan” was actually the most-streamed song of 2018. Post Malone also scored two songs on this list with both “rockstar (feat. 21 Savage)” and “Psycho (feat. Ty Dolla $ign).”

  1. God’s Plan – Drake
  2. SAD! – XXXTENTACION
  3. rockstar (feat. 21 Savage) – Post Malone
  4. Psycho (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) – Post Malone
  5. In My Feelings – Drake

Most-Streamed Artist Albums

Drake’s “Scorpion” was released on June 29, and before long was racking up 10 million streams an hour. Dua Lipa’s self-titled debut album also had a stellar year, and Ed Sheeran’s 2017 album “÷” made the top five as well.

  1. Scorpion – Drake
  2. beerbongs & bentleys – Post Malone
  3. ? – XXXTENTACION
  4. Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa
  5. ÷ – Ed Sheeran*

*Ed Sheeran’s ÷ was the top album in 2017

Most-Streamed Groups*

Imagine Dragons is Spotify’s most-streamed group for 2018, but K-pop sensation BTS also enjoyed plenty of global listening. Maroon 5 and Migos come in third and fourth, and Coldplay took fifth.

  1. Imagine Dragons
  2. BTS
  3. Maroon 5
  4. Migos
  5. Coldplay**

*Must have three or more members

** Coldplay was 2017’s most-streamed group

Most-Followed Playlists

Today’s Top Hits is 2018’s most popular playlist. It’s the best place to go to find out what’s trending in popular music—and about 22 million followers agree. Rounding out the top five is Songs to Sing in the Car, with Beyoncé’s “Halo,” and Camila Cabello’s “Havana” as the top two songs people are belting on their road trips.

  1. Today’s Top Hits
  2. RapCaviar
  3. ¡Viva Latino!
  4. Baila Reggaeton
  5. Songs to Sing in the Car

Genres That Grew the Most in 2018

  1. EMO Rap
  2. Lo-fi Beats
  3. Deep Talent Show
  4. Ringtone
  5. Brega Funk

Special thanks to Hypebot for the heads up about this info.

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