Taylor Swift, once again, has the number one album in the country:
Taylor Swift notches her eighth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 — and second of 2020 — as her surprise release Evermore arrives atop the list. Her latest studio album earned 329,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 17, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, marking the fifth-largest week of the year for any album.
Although vaccines are starting to roll out, it will likely be several months before live performance revenue starts to return. So we’re going to continue doing Bandcamp Fridays in 2021, on February 5th, March 5th, April 2nd, and May 7th. As always, isitbandcampfriday.com has the details.
Maureen Ryan, writing at Vanity Fair:
In the final month of this terrible year, I’m here to celebrate the achievements of a white man who is manifestly unqualified for his job. No, I did not expect to end up here. But then—and I am the first person to point this out—2020 has been incredibly weird and tough.
The man in question is a mustachio’ed gent named Ted Lasso, and while he may have his share of flaws and blind spots, which he would freely admit, I am here to tell you that Ted Lasso the show is just fucking delightful. It’s not only an entertaining antidote to craptacular 2020, it also provides the kind of energy and ideas we should absolutely bring into 2021. But before I explain why Ted Lasso is not just good but Important, here’s a brief explainer of what it is. I’m not going to spoil any key plot points, because I want you to watch it, and thank me later.
Great review for a great series.
Shawn Mendes has the number one album in the country this week:
Shawn Mendes scores his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as his latest studio effort, Wonder, bows atop the tally. The set earned 89,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 10, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone will be staring in a new Safdie Brothers TV series titled The Curse that is being produced by A24 for Showtime.
The half-hour series is said to explore how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show.
Fielder will direct and executive produce in addition to starring and co-creating the series. Co-creator Benny Safdie will also executive produce with his brother Josh Safdie under their Elara Pictures banner. Stone will executive produce via Fruit Tree. Ravi Nandan will executive produce for A24, which will produce the series. A24 also produced the current Showtime series “Moonbase 8.”
Uhh … yes please.
Bad Bunny has the number one album in the country this week:
Bad Bunny earns his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and makes history in the process. His new studio effort El Ultimo Tour del Mundo debuts atop the list, marking the first all-Spanish-language album to reach No. 1 in the 64-year history of the all-genre chart.
The album starts with 116,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 3, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
On Monday, the Universal Music Publishing Group announced that it had signed a landmark deal to purchase Dylan’s entire songwriting catalog — including world-changing classics like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and “Like a Rolling Stone” — in what may be the biggest acquisition ever of the music publishing rights of a single act.
The deal, which covers Dylan’s entire career, from his earliest songs to the tunes on his latest album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways,”was struck directly with Dylan, 79, who has long controlled the majority of his own songwriting copyrights.
Like always, our contributor “best of” list will run in early January (when the year is actually over), but if you’d like to get in on the action early, you can submit your own lists in our community.
Warner Bros. will send its entire 2021 slate of movies — including The Matrix 4, Dune, The Suicide Squad, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark — to HBO Max on the same day of each film’s respective theatrical release.
The unprecedented move to bypass exclusive theatrical distribution windows was done in response to the pandemic, which has shuttered most movie theaters across the US.
The Wonder Years have announced a 10-year anniversary box set for The Upsides/Suburbia.
In Celebration of the 10 Year Anniversaries of The Upsides and Suburbia, I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing, we’ve put together a comprehensive, 4xLP box set complete with new art from the original artists, Mitchell Wojcik and James Heimer, new songs in the style of the original recordings, b-sides, demos and a 32-page book filled with essays, original illustration sketches and never-before-seen photos. We have 1500 exclusive copies in a beautiful galaxy variant, never to be printed again.
Apple Music’s “Replay 2020” link can be found here.
Hayley Williams has shared her favorite things of 2020 with Rolling Stone:
Like the rest of us, Williams has been turning to her own musical creature comforts during this pandemic: Jessica Pratt, Erykah Badu, the voice of Billie Eilish’s mom as she cooks vegan food on Instagram Live. The Paramore vocalist also dives into the books, movies and hobbies she’s consumed over the past eleven months, the mistake she learned the most from this year, and what she hopes to accomplish in 2021.
BTS once again has the number one album in the country:
BTS lands its fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as Be bows atop the tally. The set, which was released via Big Hit Entertainment on Nov. 20, arrives with 242,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 26, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Be is the second chart-topper of 2020 for the pop group, following Map of the Soul: 7, which debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 7.
Pale Waves talked with Alt. Press about their new album:
I feel like this album is childhood for me. It’s the music that I grew up with. And I didn’t want to do another record that was really ’80s-inspired synth-pop music. I was done with that. I was over it. And I wanted to move on. And this is what I know best. This is what I’ve only ever known. And now this is the core of me. This is what founded my love for music and from the earliest days. So it’s the easiest kind of music for me to write. And of course, Avril is a massive inspiration. There’s no denying that she was my childhood hero.
AC/DC have the number one album in the country this week:
The new studio effort was released via Columbia Records on Nov. 13 and starts with 117,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 19, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. AC/DC previously hit No. 1 with 2008’s Black Ice and 1981’s For Those About to Rock (We Salute You). All told, Power Up is AC/DC’s 26th charting album, and 10th top 10.