Camila Cabello Pulls a Rare Double as She Earns First No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Havana”

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a rare double for Camila Cabello…

The 20-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and former Fifth Harmony Member has reached the summit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated January 27) for the first time, as “Havana,” featuring Young Thug, rises from No. 2 to No. 1.

The song was released on SYCO/Epic Records and is the 1,070th No. 1 in the Hot 100‘s history, which dates to the chart’s August 4, 1958, inception.

Cabello’s Hot 100 coronation accompanies her No. 1 entrance on the Billboard 200 albums chart with her debut solo set, Camila.

Additionally, “Havana” becomes Cabello’s first No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart, jumping from No. 5 with a 34 percent gain to 44.9 million U.S. streams in the week ending January 18, according to Nielsen Music.

The track charges 4-2 on Digital Song Sales (which it led for two weeks), up 57 percent to 80,000 downloads sold in the week ending Jan. 18, aided by a 69-cent iTunes Store sale price. It claims the Hot 100’s top gains in both streaming and sales.

On Radio Songs (which it topped for four frames), “Havana” holds at No. 2, with 131 million in all-format airplay audience (down 5 percent) in the week ending Jan. 21.

Cabello had previously peaked as high as No. 4 on the Hot 100 both as a soloist and a member of vocal group Fifth Harmony, which she departed in December 2016. Her own “Bad Things,” with Machine Gun Kelly, hit No. 4 on February 11, 2017, while 5H‘s “Work From Home,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, reached the same rank on June 11, 2016.

“Havana” spent seven (nonconsecutive) weeks at No. 2 before topping the Hot 100. That’s the most time for a song at the runner-up spot before hitting No. 1 since Justin Bieber‘s “Sorry” logged a record-tying eight weeks at No. 2 in 2015-16 prior to leading for three weeks beginning January 23, 2016.

“Havana” hits No. 1 in its 23rd week on the Hot 100, equaling the longest rise to the summit for a song by a female artist in the Hot 100’s history. It matches Sia‘s “Cheap Thrills,” featuring Sean Paul, in 2016, and Patti Austin‘s “Baby, Come to Me,” with James Ingram, in 1982-83.

Only six songs overall have taken more scenic routes to No. 1 than those three, led by Los Del Rio‘s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)“: 33 weeks in 1995-96.

Beyonce was the last artist to earn both firsts as a soloist simultaneously, with “Crazy in Love,” featuring JAY-Z, and Dangerously in Love, on July 12, 2003. The song began an eight-week Hot 100 reign the same week that her first solo album apart from Destiny’s Child (and including “Crazy”) launched at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Still, Beyoncé had previously topped both charts as a member of Destiny’s Child.

Counting purely first weeks at No. 1 on the tallies overall, Cabello is the first artist to earn both firsts in the same week since Britney Spears, whose “…Baby One More Time” ascended to No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated Jan. 30, 1999, the week that her debut album of the same name opened atop the Billboard 200.

Meanwhile, Cabello is the first artist to top both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 concurrently at all since Kendrick Lamar, who did so “Humble.” and DAMN., respectively, on May 6, 2017.

The last woman to double up at No. 1 on the charts before Cabello this week? Rihanna, with “Work,” featuring Drake, and ANTI, nearly two years ago (April 2, 2016).

Camila Cabello’s Solo Album “Camila” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is a woman on top, as she joins an elite group of fellow musicians…

The 20-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer and former Fifth Harmony member debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with her first solo album, Camila.

The album — released through SYCO/Epic Records on January 12 — earned 119,000 equivalent album units in the week ending January 18, according to Nielsen Music.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

With Cabello’s arrival at No. 1, she joins an exclusive club of female performers who initially reached the Billboard 200 as part of a group, and then later hit No. 1 with a solo album.

As a former member of the all-female vocal group Fifth Harmony, Cabello claimed three top 10s while in the group. Cabello departed Fifth Harmony in December of 2016.

Cabello now joins a list of the ladies who hit No. 1 after previously scoring chart success with a group, including Gwen Stefani, LeToya, Beyonce,, Lauryn Hill, Patti Labelle, Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross and Janis Joplin.

An honorary mention goes to Selena Gomez, who notched three albums first with Selena Gomez & the Scene, before going totally solo with the No. 1 album Stars Dance in 2013.

Cabello is also the first woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her debut full-length album in three years – since Meghan Trainor’s Title (also on Epic) opened atop the list dated Jan. 31, 2015. (Trainor had a previous EP, also named Title, which reached No. 15.) If we count all initial chart appearances by women (including EPs), Cabello is the first woman to top the list with her first overall charting effort since Ariana Grande bowed at No. 1 with her first full-length album — and chart debut — Yours Truly on Sept. 21, 2013.

In addition, as Cabello is just 20 years and 10 months old, she is the youngest person to debut at No. 1 with their first full-length album since 2015, when a 16-year-old Shawn Mendes opened at No. 1 with Handwritten on the May 2, 2015-dated chart. Cabello is the youngest woman to bow at No. 1 with her first full-length set since 2013, when Ariana Grande (then 20 years and two months old) debuted at No. 1 with Yours Truly (Sept. 21, 2013).

Carey Reunites with Epic Records, Releasing New Album “Later This Year”

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a new deal for Mariah Carey… with the promise of new music in the near future.

The 47-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer’s Butterfly MC Records is partenring with Epic Records. While terms of the partnership haven’t been revealed, the deal is said to include a new album to come “later this year.”

“To continue working with Mariah Carey at Epic has been another rewarding chapter of my career,” Epic Records chairman-CEO L.A. Reid said in a statement. “Mariah’s incomparable talents as a singer, with her vocal range that is nothing short of legendary, are matched by her brilliance as a songwriter, producer, and performer par excellence. Mariah’s chart records have established her enduring place in music history, a position that is cherished and supported by her loyal fans worldwide. I look forward to building upon all of Mariah’s success for years to come.”

Following rather tumultuous exit from Sony Music Entertainment (where she started her career in 1990) in 2000, Carey returned to Sony Music in 2015 when Reid personally signed her to Epic. The two had previously worked together on her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi, which was recorded/released while Reid was at Universal Music label Island Def Jam.

No further details regarding Carey’s forthcoming album were given, but with a summer tour lined up (with Lionel Richie) and the return of her Las Vegas residency set for July, it could be sooner than later.

“I am putting my heart and soul into making more new music,” Carey said in a press release. “I am so thrilled for this next chapter and to continue working with, and for, everyone that I love.”

Cabello Leaving Fifth Harmony to Pursue Solo Career

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is ready to fly solo…

The 19-year-old Cuban-American singer and member of Fifth Harmony has left the all-girl group.

In a message posted on social media and signed by “Ally, Normani, Dinah and Lauren,” the group writes, “After four and a half years of being together, we have been informed via her representatives that Camila has decided to leave Fifth Harmony. We wish her well.”

The remaining members, Ally Brooke Hernandez, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hansen and Lauren Jauregui, state that they will continue the group as a foursome.

As recently as December 9, when the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour hit New York City, the group had announced plans to release a new album. Kordei told radio personality Elvis Duran, “2017, it’s going to be popping,” and Jane Hansen added, “The third album is definitely going to be so lit. We’re really excited.”

Fifth Harmony was formed by Simon Cowell on the second season of the The X Factor US in July 2012. In January 2013, they signed a joint deal with Syco Music, owned by Cowell, and Epic Records, L.A. Reid‘s record label, after finishing in third place on the show.

To date, The group has sold 424,000 albums, 7 million digital songs and earned 1.6 billion on-demand streams in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music.

Their honors include three MTV Video Music Awards, an American Music Award, a Billboard Women in Music award and seven Teen Choice Awards.

In the last two years, Cabello released two singles which reached the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100: “I Know What You Did Last Summer” with Shawn Mendes in 2015, and “Bad Things” with Machine Gun Kelly earlier this year.

Carey to Receive Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is about to twinkle a little brighter in Hollywood…

The 45-year-old half-Venezuelan American singer will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday, August 5, according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Following the news, Carey took to her Instagram account to share her excitement over the honor and to thank her fans for all their love and support over the years.

“Super excited and feeling so humbled about my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Thank you so much to the fans for making this happen for me,” she captioned a photo of a mock-up star imprinted with her name.

Next week, Carey will be the 2,556th celebrity to receive a plaque on the walkway. Directors Lee Daniels and Brett Ratner and Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid are expected to speak about the “Without You” songstress during the ceremony.

Throughout her more than 25-year career in the music industry, Mariah — who has four-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with her estranged husband, Nick Cannon — has released 18 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has won five Grammys.

She’s currently performing in Las Vegas with a residency at Caesars Palace, which began on May 6.

Carey Reveals Track List for Her Greatest Hits Album “#1 To Infinity”

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey will have you feeling emotions and more in the near future…

After releasing the album artwork for Mariah Carey #1 To Infinity, a comprehensive greatest-hits package consisting of all 18 of her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, the 45-year-old half-Venezuelan-American singer has confirmed its release date.

Due May 18 on Epic Records/Columbia Records/Sony Legacy, Infinity reunites Carey with Epic chairman-CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who helped spearhead Carey’s mid-2000’s comeback with The Emancipation of Mimi as then-chairman of Island Def Jam Records. In addition to Carey’s 15 Sony No. 1’s and three Universal No. 1’s, the album will include one brand-new selection, title track “Infinity.” The song will premiere globally on April 27 via all digital services, as well as a video directed by Carey’s longtime collaborator Brett Ratner. Carey is also expected to host a kick-off event for her upcoming Caesars Palace residency in Las Vegas on April 27, with more details to be announced shortly.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be back together again with Mariah,” says Reid in a statement. “There is really no one who comes close to Mariah as both a songwriter and a singer, and as the world knows, her vocal range is legendary and truly incomparable. Her music is indelibly etched into our culture, and she’s shattered so many chart records that she’s now firmly entrenched in the history books. With a fierce and loyal fan base that covers every corner of the globe, I have no doubt Mariah will do it again.”

Infinity is the first release in a multi-album deal with Epic, which Carey signed earlier this year. Carey will perform all 18 No. 1s for the first time ever as part of her residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and is expected to pepper fan-favorite album cuts and previously never-performed tracks into each set as well. The first 18 confirmed 2015 performances are May 6, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 20, 23, 24; and July 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26. Tickets are available at thecolosseum.com or axs.com.

Here’s the complete Mariah Carey #1 To Infinity Tracklist:
(Includes weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100)

1. “Vision of Love” (4 weeks, 1990)
2. “Love Takes Time” (3 weeks, 1990)
3. “Someday” (MTV Unplugged version) (2 weeks, 1991)
4. “I Don’t Wanna Cry” (2 weeks, 1991)
5. “Emotions” (3 weeks, 1991)
6. “I’ll Be There” (featuring Trey Lorenz) (2 weeks, 1992)
7. “Dreamlover” (8 weeks, 1993)
8. “Hero” (4 weeks, 1993)
9. “Fantasy” (Bad Boy Fantasy featuring O.D.B.) (8 weeks, 1995)
10. “One Sweet Day” (featuring Boyz II Men) (16 weeks,1995-1996)
11. “Always Be My Baby” (2 weeks, 1996)
12. “Honey” (3 weeks, 1997)
13. “My All” (1 week, 1998)
14. “Heartbreaker” (featuring Jay-Z) (2 weeks, 1999)
15. “Thank God I Found You” (featuring Joe & 98 Degrees) (1 week, 2000)
16. “We Belong Together” (14 weeks, 2005)
17. “Don’t Forget About Us” (2 weeks, 2005)
18. “Touch My Body” (2 weeks, 2008)
19. “Infinity” (2015)

Carey Reveals Artwork for Her Upcoming Greatest Hits Album

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is standing tall…

The 45-year-old half-Venezuelan-American singer has revealed the artwork for her new greatest hits album, which coincides with the launch of her Las Vegas residency on May 6 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, where she’ll deliver her 18 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.

The singer launched a social campaign with the hashtag #RevealMariah early on April 12 which encouraged fans to visit mariahcarey.com where they were then prompted to share news of the reveal in order to expedite the lift of a curtain over the final image.

Titled #1 To Infinity, the album is her first for Sony Music‘s Epic Records, with whom she signed last month. As previously reported by Billboard, the new contract reunites Carey with Epic Records chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who helmed her multi-platinum 2005 comeback album, The Emancipation of Mimi, while running Island Def Jam.

Carey stuns on the album cover, with help from a her favourite designer, Yves Saint Laurent.

The edgy French brand created a plunging mini dress featuring thigh splits for the legendary singer, which put her gorgeous figure on show. Inspired from their autumn/winter 2015 collection which featured mini dresses with thigh splits, this dress was a touch more ‘Mariah’ with its soft pleated fabric and cleavage-baring neckline.

The news also arrives days after Mariah Carey announced that she and longtime publicist Cindi Berger have split. On April 9, the singer also confirmed to Billboard that she has new management, TV producers Brian Sher and Stella Bulochnikov.

No release date has been given for Carey’s greatest hits collection, and a track list has yet to be announced.

Carey Hires New PR Representation & Management Team

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey has new representation…

A day after the 45-year-old half Venezuelan singer and her longtime publicist Cindi Berger parted ways, Carey announced her new PR and management team.

Chris Chambers of the Chambers Group, who’s worked with Lil Wayne, Drake and many other artists over his long career, will her as her PR agent. Her fifth set of managers since 2013: TV producers Brian Sher and Stella Bulochnikov.

Carey’s new managers have worked together on several projects, most recently E!’s Christian Milian Turned Up and VH1’s T.I.’s Family Hustle and Tiny & Shekinah’s Weave Trip. Sher, who has worked as T.I.’s agent since 2004 and his co-manager since 2009, has been credited with helping to rebrand the rapper’s image via the television shows.

Sher began his career as a production assistant before beginning his career in ICM’s mailroom. He rose to the role of agent in 2000 and left in 2008 to form Category 5 Entertainment, where he begin working with T.I., Michael Vick (executive producing The Michael Vick Project for BET) and partnered with Kelsey Grammer in Grammnet NH.

Bulochnikov is a producer and writer who’s worked with Sher on Boss, T.I. & Tiny and Larry the Cable Guy’s Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza. She has a long history as a producer with Viacom shows dating back to 2001, including VH1 Divas, I Love the ‘80s and ‘90s, and several Paris Hilton Specials.

The moves come ahead of several big projects for the singer, who has stumbled in recent months with the poor sales of Me. I Am Mariah … The Elusive Chanteuse, the lowest-selling non-holiday studio album of her career and several wobbly live performances. On May 6, she begins a Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, the same venue where Celine Dion will return on Aug. 27 after a year-long hiatus. Also expected later this year is a newly repackaged greatest-hits set called #1’s, the first release in her new deal with Epic Records, to accompany her Vegas show. She also has a Christmas movie on the horizon, according to Deadline.

Among other chart feats, Carey holds the record for total time spent at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, 79 weeks total, and also holds the record for longest-running Hot 100 No. 1 single (for 1995’s “One Sweet Day” with Boyz II Men, 16 weeks at No. 1), although she hasn’t had a Top 10 single since 2009’s “Obsessed.”

Carey had three management teams in 2013 alone, beginning with a Randy Jackson/Irving Azoff partnership, then Bruce Eskowitz of Red Light Management and then Jermaine Dupri, who produced some of her biggest hits including “We Belong Together.” Dupri gradually gave way to Kevin Liles, who semi-officially took the reins in August of 2014 but recently dropped out.

The news was first reported by Page Six and confirmed to Billboard by Chambers Group.

Blacc to Serve as a Judge for the 2015 CLIO Music Awards

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Aloe Blacc is ready to be the judge and jury…

The 35-year-old Panamanian American singer-songwriter will form part of the voting panel of this year’s CLIO Music Awards, a prestigious international awards competition for marketing and advertising in the music industry. Now in its second year, the competition is accepting entries through April 3.

Blacc is quite familiar with the CLIOs; his single “The Man” earned a Clio Award last year, and he performed at the ceremony last year. He joins 22 other music insiders in the voting panel, including Tom Corson, president and COO of RCA Records; Sylvia Rhone, president of Epic Records; and Daniel Glass, founder and President of Glassnote Entertainment Group.

“CLIO Music is about honoring the incredible work of the people who propel the music business through creative efforts, from artist promotion to the expert ways in which music is integrated in advertising,” CLIO president Nicole Purcell said in a statement. “It’s the talent of these creative leaders that connects people to brands, motivates them to join causes and inspires them to expand their horizons through music.”

The new CLIO roles add onto an already-busy spring for Blacc; he’s set to perform at the Playboy Jazz Festival in early June.

McCreery Leads the Latweeno Pack of Billboard.com’s “21 Under 21” Honorees

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

He may only be a minor… But Scotty McCreery is a major player in the music industry…

The 19-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion has been named to Billboard.com’s 2013 list of 21 Under 21, a ranking of music’s most powerful minors.

Now that Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez have turned 21, McCreery now ranks as the top Latweeno on the list, coming in at No. 8.

McCreery, who ranked at No. 4 last year, will be celebrating his 20th birthday early next month somewhat differently than most people his age. Onlysix days after he exits his teens, McCreery will release See You Tonight, his sophomore follow-up to his platinum 2011 debut album Clear As Day.

McCreery continues his hot streak in 2013. The first single and title track from the new disc continues moving up the singles chart, and he also headlined his first tour this year. That, along with an endorsement deal with fried chicken chain Bojangles, makes him a shoe-in for this year’s list.

But McCreery isn’t the only Latino on the list…

Puerto Rican singer Miguelito comes in at No. 14 on the 21 Under 21 list. At 14 years old, he already boasts a Latin Grammy and a multi-million dollar branding business that includes “Miguelito” vitamins, clothing line, videogame, summer camp, party goods and a themed cruise.

According to his manager dad Wascar Valenzuela, Miguelito-branded products have sold more than $70 million to date.

With a newly minted representation deal with CAA and a new record deal with BlastMusic, Miguelito is poised to crossover early next year with new album, Here To Stay.

“People tell me I’m a 21 or 30-year-old mind inside a 14-year-old body,” says the reggaetón star.

Meanwhile, Fifth Harmony, with 20-year-old Allyson Brooke Hernandez, 17-year-old Lauren Jauregui and 16-year-old Camila Cabello come in at No. 21 on the list.

Formed by Simon Cowell on last year’s edition of The X Factor, Fifth Harmony’s brief career so far is on the fast track for success.

Their triumphant debut single “Miss Movin’ On,” produced by the Suspex (the duo behind Lovato’s “Heart Attack“), became the first track from an American The X Factor alumni to break Billboard’s Hot 100, peaking at No. 76.

The song samples a debut EP expected on October 22 via Epic Records/Syco Music.

In the meantime, the quintet is on tour with Cher Lloyd and was recently featured in Disney‘s “Next Big Thing” series.

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