The 13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week (April 23)

Soon, we’ll be “dancing in a crowded room” once again, and The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s new “Save Your Tears” remix, released Friday (April 23), is the perfect beacon of what’s on the horizon.

There were some galaxial moments too, as artists celebrated Earth Day with livestreams and charitable campaigns, while Doja Cat took us to Planet Her in a new Billboard cover story. 

“All the goofy kids, or the kids who don’t put themselves on a pedestal, or are just not normally accepted — I feel like making that example is good for those kids,” the “Say So” star says. “Because maybe they felt like they could never make it in an industry where everybody is so serious. It’s important that they know they have a lane.”

Take a look at all of the week’s can’t-miss music moments below.

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Taylor Swift’s re-recorded Fearless album debuted at No. 1

More than 12 years after Taylor Swift notched her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart in 2008 with her second studio set Fearless, she returned to the top of list with the re-recorded Fearless (Taylor’s Version), as Billboard’s Keith Caulfield reports. The new set serves as her ninth No. 1; it also scored the biggest week of 2021 for any album. Swift is also the first woman with three new No. 1 albums in less than a year. Check out the full rundown for this week’s Billboard 200 here, and read five burning questions about her feat here.

The 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards brought out the best in country music

The 2021 ACMs on Sunday (April 18) featured tons of stellar performances, as well as some coveted wins: Maren Morris won female artist of the year, Thomas Rhett won male artist of the year and Luke Bryan was the big winner, taking him entertainer of the year at the 56th annual ACM Awards. Check out the winners’ list here, as well as a recap of the broadcast here, and a full analysis of the record-setters here.

BTS’ McDonald’s meal is coming soon

Hungry yet? BTS has teamed up with McDonald’s as part of its year-long Famous Orders campaign to reveal what they have in the sack when they visit the burger chain. The ARMY will be able to buy the band’s favorite meal in almost 50 countries when the promotion rolls out on May 26. Learn more about where and when to get BTS’ meal here.

Polo G’s “Rapstar” topped the Hot 100

Polo G achieved his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as “Rapstar” debuted at the top. Plus, Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” at No. 2 on the Hot 100, was the top-selling song of the week for the first time, as it hit No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, and Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” featuring SZA, started at No. 7. Everything you need to know about this week’s Hot 100 chart is here.

Nominations for the 2021 Webby Awards were announced

BTS, Billie Eilish, Cardi B, John Mayer and Rosalía are among the nominees for the 25th annual Webby Awards, per an April 20 announcement. Winners will be announced on May 18 at a virtual show to be hosted by actress Jameela Jamil. The Webbys, which were founded in 1996, honor excellence on the Internet, including websites, video, advertising, media and public relations, apps, mobile and voice, social, podcasts and games. See more on the nominees here.

Method Man and Redman battled in the 4/20 edition of Verzuz

Tuesday (April 20) saw a Verzuz match-up between Redman and Method Man. “Not only did the rap pioneers ruminate on their bond that stretches past three decades, but they ran through their respective classics,” Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre reports. Check out the full recap of the event here.

Billboard did a Fearless chart comparison

How did Fearless (Taylor’s Version) compare to the original’s first-week sales and streams? In the week ending April 15, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) launched with 291,000 equivalent album units, according to MRC Data, while the original Fearless earned 6,000 units, down 19% from the prior chart week. Billboard‘s Jason Lipshutz investigates further here.

Artists celebrated Earth Day

From Justin Bieber and Maluma’s participation in Earth Day! The Musical!, a Facebook Watch special hosted by Bill Nye, to Amy Allen’s charitable livestream concert with friends, there were plenty of ways to safely celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Revisit the environmentally-friendly musical performances and more here.

Resorts World Las Vegas teased its music lineup

Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Luke Bryan, Zedd and Tiesto appear in a trippy spot, released on Thursday (April 22), hyping the brand new resort’s roster of entertainment. According to a press release, “The commercial offers a sneak peek of the astounding entertainment to come as a result of the unprecedented partnerships between Resorts World Las Vegas, Concerts West / AEG Presents and Zouk Group.” Watch the promo here.

Doja Cat graced the latest cover of Billboard

Welcome to Planet Doja! The star, who’s gearing up to release her third album Planet Her this summer, sat down with Meaghan Garvey for a wide-ranging interview about her new LP, her ascent to pop stardom and much more.

“I luckily didn’t have too many expectations,” says Doja of the COVID-19 lockdowns that upturned her plans. “I was just like, ‘If the world’s going through it right now, I don’t want to add to that by freaking out over my tour.’ It’s a big deal, but it’s not as big of a deal as getting everybody healthy and getting the world back to not such a f–ky place. I’ll put down my tools for that.” Read the full cover story here, and see photos from the shoot here.

Billboard caught up with H.E.R. about about Black-Asian solidarity and more

The R&B superstar, who is set to perform at this weekend’s Oscars pre-show, has used her voice to lean into activism during the last year amid a national call for racial justice, as Billboard’s Mia Nazareno reports. “Acknowledge people for who they are. Appreciate where they come from,” H.E.R. says. “Learn more about each other’s cultures, backgrounds, and history. Ask, ‘How did you get to this point?’” Read the full interview here.

Harry Styles turned on the charm for Gucci’s Beloved campaign with James Corden

Then again, when is it ever off? The popstar (and fashion icon) looked dapper as always in the newest Gucci campaign, which sees Styles stopping by for a visit to The Beloved Show, a fictional late-night television show hosted by James Corden, who also stars in the campaign. Check it out here.

The Weeknd and Ariana Grande unveiled their “Save Your Tears” remix

Save those you-know-what for another day, because The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s third collaboration will have you smiling all year long. The new remix was released alongside a zany animated clip, in which The Weeknd builds a life-sized doll version of Grande. Watch the new video below and learn more about the collab here.