In our weekly feature “THE WEEKLY,” music critic Seo Seongdeok takes stock of the biggest developments in the music industry each week. Catch up on the latest stories in music, from major artist moves to notable new releases, “Billboard” chart highlights, and more.
MILEY lands her first No. 1 album in over a decade
MILEY’s 10th studio album, “Bass Persuades,” debuted at No. 1 on the “Billboard” 200 chart dated October 3. When Miley Cyrus announced the album in early September, she also dropped her last name and became simply MILEY. The name’s ultimately derived from the appropriately descriptive nickname her parents gave her when she was young—Smiley.
“Bass Persuades” is MILEY’s sixth No. 1 album and 16th Top 10 hit. That tally isn’t limited to records released as MILEY or Miley Cyrus, since it also counts the soundtracks she recorded as the Disney character Hannah Montana. The singer’s last No. 1 was 2013’s “Bangerz,” meaning the new album is her first to top the chart in 13 years. Bruno Mars pulled off a very similar feat this year when “The Romantic” went to No. 1, also 13 years after “Unorthodox Jukebox” in 2013.
A decade after the explosive reception to “Bangerz” and “Wrecking Ball” back in 2013, MILEY was riding high once again. 2023 saw the huge success of “Endless Summer Vacation” and “Flowers,” and a Grammy for Record of the Year. “Endless Summer Vacation” managed to move 119,000 units in its first week, but it only peaked at No. 3. Three years later, “Bass Persuades” makes up for that shortfall.
“Bass Persuades” moved 62,000 units in its first week. Album sales accounted for 47,000 of those and put the record at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart. Streaming added 14,000 units on the back of 14.2 million streams. The streaming chart counts the 50 most-streamed albums, but “Bass Persuades” didn’t rack up enough to place. Given the whirlwind rollout—announced September 1, released September 18—it’s still a strong showing. The Top 3 albums on the chart are neck and neck, separated by a mere 1,000 units each—Ella Langley’s “Dandelion” at 61,000 and Riley Green’s “That’s Just Me” at 60,000.
BTS makes pop group concert history with their “ARIRANG” world tour
“Billboard” has tracked concert revenue with its Boxscore rankings since the 1970s. Back then, the chart only offered midyear and annual periods, whereas a monthly Top Tours chart drawing from the same data didn’t launch until 2019. When the chart for August recently dropped, it was official: BTS and the Weeknd made history together.
For the first time ever, two artists topped $100 million in monthly ticket sales for two months running. The Weeknd led in July with $124.4 million across 16 shows, followed by BTS with $102.5 million (eight shows). In August, they traded places. BTS climbed to No. 1 with $171.7 million (12 shows), while the Weeknd was No. 2 with $146.7 million (16 shows). Both earned more in August than they did in the month prior.
BTS’s earnings for August represent the second-biggest monthly total in Boxscore history, falling just short of the $179.3 million Beyoncé pulled in in August 2023. BTS has now topped the monthly Top Tours chart five times in all—once in 2019, once in 2022, and three times so far this year. The group is fifth after Bad Bunny (10 times), Beyoncé, Coldplay, and Elton John (seven each).
The biggest tour dates for BTS in August were the two nights at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on August 1 and 2. Together, they grossed $32.7 million from 158,000 tickets, putting them at No. 4 on the Top Boxscore chart, which is ranked by venue. The chart covers the Top 30, and BTS’s six pairs of concerts at six venues landed at Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11.
BTS’s “ARIRANG” world tour kicked off in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9, and has since surpassed $500 million in total gross. Fewer than 20 tours in Boxscore history have reached that mark, and BTS is only the seventh group to do it. The other six are all rock bands, making BTS the first and only pop group on the list.
ADÉLA’s song “Nicole Kidman” is a brand-new pop phenomenon
ADÉLA had already turned heads with the success of “Ain’t In LA” and the No. 4 debut of “PRIMA” on the “Billboard” 200, but no one could’ve known “Nicole Kidman”—which entered the Hot 100 at No. 45 the same week the album dropped—would blow up the way it has. The lyrics and music video, which riff on the famous actress’s filmography with a wink, took social media by storm. “The Debut: Dream Academy” set up the kindling, “Ain’t In LA” lit the fire, and “Nicole Kidman” poured gas on top.
In its first week (September 4–10), “Nicole Kidman” was streamed 5.8 million times in the US, putting it at No. 45 on the Hot 100 and No. 42 on Top Streaming Songs for the charts dated September 19. The following week (September 11–17), the song received a 66% boost and reached 9.6 million streams. The increase was reflected on the charts, with the song landing at No. 22 on the Hot 100 and No. 7 in streaming for the September 26 charts. As of the October 3 Hot 100, it sits just outside the Top 10 at No. 11 just three weeks after debuting. On Top Streaming Songs, it’s up to No. 4, knocking “Boston” by Stella Lefty down to No. 5. On US Spotify right now, only Taylor Swift’s new music and “Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley are ahead of it.
The reaction has been just as explosive across the rest of the globe. On the Global 200 dated October 3, ADÉLA has two songs in the Top 5—“Nicole Kidman” at No. 3 and “Ain’t In LA” at No. 5. On the Global Excl. US chart, they sit at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Global streams of “Nicole Kidman” were up 41% week over week, now at 32.5 million. “Ain’t In LA” pulled in 30 million, up 14%. ADÉLA is the first artist this year to land her first two Top 5 hits on both charts at the same time, a feat that’s only possible with back-to-back hits. Looking back at 2025, “KPop Demon Hunters” pulled off similar accomplishments—HUNTR/X on the Global 200, and the Saja Boys on both the Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts. It makes you wonder just how far ADÉLA will go.