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.
Jay-Z to perform at the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show
Jay-Z, the invisible hand behind the Super Bowl halftime show for the past seven years, is finally stepping into the spotlight himself. His company, Roc Nation, has been producing the show and choosing the performers since 2020. The original five-year deal with the NFL was extended and now runs through 2029. Jay-Z reportedly makes the final call on the lineup each year. In that time, the halftime show has made far more room for hip hop and non-English-language music, beginning with the rap-centric 2022 show and continuing with Rihanna, Usher, Kendrick Lamar, and Bad Bunny thereafter. And yet the man behind these performances has never once performed at a Super Bowl himself.
The timing is so perfect it’s as if he’d been waiting for this very year. 2026 marks 30 years since his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt,” and 25 since “The Blueprint.” To mark the occasion, Jay-Z kicked off a tour with three nights at New York’s Yankee Stadium in July, went on to London and Paris in September, and wrapped things up at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in October—the same stadium where he’ll be holding his grand finale a little after the new year. The biggest question is who his guests will be. Jay-Z’s New York concerts already made headlines for unexpected appearances from Nas, Eminem, and Rihanna. With the big game landing on Valentine’s Day, everyone expects to see Beyoncé there.
But not everyone is cheering. Some say the slot should go to one of today’s stars rather than an artist who hasn’t released an album in nearly a decade. Others don’t like that the person responsible for picking the performers ended up picking himself. The announcement, which in a typical year would’ve come in September, didn’t come until late into October, which suggests how much deliberation went into the decision. Still, when the legendary rapper behind “Hard Knock Life,” “99 Problems,” and “Empire State Of Mind” condenses 30 years of his career into one stage, it’s likely to go down as a major moment in hip hop history.
“Billboard” 200: Olivia Rodrigo vs. Zach Bryan
Taylor Swift’s album “The Life of a Showgirl,” which held the top of the “Billboard” 200 for 15 weeks including last week, has dropped to No. 5. A restock of physical copies last week sent it to No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart on the back of 37,000 units. But this week, Swift is nowhere to be found on the Top Album Sales chart, and her spot on the “Billboard” 200 fell right along with it. Sweeping in were Olivia Rodrigo’s latest album, released back in June, and Zach Bryan’s new album.
Rodrigo’s “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” went to No. 1. The album debuted at No. 1 in June, held the spot for two weeks, and hasn’t left the Top 5 in 19 weeks. Now it finally adds a third week at the top. “so in love” moved 75,000 units, up 15% from the previous week. The bump largely comes from a remix of “expectations” featuring Chappell Roan that came out as a single on October 15, complete with music video. The album was No. 1 in streaming as well, with 67.1 million streams, or 63,000 units. It also sold 11,000 copies, good for No. 3 on the Top Album Sales chart.
Bryan’s new album, “Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs,” debuted at No. 2. It’s the singer’s sixth Top 10 album. It’s also his second album out this year, following “With Heaven On Top,” which debuted at No. 1 in January. “Young Manhood” moved 65,500 units this week. The album was No. 2 in streaming with 60.5 million streams, or 59,500 units. The album is only available for purchase in a digital version at the moment, so sales were restricted to 5,000 units, but it was still enough to land at No. 15 on the Top Album Sales chart. The physical version comes out in December, which could shake up the charts once more.
Hot 100: Ella Langley vs. Tate McRae vs. Olivia Rodrigo vs. Zach Bryan
Competition on the Hot 100 was even hotter than on the “Billboard” 200. Taylor Swift’s single “Patient Zero” trended downward on streaming, while Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” was eyeing No. 1 to continue its reign after being forced down to No. 2. Then Tate McRae dropped “Housewife,” the lead single for her as-yet unnamed fourth album, whose release date hasn’t been announced. The fighters from the “Billboard” 200 ring joined the fray here too. Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan’s “expectations” leapt all the way from No. 63 last week into the upper reaches of the chart, while Zach Bryan’s latest album came with the much-discussed “Lies” featuring Lana Del Rey.
In the end, “Choosin’ Texas” added a 25th week at No. 1, beating Mariah Carey’s record with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by three weeks. Even with the upcoming holiday season, it’s increasingly likely that “Texas” will hold onto the title. Despite the onslaught from three big new songs, Langley’s song took No. 1 thanks to airplay. It did however slide from No. 1 to No. 4 on Streaming Songs and from No. 2 to No. 5 on Digital Song Sales, with those new songs elbowing their way in. But with such sweeping airplay, “Texas" still managed to secure No. 1 overall. It’s actually No. 2 on Radio Songs, behind Tame Impala and JENNIE’s “Dracula,” which is No. 8 on the Hot 100.
The full picture of the battle for the Hot 100 really opens up when you look at what's happening on the breakdown across more specific charts. No. 2 on the Hot 100 is Tate McRae’s “Housewife,” which is No. 1 on Streaming Songs. Its 22.9 million streams for the week show just how far McRae has come. Word of mouth and streaming exploded after she debuted the song at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which helped the song debut at No. 1 on the Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts as well.
Zach Bryan and Lana Del Rey’s “Lies” is No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Digital Song Sales. The song also hit No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart thanks to 19.6 million streams. Hitting No. 1 in digital sales is a first for both singers. Bryan, with his country/folk rock sound, has covered Del Rey before, and Del Rey, who originally made sweeping cinematic pop songs, has recently teased a country album of her own. Both are known for their devoted fan bases, so the mere fact that the two worked together was a big deal.
Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan’s “expectations” is No. 3 on the Hot 100 as well as on both Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales. The song debuted at No. 20 in June, when “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” first came out, and hadn’t climbed any higher since then, but it’s now the fifth Top 10 hit the album has spawned, topping Rodrigo’s previous personal record of four off “SOUR.” It’s also Roan’s fifth Top 10 hit, matching the previous high she reached with “The Subway.” Roan opened for Rodrigo on her last tour, and clearly the connection between them has paid off on the charts.