This week, the good vibes actually began on Saturday evening (April 18), as the massive Lady Gaga-curated One World: Together at Home special took over the four major broadcast networks. Mother Monster continued to dominate the week when she unveiled the track list for her upcoming album Chromatica, featuring some exciting A-listers.
Plus, a few other big events took place -- following the Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince on Tuesday (April 21), the Jersey 4 Jersey benefit for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (featuring Halsey, Bruce Springsteen and more) and BET's Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort special (with John Legend and others) both aired on Wednesday (April 22).
And the entertainment keeps coming, as Warner Music Group announced a virtual music festival featuring past performances from Cardi B, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Panic! At The Disco, Paramore and more stars.
Take a look at some of the week’s biggest music happenings below.
Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Beyonce, Lizzo and more entertained (for a good cause) during One World: Together at Home
So many amazing moments took place during the Lady Gaga-curated event on April 18 -- which raised more than $50 million to combat the coronavirus pandemic -- that it was hard to narrow it down, but Billboard managed to pick the 10 must-see highlights.
If you missed out on Saturday, there's still time to rewatch the special online -- be sure to revisit Lady Gaga's "Smile" cover, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's cozy duet, and The Rolling Stones' rocking Zoom collaboration.
Babyface and Teddy Riley's "Verzuz" battle finally happened
The battle between writer-producers Teddy Riley and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds was originally supposed to take place three Sundays prior, but technical issues and Babyface testing positive for COVID-19, among other factors, led to delays. The latest “Verzuz” eventually went down on Monday night (April 20), and Billboard scored the duel here. The final results? 13-10-2, Babyface.
Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg and more celebrated 4/20
"I won't be smokin' but the rest of my fam sure will be tokin'...Happy 4/20 y'all," Cyrus wrote on Instagram Monday (April 20). Other experts in the field, such as Snoop Dogg, Kacey Musgraves and Wiz Khalifa, also got in on the cannabis-oriented celebrations.
The Weeknd returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100
The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" continued to shine, as the single rebounded back to No. 1 to log a third total week in the penthouse. Plus, his album After Hours has now spent a month in the top spot on the Billboard 200.
The combined accomplishments prompted a grateful tweet from Abel: “Wow! back on top + number 1 album for a whole month? Going to really cherish this moment. Big shout out to the fans. Can’t wait to see you all once we get through these bizarre times.”
Warner Music announced the star-studded PlayOn Fest
Live shows are off, but there's still a chance to PlayOn with WMG's new virtual music festival. The three-day event is happening this weekend (April 24-26) for 72 hours straight, and will showcase past performances from more than 65 of the label group's superstars. Cardi B, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Panic! At The Disco, Green Day, Coldplay, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Roddy Ricch, Lil Uzi Vert, Paramore, Death Cab for Cutie, Twenty One Pilots, Weezer, David Guetta, Charlie Puth, and Wiz Khalifa are all on the lineup.
Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince honored the late legend
CBS's Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince was filmed all the way back in January, and so we were reminded of The Land Before the Time of Social Distancing when it aired on Tuesday (April 21). If you didn’t tune in, be sure to check out Billboard’s list of best moments, which conveniently highlights can’t-miss performances by Gary Clark Jr. & H.E.R., Miguel, Usher, Sheila E. and FKA Twigs, and Mavis Staples with The Revolution.
The DJ Grid Sells Out of Their Latest Album (Currently Available In Walmart, KMart, Sears, etc.)
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