Scoreboard: DJ Khaled Major Key Alert

Every week, Scoreboard brings The Knockturnal readers the 411 on who is moving up and down the charts in the U.S., with an artist feature and a check-in on the international Scoreboard.

Billboard Artist Top 10

For the magazine dated August 20, 2016

See the full chart at http://www.billboard.com/charts/artist-100

No change at the top this week on The Scoreboard as Drake gets closer to winning his campaign for Music President of Summer ’16. Last week the Scoreboard featured Gucci Mane, whose biggest hit on his new album features Drake, and this week is not much different with DJ Khaled’s biggest hit on the Hot 100 also featuring @champagnepapi.

Besides DJ Khaled’s big splash on the Artist 100 this week, the Chainsmokers reach their highest peak ever at #9 as a result of landing two singles in the Top 10 of the Hot 100: the resilient Daya collaboration “Don’t Let Me Down” at #6 and a new single feat. Halsey called “Closer” that enters at #9. Like me, you may have thought of the Chainsmokers as an EDM one-hit wonder who will be forever remembered for 2014’s “#selfie,” but the New York DJ’s have reestablished themselves as reliable EDM hit makers this year with three Top 10 hits.

Lastly, Sia slips to #10 on the Artist 100, but “Cheap Thrills” is #1 for the third week on the Hot 100, making a late August push to be the song of the summer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIlJqBlAZnD/?taken-by=thechainsmokers&hl=en

@thechainsmokers quoting Lil Wayne & Drake circa 2010

Artist Spotlight: DJ Khaled

In the last decade, DJ Khaled has gone from being a popular regional DJ based in Miami to the glue holds hip-hop together. Major Key, the new #1 album on the Billboard 200, lands him at #3 on the Artist 100, and culminates Khaled’s climb to being one of the most influential figures in the genre. Major Key is an inclusive compilation – @djkhaled brings in over 30 artists to earn his first #1 album. Future makes the most appearances, on three tracks, mostly repeating hooks such as “I got the keys keys keys.” Big Sean and Rick Ross each appear twice, staying relevant in a year when neither has had significant solo impact. Khaled Mohamed Khaled also calls on Meghan Trainor to sing the hook on “Forgive Me Father,” an emulation of Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again,” which also brings in Wiz Khalifa to sing the @wizkhalifa part. It may be good in theory to use a tried-and-true formula, but the effort collapses under its own weight (Wale also joins, but does not make Seinfeld references). I’ll stick to “See You Again” and “Love The Way You Lie.”

The greatest major key alerts feature the biggest names in hip-hop. Drake’s “For Free” ties for being the shortest song on the album but easily beats J. Cole’s lugubrious “Jermaine’s Interlude” with humor and @champagnepapi swagger that has kept him on top all summer. Veterans Jay-Z and Nas bring the fire on their tracks, and since Nas tells us that “Nas Album Done,” I am waiting for Def Jam to provide it. Ultimately, Major Key is the biggest, friendliest hip-hop compilation, not only of 2016, but perhaps of all time. With his tremendous social media influence and endless messages of empowerment and following the lion order, Khaled is the #1 connector in hip-hop today and deserves the attention and reward his biggest album brought him. #blessup

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJBlyjGgFsm/?taken-by=djkhaled&hl=en

It’s a major key celebration

International Scoreboard: Florence + The Machine

Britain’s Florence + The Machine released their third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful last year and got five Grammy nominations for their effort, as well as a nomination for Britain’s Mercury Prize. This year, Florence Welch and her crew do not have a new album, but are releasing three new tracks for the video game Final Fantasy XV. @florence got involved in the project after listening to a radio show about classical music in videogames and clicked with the Final Fantasy franchise in particular, stating that “the landscape of Final Fantasy and my own internal landscape seemed to fit quite well, it’s mythical and beautiful and epic.” How big, how blue, and how beautiful are the new tracks? Check out “Too Much Is Never Enough” below and let the Knockturnal know!