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Sabrina Carpenter’s ascent is complete — this week, she scored her first No. 1 hit.

Sabrina Carpenter’s ascent is complete — this week, she scored her first No. 1 hit. Nina Westervelt/Billboard via Getty Images hide caption

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Nina Westervelt/Billboard via Getty Images

Music

Sabrina Carpenter scores her first No. 1 single with 'Please Please Please'

The pop star caught the top spot while her other single, “Espresso,” is still holding strong at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile: yes, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is still No. 1 over on the Billboard 200 albums chart — we’re at week nine and counting.

Taylor Swift on stage in France in May, during the European leg of her Eras Tour. Since its release in April, Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, has been the top album in the United States for eight consecutive weeks.

Taylor Swift on stage in France in May, during the European leg of her Eras Tour. Since its release in April, Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, has been the top album in the United States for eight consecutive weeks. Julien de Rosa/Getty Images hide caption

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Julien de Rosa/Getty Images

Music News

Taylor Swift and Post Malone top the charts again. How long can their dominance last?

One song has ruled the pop chart for over a month. One album has topped the album chart for two months. But there are signs this week that both could face serious challengers soon.

Morgan Wallen arrested for throwing a chair from a rooftop bar in Nashville

Country music star Morgan Wallen attending the CMA Awards in Nashville in November 2023. Jason Kempin/Getty Images hide caption

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Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Culture

Morgan Wallen arrested for throwing a chair from a rooftop bar in Nashville

The country music star was arrested on four charges, including reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. The chair, thrown from a rooftop bar, landed on the street close to two police officers.

Morgan Wallen arrested for throwing a chair from a rooftop bar in Nashville

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How racism became a marketing tool for country music
via YouTube

It's Been a Minute

How racism became a marketing tool for country music

The top three songs in America right now are country tracks, and the top two hits are by artists facing allegations of racism. At the top of the charts is Jason Aldean: he shot to number one after releasing his music video "Try That In A Small Town," which included montages critical of the Black Lives Matter protests and showed Aldean singing in front of a courthouse where a Black teen was lynched. Morgan Wallen has the number two hit, and his popularity rose after being cancelled for using the N-word.

How racism became a marketing tool for country music

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With All Eyes On Country Music, Will Black Nashville Get The Reckoning It Deserves?

Country artists like Miko Marks, Rissi Palmer, Mickey Guyton and Willie Jones are making standout music despite the confines of an industry that privileges whiteness. Beto Lopez, Samantha Everette, Rick Diamond/Getty Images, Duane Prokop/Getty Images hide caption

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Beto Lopez, Samantha Everette, Rick Diamond/Getty Images, Duane Prokop/Getty Images

Music Features

With All Eyes On Country Music, Will Black Nashville Get The Reckoning It Deserves?

Country music's race problem became a hot topic in early February, but the roots of racial injustice in the industry go much deeper. Two Nashville writers unpack the history and recent responses.

'SNL' Nixes Morgan Wallen Appearance After Singer Violates COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Singer Morgan Wallen performs during the 2019 Can't Say I Ain't Country Tour at Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta. Katie Darby/Invision/AP hide caption

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Katie Darby/Invision/AP

Coronavirus Updates

'SNL' Nixes Morgan Wallen Appearance After Singer Violates COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Video of the country singer partying without a mask last weekend has surfaced on social media. "I respect the show's decision, because I know that I put them in jeopardy," Wallen says in a video.

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