Beyonce’s seventh album, 'Renaissance', has ushered in a great start as it topped the Billboard 200 chart not only in the US, but the singer’s new album is also ruling the official UK&nbsp;albums chart. Beyonce’s latest album has become her fourth solo No. 1 on the UK Chart and her first since ‘Lemonade’ outperformed its competitors in 2016.

All seven of the artist's albums have reached their top spots, but her latest release, 'Renaissance', is especially noteworthy because it has already surpassed all of Beyonce's previous albums' track records in every key market. Along with leading the US and UK charts, the album has debuted at the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Canada.

Previously, Beyonce had held the top spot in the national album survey with her songs such as 'Dangerously in Love'&nbsp;from 2003, '4'&nbsp;from 2011 and 'Lemonade', and as a member of 'Destiny’s Child with Survivor'&nbsp;in 2001. 'Renaissance', in Australia and the US, has sold 332,000 equivalent album units in one week. This is the biggest week of the year for any record released by a single female artist.

In the meantime, American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers debuted in the top 10 of the Official Albums Chart at number six with her second studio album ‘Surrender’ (Polydor). Another new entry this week is Orbital’s '30 Something’ (London Music Stream), which peaked at No. 19 and is Orbital's first Top 40 success.

Additionally, 'Renaissance'&nbsp;has also surpassed her previous 2016 album, 'Lemonade,' by one spot and debuted at number two in Germany. The only difference between the positions of 'Lemonade' and 'Renaissance' was found in Switzerland, where 'Lemonade' peaked at Number Three and 'Renaissance' debuted at Number Three. There was only a slight decline in sales between the two singles.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/dua-lipa-extends-thanks-after-receiving-ambassador-of-kosovo-title-from-her-homeland-504755">Dua Lipa extends thanks after receiving Ambassador of Kosovo title from her homeland&nbsp;</a>

In relation to traditional album sales, 'Renaissance'&nbsp;moved a total of 190,000 copies in terms of traditional album sales, including 121,000 of those sales were for CDs, while 26,000 were for vinyl copies and 43,000 were for digital downloads. Traditional album sales include full-album purchases across both physical and digital platforms.

Beyoncé's success on the charts extends beyond the top 200 albums as the first female artist to ever have 12 or more songs on the chart at once. Beyonce broke a milestone in 2016 when every song from her sixth studio album, 'Lemonade', reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Throughout her solo career, seven of her songs have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while 20 of her songs have peaked in the top 10.

'Renaissance' was billed as "Act 1" of the "three-act project" when it was released on July 29th, this year. Beyonce, ahead of the release of her new song, wrote on her website, "My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgement. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking."

The first single from the album was launched in June, ‘Break My Soul’.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-beyonce-and-madonna-unite-for-break-my-soul-remix-504221">Beyonce and Madonna unite for 'Break My Soul' remix</a>

Beyonce’s seventh album, 'Renaissance', has ushered in a great start as it topped the Billboard 200 chart not only in the US, but the singer’s new album is also ruling the official UK albums chart.

Beyonce’s seventh album, 'Renaissance', has ushered in a great start as it topped the Billboard 200 chart not only in the US, but the singer’s new album is also ruling the official UK albums chart. Beyonce’s latest album has become her fourth solo No. 1 on the UK Chart and her first since ‘Lemonade’ outperformed its competitors in 2016. All seven of the artist's albums have reached their top spots, but her latest release, 'Renaissance', is especially noteworthy because it has already surpassed all of Beyonce's previous albums' track records in every key market. Along with leading the US and UK charts, the album has debuted at the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Canada. Previously, Beyonce had held the top spot in the national album survey with her songs such as 'Dangerously in Love' from 2003, '4' from 2011 and 'Lemonade', and as a member of 'Destiny’s Child with Survivor' in 2001. 'Renaissance', in Australia and the US, has sold 332,000 equivalent album units in one week. This is the biggest week of the year for any record released by a single female artist. In the meantime, American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers debuted in the top 10 of the Official Albums Chart at number six with her second studio album ‘Surrender’ (Polydor). Another new entry this week is Orbital’s '30 Something’ (London Music Stream), which peaked at No. 19 and is Orbital's first Top 40 success. Additionally, 'Renaissance' has also surpassed her previous 2016 album, 'Lemonade,' by one spot and debuted at number two in Germany. The only difference between the positions of 'Lemonade' and 'Renaissance' was found in Switzerland, where 'Lemonade' peaked at Number Three and 'Renaissance' debuted at Number Three. There was only a slight decline in sales between the two singles. Dua Lipa extends thanks after receiving Ambassador of Kosovo title from her homeland In relation to traditional album sales, 'Renaissance' moved a total of 190,000 copies in terms of traditional album sales, including 121,000 of those sales were for CDs, while 26,000 were for vinyl copies and 43,000 were for digital downloads. Traditional album sales include full-album purchases across both physical and digital platforms. Beyoncé's success on the charts extends beyond the top 200 albums as the first female artist to ever have 12 or more songs on the chart at once. Beyonce broke a milestone in 2016 when every song from her sixth studio album, 'Lemonade', reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Throughout her solo career, seven of her songs have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while 20 of her songs have peaked in the top 10. 'Renaissance' was billed as "Act 1" of the "three-act project" when it was released on July 29th, this year. Beyonce, ahead of the release of her new song, wrote on her website, "My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgement. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking." The first single from the album was launched in June, ‘Break My Soul’. Beyonce and Madonna unite for 'Break My Soul' remix

Beyonce's 'Renaissance' tops 2022 UK charts, shatters all her previous track records

Beyonce's social media accounts, along with the official accounts of music streamer Tidal, teased fans with the details of her new album after raising speculations for a few days. The singer's website showed what appeared to be a new solo album available for pre-order, with further details to be published soon.&nbsp;

On Wednesday night, Tidal tweeted only three words: "Beyoncé RENAISSANCE July 29". The post had a black picture which had the words: "act i Renaissance."&nbsp;

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Beyoncé 
RENAISSANCE 
July 29 <a href="https://t.co/ZenmtPQM9W">pic.twitter.com/ZenmtPQM9W</a>
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIDAL/status/1537304528713809920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The singer has been teasing her fans and followers on social media handles for a number of days without profile bios and pictures. This hinted that there might be a big announcement that the singer is about to make. But on Wednesday, her social media profiles were updated with "act i RENAISSANCE 7.29." The update suggests there may be multiple releases.&nbsp;

Spotify and Apple Music's official accounts also displayed similar posts. Preorders for 'Renaissance' box sets, which include a CD, tee, and 28-page booklet, are also available through Beyoncé's website store. Various web sources imply that ‘Renaissance’ will be a multipart album, with "act I" rumoured to have 16 tracks.

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The countdown has officially begun. Beyoncé's back July 29 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RENAISSANCE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RENAISSANCE</a> <a href="https://t.co/BckUCIFbIC">pic.twitter.com/BckUCIFbIC</a>
— Spotify (@Spotify) <a href="https://twitter.com/Spotify/status/1537306257912119297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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🐝🐝🐝<a href="https://twitter.com/Beyonce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Beyonce</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RENAISSANCE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RENAISSANCE</a> coming July 29. <a href="https://t.co/tCQHPYR2qI">pic.twitter.com/tCQHPYR2qI</a>
— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/AppleMusic/status/1537307811754942464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hailey-bieber-says-justin-bieber-is-doing-ok-after-his-partial-facial-paralysis-488718">Hailey Bieber says Justin Bieber is doing ok after his partial facial paralysis</a>

In the past, the 40-year-old singer has&nbsp;not revealed many&nbsp;details about her albums. She launched her self-titled album 'Out of the blue' in December 2013 and released a teaser trailer for 2016's ‘Lemonade’ just one week before its release.

The multi-Grammy-winning singer has kept busy in the intervening years, collaborating with her husband Jay-Z on 2018's ‘Everything is Love’ and releasing a live album and film, 'Homecoming', the following year. She performed at Coachella in 2018, which is considered one of the greatest festival performances ever. Apart from this, the singer contributed to a number of creative projects like the song ‘Black Parade’, for Disney’s ‘The Lion King’, which won her her 28th Grammy, and the visual album 'Black Is King' in 2020.&nbsp;It is a companion piece to Beyoncé's handpicked album, ‘The Lion King: The Gift.’ 
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Beyonce's social media accounts, along with the official accounts of music streamer Tidal, teased fans with the details of her new album after raising speculations for a few days.

Beyonce's social media accounts, along with the official accounts of music streamer Tidal, teased fans with the details of her new album after raising speculations for a few days. The singer's website showed what appeared to be a new solo album available for pre-order, with further details to be published soon. On Wednesday night, Tidal tweeted only three words: "Beyoncé RENAISSANCE July 29". The post had a black picture which had the words: "act i Renaissance." Beyoncé RENAISSANCE July 29 pic.twitter.com/ZenmtPQM9W — TIDAL (@TIDAL) June 16, 2022 × The singer has been teasing her fans and followers on social media handles for a number of days without profile bios and pictures. This hinted that there might be a big announcement that the singer is about to make. But on Wednesday, her social media profiles were updated with "act i RENAISSANCE 7.29." The update suggests there may be multiple releases. Spotify and Apple Music's official accounts also displayed similar posts. Preorders for 'Renaissance' box sets, which include a CD, tee, and 28-page booklet, are also available through Beyoncé's website store. Various web sources imply that ‘Renaissance’ will be a multipart album, with "act I" rumoured to have 16 tracks. The countdown has officially begun. Beyoncé's back July 29 #RENAISSANCE pic.twitter.com/BckUCIFbIC — Spotify (@Spotify) June 16, 2022 × 🐝🐝🐝@Beyonce's #RENAISSANCE coming July 29. pic.twitter.com/tCQHPYR2qI — Apple Music (@AppleMusic) June 16, 2022 × Also Read: Hailey Bieber says Justin Bieber is doing ok after his partial facial paralysis In the past, the 40-year-old singer has not revealed many details about her albums. She launched her self-titled album 'Out of the blue' in December 2013 and released a teaser trailer for 2016's ‘Lemonade’ just one week before its release. The multi-Grammy-winning singer has kept busy in the intervening years, collaborating with her husband Jay-Z on 2018's ‘Everything is Love’ and releasing a live album and film, 'Homecoming', the following year. She performed at Coachella in 2018, which is considered one of the greatest festival performances ever. Apart from this, the singer contributed to a number of creative projects like the song ‘Black Parade’, for Disney’s ‘The Lion King’, which won her her 28th Grammy, and the visual album 'Black Is King' in 2020. It is a companion piece to Beyoncé's handpicked album, ‘The Lion King: The Gift.’

Beyonce announces her 16 track album 'Renaissance', set to release on this date

The 48-year-old rapper opened up about cheating on his spouse - with whom he has six-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/life-fun/beyonces-dad-confirms-on-twitter-the-birth-of-her-twins-16987" target="_blank">seven-month-old twins Rumi and Sir</a> - on his 2017 album &#39;4:44&#39;, and has now said that the couple chose to overcome the hurdle for the sake of their family.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/jay-z-leading-on-grammy-day-attacked-by-trump-31010" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Jay-Z, leading on Grammy Day, attacked by Trump</a>

Speaking during an appearance on &#39;The Van Jones Show&#39;, he said: &quot;You can love someone but if you haven&#39;t experienced love, and you don&#39;t understand it and you don&#39;t have the tools to move forward, then you&#39;re going to have complications and you can either address it or you can pretend until it blows up at some point.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-listening-to-beyonces-music-was-very-very-uncomfortable-jay-z-on-infidelity-25478" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Listening to Beyonce&#39;s music was &#39;very, very uncomfortable&#39;: Jay-Z on infidelity</a>

&quot;For us, we chose to fight for our love. For our family. To give our kids a different outcome. To break that cycle for black men and women ... We were never a celebrity couple, we were a couple that happened to be celebrities. We are real people. It&#39;s my soul mate, it&#39;s the person I love.&quot;

In 2016, 36-year-old Beyonc&eacute; released her &#39;Lemonade&#39; album which featured tracks that addressed problems the pair had been having in their marriage, most notably in the track &#39;Sorry&#39;, which includes the line &quot;You better call Becky with the good hair&quot;.

Jay-Z released<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/jay-z-confesses-to-cheating-in-new-album-444-319" target="_top"> &#39;4:44&#39;</a> a year later to address their relationship from his perspective, such as including the line &quot;Leave me alone Becky&quot; in the track &#39;Family Feud&#39;.&nbsp;

And Jay-Z previously admitted that whilst the pair had &quot;a lot of conversations&quot; about the music they were releasing, hearing the tracks made them both &quot;uncomfortable&quot;.

He said: &quot;The best place in the hurricane is in the middle of it. The best place is right in the middle of the pain. And that&#39;s where we were sitting. And it was uncomfortable. And we had a lot of conversations. [I was] really proud of the music she made, and she was really proud of the art I released. And, you know, at the end of the day we really have a healthy respect for one another&#39;s craft. I think she&#39;s amazing.&quot;

Credit: BANG Showbiz

He had to double the efforts of wowing back wife Beyonce after reports of Jay-Z's infidelity surfaced

The 48-year-old rapper opened up about cheating on his spouse - with whom he has six-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and seven-month-old twins Rumi and Sir - on his 2017 album '4:44', and has now said that the couple chose to overcome the hurdle for the sake of their family. Also Read: Jay-Z, leading on Grammy Day, attacked by Trump Speaking during an appearance on 'The Van Jones Show', he said: "You can love someone but if you haven't experienced love, and you don't understand it and you don't have the tools to move forward, then you're going to have complications and you can either address it or you can pretend until it blows up at some point. Also Read: Listening to Beyonce's music was 'very, very uncomfortable': Jay-Z on infidelity "For us, we chose to fight for our love. For our family. To give our kids a different outcome. To break that cycle for black men and women ... We were never a celebrity couple, we were a couple that happened to be celebrities. We are real people. It's my soul mate, it's the person I love." In 2016, 36-year-old Beyoncé released her 'Lemonade' album which featured tracks that addressed problems the pair had been having in their marriage, most notably in the track 'Sorry', which includes the line "You better call Becky with the good hair". Jay-Z released '4:44' a year later to address their relationship from his perspective, such as including the line "Leave me alone Becky" in the track 'Family Feud'. And Jay-Z previously admitted that whilst the pair had "a lot of conversations" about the music they were releasing, hearing the tracks made them both "uncomfortable". He said: "The best place in the hurricane is in the middle of it. The best place is right in the middle of the pain. And that's where we were sitting. And it was uncomfortable. And we had a lot of conversations. [I was] really proud of the music she made, and she was really proud of the art I released. And, you know, at the end of the day we really have a healthy respect for one another's craft. I think she's amazing." Credit: BANG Showbiz

Jay-Z had to 'fight' to save his marriage with Beyonce

The superstar couple&nbsp;Jay-Z and Beyonc&eacute; have recently bought a house as big as a town and you will seriously consider your life choices.&nbsp;

Their new house has&nbsp;four swimming pools, spa and wellness centers, a basketball court, and 40,000 square feet of space.

As reported by Los Angeles Times, the power couple had bought the mansion in&nbsp;Bel-Air after reportedly renting a $400,000-per-month home in Malibu, since before the birth of their twins. The sale has not been put out in the public record yet, but the purchase price for the mansion is believed to be $90 million.

As huge as a town, their new house is spread over a two-acre compound. There is&nbsp;30,000 square feet of interior space, as well as patios and terraces that give it an additional 10,000 square feet of outdoor living space, according to the Times. It has 10 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms which include a 5,300 square foot master bedroom, as well as a beauty salon, massage room and a lap pool with an indoor water wall.

This isn&#39;t all. The residence will have&nbsp;&#39;professional grade movie theater&#39; with &#39;a separate&nbsp;valet entrance for those coming to visit the family.&nbsp; 
 
The property includes bulletproof-glass doors and windows, panoramic views, spa facilities,&nbsp;a garage with space for 15 vehicles, staff quarters, a bank, church, school, post office, basketball and tennis courts, a private trail for hiking, a fitness center and a wet bar--basically everything that a self-sufficient town would have.&nbsp;

Imagine living in a house with that much privacy. Don&#39;t you wish you could be adopted by the couple?&nbsp;

(WION)

The mansion is spread across a 2-acre compound with every facility that a town would have for its residents

The superstar couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé have recently bought a house as big as a town and you will seriously consider your life choices. Their new house has four swimming pools, spa and wellness centers, a basketball court, and 40,000 square feet of space. As reported by Los Angeles Times, the power couple had bought the mansion in Bel-Air after reportedly renting a $400,000-per-month home in Malibu, since before the birth of their twins. The sale has not been put out in the public record yet, but the purchase price for the mansion is believed to be $90 million. As huge as a town, their new house is spread over a two-acre compound. There is 30,000 square feet of interior space, as well as patios and terraces that give it an additional 10,000 square feet of outdoor living space, according to the Times. It has 10 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms which include a 5,300 square foot master bedroom, as well as a beauty salon, massage room and a lap pool with an indoor water wall. This isn't all. The residence will have 'professional grade movie theater' with 'a separate valet entrance for those coming to visit the family. The property includes bulletproof-glass doors and windows, panoramic views, spa facilities, a garage with space for 15 vehicles, staff quarters, a bank, church, school, post office, basketball and tennis courts, a private trail for hiking, a fitness center and a wet bar--basically everything that a self-sufficient town would have. Imagine living in a house with that much privacy. Don't you wish you could be adopted by the couple? (WION)

Jay-Z and Beyonc? have bought a house that is as big as a town

After a gap of four years, American rapper and businessman, Jay-Z has finally dropped a new album where he confesses to cheating on his wife, Beyonce. His album titled&nbsp;&quot;4:44&quot; seems to be in response to Beyonce&#39;s 2016 album&nbsp;&quot;Lemonade&quot; in which opens about her husband&#39;s infidelity and their rocky marriage.

This is Jay-Z&#39;s 13th studio album. In &quot;4:44&quot;, the rapper also reveals that his mom is a lesbian.&nbsp;

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New album out after 4 years, apologizes for being unfaithful (Facebook)
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In his title song, Jay-Z&nbsp;expresses guilt over his infidelity and regrets his actions.

&quot;I apologize / Our love was one for the ages and I contained us.&quot;

&quot;And if my children knew, I don&#39;t even know what I would do / If they ain&#39;t look at me the same / I would prolly die with all the shame.&quot; 

He claimed that the birth of their first daughter, Blue Ivy, five years ago, brought him to the right track and made him realise his mistakes.

&quot;Took for my child to be born / See through a woman&#39;s eyes.&quot;

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Jay-Z shared the significance of the name of the album&nbsp;while discussing the album with&nbsp;iHeartRadio. This was the time when he woke up in the morning and wrote the song and he and Beyonce have matching ring-finger tattoos of the roman numeral &#39;IV&#39; for both their birthdays.

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&quot;Yeah I&rsquo;ll f&ndash;k up a good thing if you let me/Let me alone Becky.&rdquo; Jay-Z&nbsp;says in the song Family Feud in response to that.

The details of the matter&nbsp;have never been confirmed.&nbsp;

Jay-Z ( Shawn Corey Carter)&nbsp;got married to Beyonc&eacute; Giselle Knowles-Carter in 2008 and the two have three kids together. The eldest daughter, Blue Ivy was born in 2012 and Beyonce recently gave birth to twins whose names haven&#39;t been revealed.

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Jay Z releases new album, "4:44" after four years and apologizes to Beyonce for cheating through that

After a gap of four years, American rapper and businessman, Jay-Z has finally dropped a new album where he confesses to cheating on his wife, Beyonce. His album titled "4:44" seems to be in response to Beyonce's 2016 album "Lemonade" in which opens about her husband's infidelity and their rocky marriage. This is Jay-Z's 13th studio album. In "4:44", the rapper also reveals that his mom is a lesbian. New album out after 4 years, apologizes for being unfaithful (Facebook) × In his title song, Jay-Z expresses guilt over his infidelity and regrets his actions. "I apologize / Our love was one for the ages and I contained us." "And if my children knew, I don't even know what I would do / If they ain't look at me the same / I would prolly die with all the shame." He claimed that the birth of their first daughter, Blue Ivy, five years ago, brought him to the right track and made him realise his mistakes. "Took for my child to be born / See through a woman's eyes." (Picture courtesy: Flickr) (Others) × Jay-Z shared the significance of the name of the album while discussing the album with iHeartRadio. This was the time when he woke up in the morning and wrote the song and he and Beyonce have matching ring-finger tattoos of the roman numeral 'IV' for both their birthdays. (Picture courtesy: Miss Erica via Flickr) (Others) × (Picture courtesy: Jay Z) (Facebook) × "Yeah I’ll f–k up a good thing if you let me/Let me alone Becky.” Jay-Z says in the song Family Feud in response to that. The details of the matter have never been confirmed. Jay-Z ( Shawn Corey Carter) got married to Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter in 2008 and the two have three kids together. The eldest daughter, Blue Ivy was born in 2012 and Beyonce recently gave birth to twins whose names haven't been revealed. (Picture courtesy: @Beyonce) (Twitter) ×

Jay Z's new album out, apologises for cheating and infidelity

Music sales rose robustly for a second straight year, posting growth not seen in two decades thanks to the rapid adoption of streaming, the global industry body said Tuesday.

Despite sliding CD sales and downloads, revenue from recorded music around the world grew 5.9 per cent in 2016 to total $15.7 billion, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said.

The growth tops the previous year&#39;s 3.2 per cent increase and marks the fastest rate since 1997 -- when the recorded music industry first suffered a jolt with the dawn of the internet age.

Streaming revenue jumped 60 per cent in 2016. Spotify led the way but the report said the market was buoyed by rising consumer choice among on-demand platforms including Apple Music, Tidal and Deezer.

Music executives cautioned that the market remained fragile and that the industry will need to keep adapting, with streaming only in its infancy.

&quot;Remember, we&#39;re only two years into our recovery after a decade and a half of decline,&quot; Stu Bergen, CEO for international and global commercial services at Warner Music Group, told reporters on a conference call.&nbsp;

&quot;We must remain alert, resourceful and ambitious. We&#39;re no longer running up a down escalator, but that doesn&#39;t mean we can relax,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Boom felt around the world

Frances Moore, CEO of the industry federation, said it was critical for the music business to keep investing in artists, who ultimately carry the industry&#39;s fortunes.

She also renewed calls for a global overhaul in regulations that allow internet companies to skirt most responsibility for users&#39; uploads -- which, music executives charge, leads to unfairly low revenue from omnipresent video site YouTube.

Music sales expanded in almost all major markets. Latin America had the highest rate of growth at 12 per cent, led by a boom in Mexico even as the region&#39;s largest market Brazil slipped slightly.

Revenue in China soared by more than 20 per cent as international music labels expand in the billion-plus country and leading local streaming company Tencent pulls in new customers.

The industry body saw the potential for major growth ahead in China, which despite its size remains only the 12th largest music market in the world.

Globally, downloading revenue from sites such as iTunes tumbled more than 20 per cent. Physical sales slipped 7.6 per cent although CDs remain a major force in the key markets of Japan and Germany.

Michael Nash, executive vice president for digital strategy at the world&#39;s largest music group Universal, said the balance among formats was complex, with downloads clearly slipping in the face of streaming but vinyl winning a growing market among collectors.

&quot;The digital transition is not a journey with a beginning, middle and end -- physical to download to streaming,&quot; he said. &quot;It is an ongoing transformation driven by a rate of technological change that shows no signs of decelerating,&quot; he said.

The report found that Canadian hip-hop superstar Drake was the most popular global artist of 2016 on the back of infectious singles such as the streaming sensation &quot;One Dance&quot;.

Rock legend David Bowie, who died last year, came in second, while Beyonce&#39;s conceptual &quot;Lemonade&quot; was the top-selling album worldwide.

(AFP)

Despite sliding CD sales and downloads the industry grew by 5.9% to $15.7 billion, mostly due to streaming

Music sales rose robustly for a second straight year, posting growth not seen in two decades thanks to the rapid adoption of streaming, the global industry body said Tuesday. Despite sliding CD sales and downloads, revenue from recorded music around the world grew 5.9 per cent in 2016 to total $15.7 billion, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said. The growth tops the previous year's 3.2 per cent increase and marks the fastest rate since 1997 -- when the recorded music industry first suffered a jolt with the dawn of the internet age. Streaming revenue jumped 60 per cent in 2016. Spotify led the way but the report said the market was buoyed by rising consumer choice among on-demand platforms including Apple Music, Tidal and Deezer. Music executives cautioned that the market remained fragile and that the industry will need to keep adapting, with streaming only in its infancy. "Remember, we're only two years into our recovery after a decade and a half of decline," Stu Bergen, CEO for international and global commercial services at Warner Music Group, told reporters on a conference call. "We must remain alert, resourceful and ambitious. We're no longer running up a down escalator, but that doesn't mean we can relax," he said. Boom felt around the world Frances Moore, CEO of the industry federation, said it was critical for the music business to keep investing in artists, who ultimately carry the industry's fortunes. She also renewed calls for a global overhaul in regulations that allow internet companies to skirt most responsibility for users' uploads -- which, music executives charge, leads to unfairly low revenue from omnipresent video site YouTube. Music sales expanded in almost all major markets. Latin America had the highest rate of growth at 12 per cent, led by a boom in Mexico even as the region's largest market Brazil slipped slightly. Revenue in China soared by more than 20 per cent as international music labels expand in the billion-plus country and leading local streaming company Tencent pulls in new customers. The industry body saw the potential for major growth ahead in China, which despite its size remains only the 12th largest music market in the world. Globally, downloading revenue from sites such as iTunes tumbled more than 20 per cent. Physical sales slipped 7.6 per cent although CDs remain a major force in the key markets of Japan and Germany. Michael Nash, executive vice president for digital strategy at the world's largest music group Universal, said the balance among formats was complex, with downloads clearly slipping in the face of streaming but vinyl winning a growing market among collectors. "The digital transition is not a journey with a beginning, middle and end -- physical to download to streaming," he said. "It is an ongoing transformation driven by a rate of technological change that shows no signs of decelerating," he said. The report found that Canadian hip-hop superstar Drake was the most popular global artist of 2016 on the back of infectious singles such as the streaming sensation "One Dance". Rock legend David Bowie, who died last year, came in second, while Beyonce's conceptual "Lemonade" was the top-selling album worldwide. (AFP)

Streaming services lead the way as global music sales grow robustly

Is Beyonce too edgy for the music industry? Or do the Grammy Awards suffer from an underlying racial bias? The superstar&#39;s failure to win top prizes is vexing her many admirers -- among them the night&#39;s big winner Adele.

Beyonce had led the Grammy nominations with nine for &quot;Lemonade&quot;, her most daring album to date, which she crafted as a celebration of the resilience of African American women.

But Beyonce, whose tour was one of the industry&#39;s most lucrative in 2016, took only two awards Sunday, again losing in the leading categories of Album and Record of the Year.

Adele, whose blockbuster album &quot;25&quot; stuck to her trusted style of wrenching ballads, for the second time swept three top Grammys -- and she earned praise from Beyonce&#39;s fans for saying that &quot;Lemonade&quot; deserved to win.

&quot;My view is, kind of, what the fuck does she have to do to win Album of the Year?&quot; Adele told reporters at the Los Angeles gala.

The English singer said that her black friends found &quot;Lemonade&quot; to be &quot;empowering&quot; and hailed Beyonce&#39;s creativity for intertwining the album with a film.

&quot;Obviously the visual is very new and the Grammys are very traditional, but I just thought that this year would be the year that they would kind of go with the tide,&quot; Adele said.

Adele&#39;s triumph comes a year after Kendrick Lamar&#39;s &quot;To Pimp A Butterfly,&quot; hailed as a hip-hop landmark and whose song &quot;Alright&quot; became an anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement, also lost to a best-seller, Taylor Swift&#39;s &quot;1989.&quot;

Frank Ocean, the introspective hip-hop trailblazer whose debut album was edged out by in 2013 by English folk revivalists Mumford &amp; Sons, chose not to even submit his follow-up, &quot;Blonde,&quot; for Grammy consideration.

After Sunday&#39;s awards, Ocean wrote an open letter asking the Grammy organisers to discuss the &quot;cultural bias and general nerve damage&quot; caused by the show.

Ocean, who defiantly released &quot;Blonde&quot; independently, said he initially wanted to take part in the Grammys for the tribute to late pop icon Prince.

&quot;But then I figured my best tribute to that man&#39;s legacy would be to continue to be myself out here and to be successful,&quot; he wrote.

&quot;Winning a TV award doesn&#39;t christen me successful. It took me some time to learn that.&quot;

By and for black women

The Grammys -- determined through voting by some 13,000 music professionals in the Recording Academy -- have hardly ignored Beyonce. With 22 career Grammys, she is among the most recognised artists in history.

Stevie Wonder is tied for the record of winning Album of the Year three times but the top prize has been especially elusive for black women. Only three -- Natalie Cole, Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston -- have won it.

On &quot;Lemonade,&quot; the film blurs present and past with flashbacks to slavery in the Deep South, where African American women are shown as proudly self-sufficient.

&quot;Lemonade&quot; draws a link to 21st century America, taking on police brutality as well as marital infidelity as the music spans influences and culminates in hip-hop.

&quot;&#39;Lemonade&#39; is really about how black women are treated in society historically, and in the contemporary moment, and it&#39;s about loving ourselves through all of that,&quot; said LaKisha Simmons, an assistant professor of history and women&#39;s studies at the University of Michigan.

&quot;So in some ways, it&#39;s kind of fitting that she was left standing there.

&quot;Beyonce will be fine,&quot; she said. &quot;But I think for the rest of us, it stings because of that -- it&#39;s almost like, &#39;Get back in your place.&#39;&quot;

Challenging industry

In a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the Grammys, Beyonce emerged after the awards on a new song by rapper DJ Khaled. She speaks of being in music for 20 years and says: &quot;All of this winning / I&#39;ve been losing my mind.&quot;&nbsp;

The Grammys marked Beyonce&#39;s first public appearance since revealing she was pregnant with twins. Her performance returned to the theme of matriarchy as she donned a crown and her female troupe glided beneath her on a sea of flowers.

Yet Beyonce is hard to pigeon-hole as an experimental artist. When she last was passed over for Album of the Year, it went to alternative rock icon Beck, who is far less commercial.

But one constant is Beyonce&#39;s innovations on selling albums. Her self-titled 2013 album was also a surprise accompanied by videos.

&quot;She really challenges the people in the Recording Academy and the music industry,&quot; said Kevin Allred, who has lectured on Beyonce at Rutgers University.

Beyonce is &quot;breaking the rules and succeeding, and is also a very powerful black woman who has achieved a level of power that few do.&quot;

(AFP)

Beyonce's failure to win top prizes is vexing her many admirers, among them the night's big winner Adele

Is Beyonce too edgy for the music industry? Or do the Grammy Awards suffer from an underlying racial bias? The superstar's failure to win top prizes is vexing her many admirers -- among them the night's big winner Adele. Beyonce had led the Grammy nominations with nine for "Lemonade", her most daring album to date, which she crafted as a celebration of the resilience of African American women. But Beyonce, whose tour was one of the industry's most lucrative in 2016, took only two awards Sunday, again losing in the leading categories of Album and Record of the Year. Adele, whose blockbuster album "25" stuck to her trusted style of wrenching ballads, for the second time swept three top Grammys -- and she earned praise from Beyonce's fans for saying that "Lemonade" deserved to win. "My view is, kind of, what the fuck does she have to do to win Album of the Year?" Adele told reporters at the Los Angeles gala. The English singer said that her black friends found "Lemonade" to be "empowering" and hailed Beyonce's creativity for intertwining the album with a film. "Obviously the visual is very new and the Grammys are very traditional, but I just thought that this year would be the year that they would kind of go with the tide," Adele said. Adele's triumph comes a year after Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp A Butterfly," hailed as a hip-hop landmark and whose song "Alright" became an anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement, also lost to a best-seller, Taylor Swift's "1989." Frank Ocean, the introspective hip-hop trailblazer whose debut album was edged out by in 2013 by English folk revivalists Mumford & Sons, chose not to even submit his follow-up, "Blonde," for Grammy consideration. After Sunday's awards, Ocean wrote an open letter asking the Grammy organisers to discuss the "cultural bias and general nerve damage" caused by the show. Ocean, who defiantly released "Blonde" independently, said he initially wanted to take part in the Grammys for the tribute to late pop icon Prince. "But then I figured my best tribute to that man's legacy would be to continue to be myself out here and to be successful," he wrote. "Winning a TV award doesn't christen me successful. It took me some time to learn that." By and for black women The Grammys -- determined through voting by some 13,000 music professionals in the Recording Academy -- have hardly ignored Beyonce. With 22 career Grammys, she is among the most recognised artists in history. Stevie Wonder is tied for the record of winning Album of the Year three times but the top prize has been especially elusive for black women. Only three -- Natalie Cole, Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston -- have won it. On "Lemonade," the film blurs present and past with flashbacks to slavery in the Deep South, where African American women are shown as proudly self-sufficient. "Lemonade" draws a link to 21st century America, taking on police brutality as well as marital infidelity as the music spans influences and culminates in hip-hop. "'Lemonade' is really about how black women are treated in society historically, and in the contemporary moment, and it's about loving ourselves through all of that," said LaKisha Simmons, an assistant professor of history and women's studies at the University of Michigan. "So in some ways, it's kind of fitting that she was left standing there. "Beyonce will be fine," she said. "But I think for the rest of us, it stings because of that -- it's almost like, 'Get back in your place.'" Challenging industry In a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the Grammys, Beyonce emerged after the awards on a new song by rapper DJ Khaled. She speaks of being in music for 20 years and says: "All of this winning / I've been losing my mind." The Grammys marked Beyonce's first public appearance since revealing she was pregnant with twins. Her performance returned to the theme of matriarchy as she donned a crown and her female troupe glided beneath her on a sea of flowers. Yet Beyonce is hard to pigeon-hole as an experimental artist. When she last was passed over for Album of the Year, it went to alternative rock icon Beck, who is far less commercial. But one constant is Beyonce's innovations on selling albums. Her self-titled 2013 album was also a surprise accompanied by videos. "She really challenges the people in the Recording Academy and the music industry," said Kevin Allred, who has lectured on Beyonce at Rutgers University. Beyonce is "breaking the rules and succeeding, and is also a very powerful black woman who has achieved a level of power that few do." (AFP)

Is the Grammys racist?

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