Dan Rys

New York

Senior Writer at Billboard

writing @billboard

Featured in: Favicon

billboard.com (+1) Favicon

msn.com

yahoo.com (+2) Favicon

vice.com (+1) Favicon

hollywoodreporter.com Favicon

rollingstone.com Favicon

flipboard.com Favicon

villagevoice.com Favicon

spin.com

stereogum.com + 41 more

Articles

How Swedish Hard Rock Band Ghost Scored a Career-Best Smash Atop the Charts

5 days ago | billboard.com | Dan Rys

So far in 2025, the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 albums chart has regularly been filled with some familiar faces: SZA, Lil Baby, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande.
How Brandon Lake Scored a Pop-Christian Crossover Hit With ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’

1 week ago | billboard.com | Dan Rys

Within Christian music, few artists of the past decade have made as many waves as Brandon Lake. The singer, songwriter and guitarist, who got his start by crowdfunding his first album, 2016’s Closer, has emerged as one of the genre’s leading lights in recent years, having racked up six Billboard Hot Christian Songs No. 1s, five Christian Airplay No. 1s and one Christian Albums chart-topper, 2023’s Coat of Many Colors.
Lakers shock Buffalo with epic comeback in wild SUNYAC semifinal

1 week ago | oswegonian.com | Dan Rys

In a thrilling SUNYAC semifinal game loaded with momentous swings and last-minute heroics, the Oswego State women’s lacrosse team defeated the Buffalo State Bengals 15-14 at the Laker Turf Stadium to advance to the conference title game. In the first quarter, the Lakers had early possession, but the Buffalo State goaltender stood tall, turning aside multiple free position chances and denying the Lakers an early lead.
African Fresh Picks: Davido, Tiwa Savage, Black Sherif, Lojay, Lil Kesh, Zinoleesky & More

2 weeks ago | billboard.com | Heran Mamo |Dan Rys

What a month April has been, with plenty of albums dropping from the sky to help soundtrack the upcoming summer. Davido‘s new fifth album 5ive is another testament of his unshakable Afrobeats icon status, while he blends the beloved genre with R&B, amapiano, dancehall and more for a rich, global listening experience.
How BigXthaPlug Turned a Country ‘Side Quest’ Into a Hot 100 Hit With Bailey Zimmerman

2 weeks ago | billboard.com | Dan Rys

Texas rapper BigXthaPlug has carved out a nice career for himself over the past half-decade, amassing 16 hits and three top 20s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, a handful of appearances on the back half of the Hot 100 and a successful touring base, emerging as one of the more distinctive voices of his generation of hip-hop artists.
The Plot Against the PROs: How Many Is Too Many?

2 weeks ago | billboard.com | Robert Levine |Dan Rys

The PRO business is booming! But could it become a victim of its own success?
How Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ Took Off ‘Like a Rocket Ship’ Around the World

3 weeks ago | billboard.com | Dan Rys

For Alex Warren, it’s been a long, steady ascent to get to this point. After first coming to prominence through videos on TikTok and other social media platforms and as a co-founder of the Hype House content creator hub, the young singer started releasing music in 2021 before signing to Atlantic Records the following year.
Record Store Day 2025 Report: Swift Sales and Long Lines, But Weather and Economy Cloud Some Results

4 weeks ago | billboard.com | Joe Lynch |Kristin Robinson |Dan Rys |Ed Christman

Record Store Day delivered another triumphant sales day to brick and mortar indie retailers with the hot sellers being Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams and Charli XCX titles, while the Oasis and Wicked releases were among the most in demand — if only more copies had been manufactured for the event.
‘There Are No Rules’: Inside the Complicated World of Sample Credits

1 month ago | billboard.com | Elias Leight |Dan Rys |Glenn Peoples |Marc Schneider

In early March, a new James Brown recording strutted onto a Billboard chart for the first time in more than three decades. But Brown, the incendiary funk pioneer who died in 2006, wasn’t going viral on TikTok or putting out albums of previously unreleased material. Instead, he had been sampled by the rapper 310babii, who credited the Godfather of Soul as a featured artist on the new track, titled “Bad.” When the single subsequently hit the Rhythmic Airplay chart, Brown came along for the ride.
Inside Sleep Token’s Mystique: How Easter Eggs and Lore Drive Strategy of ‘Even In Arcadia’

1 month ago | billboard.com | Dan Rys |Glenn Peoples |Marc Schneider |Gary Trust

For much of the past decade, the British metal band Sleep Token has been quietly building its own universe: anonymity, masks and cloaks, band members identified only by Roman numerals, a dearth of interviews or explanations of any kind.