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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Taylor Swift Leads Billboard Hot 100, Ed Sheeran Soars to Top 10

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 19, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Swift scores her longest career reign as 'Blank Space' rules for a fifth week, while Sheeran posts his best rank as 'Thinking Out Loud' leaps 24-6.

Blank Space" tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth week, granting the superstar her longest command among her three career No. 1s. The track also takes over atop the Radio Songs chart. Plus, Swift bestie Ed Sheeran zooms to his best Hot 100 rank, as "Thinking Out Loud" surges 24-6.

We're taking a break from our holiday shopping (translation: we haven't started yet) to do what we do each Wednesday: run down the top 10 and more on the sales/airplay/streaming-based Hot 100.

See All Billboard Year-End Charts Here!

With "Space," released on Big Machine Records and promoted to radio by Republic Records, at No. 1 for a fifth frame, Swift establishes her longest Hot 100 reign. Her prior single, and second No. 1, "Shake It Off" spent four weeks on top. Swift's first leader, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," ruled for three weeks in 2012.

"You are the reason why, right now, this is the No. 1 song in the country," Swift beamed to the crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden Friday night (Dec. 12) before she launched into "Space" at WHTZ (Z100)/iHeartMedia's annual Jingle Ball concert.

2014: The Year in Music

"Space" also caps an incredibly successful year for women atop the Hot 100, as previously chronicled when female soloists kept men out of the top five for a record seven straight weeks in September-November. With this week's charts dated Dec. 27, women end 2014 having topped the Hot 100 (in lead roles) for 28 of 52 weeks. In 2013, women held the top spot for only 17 weeks, which followed lead females controlling the chart for 23 weeks in 2012. This year marked the most dominant one for women in the No. 1 spot since 2011, when women held the apex for a hefty 37 frames (led by the likes of Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna).

Taylor Swift Accepts Billboard's 2014 Woman of the Year Honor: 'Amazing Early Birthday Present'

"Space" stays at No. 1 on the Hot 100 powered by its coronation on Radio Songs, where it lifts 2-1 with a 4 percent gain to 137 million in all-format audience, according to Nielsen Music. It's Swift's fourth Radio Songs leader, following "Shake" (four weeks), "I Knew You Were Trouble." (four, 2013) and "You Belong With Me" (two, 2009).

Reaching the top of Radio Songs in just its sixth week, "Space" ties Pharrell Williams' "Happy" (the No. 1 Hot 100 song of the year) for the fastest flight to No. 1 in 2014. In fact, in the past 12 years, just two songs other than "Space" and "Happy" have soared to the summit in only six weeks: Eminem's "The Monster" (featuring Rihanna) (2013) and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (2011).

"Space" tallies a sixth nonconsecutive week atop the Digital Songs chart with 249,000 downloads sold (down 2 percent) in the week ending Dec. 14. As on the Hot 100, Swift rewrites her longest command on Digital Songs, passing the five-week reign of "Never." "Space" also leads Streaming Songs for a fifth week, with 12.2 million U.S. streams (up 1 percent).

Helping keep "Space" atop the Hot 100: Swift sang it to open the Victoria's Secret 2014 Fashion Show, which aired on CBS on Dec. 9. She also gave 1989 track "Style" its first televised performance; the song, which had spent a week on the Hot 100 at No. 60 in the same frame that 1989 launched atop the Billboard 200 (Nov. 15), re-enters the Hot 100 at No. 76, returning to Digital Songs at No. 21 (48,000, up a whopping 261 percent). Sources tell Chart Beat that "Style" is likely to be the next radio single from 1989, after "Space" has wrapped its run.

Hozier's "Take Me to Church" holds at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The Irish singer/songwriter's debut hit tops the subscription services-based On-Demand Songs chart for a fifth week (5 million, up 11 percent) and rises 3-2 on Digital Songs (202,000, up 29 percent), 6-3 on Streaming Songs (9.4 million, up 14 percent) and 10-9 on Radio Songs (78 million, up 11 percent). On the Hot Rock Songs chart, "Church" rules for an eighth week.

Aiding Hozier's momentum: he sang "Church" on the Victoria's Secret special. Also keeping his profile high: "Church" is nominated for song of the year at the57th annual Grammy Awards; Swift's "Shake" is up for record and song of the year.

(Despite Swift winning the battle for the Hot 100's top spot again this week, Hozier is a fan of hers, with Swift having even seen him in concert. "She's very cool, very nice, very encouraging," he says. "She's excited about new music, excited about other people's music. Very cool.")

Mark Ronson on 'Uptown Funk,' New Album Due in January

Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk!" (featuring Bruno Mars) pushes 5-3 on the Hot 100, adding top Airplay Gainer honors. The track bumps 4-3 on Digital Songs (170,000, up 12 percent), 22-15 on Streaming Songs (6.2 million, up 18 percent) and 31-17 on Radio Songs (49 million, up 33 percent).

Behind Hewlett-Packard's $20 Million Ad Spend Behind Meghan Trainor, Beginning with Her New Music Video

Meghan Trainor lands her second top five Hot 100 hit, as "Lips Are Movin" leaps 8-4. The track holds at No. 5 on Digital Songs (116,000, up 6 percent); reaches the Streaming Songs top five (8-5; 8 million, up 2 percent); and powers 36-23 on Radio Songs (44 million, up 23 percent). Meanwhile, Trainor's breakthrough hit "All About That Bass" falls 3-7. It led the Hot 100 for eight weeks and, like "Shake," is Grammy-nominated for record and song of the year.

Rounding out the Hot 100's top five, Sam Smith likewise notches his second top five Hot 100 hit, as "I'm Not the Only One" rises 7-5, led by its 9 percent increase to 91 million on Radio Songs, where it holds at No. 6. Smith reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 in August with "Stay With Me," another dual contender for record and song of the year; Smith could additionally take home Grammys for "One" and "Stay" parent set In the Lonely Hour, up for album of the year, and for best new artist.

Ed Sheeran shakes up the Hot 100's top 10, as "Thinking Out Loud" rockets 24-6 as the top Digital Gainer. It flies 15-4 on Digital Songs with a 124 percent increase to 137,000 after Sheeran sang the ballad on the Victoria's Secret extravaganza. "Loud" bounds 25-17 on Streaming Songs (6.1 million, up 35 percent) and debuts on Radio Songs at No. 45 (28 million, up 43 percent).

Upon the Hot 100 vault of "Loud," Sheeran scores his second top 10 and highest placement on the chart. Prior single "Don't" peaked at No. 9 last month.

Below Trainor's "Bass" at No. 7 on the Hot 100, Maroon 5's No. 3-peaking "Animals" falls 4-8 (and departs the No. 1 spot on Radio Songs after four weeks); Ariana Grande & The Weeknd's "Love Me Harder" rebounds 10-9 after reaching No. 7; and Swift's "Shake" dips 6-10 (having spent all of its 17 weeks on the Hot 100 in the top 10).

Visit Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 18), when all rankings, including the Hot 100 in its entirety and Digital Songs, Radio Songs and Streaming Songs, will refresh, as they do each Thursday.

What happens when you walk on LAVA? Video shows tour guide press his foot on molten rock wearing walking boots

As lava courses through Hawaii’s Big Island towards a shopping centre, residents are making plans to keep well out of its way.

But what happens if you are faced with the prospect of walking on lava?

On a holiday to Kilauea in Hawaii, neuroscientist Alex Rivest decided to find out, when his tour guide offered to tread into a pool of scorching molten rock.

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Man v lava: On a recent holiday to Kilauea in Hawaii, neuroscientist Alex Rivest decided to find out what would happen if you stepped on lava, which is around 700 to 1,200 °C (1,292 to 2,192 °F)

Lava is around 700 to 1,200 °C (1,292 to 2,192 °F) when it emerges from a volcano and then makes its way to the path of least resistance.

The tour guide’s boot is shown to make a small impression, sparking a flame which bounced off the surface.

‘While this may not be surprising (it is liquid rock), I think that many people think of lava as more of a hot-watery-like substance,’ said Mr Rivest who is originally from Massachusetts.

‘You would never fall into a lava lake the way you would a swimming pool, the molten rock is much more dense, so you would simply land on it, sink a little, and be burned.’

The tour guide’s shoe is shown to make a small impression, sparking a flame which bounced off the surface

Heating up: Lava is currently moving through Hawaii’s Big Island towards a shopping centre, and residents are making plans to keep well out of its way

HOW DOES LAVA BEHAVE?

The word lava can be used to describe molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the rock that solidifies and cools after an eruption.

When first erupted from a volcano, lava is a liquid and its temperature ranges from 700 to 1,200°C.

It is up to 100,000 times as viscous - thick and sticky - as water.

A 'lava flow' is when lava flows from a volcano and is created during a 'non-explosive effusive eruption.'

When it has stopped moving, lava solidifies to form igneous rock.

Explosive eruptions create a mixture of volcanic ash and other fragments called tephra, rather than lava flows.

Kilauea is thought to be 300,000 to 600,000 years old and is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has continuously erupted since 1983.

Lava from Kilauea volcano has been threatening Pahoa town, which has a population of about 900, for months.

In October, it burned a house and covered part of a cemetery but stalled just before hitting Pahoa's main road.

‘At certain locations, and only under proper guidance and safety procedures, you can visit some of the lava fronts. It is truly one of the most amazing things to witness,’ said Mr Rivest.

The video follows footage which emerged last year showing a man taking five steps up a flow of lava on Mount Etna in Sicily.

The film was analysed by a geoscientist who has confirmed it is possible to walk on lava.

Erik Klemetti, from Denis University in Ohio, explained in his Eruptions Blog that when boiling hot lava hits the cool air, it forms a dark crust that can be stood on - albeit for a short period of time.

And although lava appears to flow like a stream, it is more viscous than water, which Mr Klemetti claims means it can withstand a small amount of pressure.

Kilauea is thought to be 300,000 to 600,000 years old and is one of the most active volcanoes in the world

In a previous blog post, Mr Klametti explained that falling into lava would cause the water inside a human body to boil, turn to steam and the person would 'explode from within.'

And it isn't just feet that are being tested in lava. There is a whole YouTube channel dedicated to throwing cans of food and drink into the molten material.

In one video, lavapix shows how a can of ravioli would slowly melt away when covered in lava, and eventually explode.

'Don't try this at home,' filmmaker Bryan Lowry cautions. 'Of course if you do have a lava flow at your house, trying this is the least of your problems.

'Safety precautions were taken and only the GoPro was slightly in harms way.'

Kilauea is the youngest and most active Hawaiian shield volcano, located on the southern part of the island

Defence: A geologist uses a handheld GPS unit to mark the lava flow margin coordinates in Pahoa on Friday. Lava from Kilauea volcano has been threatening Pahoa town, which has a population of about 900

Humiliating moment man has a spectacular treadmill fall while ogling a pretty girl... then pretends to do push-ups to cover it up

A man has tried to recover from his treadmill fall by turning it into a set of push ups.

It appears the accident was triggered by an attractive woman with fiery red hair, who's figure-hugging gym attire caught the attention of the exercising man.

As she walked past him, he became momentarily distracted and turned his head.

Unfortunately for the man, his longing gaze was not as subtle as he may have hoped.

A man has tried to recover from his treadmill fall by turning it into a set of push ups. The accident was triggered by an attractive woman with fiery red hair, wearing figure-hugging gym attire

The exercising man was momentarily distracted by the woman which caused him to slip and fall

The heavy fall made the woman stop and watch the man who quickly began doing push ups on the ground

The woman, who wore high-waisted aqua leggings and a crop top, was initially oblivious to the man on the treadmill.

As she walked behind his exercising machine, the man could not help but watch her by turning his head.

However this caused the man to lose his balance and slip off the treadmill.

The heavy fall made the woman stop and watch the man who quickly began doing push ups on the ground.

Despite the man's efforts to try and impress the woman, she seemed unfazed and continued to walk away from him.

It is unclear which country the man and woman are from but the footage was filmed inside a gym.

Your all-electric car may not be so green: Researchers say electricity generated by coal plants can cause MORE pollution than simply using gasoline

People who own all-electric cars where coal generates the power may think they are helping the environment.

But a new study finds their vehicles actually make the air dirtier, worsening global warming.

The controversial study raises major questions over the future of 'green' cars.

An electric plug charges a Smart Car electric drive vehicle in New York. People buying all-electric cars where coal supplies the power may think they are helping the environment. But a new study shows those coal-powered plug-in vehicles can be making the air dirtier and worsening global warming.

HOW THEY DID IT

The authors looked at liquid biofuels, diesel, compressed natural gas, and electricity from a range of conventional and renewable sources.

Their analysis included not only the pollution from vehicles, but also emissions generated during production of the fuels or electricity that power them.

With ethanol, for example, air pollution is released from tractors on farms, from soils after fertilizers are applied, and to supply the energy for fermenting and distilling corn into ethanol.

'Unfortunately, when a wire is connected to an electric vehicle at one end and a coal-fired power plant at the other end, the environmental consequences are worse than driving a normal gasoline-powered car,' said Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution for Science, who wasn't part of the study but praised it.

Driving vehicles that use electricity from renewable energy instead of gasoline could reduce the resulting deaths due to air pollution by 70 percent, it concluded.

Ethanol isn't so green, either, the researchers claimed.

'It's kind of hard to beat gasoline' for public and environmental health, said study co-author Julian Marshall, an engineering professor at the University of Minnesota.

'A lot of the technologies that we think of as being clean ... are not better than gasoline.'

The key is where the source of the electricity all-electric cars.

If it comes from coal, the electric cars produce 3.6 times more soot and smog deaths than gas, because of the pollution made in generating the electricity, according to the study that is published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They also are significantly worse at heat-trapping carbon dioxide that worsens global warming, it found.

The study examines environmental costs for cars' entire life cycle, including where power comes from and the environmental effects of building batteries.

The states with the highest percentage of electricity coming from coal, according to the Department of Energy, are West Virginia, Wyoming, Ohio, North Dakota, and Illinois.

Still, there's something to be said for the idea of helping foster a cleaner technology that will be better once it is connected to a cleaner grid, said study co-author Jason Hill, another University of Minnesota engineering professor.

The study finds all-electric vehicles cause 86 percent more deaths from air pollution than do cars powered by regular gasoline.

Coal produces 39 percent of the country's electricity, according to the Department of Energy.

Drax Power Station , the largest coal-fired station in Western Europe. If it comes from coal, the electric cars produce 3.6 times more soot and smog deaths than gas, because of the pollution made in generating the electricity, according to the study that is published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

But if the power supply comes from natural gas, the all-electric car produces half as many air pollution health problems as gas-powered cars do.

And if the power comes from wind, water or wave energy, it produces about one-quarter of the air pollution deaths.

Hybrids and diesel engines are cleaner than gas, causing fewer air pollution deaths and spewing less heat-trapping gas.

But ethanol isn't, with 80 percent more air pollution mortality, according to the study.

'If we're using ethanol for environmental benefits, for air quality and climate change, we're going down the wrong path,' Hill said.

‘I keep thinking what she's going through, if she's being tortured’: Woman’s fears for her cousin trapped in Sydney siege as she reveals they exchanged texts minutes before gunman took her hostage

A woman has revealed the terrifying moment she realised her cousin was one of the people held hostage in the Lindt Cafe in Sydney.

'I was texting her as she was walking into the shop and she told me she was going into Lindt to get some hot chocolate,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'She texted me an exclamation point at around 9:35am, and I knew there was something wrong.'

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A young woman revealed that her cousin is one of the hostages still being held in the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place

The young woman asked not be identified out of fear for her cousin's safety, knowing that every detail released could jeopardise police operations to release the hostages from their 10-hour-long ordeal.

'My aunt has been crying on the phone to me, as well as my dad frantically panicking during cliffhanger moments on the news,' she said.

She said that her cousin was a passionate 25-year-old from Sydney who worked in the fashion industry and is adored by her family, including her mother and sibling who are desperate for her to be returned to them safely.

'I'm so worried for her, I keep thinking what she's going through, if she's being tortured, if she's being hurt - I love her to death, I would hate for her to be hurt.

'We're just all so worried and we just want her home,' she said.

The young woman said that when she saw hostages fleeing from the cafe she 'had a spark of hope that it was her,' and was crushed when she realised her cousin was still inside.

Despite reports that the gunman has allowed several of the hostages to contact their families and loved ones, the young woman revealed that since her message alerting her to the situation, the family have received no more communication from her.

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Terror on the streets of Sydney: This is the moment one of five people managed to escape the Martin Place cafe where an armed gunman is holding more than ten people hostage

Run for your life: A distressed hostage - a cafe employee - runs into the arms of a waiting police officer

Run: Three hostages escaped the Lindt chocolate cafe this aftenroonT

Dramatic scenes: Three hostages escaped the Lindt chocolate cafe this aftenroonT

Panic in Martin Place: Two of the three male hostages who escaped the Lindt chocolate cafe around 3:45pm on Monday afternoon are believed to be customers

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Ray Hadley: The woman talked to the 2GB broadcaster this afternoon

The young woman said that waiting for a solution to the crisis was anguish, and that the entire family was terrified of what might happen during the night.

'Our family is scared to death, to be honest, our stomachs are tied in knots knowing she's still in there,' she said.

Reports from inside the Lindt Cafe have surfaced throughout the day, including a worried mother whose son is trapped inside the cafe with.

Mel, the mother of an apprentice plumber, told Radio 2GB's Ray Hadley she received a message from her son saying, 'Mum, I'm in the Lindt chocolate cafe in Sydney.

'My heart just dropped,' she told Hadley, who says he has had three telephone conversations with a terrified hostage inside the shop.

'I sent him a text message saying, "What's going on, are you OK?" He said, "I'm OK mum, can't talk.'

'I haven't heard anything since,' the woman said late on Monday afternoon.

Five people - two women and three men - have this afternoon escaped the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, in the city's central business district.

The 18-year-old man had popped into the cafe at around 9:30am to purchase a coffee.

Hadley also said he has spoken to a young man off air who was inside the cafe, and that the man told him some hostages have fallen ill.

'There are some people who are not well,' the broadcaster said. 'They're distraught.'

'I can hear the person in the background issuing instructions.

'One person is quite ill [and) needs medical attention.'

Hostage terror: More than a dozen staff and customers are thought to be held prisoner inside the Lindt chocolate cafe store in the heart of Sydney's CBD

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Terror in Martin Place: Armed police streamed to the area of the siege with assault weapons

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Shahada flag: This flag, which reads 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', is regularly used by the extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra

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Militant's demand: The flag adopted by the Islamic State terror group

Hadley indicated the hostage taker was trying to make demands through the media.

Hadley said he was not in a position to negotiate with the hostage-taker and that he had been in contact with police.

Channel 7 reporters have returned to their Martin Place office directly opposite the cafe and are reporting that they can see the gunman, who is wearing black trousers, a white shirt and is unshaven.

They also believed the gunman was lining up hostages against the glass cafe windows and keeping them in position for hours at a time.

The gunman had ordered his victims to hold up the Shahada flag, which is used as an emblem of the extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria.

There is believed to be two bombs within the cafe and two more planted in the surrounds of the central city area.

'There are requests being made I can't provide,' Mr Hadley said on air.

'I'm aware of the same sort of phone calls going to the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). They can't respond to them.

'The media can't play a role in negotiating with people purporting to be from Islamic State holding hostages in a cafe in Sydney.'

NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn confirmed police negotiators had made contact with the militant this afternoon.

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Authority: NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said she believed all hostages were unharmed as the siege unfolded

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Brigade: Heavily armed police closed off downtown Sydney around the Lindt chocolate cafe where more than 10 people are being held

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Over there: Armed police are seen in Martin Place, a legal, administrative and media centre that runs through the heart of Sydney's CBD

Hadley said he received advice from NSW state Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione's office during the conversations.

'I'm not so big-headed I think I can handle that situation without the expert advice I have received,' he said.

The siege immediately followed reports of a counter-terrorism raids in the suburbs of north-western Sydney, however NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia they believe two events were unrelated.

The siege has stretched into the evening in Sydney.

More developments are expected from a press conference later Monday, after police debrief the freed hostages.