Author: djfrosty
Page: 10
Summer Walker presents Erykah Badu with the Icon Award at Billboard Women In Music 2025. Summer Walker: Hello, Billboard Women in Music! A few things have changed since I was last here in 2022, including having my twin boys. Thank you. And I’m not just bringing that up because I love being a mom—shout out […]
aespa accepts the Group of the Year award at Billboard Women In Music 2025. aespa: Hello, everyone. We’re aespa, and I’m Giselle. Hi, I’m Karina. Hi, I’m Winter. I’m Ningning. Wow. What an incredible honor. We are so grateful to be in this room filled with such amazing artists that truly inspire us. And, of […]
Save this storySaveSave this storySaveChubby and the Gang, the London punk outfit, led by Charlie “Chubby Charles” Manning-Walker, have broken up. They shared the news in a brief statement posted to Instagram: “Every dog has his day, ours came and went away. Thank you for the good times sorry for the bad ones and for a great six years. Who fuckin loves ya? Chubby does 😈❤️🥹”.Formed in 2019, Chubby and the Gang had strong ties to the decade’s British post-hardcore scene: Manning-Walker had played with Violent Reaction and Arms Race, while other original members came from the Brighton groups Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife. The band put out their debut album Speed Kills—produced by Fucked Up’s Jonah Falco and notable for boasting not one, but two theme songs—in February of 2020 on Static Shock Records.Soon after, Chubby and the Gang settled into a lineup of Manning-Walker, guitarists Ethan Stahl and Tom “Razor” Hardwick, bassist Maegan Brooks Mills, and drummer Joe McMahon. They signed to Partisan, releasing The Mutt’s Nuts in 2021 and an EP, Labour of Love, early the following year. However, alongside the news of 2022’s holiday double single Chubby and the Gang Presents: A Christmas Extravaganza, Manning-Walker announced that he had replaced all members of the band aside from himself. Their final album, And Then There Was…, came out last October.Read about Speed Kills on “The 25 Best Rock Albums of 2020,” and revisit Madison Bloom’s column “A Guide to Static Shock Records, One of the UK’s Best DIY Punk Labels.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
There’s another brewing beef in the podcast world, between former NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal and former NBA star Matt Barnes, with the latter alleging that O’Neal is offering money to find out incriminating information about Shannon Sharpe. Barnes reportedly claimed in an audio clip that recently surfaced in a post by DJ Akademiks.
“I was in a group chat the other day, or actually, just yesterday,” Barnes began, hinting that O’Neal is specifically looking for information claiming that Sharpe is a closeted gay man. “And Shaq said he’s paying top dollar for any information on our boy. So, again, I don’t know if y’all are on that kind of time or not. But Shaq is known to throw large sums of money around. So, just want to put that out there.”
The clip DJ Akademiks played was originally posted on controversial blogger Tasha K’s Instagram page. Tasha K then posted alleged private messages she received from Barnes, who was angered over the post and claimed it was faked. “Y’all keep playin and ima sue you for this s—. This AI doctored auto. Y’all some clowns.” In another message, he added, “Y’all post me again w some bulls—t & ima sue you.” The 45-year-old former star with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors wrote in another message, “Haha…you should know I have no issue admitting when I’ve f—d up.”
The allegations come a year after the Club Shay Shay host and ESPN analyst got into it with the Inside The NBA co-host after the two disagreed over Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic being chosen as NBA MVP for the third time in four years. O’Neal would tell Jokic in an interview that he felt that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should’ve won.
Sharpe disagreed, stating on his The Nightcap podcast that he felt that O’Neal’s criticism of Jokic’s accolades showed the Hall-of-Famer was “envious of that,” having only been named MVP once in his career. Shaquille O’Neal responded in four posts on Instagram, including a diss track aimed at Sharpe. The First Take contributor chose to not address the comments. “I mean, I don’t have no problem with Shaq,” the Pro Football Hall of Famer told a reporter from PEOPLE during an interview at the Webby Awards. “He said what he said, I’m ready to move on.”
—
Photo: Skip Bolen / Getty
Hannah Karp presents Tina Knowles with Mother of the Year at Billboard Women In Music 2025. Good evening. So, I know I was just introduced as the Editor-in-Chief of Billboard, but there’s another title that I’m even more proud to hold: I’m Odessa and Gloria’s mom. But even when you have perfect children like I […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
On Sunday (March 30), tech billionaire Elon Musk held a town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and awarded two individuals with checks of a million dollars each on stage as he declared them members of his political action committee. The move comes days before a critical election for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with Democratic Party favorite Judge Susan Crawford going up against former state attorney general and Judge Brad Schimel.
“It’s a super big deal,” Musk said to a 2,000-person crowd after taking the stage in a yellow cheesehead hat, an homage to the Packers of the National Football League. “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.” The Tesla co-founder went on to talk about the importance of the election. “I think this will be important for the future of civilization,” he said. “It’s that significant.” He then presented the checks to Ekaterina Diestler and Nicholas Jacobs, saying, “Reason for the checks is that it’s really just to get attention. It causes legacy media to like kind of lose their minds.”
The state supreme court’s current makeup shows Democrats with a 4-3 majority, and a win by Crawford over Schimel (who is an unabashed supporter of President Donald Trump) could determine how the court will rule on abortion rights this year. Another issue before the state Supreme Court is the gerrymandering of voting districts. A redrawing of lines could give Wisconsin two more seats in the House of Representatives, dramatically impacting elections in 2026 and the presidential election in 2028. Union rights and voting rules are also expected to be taken up by the court.Musk’s involvement in the race individually since February (he promised $100 to voters who will pick Schimel over Crawford) and through other groups has totaled $20 million to date. It’s a repeat of his efforts in Pennsylvania in the weeks before the 2024 presidential election. But Democrats have mustered up a strong counter offensive to Musk’s tactics. Judge Crawford’s campaigns have put focus on Musk’s meddling with the federal government through his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team, and her allies have reminded voters that Tesla is currently suing Wisconsin for the right to open dealerships there.
—
Photo: The Washington Post / Getty
Gracie Abrams accepts the Songwriter of the Year Award at Billboard Women In Music 2025. Gracie Abrams: First of all, ladies and gentlemen, Victoria Monét! Seriously, this incredible artist is, at a minimum, a quadruple threat. She’s an insane writer, unparalleled vocalist, inventive producer, and amazing dancer. I’m just in awe of you every day. […]
Gracie Abrams performs “I Love You, I’m Sorry” at Billboard Women In Music 2025.
Here are lyrics to Gracie Abrams’s “I Love You, I’m Sorry”:
Two Augusts ago
I told the truth, oh, but you didn’t like it, you went home
You’re in your Benz, I’m by the gate
Now you go alone
Charm all the people you train for, you mean well but aim low
And I’ll make it known like I’m getting paid
That’s just the way life goes
I like to slam doors closed
Trust me, I know it’s always about me
I love you, I’m sorry
Two summers from now
We’ll have been talking, but not all that often, we’re cool now
I’ll be on a boat, you’re on a plane
Going somewhere, same
And I’ll have a drink
Wistfully lean out my window and watch the sun set on the lake
I might not feel real, but it’s okay, mh
‘Cause that’s just the way life goes
I push my luck, it shows
Thankful you don’t send someone to kill me
I love you, I’m sorry
You were the best but you were the worst
As sick as it sounds, I loved you first
I was a dick, it is what it is
A habit to kick, the age-old curse
I tend to laugh whenever I’m sad
I stare at the crash, it actually works
Making amends, this shit never ends
I’m wrong again, wrong again
The way life goes
Joyriding down our road
Lay on the horn to prove that it haunts me
I love you, I’m sorry
The way life goes (you were the best but you were the worst)
(As sick as it sounds, I loved you first)
I wanna speak in code (I was a dick, it is what it is)
(A habit to kick, the age-old curse)
Hope that I don’t, won’t make it about me (I tend to laugh whenever I’m sad)
(Stare at the crash, it actually works)
I love you, I’m sorry
WRITERS
Audrey Hobert, Aaron Dessner, Gracie Abrams
PUBLISHERS
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Victoria Monét presents Gracie Abrams with the Songwriter of the Year at Billboard Women In Music 2025. Victoria Monét: Hi everybody. It is so nice to be back here with all of you at Billboard Women in Music to present the songwriter of the year, Gracie Abrams. With just two albums under her belt, Gracie […]
The inaugural MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN ceremony, the largest music awards in the country, is set to take place in May in Kyoto. Embodying the theme of “Connecting the world, illuminating the future of music,” the brand-new international music awards is hosted by the Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA), an association jointly established by five major organizations in the Japanese music industry.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This year’s MAJ will recognize works and artists in more than 60 categories, including the six major awards for Song of the Year and Artist of the Year and more, which have gained significant attention and recognition from Jan. 29, 2024 to Jan. 26, 2025. The entries for each category were announced on March 13 and the selection by domestic voting members is currently underway to narrow down the list to five nominees for each category.
Let’s take a look at the 256 songs that are up for the high-profile Song of the Year category, as compared against Billboard Japan‘s all-genre Japan Hot 100 song chart (hereafter BBJ), and delve deeper into the trends and characteristics unique to MAJ based on data.
Comparison with BBJ Chart Metrics
Billboard Japan
First, we’ll compare some of the differences between the MAJ and BBJ metrics. The chart above shows the point share of each metric for the 256 songs entered in the Song of the Year category. The figures for BBJ show the point share of the top 256 songs in the Japan Hot 100 chart during the same tallying period as MAJ.
The entries for Song of the Year is based on an original chart that combines the six metrics of the Japan Hot 100 (rounded up in two-month segments) and UGC data (click here for details). The system is structured in a way that makes it easier for songs with short peak periods to be eligible.
One feature MAJ and BBJ both have in common is that streaming accounts for the largest proportion of both. This shows that both are strongly aware that streaming is the main way people listen to music today.
CD sales account for 10% of MAJ, but only 2% of BBJ. Japan’s CD sales market is still large when viewed globally, and MAJ places importance on this unique Japanese user trend. Downloads are 7% of MAJ while 4% for BBJ, indicating that the former places a relatively higher value on ownership-type metrics.
While streaming is the main focus for MAJ, they are clearly also conscious of achieving a balance with a wider range of metrics. Its most distinctive feature is that its system is designed to take into account the characteristics of the Japanese market.
Analysis of the Songs’ Properties
Billboard Japan
The gender ratio of the MAJ entries is 61% male artists, 30% female artists, and 9% mixed acts. Compared to BBJ, the ratio of male artists is slightly lower, and the ratio of female artists is higher. BBJ has more mixed acts, mainly because many songs by male-female duo YOASOBI have charted.
84% of the entries were by Japanese artists. Compared to BBJ, MAJ has slightly more songs by South Korean artists (MAJ 14%, BBJ 10%). The only artists from outside Japan and South Korea were Mariah Carey, OneRepublic, and Taylor Swift, all of whom are from the U.S. There were also two entries for collaborations between artists from different countries: Rosé & Bruno Mars and BE:FIRST X ATEEZ.
Billboard Japan
The ratio of member composition of the acts entered in MAJ is highest for groups (37%), followed by bands (27%) and solo artists (26%). Dance and vocal groups, which have strong CD sales, are pushing up the ratio of groups. Meanwhile, BBJ has the highest proportion of bands (36%), influenced by the long-running hits of popular bands such as Mrs. GREEN APPLE and back number. Of the 256 songs, there are 124 acts in MAJ and 103 in BBJ, so the former has a greater variety of acts.
Billboard Japan
The genres with the largest number of songs for both MAJ and BBJ are pop and rock. Notably, K-pop accounts for 14% of MAJ, and idol performers account for 9%, indicating the major influence of dance and vocal groups. Hip-hop and Vocaloid account for less than 10%, but these genres have their own categories, such as the Best Japanese Hip-Hop/Rap Song and the Best Vocaloid Culture Song.
Billboard Japan
43% of the entries weren’t tie-ins, but songs connected to anime (19%), drama series (13%), and commercials (11%) were also prominent. BBJ shows a more continuous tie-in effect, while MAJ can be said to have a diverse collection of songs that are relatively independent of tie-ins.
These data show that MAJ incorporates a good balance of diverse metrics to reflect a wide range of mainstream music in Japan. The fact that the awards also places weight on metrics reflecting the unique characteristics of the Japanese music market, such as CDs and downloads, is a major difference from the BBJ charts.
It’ll be interesting to see how MAJ’s design will impact the future of the music market and the promotion of Japanese music worldwide. The nominated songs will be announced on Apr. 17, and the awards ceremony will take place on May 21 and 22.
Billboard Japan will continue to publish features on MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN. In the second installment, we’ll compare MAJ’s Song of the Year with BBJ’s Top Global Hits from Japan chart.