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05 Dec 2024

Davido Announces Fifth Album ‘5ive’ & New Single ‘Funds’ With Odumodublvck & Chike

Davido announced on Thursday (Dec. 5) that he’ll release his fifth studio album, aptly titled 5ive, in 2025.

“This one is straight from the heart – my story, my truth, my growth,” he wrote on Instagram. And the Nigerian-American superstar’s album rollout is well underway since he will be releasing the first single, “Funds” with Odumodublvck and Chike, tonight at 6 p.m. EST. “This one’s for the dreamers, the go getters and everyone chasing what’s theirs! Thank you for riding with me. Let’s make history again!!!”

Rolling Stone reported that “Funds” samples South African singer/songwriter Brenda Fassie’s 1997 classic “Vuli Ndlela.” He performed the then-unreleased track alongside Odumodublvck during his birthday concert at his Atlanta hometown’s State Farm Arena.

“‘Funds’ is a celebration of the hustle and the journey,” he told RS in a statement. “Working with Odumodublvck and Chike on this track was magic. They brought their own unique energy, and together we created something special. This song isn’t just about money – it’s about the mindset, the struggle, and the rewards that come with staying true to your grind. It’s a vibe that resonates across cultures. And with 5ive on the way, I’m bringing that same energy – African pride, global sound. We’re just getting started.”

Trending on Billboard

5ive will arrive two years after his last studio album Timeless, which he released on March 31, 2023, via Davido Music Worldwide, Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment. Timeless reached No. 2 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart and No. 37 on the Billboard 200. It was nominated for best global music album at the 2024 Grammy Awards, while its Musa Keys-assisted hit single “Unavailable” hit No. 3 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and was nominated for best African music performance.

See Davido’s new 5ive album announcement below.

05 Dec 2024

Shaboozey Is Ready to Get ‘Tipsy’ With Paul Mescal in ‘Saturday Night Live’ Promo: Watch

Shaboozey is ready to get tipsy at 30 Rock, with the 29-year-old breakout country star set to make his Saturday Night Live musical guest debut alongside host Paul Mescal this weekend.

And in a new promo video for the episode, ‘Boozey and SNL cast member Chloe Fineman flank the Gladiator II star, who at first has to fend off flirtatious advances from the comedian. “I think she’s just hearing what she wants to hear,” the Virginia native eventually tells Mescal, who shrugs.

In another cut, Fineman makes a joke combining the title of Shaboozey’s 19-week Billboard Hot 100-topper “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” with a play on Mescal’s name — but it doesn’t exactly land. “We’re getting tipsy on mezcal this week!” she says as the musician cheers, “Let’s do it!”

Trending on Billboard

Mescal, however, makes it very clear that his last name is not pronounced the same as the similarly spelled alcohol. “It’s Mescal,” he says sternly as ‘Boozey adds: “Damn.”

Reposting the video on his X account, the “SPAGHETTII” singer wrote excitedly, “Tune in this Saturday!”

The promo comes two days ahead of Shaboozey’s first rodeo on SNL Dec. 7. Next week, Gracie Abrams will make her own musical guest debut on the Chris Rock-hosted episode, after which Hozier will return to the program with Martin Short as host.

The SNL invitation is just the latest accolade for Shaboozey in a whirlwind year. On Thanksgiving, he served as the halftime performer for the Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears football game, singing “Last of My Kind,” “Highway” and “A Bar Song” at Ford Field. A few weeks before that, he became a Grammy-nominated artist, scoring five nods total in categories including best country song and song of the year.

Watch Shaboozey’s SNL promo video above.

05 Dec 2024

What’s Your Favorite Song of 2024? Vote

With 2024 coming to a close, we at Billboard shared our annual roundup of our top songs of the year on Thursday (Dec. 5).

Coming in at No. 1 was Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which was released May 4 amid the height of the rapper’s feud with Drake. The track topped countless Billboard charts, including the all-genre Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, US Rhythmic, Hot Rap Songs and Rap Streaming Songs.

“Not like us? Not like us is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent,” Lamar shared of the song in conversation with SZA for Harper’s Bazaar 2024 November Voices Issue. “Now, if you identify with the man that I represent . This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.”

He continued, “He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies or experiences to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man. If I’m thinking of ‘Not Like Us,’ I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that.”

The rest of the top 10 include, in descending order, Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Charli XCX’s “Girl So Confusing” with Lorde, Beyoncé’s “Bodyguard,” Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi,” Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” and Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” with Post Malone.

Trending on Billboard

We’ve told you our favorites, and now it’s time for you to tell us your top track. Check out all 100 songs we chose for our best songs of 2024 here, and vote between the top 10 here and below.

05 Dec 2024

Shooter In UnitedHealth CEO Assassination Left Cryptic Message On Shell Casings, Social Media Has More Thoughts

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UnitedHealth CEO Shooter Leaves Cryptic Message On Bullets

Source: Alex Kent / Getty / UnitedHealth

The targeted attack on UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson has already taken an eyebrow-raising turn following some new developments.

Once news broke about the assassination of Brian Thompson in Midtown, NYC, hit social media timelines, it didn’t take long for many to jump to the conclusion the UnitedHealth CEO’s murder could have something to do with the health insurer’s track record of denying people coverage.

TMZ reports that the 9MM shell casings from the bullets that took Thompson’s life shot from the alleged silenced weapon were engraved with the cryptic message “deny,” “depose,” and “defend,” possibly revealing the assassin’s motive behind the attack.

Sources revealed to the celebrity gossip site that the message is no coincidence, has a significant meaning, and could confirm that social media was on the right track when the story first broke.

Per TMZ:

Our sources say two of the words appear in the title of a 2010 book, “Delay, Deny, Defend,” which slams the health insurance sector — and, as we now know, Thompson was one of the industry’s bigwigs.

We’re told detectives believe the words on the shell casings could be a window into why the assailant committed the murder.

Our sources say the suspect or one of his relatives might have been denied coverage by Thompson’s company for a medical procedure. However, our sources also say he could be a disgruntled ex-employee … or a hitman hired by someone for some other reason.

Other Developments In The Case

The cryptic message on the shell casings is not only a development from the rapidly developing case. The New York Daily News reports that Thompson’s home has been the target of bomb threats.

Also, the NYPD has released surveillance photos showing the shooter’s face.

Of course, social media is still slamming UnitedHealthcare. Spoiler alert: don’t expect to see any sympathy.

You can see those reactions in the gallery below.

3. No chill

05 Dec 2024

Sony Music Publishing Opens New Studio Hub for Songwriters in Hollywood

Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has announced the opening of a new office space and creative hub for songwriters in Hollywood. The new location is in the heart of Hollywood’s historic media district and minutes from the city’s old vinyl district. It’s also just down the road from Kobalt and SiriusXM’s offices, making the area a new hot spot for the entertainment business.

Featuring five dedicated writer studios, six listening rooms, a recording studio with two independent recording booths and an artist lounge, the new space is part of the company’s push to “support songwriters every step of the way,” as SMP chairman/CEO Jon Platt puts it. The company sees the songwriter and creative hub as part of its global expansion to better service its songwriters worldwide. Already, other recent developments and enhancements have been made in the U.K., Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, Nashville, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, India and more.

The remodeled century-old space was reimagined with the help of studio architects WSDG and design collective RIOS and is set to be formally opened on Thursday evening (Dec. 5) at the publisher’s annual holiday party.

Trending on Billboard

In a statement about the new location, Platt says, “Our focus has been on creating environments that nurture the talent, vision, and goals of our songwriters and people. Our aim was to build a space that supports songwriters every step of the way, welcomes creators, and supports their needs. I am exceptionally proud of what we have built as a team.”

“The design for Sony Music Publishing’s West Coast flagship office celebrates the optimism of redefining the 21st-century songwriter experience,” added Andy Lantz, co-CEO/creative director of RIOS. “Collaborating with the world’s best music publisher allowed us to connect deeply with the creative process and envision how these spaces could amplify Sony Music Publishing’s legacy. We aimed to create environments that blend warmth with functionality, becoming dynamic backdrops that inspire creativity.”

05 Dec 2024

Who Is Peysoh? Meet Cali’s Latest Secret Weapon

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EMPIRE Celebrates BET Weekend 2024

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Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, ‘GNX’ is making noise, and one of the biggest surprises is the feature list. Kenny has always repped the West Coast, but this time he gave us a taste of what the new California sound is all about. Putting young artists like, Left Gunplay & Siete7x but one really stood out from the crowd. Maywood, California’s own Peysoh has made the most of his moment since his feature on the GNX project.

Known for his slick talk and authentic West Coast flow, Peysoh brings something fresh to the album. His verse on the track ‘GNX’ stands out, adding a West Coast vibe that mixes perfectly with Kendrick’s pocket. Peysoh’s verse reflected his experiences in the street life, hustling, and keeping it real, making his appearance a standout moment. This was a huge look for Peysoh, showing he’s next up in the rap game. Kendrick’s always putting on new talent, and Peysoh’s one to watch now.

Since then, the industry has been showing love to him, with co-signs from artists like Roddy Ricch, Future, Tyler The Creator, and more.

Who is Peysoh?

Timothy Obutuke aka “Peysoh” was born on December 23, 2003, in Maywood, California. Growing up, he faced a lot of tough moments, especially losing his father to gun violence when he was just 6 years old. Peysoh went to Maywood High, where he played basketball, and graduated in 2023. He grew up with two sisters and always kept music as a way to express his life experiences in the streets. The Mexican rapper dropped his first single ‘6 Block’ at the age of 16 & his first album, Ghetto Journal, in 2022.

05 Dec 2024

Will Generative AI Become a Creator Terminator?

Music made by generative AI has been on the horizon as an issue for a couple of years, and the industry started playing close attention when the “Fake Drake” track hit streaming services in April 2023. The part of the issue that gets the most attention is, of course, that part that involves celebrities — especially Drake, who objected when his voice was spoofed by AI and then used AI software to spoof the voices of other rappers.

That’s just the tip of a particularly dangerous iceberg, though, according to a new study commissioned by global collective management trade organization CISAC and conducted by PMP Strategy. Vocal imitations are fun, but how much time can you really spend listening to Frank Sinatra sing Lil Jon? The bigger issue is what generative AI means for new music — first for passive listening, presumably, and eventually for the entire business.

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Using quantitative and qualitative research, PMP concluded that a full $4 billion could be lost to composers and publishing rightsholders in 2028 — 24% of the revenue they collect through CISAC-member organizations. (This gets complicated: The study measures revenue that comes to them through collective management organizations, which includes performing rights and, in most cases, mechanical rights royalties.) This doesn’t even count the recording business, or revenue from synch licensing. By 2028, generative AI music will be worth $16 billion and the services that create it will bring in $4 billion in revenue. One previous study commissioned by SACEM and GEMA reached somewhat similar conclusions — in that case, that 27% of revenue would be at risk.

The music business is driven by new pop music, so there’s a tendency to focus on stars like Drake. But publishers and songwriters also depend on background music played in public — at bars and in stores — and streaming services have made a business out of utilitarian music, sounds to help listeners focus, relax or sleep. That might be where the impact of generative AI is felt first — the restaurant that plays AI music to avoid paying a performing rights organization, a playlist that avoids copyrighted music, a low-budget film that uses music generated by an algorithm. By 2028, the study predicts that generative AI could cut into 30% of digital revenue, 22% of TV and radio revenue and 22% of compositions played in public. Eventually, presumably, AI could generate hits as well.

To some extent, AI is inevitable.

“There’s no way we can or should stand against AI — it can be a wonderful tool,” said songwriter and ABBA frontman Björn Ulvaeus, who serves as president of CISAC, at a Nov. 3 online press conference to announce the results of the study. Many composers already use it as a tool, mostly for specific purposes. (I thought of using AI to write this column but I got nervous that it would do a poor job — and terrified that it would do a good one.) “Creators should be at the negotiating table,” Ulvaeus said. “The success of AI isn’t based on public content — it’s based on copyrighted works. We need to negotiate a fair deal.”

That’s only possible if generative AI companies are required to license the rights to ingest works, which by definition involves copying them. That seems to be the case already in the European Union, although the AI Act says rightsholders need to opt out in order to prevent the unauthorized use of their work to train AI software. In the U.S., until Congress turns its attention to AI, this is a matter for the courts, and in June the RIAA, on behalf of the major labels, sued the generative AI companies Suno and Udio for allegedly infringing their copyrights.

The study lays out a picture of how generative AI will develop between now and 2028, in both the music and audiovisual sectors — it will affect streaming revenue the most, but also change the market for music in TV and film. And although few people spend much time thinking about background music, it provides a living, or part of a living, for many musicians. If that business declines, will those musicians still be able to play on albums that demand their skills? Will studios that are booked for all kinds of music survive without the background music business?

The study predicts that the generative AI business will grow as the creative sector shrinks, as some of the money from music goes to software — presumably software trained on copyrighted works. “In an unchanged regulatory framework, creators will not benefit from the Gen AI revolution,” the study says. Instead, they will suffer “the loss of revenues due to the unauthorized use of their works” to train AI software and the “replacement of their traditional revenue streams due to the substitution effect of AI-generated outputs.”

Making sure composers and other creators are compensated fairly for the use of their works in training generative AI programs will not be easy. It would be hard for creators and other rightsholders to license a onetime right to use material for training purposes, after which an AI model can use it forever. The current thinking is that it makes more sense to license these rights, then require AI programs to operate with a certain level of transparency to track the works they reference in response to a given prompt. Then the owners of those works can be paid.

This is going to be hard. Getting it right means starting immediately — and the obvious first step is clarifying creators’ rights to be compensated when their work is used to train an AI.

05 Dec 2024

50 Cent Action Channel From Lionsgate Launching Exclusively On The Roku Channel Next Week

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26th Annual Best Buddies Miami Gala Honoring Global Ambassador Guy Fieri

Source: Alexander Tamargo / Getty / 50 Cent

50 Cent is getting a Roku Channel.

Spotted on Deadline, Curtis Jackson and his G-Unit Film & Television imprint, in partnership with Lionsgate, are launching the 50 Cent Action Channel on the Roku Channel on Tuesday, December 10.

According to the website, the channel will be curated by the Grammy-winning and Emmy-winning multihyphenate. It will feature his favorite action films from Lionsgate’s library, which features over 20,000 titles. So expect to see films like The Expendables, Rambo, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and over a dozen movies Diddy’s favorite troll starred in.

But that’s not all. The channel will also air reruns of Power, the Starz crime drama he also starred in and served as an executive producer for the many spinoffs that followed.

There will also be programming stunts around the Queen’s rapper’s No. 1 albums and hit records.

Per Deadline:

Examples include a heist-themed stunt tied to his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, including films like Empire State, Reservoir Dogs, and Man on a Ledge as well as a female-led action stunt based on 50’s album I Like The Way She Do It, including Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2, The Protégé and Haywire.

In a statement about the channel, 50 Cent said, “Roku’s reach and success in the free TV space make them the perfect launch partner for 50 Cent Action. My channel created in partnership with Lionsgate will deliver exactly what my audience loves to watch all in one place. We’ll be number one in no time.”

50 Cent Is Still Making Music

Outside of music, 50 Cent continues to cement his legacy in Hollywood. He recently launched G-Unit Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana, and teamed up with Netflix for a forthcoming Diddy docuseries. 

On the music front, in a recent interview with Cam’ron, 50 Cent revealed to his one-time rival that he has new material on the way and plans to use it in upcoming television projects.

05 Dec 2024

The 10 Biggest Country Stories of the Year: Women Rule in the C-Suite, Coastal Labels Swarm, Post Malone, Beyoncé and More

As Lainey Wilson sings on her latest album, Whirlwind, “country’s cool again.” With tongue slightly planted in cheek, she lovingly pokes fun at fans newly embracing country music, while proudly proclaiming folks like her have been here all along. “Once you get a taste, you’ll lick the spoon/ Learn every word to ‘The Dance’ and ‘Neon Moon’,” she predicts.

The song perfectly encapsulates the year in country music. The tent keeps getting bigger as the genre’s popularity swells, fueled by the continued success of artists like Wilson, Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan and Luke Combs, as well as through pop/R&B acts like Post Malone and Beyoncé releasing highly successful and impactful country-leaning sets.

As noted below, country consumption continues to grow, though it has slowed from the staggering pace in 2023. And streaming numbers continue to increase: In Spotify Wrapped — the DSP’s recently released year-end figures — Bryan and Wallen were the third- and fourth-most streamed artists on the all-genre ranking. Additionally, Wallen joined Taylor Swift in having two LPs in the 10 most-streamed albums in the U.S., spanning all genres. Similarly, country registered three of the top 10 songs streamed in the U.S., with Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” coming in at No. 3, Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” featuring Wallen at No. 4 and Bryan’s Kacey Musgraves-featuring “I Remember Everything” landing at No. 9.

On Music Row, there were also big changes at the major labels — as the new guard continues to take over and gather steam and, not insignificantly, compete (or collaborate, depending upon whom you ask), with their coastal counterparts, who are increasingly diving into country waters, either through signing artists outright or partnering with a Nashville label.

These are the top 10 country stories of the year.

05 Dec 2024

This Pop Star Was Miley Cyrus’ Top Artist of the Year

With the release of Spotify Wrapped on Wednesday (Dec. 4), music fans promptly took to social media to share their listening habits throughout the year, including their favorite songs, albums and artists.

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Miley Cyrus joined the bandwagon on Thursday (Dec. 5), taking to her Instagram Stories to reveal that Britney Spears was her top-streamed artist of 2024 — which is fitting, as Cyrus famously shouted Spears out in her 2009 hit, “Party in the U.S.A.,” when she sang, “That’s when the DJ dropped my favorite tune/ And a Britney song was on.”

Cyrus referenced her own song in the caption of her Stories, writing, “A Britney song was literally on…. all year!” See her post here before it disappears.

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While Spears was stuck on repeat in 2024 for Cyrus, the 32-year-old superstar revealed that she was inspired by a different artist as she works on her next album, the follow-up to her 2023 project, Endless Summer Vacation. In her Harper’s Bazaar cover story published last month, Cyrus discussed her forthcoming ninth studio album — tentatively titled Something Beautiful — which she says she’s been working on with her boyfriend, Liily guitarist Maxx Morando. “My idea was making [Pink Floyd’s] The Wall, but with a better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture,” she told the publication.

She called the project “hypnotizing and glamorous,” before adding, “It’s a concept album that’s an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music.”