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JISOO had a lot to discuss with Billboard this Valentine’s Day, from the qualities she looks for in a partner to her love for Britney Spears.
In a video interview with Billboard News posted Friday (Feb. 14) — the same date the BLACKPINK star dropped her highly anticipated debut solo mini-album, AMORTAGE — JISOO spoke about some of the songs on her new record, including the very Valentines-appropriate “Your Love,” on which she sings about a perfect romance. When asked to describe what her “dream man” would be like in real life, the star had three qualities in mind.
“I love it when someone has similar taste in food,” she shares. “And if they treat me well, that makes me really happy. But I think having the same sense of humor is the most important. If that doesn’t click, things can feel a bit dull.”
Featuring three other tracks besides “Your Love,” AMORTAGE is just one of several solo projects the ladies of BLACKPINK have dropped during their band break this past year. ROSÉ released solo album rosie in December, LISA’s Alter Ego is coming later this month, and JENNIE has been sharing singles such as January’s “Love Hangover” with Dominic Fike as she puts the finishing touches on her own album.
While she was preparing her own solo music last year, JISOO says she had one legendary pop soloist in mind. “I love Britney Spears,” she tells Billboard. “I grew up listening to Britney Spears, and every time I prepare for a solo release, I always find myself going back to her ‘…Baby One More Time’ music video as a reference.”
“I love that pop vibe, and I always say, ‘I want to shoot something with that kind of energy,’” she gushes. “It’s a video I consistently use as inspiration when creating my own.”
But while working on AMORTAGE — in addition to filming her latest Korean screen project, Newtopia — has been fulfilling, JISOO says she’s excited to reunite with her bandmates in 2025. Earlier this month, BLACKPINK teased that a world tour is imminent this year, about which the “FLOWER” singer said she “can’t wait.”
“Last year, as each member focused on individual activities, we all grew a lot,” she tells Billboard. “Now, as we come together for this year, I feel like we’ll be able to return with an even bigger and more spectacular presence. Everyone’s excited about it, and we’ve been sharing ideas. We’ve already done a lot of preparations for this year.”
“Working solo has been an amazing experience,” JISOO adds. “But honestly, it can get a little lonely sometimes.”
This week, all eyes have been on one of the biggest stages in the world: the Super Bowl. And while Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show rightfully has had many people talking, he wasn’t the only performer that stole the show at the NFL’s main event — New Orleans native Jon Batiste kicked off proceedings with a stirring, emotional rendition of the National Anthem, seated behind a multicolored piano on the Super Dome field.
And that was just the most high-profile moment for Batiste, the seven-time Grammy winner and former bandleader for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The day before the main event, Batiste also put on the Love Riot festival in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward neighborhood, which featured performances by him, Ledisi, Preservation Hall band, Flavor Flav, Dee-1 and more. And helping knit all that together was Culture Collective founder/CEO and Batiste’s business partner Jonathan Azu, who earns the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
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Here, Azu — a Superfly and Red Light Management veteran, who also teaches music business at USC and is a governor of the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy, among other endeavors — explains his role in helping Batiste secure those events during Super Bowl weekend, as well as the other projects he and Batiste have in the works. “When you’re working with someone as innovative as Jon,” Azu says, “the best thing you can do is give them the freedom to create and then support them and lead our internal team in bringing that vision to life.”
This week, Jon Batiste performed the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl LIX. How did that come together?
We received a call from the team at Roc Nation, which selects all Super Bowl performers, asking if Jon would be interested in performing the National Anthem in his native New Orleans. I was thrilled that he said yes — there’s truly no one better suited for the moment than him. Additionally, the other co-producers on the halftime and pregame performances, Diversified Production Services and Jesse Collins Entertainment, were teams I had recently collaborated with on NBC’s Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central in May of last year. Having just worked closely with them on a major live broadcast, I was excited to reunite for another high-profile moment only months later.
How did he want to present his rendition differently from others, and how were you guys able to pull that off?
Reimagining the National Anthem is always a challenge because it has been performed — at the Super Bowl alone — 57 times before. The goal was to create something that would not only stand out but also move people in a way they hadn’t experienced before. Jon is the perfect artist to take on this challenge, bringing a blend of musicality, storytelling and emotional depth. My role was to provide him with the tools, resources and space to develop and execute his vision. When you’re working with someone as innovative as Jon, the best thing you can do is give them the freedom to create and then support them and lead our internal team in bringing that vision to life.
The day before, he put on the Love Riot Festival in New Orleans. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
When Jon committed to performing at the Super Bowl, it was important to both of us to integrate a meaningful community outreach initiative into the weekend. Jon is from New Orleans, and my mother is as well, so I spent a lot of time there growing up. While most visitors during Super Bowl weekend stay in or near the French Quarter, we wanted to ensure we were making an impact in communities that don’t always receive the same economic boost — particularly the Lower 9th Ward.
To bring this vision to life, we sought a partner who shared our commitment to community engagement. We were fortunate to connect with He Gets Us, a faith-driven media campaign that was already involved in this year’s Super Bowl advertising. They became an invaluable partner in helping us realize the festival. My role was to work closely with their team to execute Jon’s vision seamlessly — overseeing guest talent coordination, production logistics, sponsorship integration and advising on the overall audience experience.
What were some of the toughest aspects of putting together that festival on Super Bowl weekend?
One of the biggest challenges was assembling available production teams and securing guest talent in the middle of one of the busiest entertainment weekends of the year. Super Bowl weekend brings an influx of major events, making it difficult to lock in resources and availability. However, we were able to navigate these hurdles and successfully produce the festival.
The end result was incredible — we had over 5,000 people come out for what turned into a beautiful day. The festival featured performances from guest artists like Ledisi, Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball, Preservation Hall, Flavor Flav and Dee-1, creating an environment that was both celebratory and impactful. From an executive producer standpoint, my role was to ensure everything came together in the right way, including logistical planning for artists to seamlessly move in and out of the festival while keeping the focus on community engagement.
You’ve worked at Superfly and Red Light before beginning to work with Jon. How has that past experience helped you to help grow his career?
Superfly and Red Light laid a strong foundation for me, both in terms of skills and relationships. Being among the first handful of employees at Superfly, the co-founders of Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Outside Lands Music Festival, equipped me with the skill set, knowledge and relationships essential for organizing large-scale events in a city. My time at Red Light, where I operated as general manager, provided me with a deeper understanding of representing talent on significant stages, whether at festivals or high-profile events like the Super Bowl. Both experiences were instrumental in preparing me for the multifaceted demands of supporting Jon’s career.
He’s been a staple on late night television and won a Grammy for album of the year. How do you keep pushing his career forward?
Jon is the ultimate multi-hyphenate, and there’s truly no limit to where his career can go. I’m incredibly excited about what lies ahead for him, not just in music, but in business as well. We’re working closely to develop intellectual property and dynamic business opportunities that go beyond the stage. A great example is the launch of the new Jon Batiste Jazz Club at Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas. Jon and his programming team are curating what happens on those stages 365 days a year, and Jon is involved in all aspects of the consumer experience — from what they see on stage to the artwork within the venue to the dining experience. This holistic approach ensures we’re not only expanding his artistic footprint but also building a lasting legacy.
What do you have in the works moving forward?
Like many of the talented individuals I work with, I’m a multi-hyphenate in the business world. In addition to Culture Collective, where I’m focusing on developing artists like Leon Thomas — whose album MUTT is skyrocketing — I have multiple business ventures on and off the stage. I partner with Jon Batiste and his company, JBI, to build out his multi-layered ecosystem around the world. In my partnership with Joe Killian, we are forging groundbreaking collaborations through our consultancy, Killian + Co., where we’ve spearheaded innovative, high-impact campaigns with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, the Creator and Eminem for global brands like Ford, American Express and Julien’s Auction House.
In the academic space, I’m dedicated to cultivating the next generation of music executives. This includes my four-year tenure as an adjunct professor at USC’s Thornton School of Music, where I teach music business. I also serve on the Board of Trustees at Drake University, my alma mater, where I first started in music as president of the concert committee. Additionally, I help steer the Recording Academy into the future by serving as a governor of the Los Angeles chapter.
For the record, Selena Gomez liked Benny Blanco first. The singer reveals that crucial piece of their relationship puzzle in the couple’s first joint interview in Interview magazine, in which they talk for the first time about Blanco’s elaborate proposal, their just-announced, upcoming joint album, I Said I Love You First (March 21), and how a chance meeting more than 15 years ago eventually resulted in true love.
“We got in the studio to work on a song and we just talked; that’s how easy it was for me. I liked him before he liked me,” Gomez, 32, said of working closely with the producer/songwriter she first met in 2013 when she was a teenager signed to Disney Records and her mom set up a songwriting meeting between them to see if they would click.
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“When she started putting out music, I was so into it. I feel like she was the original sad girl,” Blanco said of Gomez, noting that he had “no idea” she liked him when they re-connected to work on music years later. “I feel like you could be friends with someone forever but not know until you have that one night,” Gomez said. Blanco, admittedly oblivious at the time, said he told Gomez he could introduce her to some of his friends and maybe “hook you up with some dates,” not realizing Gomez liked-liked him.
“And then we were texting afterwards and we decided to get dinner the next day. I guess she thought it was a date and I had no idea it was a date,” said Blanco. “The second time we hung out, our second date, I was like, ‘Wait, does she like me?’ I was clueless. From then on, it was easy. You know when you think you met the right person, you’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ But it feels so different. The second we started hanging out, I was like, ‘This is my wife.’ I was telling my mom, ‘This is the girl I’m going to marry.’”
And indeed, they are now engaged and at one point Gomez showed off her pointy marquise-cut diamond ring, telling the writer that ever since the days of “Good For You” — the lead single from the singer’s 2015 sophomore album, Revival — “that’s the diamond I’ve always dreamed of.” Ever self-deprecating, Blanco breathed a sigh of relief and noted of his ring choice, “I just tried not to f–k up. That’s all I did.” It’s worth adding that Blanco co-produced two poignantly titled songs off Revival, “Kill ‘Em With Kindness” and “Same Old Love.”
And while Gomez suggested that she was not “anal” about the choice of ring, Blanco playfully added that his fiancé did show him some designs and would “always throw little hints” around. Blanco said he responded with, “‘Yeah, but if I ever made one, would you want it like this?’” to test her preferences. “And then she changed her mind halfway through,” he said, revealing that the original design had “huge baguettes on the side” before Gomez realized she wanted something a bit less ostentatious. (Not to worry, Benny assured the writer that they now have “extra baguettes” that are going to be turned into earrings.)
Blanco didn’t spill the beans about the details of his proposal either, but called his elaborate set-up “the sickest surprise,” though he said the necessary lying to keep his plans secret was beginning to cause problems. “At the end, she was starting to get upset because she was like, ‘Why aren’t you coming home tonight?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I’m just at my friends.’ I almost did it early. But I nailed it, I think,” Blanco said.
For further proof of how smitten the two are with each other — as if any was needed after Thursday’s (Feb. 13) drop of their draped-all-over-each-other video for the upcoming album’s first single, “Scared of Loving You” — Blanco, 36, said his ebullient, extroverted nature is a balance to Selena’s serene, introverted vibe.
“It’s so good because I get her out, and she calms me down when I need it. She’s the first person that I’ve been with where I’m like, ‘I don’t even give a f–k what’s going on. I could sit in this bed with you for 72 hours and feel like I didn’t miss anything,’” he said of the singer he began dating in June 2023 before getting engaged last month. “She’s like my f–king heroin and Xanax combined. Whenever I’m feeling anything but perfect, she knows the exact thing to say. I’m so pissed that it took this long. It’s like, ‘How did we not figure this out sooner?’”
Blanco said he’s learned to “worship the ground she walks on,” a feeling that’s mutual, sharing that there is “no ego between us. She’s praying for me to win and I’m praying for her to win.”
Knowing that Hollywood and music history are littered with the burnt-out husks of projects born of love that ended in heartache, Blanco said that when they began working on the album in secret at home they agreed that if it ever got weird, “‘we can cancel it immediately.’” How chill were the sessions? Gomez revealed that at some points she was lying down in bed, or at least sitting on it, while recording vocals.
Gomez told the magazine that she’s not working on any new pop songs after hinting in December that she was “too old” to do the pop thing anymore, mostly because she’s still doing the rounds promoting her big screen role in the Oscar-nominated drug kingpin musical Emilia Peréz. “This is probably the most exciting time for me in my career and personal life, like genuinely,” she said of the buzz around the film nominated for 13 Oscars.
Gomez hasn’t released a full-length album since her third studio project, 2020’s Rare, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and spawned her first-ever No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lose You to Love Me.” In 2021, she dropped a Spanish-language EP, Revelación.
As for his next big project, after working with so many A-listers (Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Katy Perry), Blanco said he was feeling stuck until he began working on the couple’s album. “This was such a cathartic experience and a way to get back into it,” he said. “I never put stuff out just to put stuff out. I wait until the perfect thing happens and I’ve been blessed to work with so many f–king good artists, including you. I feel like all my dreams came true. I feel like this was one of the last dreams, finding the perfect person to spend the rest of my life with. I know it sounds so corny and cheesy.”
This week in dance music: Blond:ish releases her debut album Never Walk Alone today, a week after being announced as Pacha Ibiza’s first female headline resident DJ. Charlotte de Witte, Sara Landry, Horsegiirl and many others were added to the Movement 2025 lineup; EDC Las Vegas announced the lineup for its May event; Winter Music Conference announced the first wave of speakers for its event next month in Miami; Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele signed a global deal with Warner Chappell Music; Seven Lions signed with management company MLennial and Justice hit the Hot 100 for the first time in the duo’s decades-long career with its appearance on The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow opener “Wake Me Up.”
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And on this day of love, we celebrate our enduring passion for the music with the best new dance tracks of the week.
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Haai, “Can’t Stand to Lose”
Australia-born, London-based producer Haai returns with her first new music since 2023 via “Can’t Stand to Lose.” A reflection on the fast-paced DJ life and the desire to sometimes slow down, the song takes its time unfurling, creating a nuanced depth and mood evoking both solitude and a crowded club. The artist born Teneil Throssell calls the song “a reflection on longing, loss, and the deeply human emotions that accompany them – the nostalgia, the yearning, and the vulnerability. It’s inspired by our rapidly changing world and how it reshapes our lives: opening possibilities that are initially exciting, but are soon met with the realization of what’s lost. It’s a meditation on what we gain and what we leave behind.” Her upcoming U.S. shows include the music cruise Friendship, which sets sail from Miami next week, and back to back weekends at Coachella in April.
Anyma, Argy & Son of Son, “Voices In My Head”
Having played a whole lot of unreleased music during his Sphere residency, Anyma is now in the process of releasing some of it. A standout moment of the show came during the segment when the venue’s screens were filled with thousands of blinking and seemingly sleep-deprived eyes, a segment soundtracked by a song we now know is called “Voices In My Head.” Out today on Interscope Records, the song is a collaboration with Greek artist Argy and Swedish producer Son of Son and further establishes the dark but still widely accessible melodic techno that is Anyma’s signature. Anyma will play his final four dates at Sphere in late February and early March.
Sammy Virji, “I Guess We’re Not the Same”
After blasting through our earholes with 2024’s totally undeniable Interplanetary Criminal collab “Damager,” white-hot U.K. producer Sammy Virji returns with the mellower but equally compelling “I Guess We’re Not the Same.” Out on Astralwerks, the song’s bouncy, singsong vibe juxtaposes with kind of bittersweet lyrics, with the theme also reflected in the track’s undertow of a bassline. Virji’s upcoming U.S. tour includes appearances at Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, Movement and Bonnaroo.
DJ Minx, “Blocked”
Let us not forget that Valentine’s Day is also about self-love and that self-love is a lot about boundaries, sentiments Detroit legend DJ Minx celebrates today with her latest release. “Delete,” she commands on the track, “unfollow, removed, blocked,” reminding us all that sometimes taking care of ourselves is as simple as pressing a button and eliminating anything and anyone, that is, as she puts it, “f–king with my flow.” The wind up house track gives the whole exercise a commanding and celebratory feel.
Alok & Kylie Minogue, “Last Night I Dreamt I Fell in Love”
Generational dance royalty Kylie Minogue makes another run for the booth with “Last Night I Dreamt I Fell In Love,” her first collab with Brazilian producer Alok. Much like the lovey dreamscape it references, the two-minute track has an ephemeral quality, but like a good dream, is also sweet while it lasts.
After delivering successful songs as a songwriter to big stars of the new regional Mexican genre — and after making it onto the Billboard charts with hits like “Si No Quieres No” with Luis R. Conriquez, “La Patrulla” with Peso Pluma, and more recently “Loco” — the corrido singer-songwriter Netón Vega presents his debut album, Mi Vida, Mi Muerte.
Released on Friday (Feb. 14) under Josa Records, the 21-track set includes collaborations with Peso Pluma, Luis R Conriquez, Gabito Ballesteros, Oscar Maydon, Victor Mendivil, Chino Pakas, Juanchito, Xavi, Tito Double P, and Aleman. He arrives with “Morena” with Peso Pluma as the focus track, and brings the first single, “Loco,” which earned Vega his fourth top 10 hit on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
“This album is very personal and represents the mixture of all the influences that have marked my career and my life,” Vega tells Billboard Español about this production — which, in addition to corridos tumbados, adds some rap and reggaetón.
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Netón Vega (real name: Luis Ernesto Carvajal) was born in La Paz, Baja California Sur, and at the age of 12 went to live in Culiacán, Sinaloa, the birthplace of corridos, where he began writing songs. His first musical references were the traditional regional Mexican artists, such as Grupo Intocable, one of his favorites. Along the way, he delved into corridos tumbados, until he became a hit maker for the great stars of the genre.
“My songs gained momentum and first reached Hassan (Peso Pluma), who recorded ‘La Patrulla,’ ‘Rubicón,’ and ‘La People,’” Vega recalls. “Then they were picked up by Luis R. with ‘Si No Quieres No’ and ‘Chino,’ followed by Tito Double P with ‘El Gabacho,’ and then by Código FN and Gabito Ballesteros, among others.”
Now, at 21, he is releasing his debut album with the collaboration of many of these colleagues — a union to which he credits the growth of this movement. “It makes us stronger,” he notes. “Even though this is a business, we help each other.”
Below, Netón Vega breaks down five essential songs from his debut album Mi Vida, Mi Muerte in his own words. To listen to the album in its entirety, click here.
“Morena” (feat. Peso Pluma)
It is a corrido with classic requinto and a lot of ambiance. This song was born at a live event where I intended to record with Tito Double P, but for one reason or another, I couldn’t do it with him. I wrote this song while I was in a car. Later I showed it to Peso, who liked it from the first moment. At first, the song had a different direction, but it turned out very good. Peso asked me to make it the focus track of my debut album — and of course, I agreed.
“CDN” (feat. Luis R. Conriquez)
It’s a corrido that carries the hallmark I’ve always loved, with classic guitar picking, flawlessly executed. Honestly, this song was created because I knew it would be perfect for Luis R. Conriquez, and it turned out just right. It’s exactly the style that he and I share — and from the moment we made it, we knew it was going to be a hit. It’s one of those corridos that feels authentic, with real power.
“Chiquitita” (feat. Tito Double P)
Initially, “Chiquitita” was meant for Tito’s album. I sent it to him to record quickly because it needed to be submitted. However, in the end, I asked for it back and decided to keep it for my own album because I felt it needed a change, to have my own stamp on it. Honestly, I really liked how it turned out. “Chiquita bonita, déjate querer” (Pretty little one, let yourself be loved), that phrase is key in the song. It’s a romantic corrido that brings that touch of emotion with a distinctly marked requinto.
“Me Ha Costado” (feat. Alemán & Víctor Mendivil)
“Me Ha Costado” is a track with Alemán that came together in a crazy way. I remember sending him a video with the idea, and he liked it so much that he stopped eating and went straight to the studio. I mean, he really liked it — one of those times when you say, “This is a hit!” Then I invited Víctor Mendivil, and honestly, he did a great job on it. This song talks about effort, about everything it has taken for me to be here because I’ve been working since I was a kid, and everyone knows that. It’s a trap song with a really good beat.
“Cuando Me Ocupes” (feat. Xavi)
“Cuando Me Ocupes” came out very naturally, and was the last one to be recorded. With Xavi, we made two tracks, one for him and one for me. Everything was put together in two intense days in Guadalajara. Josa, my manager, arranged everything, and we got down to recording. It’s a love corrido, but with that style that makes it feel real. It’s one of those songs that brings a lot of emotion.
Netón Vega
Josa Records
BLACKPINK’s JISOO has released her debut solo mini-album, AMORTAGE. She walks us through her new pop sound, the reasons for releasing it now, her creative process for “Earthquake,” BLACKPINK’s upcoming summer tour reunion and more! JISOO:I’m in Billboard! Tetris Kelly: Yes she is! She made it to Billboard. And I mean, we’re so happy to have […]
Michael Bublé pulls out all the Canadian stops to get 31-year-old Jessica Manalo on his The Voice team.
In an exclusive audition video premiering on Billboard below, the Las Vegas native tries out for season 27 of the reality competition show, putting her own spin on Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Unholy.” The reimagined version of the hit featured Manalo on acoustic guitar, without sacrificing the sultriness of the collab.
Bublé turned his chair first and Kelsea Ballerini followed shortly after, leaving Manalo with the difficult decision of choosing between the two coaches.
“I love that song, and it took me a minute to realize that you had reimagined it, then I turn around and you’re playing a guitar,” Ballerini told the contestant. “I play guitar. You’re a musician, you’re a creative, I love that you’re from Vegas — I’m feeling lucky. Women are killing it in music right now, specifically women who have these really identifiable voices and styles, and that’s what you have.”
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It was then Bublé’s turn to state his case, jokingly pleading, “Sure, you could go to Team Kelsea. You could go to this incredibly young, smart, talented, really fresh-brained woman, or you could be with a much older — what was I saying?”
“A Canadian gentleman,” fellow coach John Legend chimed in to help.
Bublé then turned the Canadian energy up a notch when Ballerini tried to offer Manalo a pair of cowboy boots to convince her to choose the country singer as her coach. Bublé whipped out a hockey jersey, and the floor turned into an ice hockey rink.
That’s not all. He completed the show by belting out the Canadian national anthem. “All of this was so expensive, and I did it because I really hope you choose me,” he told Manalo with a laugh.
Watch the full audition below, and find out who Manalo chooses on The Voice, which airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, before streaming the next day on Peacock.
Lane Moore + It Was Romance are back! It’s been a full decade since the band – fronted by comedian, actress, writer and musician Lane Moore – released its self-titled debut and now its back with Final Girl, via Mint 400 Records.
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The four-track EP, produced by Moore and Grammy Award-winning Bryan Russell (Coldplay, Paul Simon) is a return to form with pop-rock jams that Moore lovingly calls “happy songs for sad people.” Lead single and opening track “Playing Records” kicks things off with an ode to cautious optimism, and brings the listener into a playful sound that also tackles big themes, like mental health.
Inspired by Moore’s favorite acts — including Paramore, Depeche Mode, Robyn and Lights (the Canadian musician she named her dog after) — Final Girl will take fans back to the It Was Romance of a decade ago, with a touch more synthesizer and a heavier lean into pop.
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“I love playing around with textures and sounds,” Moore tells Billboard. “I call this record happy songs for sad people because that’s my favorite genre of music – really dancey songs that you go, ‘Oh, wait. What is this about?’ That’s just my favorite genre – something dancey with something real behind it. I think a lot of people feel that way, where it’s like, ‘This hits so hard, but it also has so much emotion.’”
While the wait has been long for fans, Moore says that the new music – made alongside her full band, which includes Angel Lozada (drums), Ryan Ross (bass) and Lisa Bianco (lead guitar) – has been ready to go since 2020, but remained unreleased because of the pandemic. When the label recommended the new music be released on Valentine’s Day, Moore felt it was fate.
Valentine’s Day “is perfect for so many reasons. So much of what I do really talks about love and connection,” says Moore. “With the band name It Was Romance, there was a lot screaming that this is when this should happen.”
Prior to the band’s East Coast tour dates (which go on sale today), Moore sat down with Billboard to discuss the band’s return and how she created happy songs for sad people.
The songs on this EP are five years old. Do they feel outdated to release now?
So much of the album is about struggling with connections, struggling to have faith that the world is going to get better, that your life is going to get better. It’s wanting so much to be hopeful, but everything around you is kind of a nightmare. It feels a lot like destiny that this record is coming out now, when that is so pervasive — even more than when I first wrote these songs. It is divine timing, even though it was hard to have to wait.
“Playing Records” feels like the perfect song for a Valentine’s Day release.
I wrote that song when I was so depressed, and it is the happiest song. I met someone, and I was like, “You know what, I’m gonna choose to be excited that this could be good even though maybe it won’t be.” It is celebrating those moments, when for a second, something good is happening. It is so easy to blow past those moments.
It’s a daily practice for me to linger on joy, to linger on hope and the things that are really nice in your life. Our brains are so wired to linger on this person who says something really shitty. Our brains have this negativity bias and I love a song that instantly infuses your brain with happy chemicals. One of the greatest things that music can do is change your mood.
“Final Girl” has a similar theme.
That song specifically was about the fear of when something good happens. When you start dating someone, you meet somebody new and they seem great. We don’t talk enough about how terrifying that is. For a lot of us, myself included, it’s so much easier to meet somebody who’s mediocre and kind of sucks. Your brain knows what to do with it. You meet who seems really great and it’s “I don’t have the neural pathways for that.” That’s its own horror movie in my mind, which is why I gave it that title.
Why did you go with Final Girl for the entire EP title?
I wanted to call it Final Girl, because so much of it is about survival, and surviving all of these things that feel like they’re impossible to survive. And I’m also a really big horror movie fan, and I was thinking about the idea of a final girl, and it can mean so many things, and I relate to final girls more than pretty much any other character archetype. I probably know what that says about me. You feel like you keep getting knocked down but then you get back up again and somehow you don’t die. You get another shot, another shot at joy and survival.
“TBA” is the most energetic song on the EP, and feels like the perfect example of happy songs for sad people.
I wrote that song at a time when I didn’t really have my people around me, like friends or people to call if I need something. So that song was about so many of us realizing I have to be my own best friend. I have to take care of myself, even when I actually need back up. I also wanted to write about how much I hate when people say, “If you need anything, call me.” I hate that freaking phase. People were saying it to me all the time, and I was thinking — even if it is well meaning – what an empty phrase if somebody’s struggling.
I wanted to talk about something that I noticed a lot, which is how we view mental health versus physical health issues. There was somebody that I was playing music with at the time — he got into a minor car accident and everyone was like, “Oh my god. We’ve got to help him.” He was totally fine, but when there is a physical thing, people know what to do. But if you’re struggling with mental health stuff, a lot of people were like, “We don’t know what to do with you. Let me know if you need, I don’t know, a soda. Bye.” It was the loneliest feeling, and I wanted to write about that.
Should fans expect more music soon?
Absolutely. I’ve got to get this out into the world and then hopefully go back into the studio this year. I have so many songs that I have written that it’s been kind of a I Love Lucy conveyor belt of chocolates. This is a completely new chapter of an entirely new book, with a lot more music.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / TikTok
TikTok is back in the Apple Store and Google Play stores for US users.
The popular social media platform officially returned to Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store for US users on Thursday after the companies removed it on Jan.19.
A federal law banning TikTok as of Jan.19 because TikTok’s Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, failed to divest its ownership of the app forced both companies to pull it from their US stores. Failure to adhere to the law by still hosting or distributing TikTok in the US would result in penalties, $5,000 per user or $850 billion in fines because the platform boasts it has 170 million US users. Hence, it’s not surprising both companies yanked the app from their stores.
TikTok gained an ally in Donald Trump, who initially spearheaded the app’s banning before he lost his reelection bid to Joe Biden. Unfortunately, after returning to the White House, Felon 47 signed an executive order on Jan.20 instructing his Attorney General, Pam Bondi, not to enforce the ban for 75 days.
The executive order also instructed Bondi “to issue a letter to each [TikTok] provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct’ as of Jan.19 throughout the 75-day extension.
According to Bloomberg’s report, Bondi sent Apple and Google letters on Thursday.
In a blog post, TikTok celebrated its return to both stores: “The TikTok app is now available for download from the App Store and Google Play. Our U.S. users can download the latest version of our app and continue to create, discover, and share what they love on TikTok.”
How The TikTok Ban Jig Played Out
What a turn of events following TikTok’s loss in its appeal to the Supreme Court, claiming the ban was in direct violation of the First Amendment.
Following the court’s decision, TikTok shut down on Jan.18, a day before the ban was supposed to start, before restoring service after Donald Trump vowing not to enforce the ban. When US users opened the app, they were greeted by a message telling them the app was back thanks to Orange Mussolini.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, have been reacting to the app’s return to the Apple Store and Google Play store; you can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Serious question
5. Accurate
It wasn’t all kisses and hugs on Drake and PartyNextDoor’s new collaborative album, $OME $EXY $ONGS 4 U, as on Friday (Feb. 14), the OVO captain had time to denounce not only his 2024 feud with Kendrick Lamar, but also his one-time friendship with Joe Budden.
The blockbuster album includes 21 songs — mostly R&B — with a few exceptions, most notably, “Gimme a Hug.” Here, Drake puts his rap muscles to work, first questioning Lamar’s lyricism and how it doesn’t spark any fanfare from the ladies at the club. “Cause if I die, it’s these n—as that become the sole beneficiary/ And what the f–k are they gon’ do with it?/ Have the girls up at 29 on stage twerking with a dictionary?” he says.
Not only does he claim to be over the smoldering beef with Lamar that included a whopping total of seven disses records last spring, but he’s shifting his energy toward making hits for the fans. “Damn, they be droppin’ s–t, but we be droppin’ harder s–t/ F–k a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit,” he spits.
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Drake also commended his Her Loss rap partner, 21 Savage, for his unwavering loyalty during the contentious feud before ultimately blitzing Budden. “Savage, you the only n—a checkin’ on me when we really in some s–t, brother/ Melyssa Ford, you a legend from the 6, hate to see you with a d–k-sucker.”
This isn’t the first time Drake has jabbed the famous podcaster this week. He posted an unflattering picture of Joe Budden on his Finsta account on Instagram, which irked the “Pump It Up” rapper.
“Drake, don’t shoot at me now that you’re ice cold,” he said on his eponymous podcast. “I’m not doing the back and forth with a corpse. Don’t go get shot all year and then pop up like Bernie in Weekend at Bernie’s wanting to shoot at me now. No n—a, go spin. Spin the f–king block.”
Listen to “Gimme a Hug” below.