State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 225
Trending on Billboard
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
This week: Ace Frehley’s death sends fans to his solo and KISS catalogs, Karol G’s sexy soundtrack becomes a new viral hit and an unkillable ’90s karaoke staple still has it goin’ on.
Spaceman Rides Again: KISS, Solo Ace Frehley Catalogs Way Up in Streams & Sales
The rock world was shaken by the sad news last Thursday (Oct. 16) that Ace Frehley, lead guitarist and occasional singer for rock legends KISS, had died at age 74 — following a brain bleed, which came as a result of a fall in his home studio, and led to him being put on (and ultimately taken off) life support. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, also known as “The Spaceman” or “Space Ace,” was considered one of the greatest guitarists of his generation, and one of the great six-string showmen of all time.
Following his death, there was an outpouring of grief and love for Frehley, and a surge of renewed streaming interest. In the three days after Frehley’s passing (Oct. 17-19), the KISS back catalog racked up nearly 6.8 official on-demand U.S. streams — a gain of 187% from the three-day period before it (Oct. 13-15), according to Luminate — while also selling nearly 4,500 digital songs, a 1,664% rise from the previous period.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest of those song gains came courtesy of the 1978 Billboard Hot 100 No. 13 hit “New York Groove.” (Though credited on the chart to Frehley solo, the song is credited to the full KISS in Luminate — as its self-titled parent album was technically a band release, with all four of the group’s members famously releasing solo efforts under the KISS umbrella on the same day.) “Groove” amassed 318,000 streams and sold over 700 copies over that period, gains of 530% and 4,217%, respectively.
And while apart from “Groove,” Frehley never had a tremendously prolific solo chart profile, fans also headed back to his solo stuff after his passing. The guitar great’s solo catalog collected 586,000 streams and nearly 800 songs sold over that period, gains of 2,940% and 5,140%, respectively. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Karol G’s Steamy ‘Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’ Performance Boosts ‘Ivonny Bonita’
Karol G got her wings at the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and so did “Ivonny Bonita,” a song from her Tropicoqueta album.
The Latin superstar performed the opening track from her latest LP, released in June, at the Oct. 15 show, and her sultry performance quickly gained traction across social media. The song had already been a popular sound on TikTok amongst the edit community, but the VSFS performance kicked its streaming increases into high gear. Across the first four days of last tracking week (Oct. 10-13), preceding the fashion show, “Ivonny Bonita” earned over 366,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. Across the first four days of this tracking week (Oct. 17-20) following the fashion show, the track jumped over 204% in streaming activity to 1.11 million official streams. The official YouTube upload of Karol’s performance has earned over 1.1 million hits in four days.
Notably, Karol G is also the leading female nominee at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards (10), which will air live via Telemundo on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. ET from Miami, Fla., coinciding with Latin Music Week. — KYLE DENIS
4 Non Blondes: 33 Years and Still Going ‘Up’
As anyone who’s spent enough time around a jukebox or karaoke machine knows, there are few ’90s hits more undying than 4 Non Blondes‘ 1992 alt-rock power ballad “What’s Up?” The song, a No. 14 Hot 100 hit in 1993, has delighted and tormented pop and rock fans in nearly equal measure for over 30 years now — and in 2025, the song seems to somehow have just as much cultural currency as ever.
In September, “What’s Up?” was heavily interpolated by guest singer Lizzo for the hook and quasi-bridge to Cardi B’s Am I the Drama? song “What’s Goin On” — the title, of course, that people have been incorrectly (albeit understandably) calling the original for the entire time it’s been popular. Then, in recent weeks, the song has exploded on TikTok as part of a mashup with Nicki Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap,” going so viral that SNL cast member Marcello Hernandez and recent host and musical guest Sabrina Carpenter even filmed a short promotional video to it before last Saturday’s episode.
All this has resulted in the song — which already regularly pulls over two million official on-demand U.S. streams a week — rising even further in recent weeks. Last tracking week (Oct. 10-16), it garnered 2.6 million streams, a gain of 11% from the week before. And this tracking week, it’s gotten off to an even hotter start, racking up 901,000 streams across its first two days (Oct. 17-18), up 20% from the same period last week. – AU
Trending on Billboard
Kenshi Yonezu’s “IRIS OUT” tops the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the fifth consecutive week, on the chart released Oct. 22.
The Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc theme continues to dominate streaming, video views, and karaoke this week, while hitting No. 3 for downloads, No. 7 for radio airplay, and No. 14 for physical sales. Points have declined in most categories except radio, which gained 159% from the previous week. Yonezu’s longest consecutive run at No. 1 to date was five weeks with “Lemon” in January 2019 (seven weeks at No. 1 in total). If “IRIS OUT” tops the overall chart again next week, it will mark his longest consecutive No. 1 streak yet.
Debuting at No. 2 is FRUITS ZIPPER’s “Hacha Mecha Wacha Life!” The lead track from the girl group’s fourth single “Hacha Mecha Wacha Life! / JAM” sold 381,464 copies in its first week, marking the group’s highest-ever first-week sales and earning them the No. 1 spot in physical sales. The track also placed at No. 43 for downloads, No. 38 for streaming, and No. 16 for video. FRUITS ZIPPER’s previous peak on the Japan Hot 100 was No. 1 with “Kawaiitte Magic,” making this their second entry in the top 10.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
At No. 3 is Yonezu’s “1991,” the theme song for the live-action movie 5 Centimeters per Second. The track moved 20,002 downloads in its first week, putting it at No. 1 for the metric, while also hitting No. 3 for streaming, No. 6 for video, and No. 9 for radio. Following at No. 4 is Yonezu and Hikaru Utada’s collaborative hit “JANE DOE.” This week, three songs by the J-pop hitmaker are charting in the top 5, and he also sweeps the top 3 spots on the streaming list.
At No. 5 is GNJB’s “Paranoid Rendezvous.” The seven-member boy band’s first single since signing with Universal Music launched with 234,269 copies — their highest yet — to hit No. 2 for sales, No. 28 for streaming, and No. 54 for radio.
In other chart news, RADWIMPS’ “World End Girlfriend,” from the band’s first album in four years called Anew, climbs 85-53 in its second week on the tally. Streaming for the track gained 171% and radio 111% week-over-week. Meanwhile, Fujii Kaze’s “I Need U Back” jumps 80-67 after the accompanying visuals premiered on Oct. 9.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Oct. 12 to 18, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
Trending on Billboard
Redman revealed to Black Thought that The Roots once hurt his feelings after rejecting a guest verse he submitted for an album.
As part of Rolling Stone‘s Musicians on Musicians interview series that published Tuesday (Oct. 21), Redman was candid with Black Thought about how he was upset when The Roots — of which Black Thought is a member — never included his verse on one of their albums.
“I did a verse for The Roots, and I ain’t never tell you this,” Redman said to kick off the interview. “I did a verse for The Roots, and I ain’t never heard back from you guys. I said, ‘Damn, you know what, I was cursing a little bit too much. I might have said ‘b—h’ or something derogatory that they probably didn’t like, and yo, I was actually hurt from that, bro.’”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Black Thought explained that the rejection was due to The Roots’ late manager Rich Nichols, who was known for being cutthroat about decisions regarding the band’s records.
“You know what happened? Rich, rest in peace, who was very much the brains of The Roots’ operation, ran such a tight ship,” Black Thought explained. “It was hard for me to place verses on The Roots’ albums. He would shoot down every submission, and there was something about that verse — something that Rich didn’t like about it. I can’t remember what it was. I’m gonna find that verse. I was over the moon! I loved that s—t.”
Thought then added that Redman would have a placement on Black Thought’s upcoming solo album, Streams of Thought Vol. 4.
“I mean, in many ways, I feel that it’s my opus,” Thought explained. “It’s got the most features, the most elaborate beats, crazy samples. A part of that is trying to get all this stuff cleared, but yeah, your verse on that song and on that record is definitely coming out.”
Check out the full conversation below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Trending on Billboard While fans eagerly await Drake‘s upcoming project Iceman, Toronto’s very own has taken to Amazon to drop a […]
Trending on Billboard
This holiday season is about to be particularly golden. As announced Wednesday (Oct. 22), the singing voices behind KPop Demon Hunters girl group HUNTR/X will reunite on stage for iHeartMedia’s Jingle Ball 2025.
Though the trio consisting of EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI has previously performed together on stage, their showcase at the annual 102.7 KIIS FM event will mark their first-ever live concert appearance. They join a bill that also features Alex Warren, Audrey Hobert, Conan Gray, Feid, Jackson Wang, Jessie Murph, The Kid LAROI, Leon Thomas, Renee Rapp and Zara Larsson.
This year’s Jingle Ball will ring in Christmastime at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Fans can purchase tickets to the event now on Ticketmaster.
The festive news comes as the momentum behind KPop Demon Hunters continues to ramp up. The group’s signature song, “Golden,” has spent a total of eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 so far, marking the first time an all-woman K-pop group has reached the chart’s summit. The Netflix film’s full soundtrack also reached the top of the Billboard 200.
In the movie, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI respectively sang for characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey, who form a fictional band called HUNTR/X that slays demons on the side. In the months since KPop Demon Hunters premiered in June, appetite for the three ladies’ music has only grown, leading to them making their real-life performance debut on The Tonight Show on Oct. 7.
Still, the question remains: Will there be a sequel?
“The sequel has not been confirmed,” REI AMI told Billboard in a recent interview. “We are, you know, looking forward, and we will know once we get that email.”
Trending on Billboard
Lyor Cohen, global head of music at Google/YouTube, joined Billboard editor-in-chief Hannah Karp on Wednesday (Oct. 22) for a compelling fireside chat during Billboard Latin Music Week 2025.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Cohen reflected on his decades-long career shaping artists’ journeys and ushering in the digital music revolution. He offered invaluable insights into the evolution of music consumption, the impact of streaming on today’s artists and the importance of harnessing technology such as AI to amplify diverse voices in the global music industry.
When asked about the secrets to creating standout music videos, Cohen shared what he believes to be the most important thing: “Authenticity. Being genuine and finding your voice. A lot of people think there are shortcuts, and do this [signals a selfie] all day long. Being a real artist takes time. You have to love what you do. You have to find that beautiful, important record. You have to keep practicing. You have to build and go on tour. You have to be a real artist. All that fake stuff is going to get flushed out.”
Have you played Billboard’s Latin Music Week Crossword?Play now!
Karp probed further about “fake stuff,” prompting Cohen to clarify that those who ascend are those who are “thirsty for the human connection — and the human connection is music. Ultimately, you’re gonna have to get on the stage. You’re gonna have to go mano a mano with your fans.” He added that “AI is an additional tool, and the generation of AI is desperate for human authenticity to help guide it and use it as a tool.”
“Spain is the gateway to Europe, and everyone wants to get this Latin action,” he said, emphasizing the global potential of Latin music. “Why does [South Korea] have such weight outside of Korea? It’s because they work at it, showing up, crafting amazing music. I think the same for the Indians – what’s happening with Indian music, the power of these global platforms.”
Cohen continued to highlight the importance of global platforms such as YouTube — which sees more than 2 billion logged-in viewers watching music videos each month — in sharing Latin music with audiences worldwide, emphasizing the opportunity to spread “Latin love” across borders and cultures.
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Kendrick Lamar has been on a long winning streak.
When the West Coast MC decided to step out of the frame and diss Drake on Metro Boomin’s “Like That” track, it shifted the whole industry. People started choosing sides; some stood on business, some folded. The back and forth between the two rappers was unanimously ended by Kenny’s knockout punch with “Not Like Us”. Dropping it literally within hours of the Canadian rappers’ diss.
Fans didn’t even get the chance to digest Drizzy’s response due to the impact of “Not Like Us” & most importantly, the context within the record. Since then, Kendrick has been on a streak, performing the song at the Super Bowl, as well as seeing it climb the charts. That streak looks like it may have slowed down. According to Kurrco, Kendrick no longer has any songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and has left the chart for the first time since March 2024.
Not only was “Not Like Us” dominating the charts, but songs off his album, “GNX,” were going crazy too. The dynamic duo of Kendrick & SZA with “Luther” was the final song to leave the Hot 100. The Grand National Tour had everyone in their feels singing their hearts out to the song. With that world tour coming to an end, that may have contributed to the record falling off the charts.
Trending on Billboard
Danny Ocean sat down with Billboard’s Leila Cobo at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 for “The Sony Music Publishing Iconic Songwriter Q&A” panel to discuss how he’s crafted his biggest hits, including “Me Rehuso,” and the power of his songs to transform society.
Presented by Sony Music Publishing, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter — whose artistic name is a nod to George Clooney’s character in the Ocean‘s trilogy — spoke candidly about looking inward and trusting his intuition when crafting songs. It’s what was key for “Me Rehuso” (“I Refuse”), Danny’s breakout hit, a love song he wrote for a girlfriend as a Valentine’s Day gift that also captures his migration journey from Venezuela to Miami.
“I had no way of getting something to my girlfriend back in Venezuela, so I wrote her a song — not knowing when I would see her again,” Danny said. “I didn’t overthink things, it was what I was living at the moment. ‘Me Rehuso’ was also a feeling of having to leave Venezuela.”
The track was released while he was working at a pizzeria in Kendall, Fla., but he eventually doubled-down on songwriting, taking inspiration from personal relationships, including the one with his beloved Venezuela.
“Having to migrate had a huge impact on my life and made me question things, such as how we can make Venezuela have that outlet like other countries,” he explained. “I see Venezuela as my partner, [my songs] are a direct, personal conversation with Venezuela. But I also don’t want to romanticize it, it’s my relationship with Venezuela, and everyone has their own relationship with their own country. I don’t see it as a manifesto or something political.”
Have you played Billboard’s Latin Music Week Crossword?Play now!
For “Caracas en el 2000,” Danny collaborated with fellow Venezuelans Elena Rose and Jerry Di. “Putting Venezuela on the radar started out as something very personal between us,” he said. “We’d go out for a beer, talk about how we were feeling, and those conversations would end up in the studio, then in a song. It’s been very natural.”
When asked by an audience member what he’d do when he returns to Venezuela, Danny Ocean said, “Everything I didn’t do when I was there, and hang out with people, find out what they think, what they’re up to. I want to spend some time at home, hang out with my family, connect with the streets. And visit Los Roques, I’ve never been.”
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s event once again hosts panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, networking and activations, in addition to its celebrated Billboard En Vivo showcases.
This year’s star-studded lineup includes Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi and Yailin La Más Viral, to name a few.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
Trending on Billboard Argentina and Colombia meet in a conversation between Silvestre Dangond & Soledad who have been on stage for decades as they discuss embracing their respective folklore as a creative base, a bridge between generations, and a driving force of today’s music presented by Billboard Argentina and Billboard Colombia.
Trending on Billboard
Ed Sheeran is used to playing for tens of thousands of rabid fans in stadiums around the world. But how does his emotional music play in a New York classroom of third graders? Check out the latest episode of the heart-warming series Celebrity Substitute, in which Sheeran pops into PS20 in Brooklyn to teach students how to transform everyday sounds into fully fledged songs.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Host Julian Shapiro-Barnum sits down with Sheeran in the Clinton Hills classroom’s small chairs to observe as the singer teaches his young charges about rhythm and sound using his trusty loop rig, even as Ed laments that perhaps he’s “not the best substitute teacher.” Or, he offers, maybe he is just that because, he recalled (before the students arrived), sometimes when a sub comes in you feel like, “‘f–k, you’re not my real teacher… don’t tell me what to do!’”
Well aware that he doesn’t command authority and is basically a big Pokemon-loving adult kid himself, Sheeran recalled the nasty names he got called in school, helping to prove Shapiro-Barnum’s credo that “weirdos make the coolest adults.” (See the full video below.)
After getting affixed with his official “Mr. Ed” sub name tag — and getting warned by teachers Mr. Chung and Mr. Hampton that his lesson plan was “ambitious” at best — Sheeran dug into his curriculum of teaching the importance of rhythm, finding your own sound and, most importantly, rehearsing.
Sheeran got right to work, playing his 2015 Billboard Hot 100 No. 15 hit “Photograph,” which was met with mixed reviews from kids who were fans, some who were not so much, and one girl who recalled seeing him in a book about Taylor Swift once, but having no idea why he was in it. “I like the music… a lot,” said one young man named Theo, who admitted that he wasn’t familiar with Sheeran’s ouvre, but does love soccer and had a friend who was the fastest player on his team before he moved to England.
After teaching the kids the basics of the waltz and 4/4 rhythms by noting that pal Swift’s “Style” is in 4/4 by clapping his hands in time, Sheeran set about making sure the kids were picking up what he was laying down by asking them to clap their hands and stomp their feet at the same time in rhythm.
One-by-one the students came up to the mic to say silly phrases that Sheeran looped together to form a rhythm, earning praise from the teachers for his pedagogical skills. Busting out a box of instruments that turned the room into a riot of noise, Sheeran then encourage each student to share their unique sound into the mic, from saxophone bleats to fart sounds.
The 15-minute clip ends with a command Show & Tell performance of “The PS20 Kids and the Morning Routine” original song about brushing your teeth which is guaranteed to be the cutest thing you see all day.
Watch Sheeran on Celebrity Substitute below.
