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Pophouse Buys Rights to KISS – Here’s What They Have Planned

Pophouse — the Swedish company that backed ABBA’s Voyage show in London and owns rights to music by Swedish House Mafia, Avicii and Cyndi Lauper — is acquiring KISSpublishing, recording royalties and trademarks, including both the band’s logo and its iconic makeup design. The deal, announced April 4, will result in a Pophouse-produced KISS hologram show, using some of the same technology as ABBA’s Voyage.

“We have a lot of plans for KISS,” Pophouse CEO Per Sundin tells Billboard. Although Sundin says the company bought out the rights owned by frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, they will work with the company to develop the show, which is expected to open in 2027 in a U.S. city that Sundin declined to name. “We want to keep to the legacy,” Sundin says. “We want to extend it and amplify it for new generations.”

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The band got interested in a possible deal when manager Doc McGhee saw Voyage “and he loved it and contacted us,” Sundin says. Over the course of the band’s End of the Road World Tour, the two sides met in Milan and Stockholm, thinking about what a hologram show could look like.

“We went to see the ABBA show and it blew our socks off,” Simmons tells Billboard. “And the technology since then has improved by leaps and bounds. We’ve seen sketches of what it will look like and we looked like the X-Men.”

Like dozens of other investors, Pophouse buys rights to songs and in some cases recordings or likenesses. But it tends to take a more active approach than most, with a focus on theatrical or immersive entertainment, rather than simply collecting royalties. In addition to the ABBA show, it runs the ABBA Museum and the Avicii Experience, both in Stockholm.

The idea of a hologram show seems ideal for KISS, whose concerts were always heavy on spectacle. “Everything is theater,” says Simmons. “We wanted bombast theater.”

Over the course of its career, KISS inspired the KISS Army, formed around an act that could have been described as the hottest brand in the land, with deals that included KISS Kondoms and a KISS Kasket. (Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was buried in one that Simmons donated.) Now, after the End of the Road tour, “the end is actually the beginning,” Simmons says. “If you’re a caterpillar who can’t imagine what the future will look like, you think of the cocoon as the end, and it is the end of the caterpillar, but it can’t imagine sprouting wings and evolving into this beautiful creature that flies up to the heavens.”

Pophouse would not comment on the terms of the deal, which are presumably more complicated than a straightforward purchase of publishing rights. At this point, the band may be better known for its concerts than its songs. But the deal includes those, plus recording royalties. Pophouse also has a good relationship with UMG, which owns the band’s recordings, since Sundin was previously managing director of Universal Music Sweden and president of Universal Music Nordics. The band’s trademarks belonged to Simmons and Stanley, including the makeup designs for their characters: The Demon (Simmons), the Starchild (Stanley), the Spaceman (originally Ace Frehley, more recently Tommy Thayer) and the Catman (originally Peter Criss, more recently Eric Singer).

Sarah Aarons, Troye Sivan, Amy Shark Lead 2024 APRA Awards Nominations

With three nods, Sarah Aarons has the edge leading into the 2024 APRA Music Awards, set for Wednesday, May 1 at ICC Sydney, on Gadigal land.

The chasing pack is close behind, and includes dual nominees Troye Sivan, Budjerah, Ainslie Wills, Styalz Fuego, Amy Shark, The Kid LAROI, James Johnston and MAY-A.

Aarons, the Los Angeles-based, Melbourne-raised songwriter, has a swag of APRA Awards in her collection. At the 2019 APRAs in her hometown, Aarons collected four circular trophies, including the coveted, peer-voted APRA song of the year. The following year, she entered APRA AMCOS’s The 1,000,000,000 List for one billion streams of her Grammy-nominated “The Middle,” performed by Zedd, Grey and Maren Morris; and won songwriter of the year at the inaugural Global APRA Music Awards in L.A. Last year, Aarons jointly won song of the year with Flume, for the EDM star’s “Say Nothing” featuring MAY-A.

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This time, she’s in the hunt for most performed Australian work, most performed pop work, and APRA song of the year with “Therapy,” co-written with Ajay Bhattacharyya and performed by Budjerah.

Also competing for APRA’s song of the year, the night’s top award, is previous winner Paul Kelly and the late David McComb (for “If Not Now”), Angie McMahon (“Letting Go”), Troye Sivan (for “Rush” with co-writer Styalz Fuego) and G Flip plus co-writer Aidan Hogg for “The Worst Person Alive.”

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Mega-stars Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, and David Guetta are shortlisted for most performed international work.

Organizers APRA ring in the changes this year with the inaugural most performed hard rock/heavy metal work category, which sees five heavyweights duke it out: Alpha Wolf (“60cm of Steel”), Parkway Drive (“Darker Still”), King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (Dragon”), Polaris (“Inhumane”) and the Amity Affliction (“It’s Hell Down Here”).

And the breakthrough songwriter category is renamed emerging songwriter, with Beckah Amani, grentperez, MAY-A, Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell (Royel Otis), and Scarlett McKahey, Anna Ryan, Jaida Stephenson and Neve van Boxsel (Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers) cracking the shortlist.

First time APRA Award nominees include Tex Perkins, The Buoys, Frank Sultana, Alan Boyle and Christian Harvey (pka Blues Arcadia), Ian Moss, Dean Brady, Kaylee Bell, Skin on Skin, Forest Claudette, Elliott Hammond, Jordan Samatua, Jack Madin and Edward Service (Shouse), Parkway Drive, the Amity Affliction, Polaris, Alpha Wolf and more.

Established in 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association’s annual songwriters’ ceremony is one of the Australian music industry’s most treasured events, a worthy counterpart to Britain’s Ivor Novello Awards.

The special moments in the APRAs program includes the performance of those song of the year nominees, often completely reimagined, by another star from Australia’s scene, duties for which falls this year to musical director Julian Hamilton of The Presets. TV funnyman Tom Gleeson is host on the night, alongside guest presenters Jen Cloher and Bumpy.

Visit apraamcos.com.au for more.

IVE Reflect on Emotional ‘Show What I Have’ Tour Finale in Newark: ‘It Gave Us So Much Inspiration’

As a leader in a new generation of K-pop acts, IVE‘s Show What I Have world tour boasted a wholly appropriate name for which the girl group delivered an electric, emotional finale to its U.S. leg in Newark.

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For the sold-out crowd at the massive Prudential Center arena, IVE brought their hit singles — which includes eight entries on the Billboard Global 200 to date — b-side tracks and cover performances to life via heavily conceptual staging for each of the 24 setlist songs interwoven with frequent commentary from the group and video interludes.

Highlights of the night included the theatrical umbrella routine recalling “Singing in the Rain” for “Mine” and the haunting visuals accompanying horror-themed stages for “Hypnosis” and “My Satisfaction.” While IVE’s signature flowy choreography spotlighted in deep cuts like “Blue Blood” and “Heroine,” the crowd’s fervent chanting during hits “Love Dive” and “Kitsch” underscored the fervor and dedication of IVE’s fans — affectionately known as DIVE — even when making their New Jersey debut.

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As a special treat for fans, the IVE members split into duos and solo performances to pay homage to diverse artists, with covers ranging from Ariana Grande to Indonesian singer-songwriter NIKI and English crooner Richard Sanderson. While the inclusion of covers by Spice Girls (Rei and Gaeul performed “Wannabe”) and IVE’s new Columbia Records label mate Little Mix (where Yujin and Leeseo duetted on “Woman Like Me”) were astute in aligning themselves as the next global girl group, the performances acted more of a reminder that IVE has already carved out a distinct identity and color as the prom queens of K-pop and isn’t so easily able to adopt other personas in the pop sphere.

But beyond the polished performances and elaborate stage production, the IVE members’ raw emotions might have left the strongest impression during Show What I Have.

Early into the show, IVE leader An Yujin became visibly emotional and cried while singing their fan-dedicated power ballad, “Shine With Me.” After the crowd cheered her through the performance and the group checked in with her, the 20-year-old assured everyone she was fine and laughed while pointing the blame to the track’s lyrics written by Jang Wonyoung — followed by an adorable apology from Wonyoung.

The heartfelt sincerity returned at the show’s end when the sextet gave their final messages to the crowd.

“Even though our languages are different, just seeing how you guys are so focused on our songs, connecting and enjoying with us, is really cool,” Gaeul pointed out. “I couldn’t imagine all these seats filled up like this. I’m really touched.” Liz added that IVE is now “more than just family; we are not able to separate from each other.”

In a moment rarely seen among top K-pop performers, Yujin sincerely opened up about regaining her self-esteem thanks to the tour and her group.

“Recently, I kind of lost my confidence,” the star, with six years in the industry, shared through voice cracks and tears with Leeseo holding her hand. “I thought, ‘Maybe I cannot do it?’ before I came here. But the first day in L.A., I got so much energy and love from DIVEs there that I’m getting more confident. I promised a lot to myself before I came here. I can’t say exactly what I promised but I think I did it all — I did everything I promised to myself… it was really precious time.” Capped off by Yujin’s heartfelt thanks and promise to return, Liz quickly led the girls into a group hug on stage, encapsulating IVE’s essence of the night in gratitude towards fans and one another.

As the concert closed with the massive finale track of their debut English single, “All Night,” IVE left the crowd with an indelibly upbeat mark by unexpectedly singing the song’s refrain an additional seven times — begging the sound team to “please” play it one more after six — before officially exiting. With today’s announcement of their new EP, IVE SWITCH, out at the end of April, the promise of future performances and shared moments confirms that this is hardly a farewell but a preview of more for them to show ahead.

Read on for exclusive photos from IVE’s Show What I Have concert at Newark’s Prudential Center, as well as reflections from the tour at its conclusion for Billboard readers.

IVE

IVE

Aysia Marotta/Photos provided by Starship Entertainment

IVE

IVE

Aysia Marotta/Photos provided by Starship Entertainment

JANG WONYOUNG: “Despite not having officially debuted in the U.S before our world tour, I came with half excitement and half worry whether big venues like The Forum, where famous overseas artists have performed, would be filled. But starting from L.A., seeing the venue packed with DIVE enjoying our songs and dances gave me such great energy. It felt like we were able to finish the U.S tour well with strength all the way to our last stop.”

GAEUL: “It was so much fun to be able to perform in front of our DIVE here in the U.S., their energy was great. They were so loud — it gave us so much inspiration. We are so thankful for all the love and support from our fans.”

LIZ: “I was so happy to visit cities I’ve never been to before. One of my favorite moments besides seeing all our DIVE in America was meeting Anne Hathaway at the Atlanta Hawks game. It was our first basketball game and we loved it!”

LEESEO: “It feels wonderful to perform on stage in front of our U.S. DIVE, to try many delicious foods in the U.S, and to create precious memories with my sisters!”

REI: “The members and I made so many amazing memories on the U.S. leg of our tour. It is truly something we will never forget.”

AN YUJIN: “I’m so happy that I got to meet so many DIVEs through our world tour. I can’t wait to come back to the U.S. for Lollapalooza. It’s an honor to be able to perform there as our first U.S. festival – we will come back with a stage that could surprise you!”

IVE

IVE

Aysia Marotta/Photos provided by Starship Entertainment

Watch TOMORROW X TOGETHER Bring ‘Deja Vu’ to ‘Kelly Clarkson Show’

Days after dropping their minisode 3: TOMORROW EP, TOMORROW X TOGETHER performed the project’s lead single “Deja Vu” on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

The K-pop boy band — made up of Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai — brought a cinematic performance to the daytime show on Wednesday (April 3), marking the first U.S. TV performance of their latest single. After being introduced by Clarkson as “one of the biggest K-pop groups on the planet,” the quintet performed in front of a cave-like backdrop, with fabric blowing in the wind around them, bringing precise choreography to their striking surroundings.

minisode 3: TOMORROW, the group’s sixth mini album, was released on Monday. The previous two minisode projects hit the Billboard 200 albums chart, with minisode 1: Blue Hour peaking at No. 25 in 2020 and minisode 2: Thursday’s Child hitting No. 4 in 2022. The group boasts one Billboard 200 chart-topper, with their The Name Chapter: Temptation EP hitting No. 1 early last year.

Watch the full “Deja Vu” performance below:

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=4ANYRvSqUu0&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

The Kelly Clarkson Show has been a steady supporter of K-pop, hosting performances by Seventeen, ENHYPEN, Monsta X, TWICE, aespa, ITZY and NCT 127 over the years. In fact, TXT were making their return to Clarkson’s show, after stopping by in May 2022 to perform “Good Boy Gone Bad.” As Clarkson pointed out in her introduction at the time, TOMORROW X TOGETHER had blown up into “ginormous” K-pop stars ever since their 2019 debut with BIGHIT MUSIC.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER will embark on the U.S. leg of their ‘ACT : PROMISE’ world tour starting May 14, scheduled to perform 11 shows across eight cities.

Lizard Eliminated After ‘Sink or Swim’ Experience on ‘The Masked Singer’: ‘I’m Not Used to Losing’

Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the contestant eliminated on Wednesday night’s (April 3) episode of The Masked Singer.

The Lizard’s lifespan has been cut short after getting eliminated from The Masked Singer on the competition show’s “Shower Anthems” episode Wednesday night (April 3).

From the beginning of season 11, which kicked off last month, judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Rita Ora accurately guessed the smooth-singing Lacertilia’s real name a few times — with Ora in particular revealing she was quite excited at the possibility of the early 2000s R&B icon being the one under the mask. When host Nick Cannon finally removed his scaly green head, Lizard’s true identity was revealed to be someone who embodies a much larger (and fire-breathing) reptile: Sisqó, the “Thong Song” singer who’s embraced the nickname “The Dragon” ever since his solo albums Unleash the Dragon and Return of the Dragon charted in the Billboard 200 top 10 in 1999 and 2001, respectively.

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Though the Dru Hill alum’s energy was high and his riffs plentiful up until the end of his time on the anonymous contest, he admittedly only made it as far as he did by the skin of his two layers of teeth. He wound up in the bottom twice in a row leading up to his final episode, delivering smackdown performances of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out” and the Scooby Doo cartoon theme song before he was sent home.

His one regret? Not being able to compare heights with Kevin Hart, who appeared in the Masked season premiere to play a prank on Cannon. “Both of us are short,” Sisqó tells Billboard in a post-elimination interview, laughing. “We was sitting down, so we never got a chance to see who’s taller … I think I got maybe an inch [over him].”

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“Being with The Masked Singer was just an awesome experience,” he adds. “I learned a lot, and I’ve been in the entertainment industry now for about 25 years. You kinda get stuck in your ways and you don’t think you can learn anything else, and I was wrong.”

Below, Billboard catches up with Sisqó about making heads or tails of his physically challenging costume, not knowing the words to Billy Joel’s songs and more.

Where did the idea for a lizard costume come from? 

They figured, if I was “The Dragon,” people probably would’ve guessed automatically – even though I think they did guess automatically. I’ve been to Robin’s house before, and Robin and Rita Ora, they’re musicians. They knew my voice immediately.

From what I understood, because my wife is Elizabeth — Liz, Lizard. Also, Busta Rhymes, he was a dragon before.

What was it like to perform in the costume?

When I first put that mask on, man, I think I almost hyperventilated a little bit. The wardrobe people had to put a mini-fan up to the mouth of the costume, just so I could get oxygen in there. Meanwhile, I’m in there pouring sweat, it’s difficult to breathe, I can’t really see.  

Whenever we could [rehearse] in the costume, I wanted to so that I could figure out how I could be as mobile as possible. It had this giant tail, so when somebody would call me, “Lizard!” [Mimes whipping around his tail]. BAM, I’d take out the whole craft services.

How did you push through the physical constraints of the costume? 

It was a real sink or swim moment. I didn’t want to be the one who gave up at the last minute. I just had to basically face my fear in that moment.  

Each show I got a little better. It almost seemed like the lizard was alive, bruh. He had a whole persona of his own, and figuring out how to merge the lizard and The Dragon was the true challenge. 

Some of the judges correctly guessed your identity from the very beginning. How’d you react to that? 

From day one! I was a little flattered, but at the same time, it was like, “Aw, man, I don’t think I’m going to be able to win this because they already know who I am.”  

You were in the bottom two three weeks in a row. What were those smackdown battles like? 

I knew not even one word of Billy Joel’s “Moving Out.” I didn’t know the melody, I didn’t know the words to the song. After that, the words were going, I couldn’t see the prompter, so I just threw caution to the wind and started riffing, singing along without singing actual words. That was the nail in the coffin, ‘cause they knew exactly who I was then. 

I’m not used to losing things. I was so arrogant. [Laughs.] I heard everybody else sing in rehearsal. I was under the impression that this was only a singing contest, so I was like, ‘Well if it’s a singing contest, I’m about to sing these people under the …” 

What were your favorite clues Masked Singer used to hint at your identity in the teaser videos? 

What I really enjoyed was how they put things together from my life. Like, when they were talking about my son, I was like, putting an egg to bed and kissing it goodnight. Then there was a female lizard, who I guess was supposed to represent my wife. 

They said something about Billboard … but they made it seem like it was an actual billboard instead of the Billboard charts. That was funny, because I hosted the Billboard Awards, I believe it was 2001. 

Did you tell your family you were going on the show? 

My family are big fans of the show. Ken Jeong, it seems once a season, he asks [a contestant] if they’re me.  

Because my family is so tight-knit, they knew I was doing a TV show. But I didn’t tell anybody that I was the Lizard. These kids are smart. After a while they just started going through the DVR and picking shows and asking, “Is this the show?” 

[I told them] look, I’m not gonna say anything. What I will say is if you see me and Mommy sitting together watching TV, then just come in there and watch it with us.

What’s next for you? 

Be looking out for new music from The Dragon. It’s actually part two in a three-part series I’m doing. The first album is called Genesis. The second one that I’m working on right now is called Exodus and the next one will be Revelations. Look out for a snippet really soon. 

GloRilla Recalls the ‘Beautiful Feeling’ of Visiting the White House: ‘I Still Haven’t Accepted the Reality of It’

GloRilla is still reeling in excitement over her incredible opportunity to head out to Washington, D.C., and meet President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House.

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The 24-year-old rapper opened up about the experience on a new episode of Tamron Hall, where the host asked how she reacted to the news from her team that she’d be heading to the White House. “I always be thinking they’re lying for some reason. Every time they tell me something good, I’m like, ‘This can’t be real.’ I still haven’t accepted the reality of it,” she shared. “The moment I was walking through security and everything, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.’ Once I got in, it was a beautiful feeling. I never would have expected to be in the White House.”

In her Instagram post from the White House last month, Glo is seen taking a selfie video with Biden, exclaiming, “Yeah, Joe!” The President then sweetly replies, “Not ‘Yeah, Joe.’ Yeah, you!” 

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“It was so cool, I was geeked,” the “Tomorrow 2” rapper told CNN after the event. “Everybody don’t get to meet the President and the Vice President. […] I never thought in a million years I’d be in the White House. Then, I was in the White House and got to meet the President and Vice President? I was like, ‘Now, they can’t mess with me!’”

Watch GloRilla’s interview with Tamron Hall below.



Bizarrap & Natanael Cano Drop Explosive, Two-Song Collaboration ‘BZRP Music Session #59’: Stream It Here

Speculations about Bizarrap and Natanael Cano collaborating on new music began circulating when the Argentine hitmaker took to Instagram on March 27 to wish the Mexican corridos tumbados pioneer a happy birthday. “Feliz cumpleaños, compa (happy birthday, friend),” he wrote, not necessarily hinting at anything in the works between the pair but fans flooded the comments section with rumors that Cano would be his next music session collaborator.

It turns out, they were right. A few days later, Biza and Cano confirmed “BZRP Music Session #59” on their social media channels. On Wednesday (April 3), the two-song project officially dropped and it’s as explosive and raw as previous music sessions recorded by the likes of Residente, Arcángel and Young Miko.

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It’s a collaboration that’s been in the making since 2021. According to a press release, “#59” was created following a “spontaneous” Miami meeting between the two artists in 2021, and is powered by Bizarrap’s innovative Argentine trap. “Now that they know we’re on top, they think we haven’t struggled,” spits Cano in the first track, or chapter one, also being referred to as “Endiamantado.”

Chapter two, or the second song from this release titled “Entre las de 20,” fuses Cano’s corrido tumbado hybrid with synthesizers and Bizarrap’s signature style. Kicking off with his prickly guitars, Cano sings about outgrowing a relationship; he’s on to bigger and better things. “There’s no trace of what you knew about me/ I told her we broke up, I don’t have time to spend. But I do have money to throw away.”

It’s not the first time Bizarrap teams up with a música mexicana artist. Last summer, Bizarrap tapped Peso Pluma for “BZRP Music Sessions #55,” which peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart (dated June 17).

Cano’s session with Bizarrap follows team-ups with Milo J, Rauw Alejandro and Shakira, the latter being Bizarrap’s most consequential session to date. The dis track broke a handful of Guinness World Records and, when it dropped, held the title for most streamed Latin track on Spotify in 24 hours (14.4 million streams) and most viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours (63 million views). It also won song of the year at the Latin Grammys.

Watch the Bizarrap’s “BZRP Music Session #59” with Natanael Cano above.

Nas “Sitting With My Thoughts,” Honey Bxby ft. Busta Rhymes “Touchin’ Remix” & More | Daily Visuals 4.3.24

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Nas

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz83

It’s been three decades since Nas burst on the scene with his classic debut album Illmatic and solidified himself as one of the greatest MC’s to pick up the mic and while he’s hit the half-century mark with his time on earth, the man proves that his pen is just as sharp as it was when he was a teenager.

Dropping off some new visuals to “Sitting With My Thoughts,” the Hip-Hop legend shows just how popular he still is as he prepares to perform at one of his sold out shows where thousands of fans await his arrival as he gets a fresh haircut backstage as he spits his bars much to his barber’s liking. Heck, we all love Nas’ bars (no Diddy).

Keeping with legendary rappers who’ve spent decades in the game, Busta Rhymes too keeps on showing that his pen game is just as deadly today as it was in the 90’s and in Honey Bxby’s clip to “Touchin’ Remix,” Bussa Bus and Bxby get their grown and sexy on in the club where everyone just vibes and grooves without the need of bouncing and twerking to make things sexy.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from 3hirty Waters featuring Charleston White, Killah Priest, and more.

NAS – “SITTING WITH MY THOUGHTS”



HONEY BXBY FT. BUSTA RHYMES – “TOUCHIN’ REMIX”



3HIRTY WATERS FT. CHARLESTON WHITE – “MALARKEY”



KILLAH PRIEST – “ANAK”



RICK HYDE FT. CHELLO – “IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK”



MONEYBAGG YO & ROB49 – “BUSSIN”



SADA BABY – “VERNORS”



JOONY FT. BLXST – “I KNOW”



FYD TK – “HARD TIMES”



K.E. – “GET YOUR GRIND”



Meet FloyyMenor & Cris MJ: The Chilean Artists Making Billboard History With ‘Gata Only’

Chilean newcomers FloyyMenor and Cris MJ are behind “Gata Only”— the latest trend on TikTok with two official sounds collectively garnering more than two million video creations on the app. Its viral success has also skyrocketed the track to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming the first time a Chilean artist enters the top 10 in 25 years.

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This week’s biggest gains in performance (jumping 10 to 6 after five weeks on the chart) and also placing No. 98 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart, the punchy reggaeton finds the two rising acts, originally from La Serena (located on the coast of Chile), singing about all the things they will do to the girl they like.  

“I was performing some shows in another region of the country when I wrote this song,” FloyyMenor tells Billboard of the track he released on his own eight months ago. “I knew it was going to be a hit, and it feels amazing that people are supporting it.” 

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In February, Cris MJ—who comes on the heels of his massive banger “Una Noche en Medellín,” which also counts with a Karol G and Ryan Castro-assisted remix—was captivated by the local boom “Gata Only” was having that he decided to jump on the track. 

“His flow was similar to mine,” he notes. “I decided to support him and do the song with him. I worked on [a new version of] the track in my house. Gave it all my love. We did a new music video, we mixed it. I added second voices. He was very excited.” 

“Gata Only” marks the first time any Chilean artist enters the Top 10 on the Hot Latin Songs chart since La Ley and Ednita Nazario’s “Tu Sabes Bien” peaked at No. 8 in 1999. Prior, it was Myriam Hernández’s “Huele a Peligro,” which peaked at No. 5 in 1998. 

“For us, this is very important. It’s a pride for all Latinos to be on that chart,” Cris MJ expresses. “In fact, before we released the song, I knew it was going to be a global hit. I’m proud because it’s not only helping my career but also the one of my colleague.” 

Below, learn more about FloyyMenor and Cris MJ:



Meet Cris MJ

In 2018, the artist born Christopher Andres Alvarez Garcia began uploading Spanish covers of some of his favorite English rap and trap songs on social media. A self-taught artist, he filmed his own music videos on his iPhone and uploaded his own music on the platforms, but it wasn’t until 2020 that he moved from La Serena to the capital, Santiago, to pursue his music career. A fan of artists such as Lil’ Baby, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Ñengo Flow, and Jory Boy, Cris MJ can navigate from rap to reggaeton with ease. In the past four years, the now 22-year-old artist has won the respect of the streets and the barrio, and of renowned acts such as Karol G and Ryan Castro, who jumped on the remix of his hit “Una Noche en Medellín.” Cris first performed the song live with Karol during her Viña del Mar set last year. He’s currently making the rounds with his sophomore studio album Partyson

Meet FloyyMenor

Also inspired by the trap movement and artists such as Anuel AA, Travis Scott, and Bryant Myers, Floyy—whose artistic name is inspired by boxing legend Floyd Mayweather—is an 18-year-old artist who began making his own music when he was only 15. As a teen, he doubted releasing his tracks for the fear of what others might think and say. But it wasn’t until 2023 that he unleashed all his creations including songs such as “Por Ti Jalo Gatillo,” “gabanna,” “pa la europa,” “un star,” and “Llegamos,” to name a few. His dream is to one day attend (and be a finalist) at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, but for now, he’s working on a lot of new music and an album to, primarily, support his family. “The urban movement in Chile right now is very strong, and we have to pay attention. There is a lot of talent,” he says.

Nicole Richie & Joel Madden’s Kids Are Their Parents’ Lookalikes at Red Carpet Debut

It was a family outing at Nicole Richie‘s Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (April 2), as the actress and fashion designer was joined by her husband Joel Madden, as well as the couple’s two children on the red carpet.

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Richie and Madden’s 16-year-old daughter Harlow and 14-year-old son Sparrow made their red carpet debut at the event, posing with their parents and bearing a striking resemblance. Nicole’s father Lionel Richie and mother Brenda Harvey-Richie were also in attendance, smiling alongside the family on the red carpet.

Richie plays executive Rose Lindsey in the remake of the classic 1991 film, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, a role previously played by Joanna Cassidy. The Wade Allain-Marcus-directed comedy also stars Simone Joy Jones as Sue Ellen Crandell, who was previously portrayed by Christina Applegate.

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It’s been an exciting year for the Richie family, as Nicole’s sister Sofia Richie is expecting her first child with husband Elliot Grainge. In an interview with Vogue, Richie revealed that she took a pregnancy test before attending an Ed Sheeran concert with Grainge because “I kind of knew it was going to be a boozy night, and I was a few days late on my period, and I wanted to be generally safe.” She sent her husband to the drug store to buy three more tests to confirm after the first one came back positive. Richie and Grainge were married last April in the South of France.