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29 Mar 2024

New Music Latin: Listen to Releases From Nelly Furtado & Juanes, Los Avengers & More

New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

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Alex Zurdo, “En Hora Buena” (AZ Music)

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Alex Zurdo delivers a timely message of hope this Holy Week with his latest single, “En Hora Buena.” The track opens with his trademark strumming of acoustic guitar chords, gradually transitioning into a catchy mid-tempo rhythm that blends urban music with cumbia influences. Through his lyrical prowess, the rapper lets his melodic voice flow this time to express gratitude for God’s opportune intervention and his help in times of difficulty. “Nothing fills me like you fill me/ You have arrived at a good time/ You are the peace that gives full life/ Following you was worth it,” Zurdo sings in the melodic chorus. — LUISA CALLE

Beéle & Kany García, “Me Arriesgo Contigo” (Hear This Music LLC/5020 Records)

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Beéle and Kany García join forces for a sweet pop track that narrates an unlikely relationship that actually turns into a risk worth taking. “Me Arriesgo Contigo” starts off with a sparse guitar note that serves as a canvas for Beéle’s delicate yet commanding vocals. Then, it’s García’s turn to take charge — and she does so accompanied by a hip-swiveling bachata beat. But once both join their vocals, the song’s sound evolves into an explosive head-bobbing pop tune that powers the rest of the song. “I want to shout that I love you and I take the risk with you, undressing all fears with kisses we dress up,” they sing in the catchy chorus. — GRISELDA FLORES

Ramona & Daniel & Me Estás Matando, “Amargura”

Tijuana rockers Ramona and Mexico city indie-pop balladeers Daniel, Me Estás Matando team up to resurrect the vintage folklore of a Mexican dark cabaret in this haunting, modern bolero. Delivering a kind of vocal despair that captures the essence of ‘70s-era Latin crooners, their bittersweet lament finds them relief from the agony of longing for someone who doesn’t value the connection. “I’ve been wanting to forget you for a long time and take all this bitterness out of my chest/ Even though I know I still love you and it hurts me to my soul,” they sing. Armed with dissonant violins, moody horns and silky percussion — with stellar production courtesy of Daniel Zepeda, Ivan de la Rioja, Jesús Guerrero, and Omar Córdoba — “Amargura,” in sum, is a captivating glimpse of unrequited love. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Nelly Furtado & Juanes, “GALA y DALÍ” (Nelstar Entertainment/Universal Music Latino)

After unleashing their first collaborative effort in 2002, Nelly Furtado and Juanes join forces once again in “GALA y DALÍ.” A contrast to “Fotografía,” their heartfelt pop track from 22 years ago, their new single is a feel-good bop that fuses Calypso with other tropical rhythms. Just in time for the summer, the flirtatious song finds the Canadian songstress and Colombian artist singing about their sweet chemistry, comparing it to the bond that Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala had. The song also samples part of their 2002 hit, which reached No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and its lyrics cleverly reference how “since 2002, Nelly has been in love” and preserving their photograph. The music video further shows Furtado and Juanes’ professional connection in the recording studio, as they sing, dance, and even share an anecdote from the first time they performed together at an awards show more than two decades ago. — JESSICA ROIZ

Carin León & Leon Bridges, “It Was Always You (Siempre Fuiste Tú)” (Socios Music)

A month after dueting with Kane Brown on the historic crossover between country and Mexican music “The One (Pero No Como Yo),” Carin León continues to experiment with new collaborators and styles. This time, the música mexicana star joins American R&B singer Leon Bridges for “It Was Always You (Siempre Fueiste Tú),” a bilingual track produced by Edgar Barrera and Casta about an ex who didn’t appreciate their love. “I gave you my heart and you didn’t give a damn/ I sent everyone to hell for your love/ And you’re never happy, no,” León sings softly in Spanish before the catchy mid-tempo chorus: “Maybe it’s you (Maybe it’s you)/ The reason, the reason for all my pain.”

“This song with my friend Leon [Bridges] is very important to me,” León said in a press release. “It is another great moment for American roots music and Mexican music, uniting two languages ​​that, despite having so much in common, need music to express their solidarity.” The song arrives with a picturesque music video filmed in his hometown of Sonora, Mexico under the direction of Willy Rodríguez. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Los Avengers, The Academy: Segunda Misión (Warner Music Latina/Rich Music)

Five years after The Academy was released in 2019, The Avengers — a reggaatón collective composed of Dalex, Dímelo Flow, Justin Quiles, Lenny Tavarez and Sech — has finally released its follow up album, Segunda Misión (Second Mission). The new set boasts nine brand-new tracks, featuring collaborations with renowned artists including Myke Towers, Yandel, Maria Becerra, Arcángel, Eladio Carrión and Natti Natasha. Co-produced by Dímelo Flow and Sech in partnership with other reggaetón hitmakers, this “combi completa” between Panama, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Dominican Republic and Colombia carries with every beat the pure essence of reggaetón, in songs like “Flowhot,” “El Royce,” “Amiga” and “Si si si si.” — INGRID FAJARDO

Listen to more editors’ Latin recommendations in the playlist below:

29 Mar 2024

Chayce Beckham Tops Country Airplay Chart With Self-Written ’23’

Chayce Beckham’s “23” flies from No. 6 to No. 1 on Billboard’sCountry Airplay chart (dated April 6), becoming his first leader on the list. The single gained by 22% to 28.2 million audience impressions during the March 22-28 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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“I’m so grateful for my family, my team and all the country music fans around the world who made this possible,” Beckham tells Billboard. “Thank you to country radio for embracing this song and making this all a dream come true for me.”

“23” makes the biggest jump to the Country Airplay summit since Thomas Rhett’s “Angels Don’t Always Have Wings” also soared 6-1 last September.   

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Plus, as “23” hits No. 1 in its 60th week, it completes the longest trip to the pinnacle since Dylan Scott’s “Can’t Have Mine” did so in its 62nd frame last December.

“23” (not the same composition as Sam Hunt’s song of the same name that topped Country Airplay for a week in April 2022) is Beckham’s second entry on the chart. His Lindsay Ell duet “Can’t Do Without Me” hit No. 46 in June 2022.

The 27-year-old Beckham, from Apple Valley, Calif., was crowned the winner of ABC’s American Idol in 2021 and performed “23” – which he solely penned – live on air during that season. He had written “23” a year before and became the first hopeful to win the competition performing an original song.

Beckham is the fourth Idol winner to top Country Airplay, joining Carrie Underwood (16 No. 1s, after she won in 2005), Scotty McCreery (five; 2011) and Kelly Clarkson (one; the inaugural winner in 2002).

Meanwhile, “23” is the first Country Airplay No. 1 written by a single person since Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s self-authored “Fast Car” ruled for five weeks beginning last July. The only other leaders written by one person in the last 10 years: Garth Brooks’ “Ask Me How I Know,” written by Mitch Rossell (No. 1 on Dec. 16, 2017); LANCO’s “Greatest Love Story” (frontman Brandon Lancaster; Dec. 2, 2017); Little Big Town’s “Better Man” (Taylor Swift; March 4, 2017); and Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” (Lori McKenna; June 25, 2016). Of the 327 leaders in that span, only six – or 2% – have been solo-written.

Meanwhile, prior to “23,” the last Country Airplay No. 1 solely written by the soloist who also recorded it? Swift’s “Ours,” on the chart dated March 31, 2012.

‘Solo’ Hit

Scotty McCreery, meanwhile, posts his ninth Country Airplay top 10 as “Cab in a Solo” pushes 11-10 (19.1 million, up 5%). The song, which he co-penned, follows “It Matters to Her,” which hit No. 3 last June and “Damn Strait,” which became his fifth leader in July 2022.

McCreery’s latest single introduces his LP Rise & Fall, due May 10.

29 Mar 2024

Chicano Batman on Creating Their Song ‘Fly,’ Its Prince-Inspired Music Video & More | Billboard News

Chicano Batman reveals five things you didn’t know about the track “Fly” and the creative behind its music video.

Chicano Batman:
Hey, this is Chicano Batman, and these are five things you might not know about our song “Fly.”

One thing about “Fly” that you don’t know is that it was actually meant to be really slow — a lot slower than it is. In the studio, we ended up making it a lot faster. Our producer and also Eduardo were like, “Oh, we should speed it up.” And that’s what it is now, but we was just talking to them about, maybe, putting out a version that’s slower because it’s actually really dope.

No. 2: The dove in the music video is not CGI. This guy is a bird whisperer. It’s birds in his family — runs through his Salvadorian blood and he has a calling with animals.

Another thing that you might not know about “Fly” the music video: It was directed by these Argentinian sisters called the Giraffe Sisters. And they approached us with this amazing mood board that just had basically, like, Prince’s second album cover and was like, “Let’s make this album cover look into, like, a music video.” And it was just paying homage to artists like Funkadelic, Prince, Rick James. Yeah, we had a lot of fun with it, you know, very tongue in cheek and silly and it was a lot of fun to be on set for.

And then when we were in the studio actually making … after we tracked everything and it sounded, you know, banging and it was just huge coming from the speakers after we recorded it. I heard big background vocals kind of, like, very kind of just, you know, Funkadelic ’80s, you know, funk and that’s when I heard those big backup vocals. And shout out to Maya, who sang on it, and her crew, they killed it.

The bass has a reverb. Check any other Chicano Batman song. No other song has reverb on the bass but “Fly” because why not? There are no rules.

Watch the full video above!

29 Mar 2024

In Canada: Double-Digit Growth and a $32 Million Boost in Government Funding

New funding is coming to the Canadian music industry.

Pascale St-Onge, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced at the Juno Awards on March 24 that the government will increase the Canada Music Fund by $32 million over the next two fiscal years.

The Canada Music Fund supports both FACTOR and Musicaction. Those granting bodies provide artists, labels and other organizations with funding for a wide range of activities, including recording, touring, marketing and music video production.

The announcement — though welcomed by Canadian music associations like the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) — falls short of the $50 million that the Liberal government committed to in 2021, and the $60 million increase called for by the industry groups.

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FACTOR has historically received significant funds from Canada’s private radio broadcasters, but as those contributions decline, CIMA and CLMA have been sounding the alarm about the organization’s ability to meet the needs of Canadian artists. FACTOR’s funding challenges come at a time when many artists and organizations are struggling to stay afloat amidst a cost of living crisis.

“CIMA applauds the government’s increased investment in the Canada Music Fund,” said CIMA president Andrew Cash. “This is a recognition of music’s significant contribution to our cultural fabric and national economy.”

L’ADISQ, Quebec’s Association of the Record, Show and Video Industry, highlights that Musicaction — which primarily supports French-speaking projects — has already made cuts in recent months, and this increase will prevent a further reduction in capacity. The association calls the announcement a step in the right direction, but emphasizes the difficult economic context facing music organizations with fewer resources.

The Canadian Live Music Association echoes l’ADISQ’s sentiment, calling the increase “a good start,” and reiterating the tough circumstances industry members are facing. The Canada Music Fund increase was one of three recommendations CLMA put forward for the upcoming federal budget, which the organization hoped would take “urgent action” to protect the live music sector.

With the full budget still to come, more support measures could be in store for Canada’s music sector. -Rosie Long Decter

Canada Ranked 8th Largest Global Music Market In New IFPI Report

Canada’s recorded music revenues are strong, according to a new report from IFPI.

The IFPI’s 2024 State of the Industry report takes a deep dive into the state of recorded music around the world, and ranks Canada eighth in terms of global music markets in 2023, maintaining the country’s spot in the top ten. Canada’s music market grew by 12.19% last year, reaching US$659.6 million in revenues. That growth outpaced both the U.S. market, which grew by 7.2%, and global growth of 10.2% — the second highest recorded global growth rate, according to the report.

Some individual Canadian artists did well on a global scale, too: the report ranks Drake and The Weeknd at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, in its Global Artist 2023 chart, which considers artist, track and album performance. Taylor Swift took the top spot there, followed by South Korean groups SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids.

A statement from IFPI, which represents the global recording industry, and Music Canada, an association representing major Canadian labels, attributes much of Canada’s revenue growth to streaming revenues, which jumped by 8.6% here, and subscription streaming in particular, which increased by 10.1%. The associations emphasize the challenges posed by streaming manipulation, highlighting IFPI’s recent legal complaint against nine Canadian-based sites that sold fraudulent streams. The sites are now offline.

Beyond Canadian borders, IFPI’s State of the Industry highlights how national markets are intertwined worldwide, using the growing popularity of Punjabi music in Canada and the launch of 91 North Records — a collaboration between Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India — as an example. “We set up 91 North Records,” Warner’s Simon Robson says, in “reaction to something that is happening organically and a proactive turbocharge to make sure it doesn’t just continue but flourishes and finds a wider audience.” Robson points out that several of the most popular Indian songs in 2022 came from artists based in Canada. – RLD

Karan Aujla Makes History at 2024 Junos

The 2024 Juno Awards looked to the future of Canadian music, while also honouring its history.

A quartet of acts who’ve had major breakthroughs this year won the major awards given out on the CBC-televised broadcast on Sunday night (March 24) live from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Punjabi-Canadian global star Karan Aujla won the TikTok Fan Choice award, the only fan-chosen award of the ceremony. “Sometimes I can’t believe I’m that same kid who lost my parents when I was in India, made my way to Canada, and now I’m here!” said the B.C.-based artist, one of Billboard Canada’s inaugural cover stars. “If you are dreaming, make sure you dream big.”

Dressed in a spiffy white outfit with a four backup dancers in red, Aujla performed early on, playing pop hits “Admirin’ You” and “Softly.” Both came from his album Making Memories, which made history as the highest-charting Punjabi debut ever on the Canadian Albums chart. Ikky, who made the album with Aujla, acted as hype man on an elevated platform.

In the Billboard Punjabi Wave cover story, AP Dhillon talked about his performance at the 2023 Junos ceremony and how he lobbied to ensure majorly popular Punjabi music would have a prolonged platform at the awards. Evidently, they’ve kept their word.

This year’s Junos also had the most Indigenous nominees in award history. Anita Landback, Tanas Sylliboy and Sarah Prosper set the stage with a land acknowledgment that intersected with a performance by Juno winner Jeremy Dutcher in Wolastoqey, who then joined in a duet with Elisapie on an Inuktitut version of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” Along with Aujla and others, it meant performances featured at least six different languages, including English and French.

Several other breakout artists had big wins at this year’s awards. Tate McRae, The Beaches, Charlotte Cardin and TALK all had major years on the charts and were rewarded with awards. The Junos have struggled with star power in recent years — Drake has boycotted the last half decade, while chart-topper Tate McRae was not in attendance to accept her two awards this year — but they have made some strides when it comes to representation of what makes Canadian music unique. -Richard Trapunski

Last Week In Canada: Streaming Fraud Sites Shut Down

29 Mar 2024

Which Song on Beyoncé’s New Album ‘Cowboy Carter’ Is Your Favorite? Vote!

Beyoncé is continuing to change the game with Cowboy Carter, an expansive, genre-mixing exploration of the singer’s upbringing, heritage and musical influences that arrived promptly at midnight Friday (March 29).

With a whopping 27 tracks, the project gives listeners a lot to sink their teeth into. Featuring voice note interludes from an array of country legends such as Willie Nelson and Linda Martell, epic takes of iconic tracks by Dolly Parton and The Beatles, as well as collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts, choosing just one favorite track on Cowboy Carter is definitely a tall order. (Billboard knows this first hand — see our ranking here.)

The staggering LP was preceded by two singles, both released on the day of the 2024 Super Bowl in February — “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and “16 Carriages,” which debuted at No. 38 on the chart. The songs set the tone immediately for Bey’s foray into country music with Cowboy Carter, although the 32-time Grammy winner cautioned fans ahead of its release not to put the album in a box.

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“This ain’t a Country album,” she wrote in a March 19 Instagram post, sharing the Cowboy Carter cover artwork for the first time. “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

Spanning nods to a vast collection of sounds, styles, time periods and influences, the songs on Cowboy Carter are some of Beyoncé’s most diverse and boundary-pushing yet. Vote for your favorite one below.

29 Mar 2024

Friday Dance Music Guide: The Week’s Best New Tracks From HoneyLuv, Walker & Royce, Jauz & More

This week in dance music: Charli XCX announced dates for the tour behind her forthcoming album, BRAT, we shared exclusive sets from the spring edition of CRSSD and ran down the best moments of Ultra Music Festival 2024. Meanwhile, Ultra headliner Calvin Harris had some sharp words for critics of his festival set, and IMS Ibiza announced the speaker lineup for its conference next month.

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And, here are the best new dance tracks of the week.

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HoneyLuv, “Right Spot”

Cleveland-born, London-based house producer HoneyLuv makes her debut of Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels label with “Right Spot.” Built from pulsing synth and scintillating percussion, the track is HoneyLuv’s first solo release of the year and comes in tandem with remixes from Dennis Ferrer and Byron The Aquarius. “I was inspired to make this track after listening to some old school deep Chicago tracks and wanted to make something of my own,” she says. “I wanted to experiment with this track to create something different and simple. The lyrics flowed to me, and the rest is history.”

Purple Disco Machine feat. Roosevelt, “Higher Ground”

After repeatedly running into each other at festivals around the world, German favs Purple Disco Machine and Roosevelt decided to make something together, with the resulting “Higher Ground” fusing PDM’s signature ’80s synth aesthetic and Roosevelt’s indie electronic style. Out via Sony Music Germany/RCA Records, the song oscillates between dark and light, thumping along on a heavy bassline and building to moments of brightness rendered from Roosevelt’s melodies. “I loved the process of sending Tino a vocal and him tailoring the whole track around it,” Roosevelt says of the process. “I was able to take a step back from production duties and focus on my vocal performance, which was challenging but a lot of fun.”

Walker & Royce, No Big Deal

The New York City duo release the second album of their 13 year history with No Big Deal, out via Dirtybird Records. The 10-track project is sophisticated yet unpretentious house music, pure party starting fare that finds the pair — Sam Walker and Gavin Royce — letting their club-focused heaters prevail over TikToks and marketing plans. “Good music isn’t enough anymore; today it seems like you need to release music with something attached to it in order for it to make any kind of forward motion,” the pair tell Billboard in a joint statement. “No Big Deal is poised to be the opposite of that. With limited announce to release timelines, the goal for this rollout was music first, gimmick last. Make something memorable that sticks, and you won’t have anything to worry about.” 

Gesaffelstein, GAMMA

Clocking in at a tight 27 minutes, Gesaffelstein’s 11-track album GAMMA finds the French producer in a characteristically dark and heavy state of play, with these songs taking that aesthetic and pushing it further into post-punk, distorted experimental electronic, industrial and even, in more than one moment, doo wop. Consider our interest piqued in regard to how the producer will present this music next month at Coachella, which are currently the only shows on his tour schedule.

Jauz, “Teardrops”

Bay Area-born, Los Angeles-based mainstay Jauz returns with “Teardrops,” a slinky, sophisticated house track centered around stuttering synth. (Early cosigns have come from fellow artists including Illenium, who simply commented “Fire” on an Instagram post previewing the song.) Out via the producer’s own Bite This! label, “Teardrops” comes ahead of Jauz’s Wise vs. Wicked 2024 tour behind his 2023 albums Rise of the Wise and Wrath of the Wicked. Launching next month, each tour stop will feature a pair of shows, with fans able to buy tickets for a progressive house-focused “Wise” set, a bass-heavy “Wicked” show, or both.

29 Mar 2024

Olly Alexander Rejects Calls to Boycott Eurovision

Following calls for him to withdraw from and boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s inclusion amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Olly Alexander explained why he will still be participating in the annual competition on Friday (March 29).

In a statement posted to his Instagram, Alexander responded to activist group Queers for Palestine, who wrote the singer an open letter asking him to withdraw from the contest. “I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel,” he wrote. “I know some people will choose to boycott this year’s Eurovision and I understand and respect their decision.”

The “Dizzy” singer continued, saying that he took “a lot of time to deliberate” over the correct course of action, and decided that withdrawing from Eurovision “wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.” Alexander said he and a number of other contestants spoke and decided that “by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace.”

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In its original open letter, Queers for Palestine applauded Alexander’s “vision of queer joy and abundance you’ve offered through your music, and share your belief in collective liberation for all,” then asked him to “heed the Palestinian call to withdraw from Eurovision … There can be no party with a state committing apartheid and genocide.”

Alexander also shared a statement from a collective of other Eurovision participants — signed by himself, Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Norway’s Gåte, Portugal’s Iolanda, San Marino’s Megara, Switzerland’s Nemo, Denmark’s Saba, Lithuania’s Silvester Belt and Finland’s Windows95Man — saying that they “stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages.” They added that they felt “it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”

Queers for Palestine later responded to Alexander’s decision, saying that while they “welcome” responses from both the singer and his fellow contestants, they found both statements lacking. “When [Alexander et al] use that voice to downplay the genocide in Gaza by vaguely calling it a mere ‘situation,’ they misuse their power. When they choose to ignore the call for a boycott issued by the largest Palestinian coalition, in historic Palestine and in exile, they risk condescending to the people who are being occupied and massacred and are asking for our solidarity.”

This is not Alexander’s first time sharing his thoughts on the ongoing war in Gaza. Shortly before he was announced as a participant in Eurovision 2024, the singer signed an October 2023 open letter from LGBTQ activist group Voices4London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out Israel as an “apartheid regime.” After Alexander was announced as the U.K.’s representative for the annual contest, a source for the Conservative Party spoke to The Daily Telegraph to criticize the BBC for choosing the singer as a representative for the U.K., calling the decision “either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck from the BBC.”

Read both of Olly Alexander’s full statements below:

29 Mar 2024

When It Comes To Making Real Eco-Conscious Change, Science Is An Artist’s Best Friend

These days, Coldplay approaches touring “as a traveling R&D lab,” says longtime manager Phil Harvey — and the band’s ongoing Music of the Spheres tour does feel a bit like a stadium run as science experiment. There are compostable wristbands, biodegradable confetti and stationary bicycles that fans on the floor can ride mid-set to generate power to the production’s smaller C stage.

Five years ago, frontman Chris Martin declared that Coldplay would not tour until he could ensure the act’s stadium dates would “have a positive impact” on the environment. Now, thanks to the numerous green innovations put in place since Music of the Spheres began in 2022 — including not only the aforementioned measures but also renewable-resource batteries and routing that reduced air travel — the band achieved a 47% reduction in carbon emissions for the first year of touring, with a 50% reduction goal by the time it wraps in November.

Like an increasing number of artists, Coldplay relied on a team of scientific experts to devise a plan for a greener tour that would be both mammoth (7.7 million global tickets sold to date, according to Billboard Boxscore) and meaningful. “For the number of artists that we’ve been speaking to, the interest and appetite for understanding is pretty good and has exploded over the past three years,” says professor John E. Fernández, director of the Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI) at MIT, who helped certify Coldplay’s carbon emission results and has also worked extensively with major dance act Above & Beyond.

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The band also connected with Luke Howell — a former solar engineer who founded British sustainability consulting firm Hope Solutions and previously worked with the Glastonbury Festival. Howell and his Hope team studied the band’s previous tours “to identify key areas where we could reduce emissions,” he says, then created a range of targets, while recommending emerging green tech for the trek. “We don’t always get it right,” Harvey says of Coldplay’s ongoing efforts, “but we pass on everything we learn so that other people can do it better next time.”

Ahead of the inaugural Music Sustainability Summit, held in Los Angeles in February, the ESI announced a comprehensive study on touring’s carbon footprint, expected to be completed this summer. Recommendations will be made — although Fernández says there’s still a long way to go. “I would characterize the music industry as risk-averse,” he says. “It’s a business, and artists are trying to make a living, so we’ve seen an enormous amount of concern over the risk entailed with making a commitment to reduce emissions.”

Feature, The Green Scene, Eco Issue, Coldplay, Science

Prof. John E. Fernández

MIT

It’s one thing for a stadium act like Coldplay to make sustainability a prerequisite for playing live, but the majority of artists don’t have that financial luxury — or even a standardized emissions benchmark to shoot for. Michael P. Totten, who has served as a climate science adviser for Pearl Jam for over two decades, says, “The biggest problem we face is that [no artist] has control over everything” — in short, even one big act can’t cut through all the live-industry bureaucracy. “You’d love to work with green arenas,” he says, “but they’re owned by somebody else, they do a ton of events, and might say, ‘You should talk to the ticket sellers.’ ”

Thus, so far, the artists who effectively make their touring practices greener tend to be those who have the means and drive to do so — and whose tours also often leave the biggest footprints. Totten points out that Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard helped drive the band’s pledge of donating $200 per ton of carbon on its tours — but did so based on scientific recommendations, not any law or industrywide objective.

Marcus Eriksen, a marine scientist who has worked with Jack Johnson to spread awareness of plastic pollution in the oceans, believes that change needs to start with more major artists demonstrating their awareness of various environmental issues. “You want to find influencers — people that can reach a much wider audience,” says Eriksen, who has led several ocean expeditions intended to help educate celebrities like Johnson about how much plastic exists in large bodies of water. Such in-person experiences can, he says, help attendees recognize an urgent issue and encourage them to spread the message back on land. “Getting folks out into the field for a direct experience — that can be transformative,” Eriksen says.

While standard green guidelines may not exist yet for the live industry, Howell says he would love to see more solar and renewable energy incorporated into touring, as well as “electric vehicles and fossil oil-free fuels for all trucking and freight.” Fernández also says the music industry must remain in close contact with the scientific community about the latest climate change projections to make any real progress. “Everyone in the music industry must accept the fact that we’re not going to stay [at] 1.5 degree C average surface warming,” he says, referencing the temperature threshold that was the original goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement. “So if you’re developing a climate plan to maintain that, you’re just going to have to rewrite that plan.”

With that in mind, Fernández stresses that artists must remain open to evolving information on climate change, even at the risk of reworking preexisting sustainability pledges. “This is not unique to the music industry — what we’re seeing is that some companies have made climate commitments, they don’t feel good about the inability to fulfill them, and then they go silent,” he says. “Artists can’t go in that direction. They have to be part of inspiring people to take action.”

This story will appear in the March 30, 2024, issue of Billboard.

29 Mar 2024

Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’: 10 Best Covers

Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” with its pleading-to-the-other-woman cries of “please don’t take my man,” has endured over the past half-century. Hundreds of artists have offered up their own renditions of the song— the most recent being musical powerhouse Beyoncé, who included a more steely-eyed, daring reimagination of the song, with revamped lyrics, on her new album Act II: Cowboy Carter.

Parton previously recounted how she came up with the song’s titular name, telling NPR, “One night, I was on stage, and there was this beautiful little girl — she was probably 8 years old at the time,” Parton said. “And she had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph. I said, ‘Well, you’re the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?’ And she said, ‘Jolene.’ And I said, ‘Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene.’ I said, ‘That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about that.’”

While the title came from a fan, the song’s lyrics came from Parton’s own heartbreak, spurred by a redheaded bank teller who had shown interest in Parton’s husband.

“She got this terrible crush on my husband,” Parton said. “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”

“Jolene,” which the prolific singer-songwriter Parton wrote solo, debuted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 1973 and peaked atop the chart in February 1974. The song became one of Parton’s most iconic songs and “Jolene” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. Last month, the album Jolene, which contains Parton’s iconic song, reached its 50th anniversary.

From faithful country-tinged renderings, full-on rock anthems and complete re-envisionings of the song, we look at 10 of the top covers of Parton’s “Jolene.”

29 Mar 2024

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Beyoncé, Camila Cabello, J-Hope and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, Cowboy Carter arrives, Camila Cabello upends expectations and J-Hope continues his winning streak. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter 



There was a time when Beyoncé was known more for her radio fodder and less for her full-length thematic statements; Bey has spent a little over a decade flipping that script, and while she’s still scoring hits (like her most recent No. 1 single, “Texas Hold ’Em”), she has become one of modern music’s boldest album auteurs. Cowboy Carter, which refracts country music’s history through her superstar prism, heralds a sound and then shifts its shape, blending popular voices and classic songs into a singular vision that ranges from acoustic lullabies like “Protector” to show-stopping workouts like “Ya Ya.” It’s a work of staggering ambition and execution, and as with all of her recent projects, the legend of Beyoncé continues to grow.

Camila Cabello feat. Playboi Carti, “I Luv It” 



“I Luv It” is bananas: Camila Cabello repeats the titular phrase breathlessly as synths whirr around her words, then a sample of Gucci Mane’s classic single “Lemonade” drops, and finally Playboi Carti slides in to mumble some game before the single collapses. The whole affair is off-the-wall pop experimentation, but for Cabello, that might be exactly what the doctor ordered as she enters the next phase of her solo career — “I Luv It” is brash and knowingly surprising, which is more than enough.

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J-Hope, Hope on the Street Vol. 1 



After 2022’s Jack in the Box demonstrated J-Hope’s solo ambitions and hip-hop panache, Hope on the Street Vol. 1 continues expanding his artistic world while also recruiting some special guests. BTS fans will love hearing Jung Kook stop by “I Wonder…” and its warm production bed, while Benny Blanco and Nile Rodgers help engineer the clap-along dance cut “Lock / Unlock” — all the while, however, J-Hope remains a commanding presence, giving each track the pop of attitude it needs.

mgk x Trippie Redd, genre:sadboy 



Machine Gun Kelly and Trippie Redd are frequent collaborators and kindred spirits, mussing up the lines between rock and hip-hop and using their vulnerabilities to connect with younger listeners. At 27 minutes, the collaborative project genre:sadboy allows MGK and Trippie to play off of each other at a brisk pace, telling their tales of dissatisfaction and yearning on tracks like the understated “Lost Boy” and the Frou Frou-sampling “Beauty,” and proudly leaning in to that “sadboy” label.

Editor’s Pick: Sheryl Crow, Evolution 



Sheryl Crow thought her 2019 album Threads would be her last; thank goodness she was mistaken. Evolution is a rollicking affair that more squarely centers Crow’s personality after her guest-packed previous album: the recent Rock Hall inductee has tapped producer Mike Elizondo to make her pop-rock musings smack a little harder, but her smoky voice and witty lyricism are the stars of the show, and haven’t dulled one bit after a long layoff and a few decades in the game.