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01 Mar 2024

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Pharrell Williams & Miley Cyrus, Cardi B, Charli XCX 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, Pharrell and Miley conjure new (old) magic, Cardi B is not resting on her laurels, and Charli XCX wants to go back to the trucker-hat era. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Pharrell Williams feat. Miley Cyrus, “Doctor (Work It Out)”



Whether viewed as a victory lap following her first Grammy wins or a tribute to Bangerz a little after that turning-point album’s 10th anniversary, “Doctor (Work It Out)” is the sound of Miley Cyrus strutting alongside one of her most trusted collaborators, Pharrell Williams, on a funked-up track that the pair first worked on years ago. “Doctor (Work It Out)” follows the same thread of unrepentant desire as the duo’s past hit “Come Get It Bae,” with a little more disco swagger and medical double entendres in the mix; the song could evaporate tomorrow or become a durable hit, but either way, Cyrus sounds like she’s having a great time with it.

Trending on Billboard

Cardi B, “Like What (Freestyle)” 



“Ayo, let me put some gas in this motherf–kin’ year,” Cardi B sneers to begin “Like What (Freestyle),” the rap superstar’s first solo track in multiple years that serves as a ripcord to fire up her rumbling, singular flow. “Like What” takes aim at Cardi’s enemies and haters over a sample of Missy Elliott’s 1999 classic “She’s a Bitch,” but the takedowns are simply ingredients in a delicious return to form for Cardi, who doubles down on similes and tosses out stunners like Stone Cold Steve Austin — before actually referencing him on a hilarious, X-rated rhyme.

Charli XCX, “Von Dutch” 



Although Charli XCX has explored a variety of pop aesthetics and release models over the course of her decade-plus career, the prospect of upcoming album Brat brimming with propulsive, laser-light club fare like the smashing new single “Von Dutch” should excite both casual listeners and longtime supporters. Charli locks in on the woozy production and guides the track towards the inevitable bass drops, never letting up as her voice circles in and out of focus; like the titular trucker hat, “Von Dutch” is designed to evoke bleary-eyed mid-‘00s nights out, and hits its target in thrilling fashion.

ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips 



Five years can represent an eternity in modern hip-hop, but for ScHoolboy Q, the follow-up to 2019’s CrasH Talk finds the TDE stalwart inhabiting his longtime pocket — telling hard truths over left-of-center beats — while also evolving as a lyricist, especially when focusing on parenthood and his concerns of the future. Blue Lips is not designed as a mainstream crossover (the bugged-out, menacing “Pop,” featuring Rico Nasty, makes that plain), but ScHoolboy Q has a loyal following that’s been waiting for another opus, and Blue Lips rewards them handsomely.

Galantis, David Guetta & 5 Seconds of Summer, “Lighter” 



What a road 5 Seconds of Summer has traveled: after earning fame and fortune as new-school pop-punks and One Direction’s brattier (and often thrilling) opening acts, 5SOS has grown into an expansive rock outfit that’s capable of highlighting a throwback dance cut like this Galantis and David Guetta team-up. “Lighter” trades in mid-2010s euphoria, back when hits by Zedd and Clean Bandit were all over top 40 radio, but 5SOS is the wild card that prevents the track from sounding like a re-tread.

Editor’s Pick: Yard Act, Where’s My Utopia? 



Where’s My Utopia? is the sound of a rock band leveling up: Leeds post-punk group Yard Act impressed on their 2022 debut The Overload, but the collective’s sophomore album sharpens their sardonic approach without abandon, as if every inch of the quartet has become more fearless over the past two years. “Dream Job” is an obvious highlight with its call-and-response dance-punk, but “The Undertow,” “An Illusion” and “We Make Hits” all showcase a band worth investing in long-term.

01 Mar 2024

Billboard Explains: Victoria Monét’s Rising Star

Victoria Monét:
I’ve been writing for so long and I’ve seen glimpses of it for my pen, but not for me as an artist.

Narrator:
Her star is definitely on the rise, and Victoria Monét is Billboard‘s Women in Music’s Rising Star honoree. The singer-songwriter made a name for herself behind the scenes, but now, it’s Victoria’s time to shine on the Billboard charts.

This is Billboard Explains: Victoria Monét’s Rising Star.

Victoria Monét just keeps getting better. She first charted on the Hot 100 in 2019 with the song “Monopoly” alongside Ariana Grande, and her own song “On My Momma” has peaked at No. 33 in 2024, just after she won the Grammy for best new artist.

Besides her own rising career, Victoria Monét is a staple on the charts for songs she’s written or co-written, including 22 Hot 100 charting songs. She’s a writer on two No. 1 Hot 100 songs, Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings.”

Victoria Monét has a bright future ahead of her as a solo artist. And that’s why she’s Billboard‘s Rising Star.

01 Mar 2024

Glam For Female Artists Is Crucial — And Incredibly Complicated

No manager wants to say no to their artist. But this time, the situation demanded it. “You’re blowing your f–king money,” the manager told her client. “This is money you’re not going to have to promote your music.”

The expense under discussion wasn’t a private jet, a non-fungible token or some new cryptocurrency, but glam — a catch-all term that encompasses the services of hairstylists, makeup artists and nail technicians. The rising artist wanted to hire her favorite celebrity hairstylist for a two-day video shoot, which would cost $12,000 in services alone, in addition to business-class travel for the hairstylist and the hairstylist’s assistant, plus the hairstylist’s agent’s fees. The label’s video budget was $10,000 to $15,000, not including travel, and the difference would come out of the artist’s pocket. The manager stood firm: “We’re not doing that for your hair.”

Still, she sympathized with her artist’s anxiety. “Everything is so visible now,” the manager says, noting that fans expect artists — and in particular, young women — to always look the part of the perfectly put-together pop star, whether at an awards show or on TikTok. “You’re always being compared. And there’s all these photos all the time, and then when they don’t look good, the internet loves to talk about that. It’s just really unfair.”

Trending on Billboard

As the world reopened after COVID-19, public appearances for artists increased — even more so than before the pandemic, according to the many artist managers and publicists interviewed for this story — and with that, the need for professional glam. To control costs, artists’ teams must negotiate constantly with their clients about when (and when not) to use it.

“When I first started in this business in the ’90s, nobody got B-roll of anything,” says one Nashville-based business manager. “ ‘What are you talking about, B-roll? They’re doing radio interviews. Y’all don’t need any B-roll.’ But that’s part of the process [now], so you can’t walk out and not be camera-perfect every time. Because the second they are, everybody attacks them on social media.”

Glam professionals have mixed feelings about this increased demand. Some say pay was better in the 1990s, others that their rates have always been — and remain — low, and many state that they are still recovering financially from the total halt in work during the pandemic. But a handful have capitalized on explosive social media followings and their work with a few popular clients to transform themselves from invaluable members of the backstage team into celebrities in their own right who can demand $5,000 to $10,000 a day for their services.

“This is, for me, the biggest hurdle to developing female artists today,” the manager says. “It’s just killing me because we can’t [sign and develop] girls because of crippling glam costs.”

Not all glam professionals are so cost-prohibitive. “That’s like the 1%,” says hairstylist and men’s groomer Laura Costa, whose clients have included Daniel Caesar, 50 Cent and d4vd. “People who are getting these astronomical rates are just the very small percentage of hairstylists and makeup artists that are working with huge-selling artists like Mariah Carey. I don’t want people to think that we’re out here making $10,000 a day to put ChapStick on someone. Because that’s not the norm.”

The norm for someone like Costa, who has been in the business since 2012, is $500 for a men’s “do-and-go”: meeting clients where they are, doing their hair or makeup and leaving. The average do-and-go lasts two hours, and then Costa is off to another appointment. “I’ll work for the entire day, and people think, ‘Oh, my God, that’s great money for the day.’ But I have to give my agent 20% of it, I have to pay all my taxes, I have to pay for all my equipment.”

A do-and-go allows glam artists to squeeze more clients into a day, but running from job to job can be taxing. “I think it’s the worst thing that has happened to the industry,” says makeup artist Colby Smith, who has worked with Icona Pop, Tove Lo, Charli XCX, Zara Larsson and Alanis Morissette, among others, during his 17-year career. “My do-and-go today is from 12:30 to 2:30, so they’re paying me not for half a day and not for the full day. The whole concept of do-and-go is to get us for a quarter rate.” Sources say day rates typically range from $1,000 to $2,000, while a do-and-go pays anywhere from $300 to $800. “It’s a new industry standard that has brought pricing down and the use of us down,” Smith explains.

The do-and-go is often booked for artists who are spending a whole day making different types of content, like social media posts or TV appearances. Some artist team members say labels favor cramming everything into one day and opting for a do-and-go — rather than hiring the glam team for the full day — to cut costs. If an opportunity does not fit in the scheduled day, the artist must turn it down.

For some up-and-coming artists, doing their own glam is preferable to a missed opportunity. According to one publicist with clients in the pop space, established artists may decline to appear even on social media without full glam, but newer acts understand that they must stick to a budget or stay home.

Country artist Megan Moroney, who scored her first top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums and Hot Country Songs charts in May, tends to handle her own hair and makeup except for special occasions. “Right now, it’s mainly just for big shows that are streamed or obviously awards shows or bigger events, I have glam,” says the 26-year-old singer-songwriter, who is signed to Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records. “I wish I could have my glam girls all the time because it definitely looks a little bit different when I do it,” she admits.

Moroney’s glam team includes makeup artist Paige Szupello and hairstylist Jessica Miller, the expert behind Moroney’s signature hair pouf. “She said she wants to be known by her silhouette, so we have the pouf that we do on her,” Miller says. “And you know, that’s iconic. People are recognizing that pouf now.”

“Jessica really is the only person that knows how to do it,” Moroney says. “She could probably do it with her eyes closed. I have had people fill in sometimes if she wasn’t available, and it was an epic fail.” Having a consistent glam team puts Moroney at ease ahead of performances, not only because Szupello and Miller know her face and hair so well and are able to always create an on-brand look, but also because she feels comfortable around them. “They definitely know way too much about my life,” she says. “When you find people that are really talented at what they do, it just makes it more enjoyable if you also like them and are friends with them.”

Those friendships can also sometimes lead to business complications. “That’s where it gets messy with a lot of these glam teams,” says one glam professional. “When they get too close, they think that they can ask for crazy numbers, and they’ll get it because it’s like, ‘Well, I’m your best friend. Are you going to fire me because I’m asking you for money?’ ”

On the other hand, informal relationships between artists and glam teams can blur job descriptions in ways that overtax glam professionals. “They need someone in their camp that they can actually trust,” says Robear Landeros, whose clients include Kat Graham, Jennifer Hudson and a number of Bravo’s Real Housewives stars. “I become publicist, I become manager, I become security guard, I become stylist. It goes beyond the glam of it all. I don’t think the common person understands like, ‘Oh, my God, they charge so much,’ or ‘Oh, my God, why does it cost this?’ It’s so much more than just beauty.”

For business managers, the cost of glam also goes beyond beauty. “I think the travel is a huge part of it,” says Kristin Lee, founder and managing director of business management company KLBM. “Having to fly people, pay for their cars, give them per diems when they’re on the ground — that stuff has doubled from a few years ago.” To reduce costs, Lee tells her clients to use local hairstylists and makeup artists rather than fly glam teams to different cities. She has also put glam professionals on flat retainers when a client has a particularly active month, since it is often cheaper than a day rate.

Lee estimates that her female clients — who span genres, though she has had an uptick lately in Miami-based Latin artists — spend about $100,000 annually on glam, but it does not make them inherently more expensive than her male clients. “They all find ways to spend a lot of money,” she says dryly, though, she adds, “I fully believe in the ‘pink tax.’ The guys are spending money on luxury [by] choice, as opposed to what my clients consider a necessity for going out and looking and feeling a certain way — which costs a lot of money. Everything is more expensive as a woman.”

Belva Anakwenze of Abacus Financial Business Management says her clients — most of whom are Los Angeles-based R&B and hip-hop artists — spend around $30,000 on glam in an active quarter, and though it can be much higher than that, the cost typically accounts for less than 3% of an artist’s expenses. “Glam is a very small percent for our clients’ overall budgets,” she says.

Anakwenze has tough conversations with her clients about going with less expensive, less familiar glam teams to save money, but sometimes such decisions are not so simple. “With people of color, it’s even more difficult because not everyone knows how to effectively style their hair or makeup, and so they do become very loyal,” she says. “But sometimes the loyalty ends up saving us money, in that they don’t really increase their fees. They’ll go up incrementally, but if they’re charging a new client $1,000, they may charge my client, an existing client, $500.”

For others, loyalty comes at a higher cost. Sally Velazquez, founder and president of Empower Business Management, explains that once her clients lock in their regular glam teams, those hairstylists and makeup artists post photos of their work with them on social media and build their own fan bases. “Their prices start to increase based on their demand, which makes sense. But that demand sometimes happens because our clients gave these people a shot,” she says. “We see a year later, now that same makeup artist that was charging $100 wants $750. And now, the issue is the client built a rapport with this person, they like working with this person. I’m a person that definitely wants to make sure that we value whoever we’re working with, but sometimes it gets to the point where you’re like, ‘Hey, maybe we only use this makeup artist for big things like the Grammys and not use them for every day.’ That’s the way we try to manage the costs.”

Velazquez acknowledges that inflation and cost-of-living increases play a role in the rising rates but also points to travel and accommodation, as well as unexpected expenses. “As the makeup artist becomes very famous, it’s almost like working with another artist,” she says. “It’s not just their fee anymore. It’s also just the little things that they need. You know how artists have their own riders? Now makeup [artists], hairstylists have their own riders as well.”

Everyone — from artists’ business managers to the glam professionals they’re hiring — is looking out for their own bottom line. “We are running a business, everybody’s running a business, and very few artists end up actually profitable,” says a publicist whose client spent $600,000 on a recent TV appearance, a large portion of which went not to hair or makeup but styling. “It’s not like we’re just trying to save money. It’s that you’re trying not to hemorrhage money. And you’re trying not to spend stupid money, and that’s where it becomes stupid money.”

One label source who has worked with Latin artists for decades says that sometimes even what seems like “stupid money” is worth it in the end. “When I was working for a label, I would pay this hairstylist $5,000 a day,” the source recalls. “The artist had like an inch of hair, and he was constantly telling him, ‘Oh, my God, you are so handsome today. And you really look great. And I see that your face is super fresh.’ All those things that the artist needs so desperately, constantly. When you tell that to an artist, if you’re the manager or if you’re the label, they think that you say it because you want him to hurry up and go onstage.”

While getting the look right is a glam team’s primary job, those in the field are keenly aware of this additional expectation. “I understand when they say, monetarily, we’re a massive expense, because I know we are,” says one glam professional. “But you really can’t put a price on having us around when we make the day run smoother. I’ve been on Nicki Minaj music videos. I’ve been on Cardi B music videos. I’ve been on Mariah Carey music videos. I’ve been on Katy Perry music videos. All of these f–king music videos would not get made without their goddamn glam teams. These women would not feel confident enough or happy enough. And I have literally seen some of these big, big A-list talent walk off set because the vibe wasn’t right.”

The source from the Latin world agrees. “It’s important to find the right people. The glam people, their assignment really is to make the artist happy. I was going to say they are expensive — but now I realize that they are super cheap.”

Glam Rock Stars

Get to know some of the top hair and makeup pros with major artist (and social media) followings.

Jesus Guerrero

Hairstylist
Instagram followers: 598,000
Clients: Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Rosalía

Perry’s bob-to-bangs transformation, Rosalía’s 2023 Latin Grammys tresses and Kylie Jenner’s “wet look” all have one thing in common: Guerrero’s comb. The hair guru’s versatility allows him to go from taming Christina Aguilera’s platinum waves one day to weaving Kali Uchis’ hair into a butterfly sculpture for her Red Moon in Venus album cover the next.

Ursula Stephen

Hairstylist
Instagram followers: 125,000
Clients: Zendaya, Ciara, Mary J. Blige

Beyond heading her own salon, veteran stylist Stephen has crafted showstopping styles for everyone from Rihanna to Serena Williams, Ariana DeBose and Yara Shahidi. Many of her most memorable looks have been worn on the Met Gala carpet: Zendaya’s auburn Joan of Arc crop in 2018? That was all Stephen, as was Rih’s faux-hawk swoop in 2009.

Tokyo Stylez

Hairstylist
Instagram followers: 1.5 million
Clients: Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Victoria Monét

Tokyo Stylez is behind the wigs of more stars than one would believe — in fact, she’s so good, it’s often difficult to tell whether her clients are sporting one of her pieces or a dye job. She’s responsible for some of the past few years’ most iconic hair moments, from Cardi B’s bright yellow pixie cut on the Invasion of Privacy cover to Megan Thee Stallion’s pink ’do on Saturday Night Live in January.

Rokael Lizama

Makeup artist
Instagram followers: 306,000
Clients: Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez

When he’s not working as Beyoncé’s on-the-road Renaissance tour makeup artist, Lizama creates nude-glam looks for Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Scherzinger, Demi Lovato, Normani, the Kardashian sisters and more. After working on campaigns for other major beauty brands, he started his own self-titled makeup line with a specialty in fake lashes.

Priscilla Ono

Makeup artist
Instagram followers: 894,000
Clients: Rihanna, Latto, Kali Uchis

Rihanna wouldn’t trust just anyone to paint her face — but Ono is no ordinary beauty expert. Not only is she the global makeup artist of the singer’s billion-dollar Fenty Beauty brand, but she also brushed on Rih’s Super Bowl halftime show and Academy Awards looks in 2023.

Patrick Ta

Makeup artist
Instagram followers: 3.6 million
Clients: Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Halsey

Ta opened his first salon when he was just 18. By showcasing his wearable glam looks on social media, he built a client base that now includes Gigi Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Anitta, Hailee Steinfeld and Ayra Starr — and in 2019, he launched an eponymous cosmetics line that was picked up by Sephora. —HANNAH DAILEY

This story will appear in the March 2, 2024, issue of Billboard.

01 Mar 2024

Executive Turntable: DiMA Gets Rushing; Luminate Focuses on Indie Retail; Palm Tree Guys Hire COO

It’s time for another spindle around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. Earlier this week, UMG announced a “strategic organizational redesign” that has so far resulted in several top executives — and many others — losing their jobs across the label group, though the scope of the headcount reduction is still unclear. Billboard’s Dan Rys is following closely here.

The Digital Media Association (DiMA) hired seasoned legal exec Colin Rushing to the newly crafted position of executive vp and general counsel at the music streaming trade group. Rushing previously spent nearly 14 years at SoundExchange, where he rose from senior counsel to chief legal officer during a consequential tenure —  his job was to lead rate-setting efforts before the Copyright Royalty Board — that made him a fixture on Billboard‘s annual list of top music lawyers. Since leaving SX in September 2021, he has taught at Belmont University and acted as director of the Copyright Society of the South.

Trending on Billboard

“[Rushing] brings all his invaluable expertise of US copyright law and a reputation for achieving consensus solutions,” said DiMA President and CEO Graham Davies. “Colin’s knowledge of the US licensing system combined with his passion for championing streaming will be hugely valuable. His appointment underlines our work on a global basis, where we seek maintain and develop environments that ensure our members can continue to innovate and contribute to the music growth success story.”

Meanwhile…

Kelly Rich exited her role as COO at Nashville-based Red Street Records. Rich initially joined Red Street as a consultant in 2022 and was named COO later that year. Rich previously served as country lead at Amazon Music. Rich’s career also includes time as Big Machine Label Group’s senior vp of sales, marketing and interactive, as well as time stints at UMG Nashville, DreamWorks, Arista Nashville, BMG and more. Elsewhere at Red Street, Sally Allgeier has been promoted to national director of country promotion, while Jess Loper has joined as vp of A&R and publishing for Red Street Christian. Loper previously served as vp of brand management for Toby Mac’s Gotee Records and Publishing. Amanda Roach also joins Red Street Records as manager of country A&R and Publishing. Roach was previously catalog manager and A&R coordinator at Warner Chappell Music. –Jessica Nicholson

Chris Muratore

Luminate, which feeds data to the Billboard charts, is turning to music analytics executive Chris Muratore to cement relations with the indie music retail sector ahead of the launch of its new data platform later this year. Muratore joined Luminate earlier this month as director of partnerships, with a clear focus on working with various stakeholders to ensure physical sales data collection is accurate. The 30-year industry veteran most recently co-founded Border City Media, the tech startup behind music consumption data tool BuzzAngle Music. Prior to Border City Media, Muratore spent 18 years in various executive roles at SoundScan/Nielsen Music, where he oversaw all data relationships and analytics for the company and, notably, was a trusted analytical source for countless media outlets including this one. Muratore is reachable at cmuratore@luminatedata.com. FYI: Luminate is an independently operated company owned by PME TopCo, a joint venture between Penski Media Corporation and Eldridge. Billboard is an independently operated company owned by PME Holdings, a subsidiary of PME TopCo.

Damaris Rex-Taylor has been promoted from general manager to managing director at RCA Records UK. Rex-Taylor joined the Sony Music UK label in 2019 as director of marketing before rising to GM two years later, and during her tenure has spearheaded various marketing and promotional strategies and led campaigns for Tyla, Travis Scott, Miley Cyrus and other roster artists. The recent Oxford grad has past stops at Chrysalis and Parlophone, and proudly moonlights as co-chair and a founding member of Sony Music UK’s Social Justice Fund supporting anti-racist initiatives. “We’re delighted for Damaris to step into her new role,” said Stacey Tang and Glyn Aikins, co-presidents of RCA UK. “She’s an innovative leader, holds a wealth of knowledge and has a tremendous understanding of creative strategy, instinctively knowing how best to support all our artists. Since joining RCA she’s shaped the incredible team we have, and we’re excited to see her take the label into a new era.”

Warner Music Nashville promoted Kristen Williams to senior vp of radio and commercial partnerships. Williams has helmed the radio division since 2010 but now will add the commercial partnerships team — which works on retail, catalog and direct-to-consumer efforts — to her dailies. WMN co-president Ben Kline said “this set-up positions us to work in a more sophisticated way while continuing to super serve our artist community and partners in this ever-changing, dynamic business environment.”

Jared Fox was promoted to senior vp across two divisions at SiriusXM: artist and industry relations, where he oversees talent bookings, and content marketing and partnerships, where he and his team manage and maintain relationships with existing talent partners. All told, Fox oversees a staff of over 40 at the satellite radio company. Recent wins on the artist relations front include Green Day rocking Irving Plaza and Maluma’s recent concert in Vegas ahead of the Super Bowl. As for partnerships, team Fox has a talent list that boasts Carrie Underwood, LL Cool J, Kelly Clarkson and more. Fox joined SiriusXM in 2013, following stints at Vevo, Atom Factory and Epic, and was most recently vp of artist and industry relations. He reports to Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer.

Meanwhile, SiriusXM president Scott Greenstein announced two big additions to its podcast leadership team this week. Sarah van Mosel, a former executive at Sirius subsidiary Stitcher, returns in the newly-created position of senior vp of podcast strategy. In this role, van Mosel will focus on podcast acquisitions and new talent development. Working closely with Sarah will be Adam Sachs, who’ll zero in on podcast programming and production as SiriusXM’s senior vp or podcast content. Colin Anderson stays on and will continue to report to Sachs, “making an all-star podcast production team,” said Greenstein, also SiriusXM’s chief content officer. “With this new team structure, we are now set up to take full advantage of the podcast opportunity ahead of us. I’m excited for what this team is capable of.”

Mom+Pop Music elevated Jackie Vanzura to director of digital, reporting to svp and head of digital Lindsay Schapiro. Vanzura joined the NYC-based indie label two years ago as a digital marketing manager leading strategy for roster artists, including SEB, Magdalena Bay and Odie Leigh. On tap for Vanzura is spearheading digital strategy for MGMT’s new album, Loss Of Life. Prior to Mom+Pop, Vanzura worked at WMA. “Jackie is a talented member of the Mom+Pop team,” said Schapiro. “Her creativity combined with her passion for music and her digital know-how contributes to our success. We are thrilled to see her growing into this new role.”

NASHVILLE NOTES: Hill Entertainment Group welcomed Machaela Nesler-Scibilia as analytics & digital coordinator and Gipson Clark as touring & operations coordinator, with both reporting to president and CEO Greg Hill … Trevor Provost is the new marketing manager at Severance Records, the recently launched rock label co-founded by Mike Easterlin and Steve “Stevo” Robertson as part of a joint venture with Big Loud Rock. Provost was previously in the management department at SMACKSongs … Three Riser House promotion executives were elevated to new positions. Jeff Davis rose to vp of promotion from East Coast regional promotion director, Roger Fregoso was upped to national director of promotion from senior director of West Coast, and Nathan Cruise climbed to senior regional director of promotion from Central regional promotion director.

Palm Tree Crew Management co-founders Myles Shear and Kygo welcomed Parker Aimers as the artist management division’s chief operating officer and head of artist management. Based in Miami’s Sunset Harbor, Aimers will focus on A&R, touring and digital opportunities across Palm Tree’s roster, including Griffin, Sam Feldt, Forester, Petey Martin and others. He joins Palm Tree from Toronto’s Northside Artists, where he worked extensively with Loud Luxury, Bebe Rexha and Kane Brown. Kygo’s Palm Tree umbrella includes this management arm, which works closely with Live Nation, and Palm Tree Records, a global joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment.

Round Room Live, which produces family shows like Blippi and the national tour of Shrek the Musical, hired Dina E. Meyers as svp of business development. In her new position, Meyers will be responsible for finding and securing fresh content and other revenue-making projects for the company. She joins Round Room Live after serving as head of new markets & business development for Lighthouse Immersive, the company behind the wildly popular “Immersive Van Gogh” exhibition. Prior to Lighthouse, she held roles at AEG Live and S2BN Entertainment, and she’ll continue to lead her own company, DEM Entertainment Consulting. “With her accomplishments ranging across innovative event production, key partnerships, sponsorship activations, and broad industry relationships, we’re excited to welcome Dina to the Round Room family,” said Round Room Live founder and co-president Stephen Shaw.

IDOL handed Mandy Freebairn the role of U.S. label and project manager as the European indie distributor works to rapidly develop its North American division. Based in New York, Freebairn will report to IDOL’s stateside general manager, Thomas Sharp Maxwell. Freebairn’s appointment coincides with the announcement of two North American label deals for the company, with Le Plan Recordings and Old Soul Music. She joins IDOL from Omnian Music Group, where she project managed releases from The Lemon Twigs, Widowspeak, Juan Wauters and others.

BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville announced a round of promotions and hirings. Dawn Ferris, who joined the company in 2010, was promoted to director of national promotion for Broken Bow Records. Ferris previously spent 12 years at Arista Records. Ellen (Mundy) Ford has been named manager of marketing, while Krista Hayes joins as manager of group strategy & syndication. Ford previously worked as a day-to-day manager for WORKS Entertainment and as the SE manager of radio promotion for Revival Music Group. Hayes comes to BBR from Cumulus Media, where she served three years as promotion and marketing director. –JN

James Fava joined global management company Three Six Zero as a partner. Fava will continue as director of his Australia-based management firm Intergalactic Fantastic Worldwide, where his artists include Dom Dolla, Anna Lunoe, Torren Foot and Airwolf. The partnership with Fava gives Three Six Zero an Aussie foothold to compliment its established offices in Los Angeles, Miami and London. “James is a huge talent,” said Mark Gillespie, CEO and founder of Three Six Zero. “I am confident that his expertise will be a great asset for Three Six Zero as we continue to expand our business globally.”

London-based rights acquisition company Bella Figura Music hired Billy Millar as senior vp of creative and Chris Presland for the role of catalog project manager. Millar, formerly of BMG and Hipgnosis, will oversee global sync and creative opportunities for the company’s catalog, which includes David Gray’s label and albums. Presland, who arrives following an eight-year run at AWAL, will focus on delivering digital and vinyl reissue support for Gray’s recorded works. Since its launch a year ago, Bella Figura has made a number of high profile acquisitions from artists, writers and producers such as R3HAB, Jeff Silverman, Darrel Brown and Guy Chambers.

RADIO, RADIO: Bauer Media Audio UK appointed Robert D’Ovidio as its new director of music broadcast, on-demand and premium, effective immediately. He’ll work to build cross-brand partnerships and initiatives across Bauer brands and reports to chief content and music officer Ben Cooper … SBS chief financial officer José Molina has exited the Hispanic broadcaster. He first joined SBS in 2001 as director finance, eventually rising to svp of finance before leaving in 2015. After stomps at MundoMax and Univision, he returned to SBS as CFO in 2019.

Creator media company QYOU promoted Lexi St. John to evp of QYOU USA, Morgan Barclay to svp of strategy and Chris Smith to vp of QYOU Studios. QYOU Media USA promoted Kerri Ramgren to senior director of operations, Tim Isenberger to senior director of account management and planning, and Eric Frick to senior manager of business intelligence.

ICYMI:

Deezer

Jeronimo Folgueira is out as CEO of music streaming service Deezer … Jay Beelin was promoted to vp of international touring at AEG … BMG elevated Marian Wolf to head up its massive North American publishing unit … and Paul Hourican announced he was leaving TikTok, where he served at global head of music operations.
Last Week’s Turntable: A Long Goodbye at A2IM

01 Mar 2024

How Grupo Marca Registrada Changed Course & Diversified Their Sound: ‘It’s the Hunger to Move Forward’

Over the course of a decade, Grupo Marca Registrada has earned a place in the regional Mexican music scene by stamping their style on norteño music. In 2022, they released hits like “Si Fuera Fácil”, “No Me Acuerdo” and “El Rescate” with Juniro H. But by mid 2023, their album Corleone had not gotten the response they expected: it only spent one week on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Albums chart, at No. 16, and one week on Top Latin Albums at No. 50. And in the midst of the craze for corridos tumbados, the outlook was not encouraging.

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Despite collaborations with Carin León (“Me Haces Tan Bien”) and Grupo Frontera (“Dí Que Sí”, which reached No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay and No. 3 on Latin Airplay in the spring of last year), they felt something was amiss. So their frontman, Fidel Oswaldo Castro, set about the task of changing musical direction and found emerging talent younger than himself — such as Octavio Cuadras, Joaquín Medina and Sheeno — who write, compose and produce with a unique touch and a “techno bélico” sound.

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Then came another trilogy of songs with which they would show a new face — “ELOVRGA” with Alex Favela and Joaquin Medina, which took them to No. 7 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and whose music video has over 102 million views; “Alucin” with Eugenio Esquivel and Sebastian Esquivel, and the happy corrido “Bling Bling” with Octavio Cuadras — released late last year; the latter with a remix featuring Colombian superstar Maluma.

Today (March 1), they are premiering a new version of Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas’ 2003 Latin pop hit “Andar Conmigo,” and soon something dance-driven with Belinda will be released.

In an exclusive interview with Billboard Español, Castro spoke extensively about the wheel of fortune that has Grupo Marca Registrada’s spirits high and their upcoming projects with stars that also include Peso Pluma, Junior H and Xavi.

After a winning streak, things didn’t work out the way you thought they would. Were you prepared for that?

I’m always prepared, so that in case something doesn’t work out, I have a backup. It’s the hunger to move forward. You also have to put intelligence into music, you have to look where no one else wants to look.

Why did you decide to give very young, practically unknown artists a chance?

Everybody wants to record with big artists. I didn’t look for that, I looked for quality, I looked for talent; I had the numbers. I looked for a product to sell, something good and of quality that was not overexposed. So I started with Joaquín [Medina] and Alex [Favela] for the song “Elovrga”, then with the Esquivel brothers I did “Alucin”, which has been a hit in electronic music charts in Spain. Octavio [Cuadras], a Sinaloan like me, also came along with a good song, “Bling Bling”, and I gave him the opportunity.

These three songs worked and what I wanted happened: to expose Mexican music as no one else had done. We released them and people accepted it incredibly. Let’s just say I feel rejuvenated musically. This led to other opportunities. The Maluma collaboration happened and we went to Colombia to record a new version of “Bling Bling,” which today is being listened to by [millions] around the world.

Has taking a musical turn in your career affected your relationship with your regional Mexican colleagues?

On the contrary, now I have already received calls from big stars who at some point thought that Fidel had already sunk — but since they have seen the path I have taken, they are interested in working with me. I am not at odds with success, fame or money.

You could have stayed doing corridos, but you played the final card.

I’ve been doing this for 12 years, two on my own and 10 with Marca Registrada. The key is to adapt to what will give you work. It has always worked for me to adapt to the new, but I don’t stop doing my own thing.

Are you now working as a team with these new talents you discovered?

I made my group of artists with Sheeno and Octavio Cuadras, new talents that have a very nice respect for me. I have a lot of confidence in them, I want them to work and put the music of Mexico very high. I have told the guys that it is not about saying that the songs are mine because I am the well-known one; we are in the same boat together. Octavio has his place, as does Joaquín (Medina), Alex Favela and the Esquivel brothers. Everyone gets what they really deserve.

Are you working with them for the new Marca Registrada album?

Totally. The album, from RB Music/Interscope, is called The G.O.A.T (The Greatest Of All Time). There are 12 songs and an intro; it’s trap, it has nothing to do with norteño music. In the previous album, Corleone, I focused on what the people of Marca Registrada were asking for.

This production is very different — there are duets with guys that nobody knows, such as Angel Cervantes and Oslin, who co-wrote “Torai”, a song that I uploaded to TikTok and was doing very well when the label dropped the music. However, another one of our producers, Marcelo Rivs, who was working with Belinda, showed it to her, she liked it, we recorded it just last week and it was a great experience. It’s has a techno-bélico, dance vibe. Belinda is a very important figure; she is always in the news and that is very good.

Did you ever imagine yourself making house or electronic music?

Years ago, when I used to hang out in nightclubs, I thought how wonderful it would be to be as successful as the reggaetón heads with their music. Today, I can be proud that my songs are sung and danced to in those places.

You have a new collaboration with Julieta Venegas, how did this approach come about?

Julieta Venegas is an excellent person, I have always been a huge fan of hers. Today I can tell you that she is my friend. I had already recorded “Limón y Sal”, but I had the dream of doing something with her and, through my distributor, the contact was made, we sent her the demo and she liked it. Julieta told me that she wanted something in the style of Marca Registrada, very regional Mexican and she decided that it should be “Andar Conmigo.” We went to Buenos Aires [where she lives] to shoot the video, another unforgettable moment.

What other collaborations are coming up in the short term?

There are collaborations coming with Belinda, with Peso Pluma and Junior H, with whom we have recorded in 2022, 2023 and we already have this year’s song, so we have great expectations. Also with Xavi. Beyond the fact that he is the artist of the moment is that we connect. I did not record with Peso Pluma at his moment, it will be done now. With Edén (Muñoz) something is also coming, as well as with Alfredo Olivas; they are great friends of mine and referents of regional Mexican music.

Do you still consider yourself a regional Mexican artist despite all these new sounds and mixes you are experimenting with?

One hundred percent, I always will be. The fact that I do new things does not define me as an artist of another genre. All the music I make will always be Mexican, proudly.

01 Mar 2024

Ariana Grande Reveals Which ‘Eternal Sunshine’ Song Will Be Her Next Single

With just one week left to go until her highly anticipated seventh album Eternal Sunshine drops, Ariana Grande has confirmed which of its 13 tracks will serve as the next single: “We Can’t Be Friends.”

The 30-year-old pop star broke the news via a video on social media Friday (March 1). In the clip, Grande sits in an ominous waiting room while going over a consent form. Next to the phrase “You have given extensive thought behind your decision and give ‘Brighter Days Inc.’ the exclusive permission to remove this person completely from your memory,” her pen hovers over the “No” check box — until she puts a checkmark next to “Yes” at the last second.

The star then signs her name as “Peaches” on the contract line. “We Can’t Be Friends,” reads a message on the next screen. “Coming soon.”

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The track will serve as the second single off Eternal Sunshine, following the January Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping hit “Yes, And?” Grande has previously said that she won’t be releasing any more songs ahead of the album, meaning fans most likely won’t hear “We Can’t Be Friends” until March 8, when the LP arrives.

Grande’s latest announcement comes three days after the singer unveiled the full Eternal Sunshine tracklist, which shows the upcoming single’s full title as “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” at No. 10. The listing only promises one featured guest — “Nonna,” aka Grande’s grandmother, on the final track, “Ordinary Things.”

See Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” teaser below.

01 Mar 2024

Women in the Male-Dominated Indie Music Sector Need Female Mentors. Merlin Is Here to Help

Some of the most important workplace skills can only be learned on the job — from building relationships with colleagues to positioning yourself for a promotion to dealing with long hours to being able to tell if a work situation is truly strange or totally normal.

But for women — many of whom find it easier to confide in other women at work — finding a colleague to figure these things out with can be harder in a male-skewing industry like the music business.

A 2023 study conducted by Luminate, Tunecore and Believe found a host of female-specific challenges in the music industry, including increased instances of sexual harassment, ageism and unequal representation along with a persistent wage gap. These challenges are particularly acute in the indie realm, where, despite some improvements, senior leadership continues to be largely male. 

“Independents tend to be niche spaces and our company sizes are smaller,” says Katie Alberts, COO of the Atlanta-based Reach Records. “If you have a historic trend of men being in leadership and your company only has 10 people, you might not have that female executive within your company as an example for other women.” 

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To take on the issue, Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for independent labels, launched a new mentorship program for women, Merlin Engage, early last year. The program paired 18 executive-level mentors with mentees from around the indie label space for a six-month program designed to offer community, leadership skills and advice on how to thrive and rise within the industry and the indie space in particular. The program was initiated by Marie Clausen, managing director of Ninja Tune North America and a Merlin Engage mentor. The 2024 Merlin Engage program starts March 20. 

When she applied for the debut program, Magali Ould of Secret City Records was in discussions with upper management about a possible promotion. “We’re 14 employees,” she says. “It’s not a huge company, so every promotion is crucial.” 

Magali Ould and Katie Alberts

Magali Ould and Katie Alberts

Nadia Zheng; Courtesy Photo

Secret City president/CEO Justin West, who’s also a Merlin board member, suggested that Ould apply to the Engage program to connect with other women in leadership roles. Ould was accepted and paired with Jenna LoMonaco, the head of U.S. marketing at digital distribution service ONErpm. Over the next six months, the pair regularly spoke on the phone, discussing things like how to build and demonstrate leadership skills, how to prioritize, personality management within the company, public speaking, and presenting skills and relationship building. 

Having a mentor, Ould says, gave her a “better understanding and perspective on what it takes to be upper management.” It also helped her score the promotion she was aiming for: Secret City GM.  

Ould says working with LoMonaco also helped her see that many of the situations she was dealing with at work, and which seemed potentially unique to her work life, were actually common. Ould says this understanding enhanced her confidence, particularly in moments when she would have previously second guessed herself. She says this knowledge and confidence have helped her stand her ground as a woman in a leadership position.  

“Jenna said, ‘Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness,’ which was very helpful for me,” Ould recalls. “I think women can be perceived as being nice, but then we don’t take our space so people might think they can just get their way. This experience showed me how to be caring and also how to still get s— done.” 

Alberts of Reach Records served as a mentor in the program and says the experience was extra special because her mentee was pregnant. As such, the pair not only talked about professional goals, but also created a plan for her transition back into work after maternity leave and adjusting to life as a working mom. While the official program is over, Alberts and her mentee are still in touch on work and life matters.  

“To see that we did the prep work for a smooth transition back to work, then seeing her reintegrate into working life as a new mom, is super cool,” says Alberts.  

In addition to ongoing one-on-one meetings (for which mentors and mentees set their own schedule), the debut Engage program included three program-wide meetings over Zoom, with participants from across the United States. along with cities including London, Brussels and Cape Town, South Africa. The second Engage program will include 15 mentor-mentee pairings, with participants from 10 countries and 28 different Merlin-affiliated companies.  

Alberts, who’s returning as a mentor, says there won’t be any major changes to the program except for potentially more of the program-wide Zoom meetups given how much information was mined from hearing about other mentor/mentee experiences. These wider meetings also allowed for participants to collaborate across companies and territories, with the diversity of Merlin affiliated labels allowing for noncompetitive knowledge sharing.  

“We’re able to learn and grow from each other through this exchange of information,” says Alberts. “Like, ‘Hey, we made this mistake on this platform, or here’s how we optimized in this in a really interesting way.’” 

“That allows us to pool resources,” she continues, “And I think there’s a lot of alignment with Merlin’s vision in that too, because it’s about the collective weight of independents together.” 

01 Mar 2024

Miley Cyrus Reveals How Pharrell Helped Her Find Herself After ‘Hannah Montana’

Miley Cyrus and Pharrell have been working together for more than a decade, with their most recent collaboration “Doctor (Work It Out)” arriving Friday (March 1), 10 years after the pair first wrote it.  

Over the course of that time, Cyrus has gone through some major changes — perhaps most notably, her transition from teen Disney Channel starlet to the pixie-haired, sometimes controversial 21-year-old who released Bangerz in 2013. And in a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, the pop star revealed that Pharrell has been there for her through it all.

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“He was really the only one that I could kind of tell him what I really wanted, what I really wanted to make, who I really wanted to be, what I really wanted to do,” Cyrus recalled of meeting the producer back when she was still best known for starring in Hannah Montana. “I think Pharrell was perfect because it was almost like he could be a bumper for me, but he wasn’t going to be a bridle.”

The “Flowers” singer also said that Pharrell was one of the only people who encouraged her famous, drastic haircut in 2012, when she chopped off her long brunette waves and sported a platinum dye job. “I was like, ‘Pharrell, I really want to change. I really want to have a big change,’” Cyrus told Lowe.

“He was kind of the only one — I knew that everyone around me would tell me no — and he was really the only one that I asked, ‘What did he think?’” she added. “And he was like, ‘Go for it today, tomorrow, as soon as you can. That sounds like exactly the perfect thing to do.’”

“I’ll never forget just meeting her at a time where people had pegged her to be one thing particularly,” chimed in the “Happy” musician. “She was Hannah Montana at the time, and she was growing up and really wanting to experience life no matter how far the precipice was, that was her … I just remember her just being in a place where no one really understood what she was, and I got it.”

During the interview, the duo also confirmed that “Doctor (Work It Out)” started as an outtake from Bangerz, which featured a few other Pharrell-produced tracks such as “4×4” featuring Nelly and “#GetItRight.” Earlier this year, they decided to finally give it a proper release.

“We just believe so much in timing and in everything happening when it’s supposed to,” Cyrus told Lowe. “Around the Grammys, Pharrell and I were talking about putting the song out, and it just felt like it was so serendipitous, and there were so many alignments and so many moments that made me know that now was the perfect time.”

“And then sometimes things in our past make more sense in our present than they ever did then,” she continued. “And so this song, I think the nature, the celebration, the feeling, especially with the video, the joy, the dancing, the letting go, it’s what this song really always needed. I don’t think I could have delivered that at that time [in 2013] … It completely embodies my spirit and my essence at this exact moment.”

01 Mar 2024

Pearl Jam Lands Atop Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart With ‘Dark Matter’

Pearl Jam’s “Dark Matter” becomes the band’s first leader on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, rising to No. 1 from No. 3 on the survey dated March 2.

In the Feb. 16-22 tracking week, the first full tracking frame for “Dark Matter,” which was released Feb. 13, the song accumulated 5.6 million radio audience impressions, 1.2 million official U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads sold in the U.S., according to Luminate.

“Dark Matter” is Pearl Jam’s second entry on Hot Hard Rock Songs dating to the chart’s inception, following “Superblood Wolfmoon,” which appeared at No. 19 on the inaugural June 30, 2020-dated tally.

“Dark Matter” also leaps 46-28 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, marking Pearl Jam’s highest rank since “Superblood Wolfmoon” peaked at No. 17 in April 2020. The band’s all-time best since the chart began in 2009 belongs to “The Fixer,” which debuted and peaked at No. 2 that August. (Pearl Jam first appeared on Billboard’s charts in November 1991.)

As previously reported, “Dark Matter” jumps 6-1 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay list. It also bounds 17-6 on Mainstream Rock Airplay, where it’s Pearl Jam’s 24th top 10: No. 10 on Alternative Airplay, becoming the band’s 20th top 10; and debuts at No. 39 on Adult Alternative Airplay. The track’s sales place it at No. 3 on Hard Rock Digital Song Sales.

“Dark Matter” is the title-cut lead single from Pearl Jam’s 12th LP, due April 19. Its predecessor, Gigaton, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in April 2020 and has earned 172,000 equivalent album units to date.

01 Mar 2024

How Charli XCX Returned To Her Rave Roots For ‘Loud and Bold’ New Album

My big struggle is deciding whether I care more about being the biggest artist I can be commercially or being critically sound,” Charli XCX says. “Then sometimes I land in this place of not caring about either of those things.”

For most of her decade-plus career as both a songwriter for other pop stars (Gwen Stefani, Camila Cabello, Selena Gomez) and a beloved solo performer herself, Charli has managed to strike an enviable balance between the two pop poles she has just described. The 31-year-old British artist has made inescapable hits like her 2014 Iggy Azalea collaboration, “Fancy,” which spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and more sonically experimental pop — including her celebrated pairings with SOPHIE, with whom Charli pioneered hyperpop — while establishing herself as a tastemaker with a track record for working with cutting-edge artists like Yaeji, Rina Sawayama and Caroline Polachek before the industry fully catches on.

Tough, playful and whip-smart, her track “Speed Drive” from the Barbie soundtrack is classic Charli and also her biggest commercial success since 2014’s “Boom Clap.” Now she’s gearing up for her sixth studio album, BRAT. (On Wednesday, Charli posted on social media to expect the album this summer.)

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The follow-up to 2022’s Crash is, she says, a club record evoking the illegal London rave scene where she started performing “when I was 14 or 15,” produced from a tight collection of sounds to create “this unique minimalism that is very loud and bold.”

“Loud and bold” could well describe the entire career of Billboard’s 2024 Women in Music Powerhouse honoree. As she chats over Zoom (wearing a white hoodie and a single gold star sticker on her chin) she’s characteristically frank, admitting she finds the time between albums challenging — “probably the reason why I eventually won’t be a musician.” But for now, with a new one finished, she’s gearing up for her life to return to a pop star pace.

Charli XCX Billboard Women In Music Shoot

YSL jacket and scarf, David Yurman earrings.

Joelle Grace Taylor

Charli XCX Billboard Women In Music Shoot

Beaufille jacket and skirt, Abra shoes.

Joelle Grace Taylor

What’s the concept of the new album?

This album is very direct. I’m over the idea of metaphor and flowery lyricism and not saying exactly what I think, the way I would say it to a friend in a text message. This record is all the things I would talk about with my friends, said exactly how I would say them. It’s in ways very aggressive and confrontational, but also very conversational and personal. And not in that boring way where artists are like, “This is my most personal record.” To me, it feels like listening to a conversation with a friend.

Do you feel like you’re in a unique position to showcase ideas and sounds from the club world to more mainstream audiences?

I think I’ve had a pretty big impact on popular music; I won’t lie. But it feels weird even saying that in a subtle way in this interview, to be honest. I don’t think it has ever been [my or my collaborators’] intention to transport elements of club or underground music to a wider audience; I think we’ve just been instinctual. There’s a spontaneity within my music that feels off the cuff, blunt and at the same time outlandish. It’s just this fearlessness, too. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I see it when I write in sessions for other people or with people that I don’t really write much with. It’s like … I don’t follow a rulebook of how to write a song.

Charli XCX Billboard Women In Music Shoot

Acne shirt, MM6 bra, Beaufille belt, Abra pants, YSL shoes.

Joelle Grace Taylor

For Crash, you intentionally stepped into the role of a major-label pop star, like cosplay. Is the new album’s direct approach a reaction to that?

It’s definitely related. The pendulum always swings for me. I think a good artist always has to re-form, reformulate and reclothe themselves, quite literally. You’re right, Crash was about me being signed to a major label [Asylum Records UK/Warner Music UK] and feeling like I’d never played that traditional, stereotypical major-label pop star game. I wanted to play this satirical role, so I was hypersexualizing myself, taking songs other people had written for me and using an A&R person for the first time in my career.

This record is the polar opposite. It’s not collaborative. It’s not me playing a character. It’s direct and honest. I really tried not to write love songs or songs about my romantic relationship. [She got engaged to The 1975’s George Daniel in late 2023.] There are a couple, but generally speaking, I wanted it to feel more gossipy, so it is a reaction to Crash. I’m quite a reactionary person.

You’ve written with and for a lot of other women. Has that been intentional?

There are a couple of songs I’ve written that have been for male artists, but it’s not a conscious decision. It just happened like that. I honestly don’t know that I would be able to write from a male perspective.

Charli XCX Billboard Women In Music Shoot

YSL jacket and scarf, Diesel skirt and shoes, David Yurman earrings.

Joelle Grace Taylor

Charli XCX Billboard Women In Music Shoot

Charli XCX photographed on November 27, 2023 in Los Angeles. Beaufille jacket.

Joelle Grace Taylor

You’re receiving the Powerhouse award. What’s your relationship with power?

Some days you wake up and feel very powerful, or empowered, or in control, or confident, or whatever positive words that are related to power or a woman in power. But some days you wake up and feel worthless and small and insecure and not good enough. I don’t think that’s specific to me or my industry; I think that’s just human nature. It’s impossible to feel powerful all the time. For me, at least, that would feel like a lie.

There’s also a lot of power in vulnerability. This is cheesy, but I think when I’m most honest and true to myself, that makes me feel most powerful. Sometimes that upsets people, whether that’s people I work with or my fans or my family. There’s always someone to upset. You just have to ask if it would feel like a sacrifice to not make this decision the way you want to make it. That’s what I ask myself.

Are there specific moments in your career when you stepped into a greater level of power?

When I started working with [producer] A. G. Cook, when I started working with SOPHIE, there was this kinship and understanding that made me feel very powerful because I felt like we were on this unspoken journey together that not many other people could be on.

And then working with my friends — not weird Los Angeles friends that I’ve picked up at parties, but my friends I’ve had since I was 11. That feels powerful because there’s a level of grounding. To them, I’m not this person who is a pop star. I am their friend Charli who was once not very cool.

This story will appear in the March 2, 2024, issue of Billboard.