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15 May 2023

Reba McEntire Joining Upcoming Season 24 of ‘The Voice’

NBC announced the cast for the upcoming fall season of The Voice on Monday morning (May 15), revealing that former judge John Legend will be back in the mix in addition to returning castmate Gwen Stefani.

The two will be joined by Niall Horan in his second season, with one-time Voice hold-out country icon Reba McEntire filling the final slot for season 24. The quartet will take over for the current season’s team leaders, which include Chance the Rapper and the lone original remaining seat-filler, Blake Shelton, who is hanging it up after 12 years during season 23’s two-night finale on May 22-23.

Earlier this year, McEntire was asked if she thought she’d make a good replacement for Shelton, revealing that she was almost one of the OG Voice judges. She told ET that she was originally offered a role on the show before it debuted in 2011 before producers pivoted to Shelton.

“I got [a look at] the Holland version of The Voice. They sent it to me and I said, ‘I can’t see me doing that,’” she said in Feb. of her feelings after seeing the original version of the show that has spawned a global franchise. “Because, you know, I’m a gypsy at heart,” said McEntire, 68 of her desire not to be tied down to one project for so long at the time.

McEntire did not end up completely abandoning the show, though, serving as a mentor to Team Blake in 2011 and then returning again in 2015. Stefani is also no stranger, serving as a coach during six different seasons (7, 9, 17, 19 and 22), while Legend was a coach during seasons 16-22.

Check out NBC’s announcement below.

15 May 2023

Watch Randy Rainbow Give a ‘Hairspray’-Style Middle Finger to Ron DeSantis in New Parody Video

While tensions continue to flare between former president Donald Trump and embattled Florida governor Ron DeSantis, internet sensation Randy Rainbow is pulling out his popcorn to watch the chaos ensue.

On Monday (May 15), Rainbow unveiled his latest parody video, “Welcome to DeSantis,” taking jabs at the governor as the politician prepares to announce his long-awaited 2024 presidential run. Kicking things off with a classic Randy Rainbow fake interview, the comedian points to the controversial policies DeSantis has passed into law before sarcastically saying that he would make a great president.

“Who needs cultural advancement, diversity, compassion, or Trixie Mattel?” Rainbow mockingly quips. “This country is in a slow-burning UberX headed right back to the dark ages, and baby, you’re just the heartless, autocratic wannabe to drive us there!”

As is custom, Rainbow launches directly into song with a hilarious re-invention of “Welcome to the 60’s” from the 2002 musical Hairspray, but this time with DeSantis’ all-but-announced presidential run in his sights. Addressed jeeringly to former Trump voters (referred to simply as “MAGA” throughout the video), the song derides DeSantis’ policies and teases what a potential presidency from the governor would look like.

“Welcome to the bigoted old-timey days/ Where we ban all the books, and we hate all the gays,” Rainbow croons on the song’s bridge. Later, he piles on even more, singing that voters ought to “Hide your wife and children when DeSantis runs/ ‘Cause our lives are secondary to their godd–n guns.”

Putting a button on his top-tier parody, Rainbow takes a final swipe at DeSantis as his polling numbers continue to plummet. “Put an end to those pesky old human rights,” Rainbow says with a caustic smile. “‘Cause we know that he’ll fight for our nation/ ‘Til at last it’s safe for wealthy Christian whites — ugh, finally!”

This marks the second time that Rainbow has taken aim specifically at DeSantis through his videos. Back in April 2022, Rainbow dedicated his parody video “GAY!” entirely to Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Check out Rainbow’s full video for “Welcome to DeSantis” below:

15 May 2023

Kim Petras Announces New Album & Models for ‘Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’ Cover

Woo-ah, indeed! Kim Petras shared two major bits of news on Monday (May 15): Her major-label debut is finally on its way and she’s on the cover of the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.

Titled Feed the Beast, the German pop princess revealed the album’s release date and what looks like the cover art on social media, writing, “The story begins on June 23rd. Feed The Beast” and offering a link for fans to pre-save the album on streaming platforms. The accompanying artwork is missing Petras altogether, though, opting instead to show a fantastical sword propped up against a giant obsidian rock against a midnight blue sky.

So far, Feed the Beast is expected to contain Petras’ previously released singles “If Jesus Was a Rockstar,” “Brr” and “Alone” featuring Nicki Minaj.

The singer’s loyal army of Bunheads were ecstatic over the announcement, with one writing, “CMON DEBUT!” in the comments, and another joking, “Kim don’t turn around the beast is behind you.”

Meanwhile, for this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, the trans Grammy winner joins Martha Stewart, Megan Fox and model Brooks Nader as one of four cover models, wearing an iridescent gold bikini top designed by Natalia Fedner.

To celebrate her groundbreaking cover, the recent Billboard Women in Music Chartbreaker honoree — who’s also on the May/June cover of Out — is set to perform a special concert presented by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Friday (May 19) at Hollywood, Fla.’s Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

Later this summer, Petras will mark the release of Feed the Beast with another high-profile show — this one as part of Today‘s 2023 Citi Summer Concert Series on the day of the album release.

Check out Petras’ announcement of Feed the Beast below and get a look at her stunning SI Swimsuit cover here.

15 May 2023

5 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Lori McKenna & Hillary Lindsey

This week’s column features a plethora of collaborations. Superb songwriters Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey team up to plumb the emotional depths of a relationship, while Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson’s power ballad details a relationship on its ragged edge. Top-shelf singer-songwriter Rebecca Lynn Howard, newcomer Zach Top and Texas artist Jason Eady also offer new music.

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See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson, “Save Me”

Labelmates Wilson and Jelly Roll (born Jason DeFord) debuted their collaboration on last week’s Academy of Country Music Awards. This smoldering power ballad (written by DeFord and David Ray Stevens) melds and highlights country music’s breadth of current-day influences, from Jelly Roll’s gritty, rock-infused style, to Wilson’s twangy, R&B-flavored country. Lyrically, the song’s subject is mired in self-recrimination and despair, pleading with a lover to leave in order to find their own freedom, engendering a sense of angst and selflessness.

Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, “Killing Me”

McKenna and Lindsey have long penned sterling hits with layered nuances, including Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.” Their latest previews McKenna’s upcoming Dave Cobb-produced album 1988, out July 21 via CN Records/Thirty Tigers. “Would it kill you to be happy?” they ask, paring for this jangly, folk-rock track, excavating the emotional weariness wrought by carrying the weight of constant attempts to ensure a lover’s emotional equilibrium.

Rebecca Lynn Howard, “I Am My Mother”

Known for her 2002 top 20 Billboard Country Airplay hit “Forgive,” Howard possesses one of country music’s most powerful voices. Here, she pays tribute to the integral, enduring influence of the mother-daughter relationship on this sweet piano and strings-inflected ballad. Howard wrote this tender ballad with Jamie Floyd, Rachel Thibodeau and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. The song’s ability to convey teenage rebellion and a sense of empathy and understanding that comes with time and experience makes this Mother’s Day release a song that will touch hearts long after the holiday.

Zach Top, “The Kinda Woman I Like”

Top recently made his Grand Ole Opry debut and has been on tour with Dwight Yoakam. Both milestones are signifiers of the newcomer’s musical ambitions to carry the torch of beloved ’90s country music legends. His latest, the flirtatious barn-burner “The Kinda Woman I Like,” features Top’s twangy vocals, conveying the influence of artists such as Tracy Lawrence and the fiddle-soaked melodies and rhythms of Alan Jackson. Top joins a growing movement of artists inspired more by throwback country sounds than rock and pop ambitions.

Jason Eady, “Way Down in Mississippi”

Texas-by-way-of-Mississippi artist Eady retraces his musical journey and his deep Southern roots on this bluesy, gospel-infused track. Sparse rhythms, tinkling piano, energetic handclaps and soulful backing vocals that would feel right at home in a fervent church service bolster lyrics that namecheck bluegrassers Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. This singular melding of musical synergies, layered with Eady’s husky voice, makes his latest musical iteration feel timeless. “Way Down in Mississippi” is from his upcoming Aug. 11 release, Mississippi, produced by Band of Heathens’ Gordy Quist.

15 May 2023

Music Biz 2023 Conference to Reach New Industry Sectors

When executives from across the United States and international markets convene in Nashville May 15-18 for the Music Biz 2023 conference, they will connect with a trade organization widening its reach, with a leader boasting credentials that are uncommon in the music industry.

Portia Sabin, who became Music Business Association president in September 2019, brings to her role a Columbia University doctorate in anthropology and education and savvy that she gained from a subsequent 13 years as president of the respected independent label Kill Rock Stars and eight years as host of music business podcast The Future of What.

It’s no wonder that Sabin has cultivated an esteemed fan club of music industry professionals, including the heads of other trade groups.

“Because of her background and her personality, she’s got analytical and creative skills to put fresh ideas out there, and she’s not afraid to push the envelope,” says Mitch Glazier, chairman/CEO of the RIAA.

“She remains focused on educating and improving this business, pushing for growth and inclusion while helping others to navigate the challenges that come with never-ending technological and economic change,” says Michael Huppe, president/CEO of SoundExchange. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Portia as a strong and insightful voice in the music industry.”

Highlights of this year’s Music Biz conference will include four days of panels and workshops, keynote addresses by Kobalt founder and chairman Willard Ahdritz and leaders of the Black Music Action Coalition, as well as the second Bizzy Awards to recognize companies and individuals who are making a difference in improving the global industry. The 2022 Music Biz drew over 2,100 attendees from across some 750 companies, with 8% of participants coming from outside the United States.

“Running a label made me get very interested in the business of the music industry,” Sabin says of the road that led her to her Music Business Association role. “I was also on the board of A2IM [the American Association of Independent Music] for 12 years, on the board of the RIAA for a couple years, on the Recording Academy Board of Governors in the Pacific Northwest for six years and I also started a podcast about the music industry in 2014, so I had a lot of interest in the business itself.

“It’s a fascinating industry,” Sabin continues. “There’s a lot to know, and it’s also one of those weird ones where everybody thinks it’s easy from the outside until you get involved in it. We really saw that in the tech boom, starting about 10, 12 years ago, when all these tech people came into our sector saying, ‘I don’t know what your problem is. We can make lots of money,’ and then one by one they have disappeared. The only ones who stuck were the ones who bothered to learn and respect the music industry.”

Portia Sabin

Portia Sabin

Nashville Corporate Photography

Originally comprised of music wholesalers, retailers and distributors, the Music Business Association had already begun to broaden its scope during the tenure of James Donio, Sabin’s predecessor — a shift indicated in 2013, when the organization changed its name from the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) to the broader moniker it has today. Continuing that expansion was one of Sabin’s early priorities.

“We’ve made a concerted effort to be inclusive, to reach out to companies that are coming in, like tech startups, that are doing cool things and solving problems that people have,” Sabin says.

The music business, she notes, is “an ever-changing landscape, and I think it’s one of those things you have to be comfortable with when you set out to have an inclusive trade association.”

Today, the Music Business Association has several initiatives to more broadly serve the music industry. For example, the Music Biz conference has added programming that focuses on the touring and ticketing industry “because that part of our business has always weirdly been a little bit separate,” Sabin says. “I certainly found out when I was running a record label that that whole live side was sort of its own animal. The booking agents are over there, the promoters, the big talent agencies.”

But the pandemic highlighted the fact that the music business “is an ecosystem and we all rely on each other, and when one goes down, the whole goes down,” says Sabin of the live sector. “So we have made a big effort since 2019 to get those folks involved.”

The conference’s programming style has also evolved. “We have discovered the power of creating tracks for discussion,” Sabin says. “It helps people get more in-depth knowledge. If you’re going to do three panels on a topic, one right after the other and everybody is having the conversation together, that makes it stronger, so we’re doing quite a lot of tracks at this year’s Music Biz.”

Music Biz 2022

MIDiA Research’s Tatiana Cirisano (center) at the UMG Mixer at Music Biz 2022.

Graham Dodd

Sabin’s desire for a larger tent extends beyond the types of companies that make up the Music Business Association. Achieving a more inclusive board “was a huge goal for me,” Sabin says. “It has taken us four years, but now we’ve gotten to 52% people of color on the board, 57% women, as well as a nice, wide range of diversity in company type. I think that’s also really important.”

“She formed a diversity, equity and inclusion committee pretty much immediately, so that was a core element of building and reconsidering the organization,” says Downtown Music Holdings chief marketing officer Molly Neuman, who recalls that Sabin’s early priorities included making the organization’s board more diverse and expanding the voices heard at its events. “That was in place when George Floyd was murdered and we had Blackout Tuesday and all the things that happened in the summer of 2020, so we already had this core unit considering these things for the industry, but we were also in a position to offer mutual support as well as long-term plans.”

That commitment to inclusion was illustrated recently when the Nashville-based Music Business Association issued a statement decrying anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the Tennessee Legislature.

Broadening the scope of the Music Business Association also includes an effort to increase the involvement of younger music professionals. “We have a programming track called #NextGen_Now, and we tried our first physical event with them [in March] in Nashville,” Sabin says. “We had a cocktail mixer and it was incredibly successful; they all had to be kicked out at the end of the evening because they were enjoying themselves too much, which is great.”

The association is also reaching students through its #NextGen_U initiative. Like its predecessor, NARM, the Music Business Association has continued to offer scholarships to help the next generation of music business executives.

“The programming that we did online for them was very successful over the pandemic and we continued to do those through as recently as February of this year,” says Sabin. “We think it’s easier for students to attend a two-day virtual conference for $39 rather than flying and getting a hotel room. We also have an academic-partner newsletter now that we send out monthly.”

Willard Ahdritz

Willard Ahdritz

Paul Brissman

Another recent Music Biz outreach echoes NARM’s almost-forgotten 1970s-era playbook — the Road Show.

“For the vast majority of our members, their clients are actually artists and musicians and Music Biz [previously] didn’t provide any forums for them to get in front of those people,” Sabin says. “So I put together what we call the Music Biz Road Show. We usually partner with a trade association in a city and go for a day and do a mini Music Biz, where we put on some panels, maybe a fireside chat and a cocktail hour. The local trade association brings a couple hundred local artists so our members get to get in front of their actual clients, the people who they actually want to meet. And we get to do educational programming for those folks. It has been very successful so far.

“We’ve had them in Atlanta, Portland, Ore., and Memphis and we have them coming up in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans and Miami,” Sabin continues. “If my staff doesn’t kill me, I would like to have at least one a month.”

Amid such outreach, what are the priorities for this year’s expanded Music Biz conference?

“I think everyone is always interested in what’s coming next, so I think generative [artificial intelligence] is a conversation that people really want to have,” Sabin says. “Because our conference is crowdsourced, it’s really fun to see what topics come in over and over and which ones fall by the wayside.

“For example, we had the highest number of [programming suggestions] that anyone can ever remember receiving, like 326 proposals this year, and there was only one on [non-fungible tokens]. So you can tell that’s no longer of concern to the membership.”

But a perennial concern remains: “What are the revenue streams that are out there and how do we capture them? That is what the internet has done for the music industry; it has created boundless opportunities, with this scary downside of, ‘How do [creators] collect [revenue for their creations]?’

“I feel like the music business has always been playing catch-up to technology,” Sabin adds. “A new technology comes along and we spend 20 years figuring out how to get it monetized properly, and by that time another technology comes along. But it’s happening so much faster right now and I think that’s the central interest of our membership, and that’s really what we are.”

This story originally appeared in the May 13, 2023, issue of Billboard.

15 May 2023

Luminate Announces New Streaming and Sales Data Platform

Luminate is launching a new platform that will house the company’s global data capabilities across music, film, TV and more, the company announced Monday (May 15).

An improvement from the company’s current legacy data platform, Music Connect, the new platform includes the industry-leading music sales, streaming and airplay data that has powered the Billboard charts for over three decades. The design was built to complement the rapidly evolving entertainment industry and allows users to explore a more comprehensive view of music consumption by artist and project at both global and individual country levels. It also provides customers with the ability to extract more in-depth insights.

The news was broken Monday morning at the annual Music Biz conference in Nashville by Luminate CEO Rob Jonas.

“As conversations of uncertainty surrounding AI and other technological advancements begin to inundate the entertainment industry, there’s never been a more pressing time for transparency and objectivity in how data is used across music, film, TV, streaming video content and more,” said Jonas. “Luminate’s new platform is built upon three decades of expertise – the information and content we collate and analyze every day forms a rich data asset on which prediction and recommendation will become commonplace for our customers and partners. We are focused on centralized, unbiased information to help keep creators informed, honest, and united by a singular reference point.”

The platform’s improved benefits and features include a more customizable user interface, allowing for various sorting, filtering and grouping functionality; an improved search, with dedicated page and separation per categories (artist/song/album) for quicker access; and the ability for users to share dashboards with team members by copying and pasting a URL for easier collaboration.

Additionally, the platform boasts upgraded data infrastructure, using a multi-cloud architecture incorporating Amazon Web Services and Snowflake, making it faster and more flexible than any of its predecessors. It is designed to ingest thousands of data sources and present them as valuable insights and trends about consumer engagement and behavior, with data exchange and API support available for customers who require data ingestion into their own systems and platforms.

The platform also incorporates more comprehensive artist metadata, including country of origin, language(s) and label information. Additionally, users can drill down to the ISRC or EAN/UPC level, as well as break out the data by different criteria; they also have the ability to separate all activities from Charts Equivalent by providing a dedicated “charts view.” The platform also includes international market-level data via new global filters — an improvement from Music Connect, which largely represents North America — giving users the ability to drill down to key international data from specific countries.

Lastly, the new platform incorporates support for new forms of consumption, including short-form video and gaming environments.

In the coming quarters, Luminate will integrate its other data offerings into the new platform, including music audience research, film metadata, TV metadata and streaming video analytics. New data provider partners will also be announced in the coming weeks.

“Luminate’s new platform was designed in collaboration with some of our most valued partners across the entertainment industry,” said Luminate chief product officer Arnaud Retureau. “Their feedback was invaluable to our efforts in providing a user experience that is beneficial to the entire music community, especially in creating a central reference point pertaining to baseline consumption metrics and expert insights. We’re looking forward to continuing to engage with that feedback to maintain the most effective and useful product possible.”

Luminate’s team is currently on the ground at Music Biz, where they’re scheduled to participate in featured speaking sessions and curated music data programming and will be offering demos of the new platform for industry professionals. You can learn more about their presence at the conference here.

Luminate rebranded in March 2022 and was previously known as Nielsen Music and P-MRC Data.

15 May 2023

Taylor Swift Recalls Surprising Her Mom With Secret ‘Fearless’ Track During Mother’s Day Concert

Taylor Swift and her mom had the best day this Mother’s Day. While closing out her three-night Eras Tour run at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Mother’s Day (May 14), the pop star gave an emotional performance of her 2008 tribute track for Mama Swift, “The Best Day” — but not before recalling the sweet story of how she sneakily surprised her mom with the song all those years ago.

“I secretly recorded a song on Fearless,” she told the crowd, sitting at her piano for the second of her two nightly surprise songs (the first one was “Hey Stephen,” another Fearless favorite). “It was very sneaky and fun.”

The “Anti-Hero” singer went on to say that it was very difficult to write and record “The Best Day” without her mom knowing, as she was just 16 or 17 at the time. “I wrote this song just compiling these sort of core childhood memories I had of not just her as a mother, but her as a friend,” she continued.

After playing it for the first time for her mom, Andrea Swift, she asked, “Did you like the song?”

Andrea, however, didn’t even realize it had been written about and for her. “It’s such a beautiful song. Where did you find it? It sounds exactly like the things we went through,” Swift’s mom replied, according to the star.

“I was like, ‘Mom, I wrote it and recorded it secretly, it is our memories,” Swift explained to her, which she said moved Andrea to tears. “It was the sweetest thing ever because I just think she couldn’t have comprehended that I would write a song about the two of us.”

The 12-time Grammy winner admitted that the song makes her emotional as well, and that she would try her best to get through the whole thing without getting choked up.

Swift also gave another shoutout earlier in the night to Andrea, who was seen watching the show from a box seat with the musician’s dad, Scott, as well as The 1975’s Matty Healy, Swift’s rumored romantic interest. “Mother’s Day’s awesome,” she said during the Evermore portion of the setlist. “My mom’s my best friend, I’m obsessed with my mom.”

See clips of Taylor sending love to Andrea at Sunday night’s Eras Tour show below:

15 May 2023

Taylor Swift Fan Says Singer Proved ‘She Has Our Back’ During Philadelphia Incident With Security Guard

If you didn’t already know that Taylor Swift has Swifties’ backs, now you know. A fan who was on the receiving end of some Taylor largesse on Saturday night during the singer’s second night performing her Eras Tour at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field spoke to Good Morning America on Monday (May 15) about what it felt like to have Swift come to her aid during the show this weekend.

As chronicled in a number of fan videos, the incident came during Swift’s performance of “Bad Blood,” when the singer asked a security guard to ease up on Swifties dancing along to the show. “She’s fine,” Taylor said in the midst of the song’s chorus in which she appeared to call out the unnamed guard. “She wasn’t doing anything. Hey, stop! Stop!”

Now the fan, identified by GMA as Maryland third grade teacher Kelly Inglis Kelly, said she and her friends were dancing along to “Bad Blood” in their front row seats when, for some reason, the security guard allegedly began making demands.

“He kept telling me to stop. He kept telling me to like calm down and not to dance,” Kelly told GMA. “And I guess she noticed and she yelled at him and told him to leave me alone and that I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

Kelly also spoke out on a friend’s TikTok feed, explaining, “I was the girl that Taylor talked to last night. Basically, the guard had been harassing our group all night, just to like… he just kept telling us not to touch the rail, and like anytime we did anything he was on top of us. We’re dancing, we’re having fun, and he didn’t like it. And Taylor noticed that I was having fun and that he didn’t like it, and she didn’t like it, and then he basically, like, got escorted out. And then they offered us free tickets for tonight [Sunday ].”

In the end, Kelly said, “it wasn’t this big crazy thing. It was just a bunch of girls having a good time and he didn’t want us to have fun.”

The teacher thanked Swift for speaking up during the show. “I think it means so much to everybody else, so her fans know that, like, she has our back,” Kelly said. Swift’s spokesperson had not returned Billboard’s request for comment at press time and GMA said a rep for Lincoln Financial Field would not comment when reached.

Kelly said she was back at the venue on Sunday night for the final gig of the three-night stand. Other standout moments during the Philly show included the nightly surprise song portion of Swift’s set, which included Fearless deep cut “Forever & Always” (requested by her friend Lena Dunham) and 1989 standout “This Love.”

Swift is moving on to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA on Friday (May 19) for another three-night stand.

See Kelly’s TikTok below.

15 May 2023

Billboard’s 21 Under 21: See Who Made the 2023 List

Billboard’s annual celebration of the most innovative and influential young artists in the music industry includes Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid LAROI, d4vd, Ayra Starr and more.

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Rania Aniftos, Katie Atkinson, Katie Bain, Stephen Daw, Griselda Flores, Josh Glicksman, Lyndsey Havens, Carl Lamarre, Cydney Lee, Jason Lipshutz, Jessica Nicholson, Jessica Roiz, Neena Rouhani

21 Under 21

This year’s 21 Under 21 package features the next generation of superstars who are savvier than ever — and know the importance of balancing nonstop careers while still maintaining at least a shred of privacy.

It’s something that fast-rising newcomer d4vd has already mastered. The 18-year-old — who teased his breakout hit “Romantic Homicide” on social media without ever showing his face — has quickly become one of alternative music’s most promising new artists. And come May 26, he’ll release his debut EP, Petals to Thorns.

The 2023 list includes other new names like alternative artist Riovaz, fast-rising R&B trio FLO and Afropop sensation Ayra Starr alongside more familiar chart-toppers like Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid LAROI and Lil Tecca — all of whom are teasing anticipated new projects on the way.

Rodrigo shared an update on her Sour follow-up in an Instagram story at the top of the year, LAROI debuted a new song off his upcoming album during his April Coachella set and in February Lil Tecca captioned a video on Instagram of himself in the studio, “when we droppin this album?”

It’s clear for the artists on this list that the year ahead — and, considering their early start, the years to come — will continue to be bright, if not nonstop.

Methodology: Billboard editors and reporters weighed a variety of factors in determining the 2023 21 Under 21 list, including, but not limited to, impact on consumer behavior, measured by metrics such as album and track sales, streaming volume (listed here as each artist’s on-demand official U.S. career streams, according to Luminate), social media impressions and radio/TV audiences reached; career trajectory; and overall impact in the industry, specifically during the past 12 months. Unless otherwise noted, Luminate is the source for sales/streaming data.

A version of this list originally appeared in the May 13, 2023 issue of Billboard.

15 May 2023

The Weeknd Changes Social Media Display Names to His Birth Name

After announcing his decision to axe his artist moniker during his interview with W Magazine recently, The Weeknd took a step in that direction when he changed all of his display names on social media to his birth name — Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. 

The cover story featuring his The Idol co-star Lily-Rose Depp highlighted their upcoming controversial HBO Max series, The Idol, and revealed Tesfaye’s desire to “kill The Weeknd.”

“I’m going through a cathartic path right now. It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” the singer told W Magazine. “I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”

Though Tesfaye has taken the initial steps in removing his iconic artist name from social media, he revealed his plans to complete one more album under The Weeknd. “The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd,” he said during his interview. “This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”

Later in the story, Tesfaye explained how playing the role of Tedros in the upcoming HBO musical drama had a physical and emotional toll on him. “I had to take off The Weeknd outfit, put on Tedros’ wig, shoot with [Depp’s character] Jocelyn, then go back to being The Weeknd,” he reflected on the shift between characters. “Then, after the concert, I lost my voice. No voice came out at all. That’s never happened before. My theory is that I forgot how to sing because I was playing Tedros, a character who doesn’t know how to sing. I may be looking too deeply into this, but it was terrifying. As The Weeknd, I’ve never skipped a concert. I’ve performed with the flu. I’ll die on that stage. But there was something very complicated going on with my mind at that moment.”

The Idol debuts June 4 on Max.