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13 Mar 2023

How Puerto Rico’s Music Turned the Small Island Into a Global Force

When Bad Bunny picked up his best música urbana album award at the Grammys in February, he dedicated his win to “Puerto Rico, the cradle and the capital of reggaetón worldwide.” The superstar wasn’t grandstanding. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is tiny. According to the most recent U.S. Census, there are a mere 3.2 million people on an island that measures 111 miles by 39 miles, roughly one-third the size of neighboring Haiti and one-fifth the size of the Dominican Republic. When it comes to music, however, Puerto Rico is a global giant — and not solely because of Bad Bunny’s record-breaking achievements over the past three years.

“Puerto Rico has been one of the main exporters of music for decades now,” says Paco López, founder and president of concert promoter No Limit Entertainment. “We’re very small in terms of territory, but very big in talent.”

Puerto Rico’s outsize influence can be found throughout Latin music history in the works of Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ricky Martín, Elvis Crespo, Marc Anthony and Jennifer López, as well as the current wave of urban music. Although reggaetón originated in Panama, it became globally popular thanks to Puerto Rican acts such as Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Wisin y Yandel and Don Omar, and has reached new heights thanks to newcomers like Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny performs during his concert at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on July 28, 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Gladys Vega/GI

That impact on the music industry is not limited to artists. Puerto Rico is home base for a growing number of recording studios, independent labels and concert venues that are supported by the growing number of music schools, educational initiatives and government incentives that keep the industry on the island evolving.

Between November 2021 and October 2022, the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot alone grossed more than $40 million, according to Billboard Boxscore. And according to ASM Global regional GM Jorge Pérez, who oversees the fabled venue, the island’s live-entertainment industry created 30,000 jobs and generated $2 billion annually over the past two years. In that time, Puerto Rico also began hosting major televised shows, including Premios Tu Música Urbano (Telemundo), Premios Juventud (Univision) and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, that were broadcast from the territory. (Billboard parent company Penske Media Corp. partially acquired dick clark productions in January.)

Billboard spoke with 14 Puerto Rican industry leaders about the present and the future of the world’s most musical island. -LEILA COBO

Exporting Tradition

Rimas Entertainment head label manager Raymond Acosta says the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot is a local treasure that hosts at least one show a week. The venue (known locally as “El Choli”) has become the island’s most iconic venue, with elite acts including Rimas artists Bad Bunny and Arcángel performing sold-out runs there. The venue is “a synonym for prestige for local acts who work day to day to give the Puerto Rican audience a groundbreaking show,” says the executive, who works under Bad Bunny manager Noah Assad. Acosta also points to the island’s ever-evolving use of technology as a factor in its growing global impact, stating, “We have been improving our skills around the music-creating process and learned how to translate our culture and traditions into music.”

Coliseo José Miguel Agrelot

Aerial view of Coliseo José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico at night.

Courtesy of ASM Global

‘Hotbed Of Artistic Creativity’

LaMusica vp of content development Bianca Alarcon, who says the island’s global influence is undeniable, describes Puerto Rico as a “hotbed of artistic creativity. … If there’s one thing Puerto Rico knows how to do best, it’s to create and evolve a genre of music and make it universally successful. It happened back in the ’50s and ’60s with the Cuban mambo, the boogaloo, the cha-cha-cha and Latin jazz, which Puerto Rican artists then morphed into what became known as salsa. Ditto with reggaetón. The Panamanians invented the sound, and the Puerto Ricans tweaked it and ignited it at a global level.”

What’s Next for Puerto Rico?: “Female artists are also getting some serious traction, which makes me super enthusiastic,” says Alarcon. “Artists like Young Miko, Villano Antillano, Catalina, Cory, paopao and RaiNao are killing it and creating some nifty collaborations in the process. ¡Gracias al canto de la isla del encanto!”

It’s Not Just The Artists

According to Duars Entertainment founder/CEO Eric Duars, the star power emanating from Puerto Rico would not have happened without the executives who guide artists to success, such as managers Raphy Pina and Noah Assad, who launched the careers of chart-topping acts Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny, respectively. “The global industry must know that the talent in Puerto Rico is not limited to the artists,” says Duars, who knows the territory well. He manages Puerto Rican star Rauw Alejandro, whose Saturno peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart in November. Duars adds, “We have a range of behind-the-scenes talents that have been just as relevant when it comes to developing new artists and launching them worldwide.”

Ties To The Mainland

The fact that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory means it’s a “friendly” destination that shares the same currency and passport requirements as the 50 states, says José “Pepe” Dueño, president of concert promoter José Dueño Entertainment Group. Located just over two hours from Miami by plane, “Puerto Rico has been the vacation/concert destination for many international acts, such as The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Billy Joel, Sting, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maroon 5 and AC/DC,” Dueño says. He adds that “with the social media revolution, fans all over Puerto Rico are connected with a wider variety of global talent. Puerto Rico is a friendly destination for young artists as well as for those megastars.”

Artists For The History Books

Puerto Rico’s vibrant music scene is growing faster than ever thanks to digital advances and streaming platforms, according to Nanette Lamboy, CEO of marketing agency Artist Solutions. “We have top Puerto Rican superstars proudly representing the island all over the world,” she says, as well as writing their names in the pages of popular music and political history. In 2019, several musicians, including Ricky Martín, Bad Bunny and Residente, spearheaded anti-government protests after politically damning chats between Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and his staff leaked, resulting in Rosselló’s resignation.

Decades Of Puerto Rican Excellence

“When you talk about music, you need to talk about Puerto Rico,” says No Limit Entertainment’s López. He explains that the path for the latest generation of stars was paved by Menudo in the 1980s and by salsa stars and merengue artists like Elvis Crespo and Olga Tañón in the 1990s. “By the end of the 1990s, Ricky Martín and his ‘Livin’ la Vida Loca’ and ‘The Cup of Life’ made it to the World Cup and also got the audience on its feet at the 1999 Grammy Awards,” López says. As a result, the popularity of Puerto Rican artists and music has spread throughout Latin America and Europe, with a big boost from Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” in 2017. And “today, we boast the No. 1 artist in the world, Bad Bunny, who leads both streaming and touring artists.”

What’s Next for Puerto Rico?: “I heard from an indie impresario who wants to create traveling music studios in trucks and take them to housing projects and poorer neighborhoods to give young people with few resources the opportunity to display their talent,” says López. “If he’s able to pull this off, young people with scarce resources would be able to experience being in a music studio and recording their own music.”

Daddy Yankee

Daddy Yankee performs during his La Ultima Vuelta LEGENDADDY Farewell Tour at FTX Arena on December 22, 2022 in Miami, Florida.

Alexander Tamargo/GI

Investing In New Talent

“We have demonstrated [the] fact that we are a very important place to develop talent,” says Andres Martinez, who manages Yandel and co-founded Jak Entertainment, of his native Puerto Rico. He praises the region’s Act 20 Decree of 2012 as a factor for helping boost the industry as a whole. The decree offers tax incentives for Puerto Rican companies to export their services, resulting in an estimated $210 million as of 2019 in added fiscal revenue, according to the Puerto Rican government. Many in the industry — including performers, producers, promoters and other executives — “have developed a financial organization chart around the law” to help fund projects and invest in talent, says Martinez.

Still The Reggaetón Kingmaker

According to Molusco, a TV, radio and YouTube host, Puerto Ricans aren’t concerned that the reggaetón popularized by Don Omar and Daddy Yankee is being effectively re-created in other countries. After all, the genre’s artists still have to “get their due” on the island and play iconic venues like Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot. “The genre evolved in Puerto Rico, but it was so big, and Puerto Rican artists so inspired artists from other countries that today, they do it everywhere and very successfully,” he says. But “once you make it in Puerto Rico, it’s like a seal of approval.”

What’s Next for Puerto Rico?: “There are thousands of opportunities in Puerto Rico at any given time,” Molusco says. “There are producers like Gaby Music and Chris Jedi who have built their recording and video studios for artists from Puerto Rico and outside artists who come to record here. We have tons of producers and composers on the island. We’re a hotbed of talent in every sense of the word.”

Just The Beginning

Puerto Rico “still has a lot to show,” according to La Buena Fortuna Global CEO Nelson “Polo” Montalvo. Thanks to the variety of music produced on the island, the amount of “per capita” talent across the music industry and its astonishing filming locations, Puerto Rico “could very well be a music-creation and distribution hub, sort of a one-stop shop,” he suggests. Key to this development, he says, is the next generation of emerging music executives and entrepreneurs. “There is a unique group of industry leaders coming out of this small Caribbean island who are changing the landscape of the music business industry,” Montalvo says. “New, creative ways of doing business are being developed from here.”

What’s Next for Puerto Rico?: “As an artist, I would say [rapper and Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise] Villano Antillano is the most promising rising talent right now out on the island,” Montalvo says. “She has broken and redefined, or just plainly thrown all rules out the window, thus changing the music industry landscape and opening doors for many new, creatively different, out-of-the-box artists. This is a new world of possibilities.”

Villano Antillano

Villano Antillano is photographed at the LA3C portrait studio held at Los Angeles State Historic Park on December 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Buckner for Penske Media

80 Years Of Understanding

Nevarez Communications owner Mayna Nevarez says the global success of the music of Puerto Rico began over 80 years ago with Rafael Hernández’s 1937 triumph “Lamento Borincano” and World War II classic “Mi Viejo San Juan” by Noel Estrada. She attributes the island’s cultural success to Puerto Ricans’ understanding of the Latino market and the “incredible influence” from the English-speaking market. In recent years, Nevarez has seen independent labels reemerge and more Gen Z and millennial women lead important projects globally in the industry. Financial incentives that the island offers are also attracting more film and TV crews, she says, and opening doors for the local talent, as well as the recent transmission of live events from Puerto Rico, including the first Spanish countdown for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve last year.

Island Of Gold

Carlos Ortiz Rivera (known professionally as Chris Jedi), co-founder/producer of record label La Familia, is passionate about supporting the talent emerging from Puerto Rico, especially female artists. “It has been a long time since we’ve had a female superstar from Puerto Rico. We’re looking for that,” he says. And despite the global success of Bad Bunny and other Puerto Rican artists over the last few years, Jedi contends that the local music business remains underappreciated on the world stage. “Puerto Rico is the key piece. We are the influence and the guide to follow,” he says. “It’s an island where gold comes out all the time.”

‘Large And Significant Impact’

Following Bad Bunny’s historic successes in 2022, ASM Global regional GM Jorge L. Perez says Puerto Rico is “producing a slew of promising newcomers projected to have worldwide reach in the next 12 to 24 months,” including Mora, Eladio Carrión and Young Miko. The Coliseo is a growing worldwide presence with 60% non-Puerto Rican performers and roughly 100,000 fans from outside the island gracing the venue in 2022, according to Perez. With the addition of the recently opened entertainment complex Distrito T-Mobile managed by ASM Global, “our aim is to use our venues in Puerto Rico to increase hotel occupancy through world-class live events” to increase the average length of stay which is currently just under three days, Perez says. “Every additional day will have an economic impact of $750 million for our island.”

Young Miko

Young Miko performs during the Amazon Music LAT!N, Neon16 And Buena Vibra Host El Juego All-Star Basketball Game In Puerto Rico With Artists From El Género on July 19, 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

John Parra/GI

Demand Keeps Growing

Puerto Rico’s cultural impact on a global scale is undeniable, and the growing demand for its artists and regional genres like reggaetón and Latin trap continues to boom, says Omar “Omi” Rivera, founder and talent manager at Omi Management (Arcángel, Myke Towers). The industry infrastructure (in a region that has more music studios than schools) widely supports its local talent and vibrant music scene, “making it a hub for music production and an incubator for emerging new artists,” he adds. In turn, this has drawn the attention of international awards shows like Premios Juventud and Premios Tu Música Urbano. The exponential growth of music from the island in recent years has led to “the rise of new artists from [Puerto Rico] and other Spanish-speaking countries, creating opportunities for the local music industry to expand and reach new audiences [while] attracting more investment [in] and attention to the island’s local scene.”

Not An Overnight Success

With a career trajectory that spans over 20 years, José “Pompi” Vallejo, co-founder of global live-entertainment, marketing and media company Mr. and Mrs. Entertainment, says the Puerto Rican music industry has worked nonstop for the global recognition it has today. But now, there are more “high-caliber professionals” in entertainment thanks to new university courses and the aid provided by the island’s Department of Economic Development to creative industries and entrepreneurs. “As a professor at one of the universities that offer these courses,” he says, “I have been able to see firsthand that the best is yet to come, not only in the music creation but also in the technical part that every artist needs on their team and that’s so important in the success of a project.”

This story originally appeared in the March 11, 2023, issue of Billboard.

13 Mar 2023

Daniel Scheinert Calls Drag ‘a Threat to Nobody’ During 2023 Oscars Acceptance Speech

As Waymond Wang famously says in Everything Everywhere All At Once, “Please, be kind. Especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka “The Daniels”) certainly took that advice from their character when they accepted the award for best directing at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday (March 12). Dedicating the award to “all the mommies of the world,” Scheinert especially thanked his parents for supporting his passion throughout his life. “Thank you for not squashing my creativity when I was making really disturbing horror films, or really perverted comedy films, or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody.”

That final comment seemed to come as a shot at Tennessee lawmakers, who earlier this month passed a law banning drag performances from taking place on public property, claiming drag posed a threat to children. While Tennessee became the first state to enact such a ban, a number of other states — including North Dakota, Texas, West Virigina, Nebraska and South Carolina — are currently advancing similar legislation.

The Daniels were the big winners at Sunday night’s telecast, as Everything Everywhere All At Once took home a whopping seven awards out of the 11 it was nominated for, including best picture, best direction, best original screenplay, best film editing, and three of the four major acting awards (best actress for Michele Yeoh, best supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and best supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis).

Check out the Daniels’ full speech following their best directing win at the 2023 Oscars above.

13 Mar 2023

Spotify’s Brittany Schaffer Appointed Dean of Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business

Belmont University has appointed Brittany Schaffer, Spotify’s head of artist and label partnerships in Nashville, as the new dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, effective May 1.

“My career has focused on being a champion for people and ideas and innovations that have brought the music and broader entertainment industry together. At the same time, I have always been passionate about Nashville and its potential to be the creative center of the music business and a big player in the entertainment space at large,” Schaffer tells Billboard. “It’s an opportunity to align all the passions I have and all the work that I’ve done since starting my career into one place. It’s really exciting to be able to think about the legacy that the Curb College can leave on its students and how that influences the future of the music and entertainment space.”

Schaffer is the first female dean of the Nashville-based Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business since it launched in 2003; she fills the role held for seven years by Belmont alumnus and longtime music industry executive Doug Howard, who retired last fall.

Dr. Sarita Stewart, associate professor of creative & entertainment industries, served as the interim dean for this academic year. Stewart will take on a new role as senior associate dean for Curb College, working alongside Schaffer on programming and curriculum.

Schaffer will report to the provost/executive vice president of Academic Excellence and will be responsible for the College’s academic programs and student enrichment initiatives. She will serve approximately 100 faculty and staff and more than 2,700 students in Curb College programs.
Belmont’s music business program will celebrate its 50th anniversary during the 2023-24 academic year.

“I think it is a moment to celebrate the incredible work Belmont has done to get to this point,” Schaffer says of the milestone. “It is a program that is already recognized as one of the top entertainment and music business programs in the country and we need to celebrate that.”

She continues, “At the same time, I think the music industry and entertainment space are at a really exciting point of innovation. The landscape is changing faster than it probably ever has—the technology and business models that exist when students enter may look different by the time they graduate. It’s an exciting challenge to take on to think about how we prepare students to have a strong foundation in the fundamentals of the business, creativity and storytelling so they are prepared to navigate the changes that come that we can’t even anticipate. Also, right now, everyone wants to talk about Gen Z and those are our students. How do we create an environment where we are learning as much from our students as they are learning from us?”

Schaffer co-leads Spotify’s Nashville music team including overseeing the development and execution of Spotify’s global strategy to expand the country, Christian/Gospel and Americana genres. During Schaffer’s tenure, country music listening on Spotify grew by double digits annually, according to the streamer. She joined Spotify in January 2018, after serving as senior counsel for Nashville-based Loeb & Loeb, LLP.

Schaffer, who has been named to Billboard’s Country Power Players list for the past four years, is a magna cum laude graduate of both Vanderbilt University and Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Country Music Association and Country Radio Broadcasters, as well as the St. Jude Country Cares Advisory Board. Schaffer is a Class of 2022 Leadership Music graduate.

Belmont president Dr. Greg Jones said via a statement, “Belmont’s Curb College has long been recognized for developing artists and executives who bring innovative leadership and creative storytelling to their roles throughout the entertainment industry. We are delighted Brittany Schaffer has accepted the role of dean, and I am confident that she will elevate our programs even further, deepening our connections within music, motion pictures and media while establishing new partnerships in Nashville, across the U.S. and around the globe.”

Belmont Provost Dr. David Gregory added, “Brittany will bring extraordinary passion, faith and experience to her new role as dean of Curb College. Her legal background and familiarity advocating for artists, writers, producers and more within the industry provide a unique perspective on the holistic education our students need to be successful in a variety of entertainment fields. Plus, though her time with Spotify, she has been on the leading edge of where these content rich fields are heading and is well prepared to ensure Curb College stays at the forefront of modern storytelling.”

Belmont alumni have risen to the highest ranks in Nashville’s music industry and include Universal Music Group Nashville president Cindy Mabe (class of 1995), Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston (class of 1998) and Warner Chappell Music Nashville president and CEO Ben Vaughn (class of 2000).

13 Mar 2023

A$AP Rocky Cradles Rihanna’s Baby Bump at the 2023 Oscars: See the Sweet Backstage Photo

The Oscars were a family affair for Rihanna. At her side throughout the Sunday night (March 12) awards show was A$AP Rocky, who was captured cradling the “Umbrella” singer’s baby bump in an adorable backstage moment.

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The couple — currently expecting baby No. 2 — posed for a few photos backstage shortly after Ri finished performing her Wakanda Forever track, “Lift Me Up,” which was nominated for best original song. The Fenty Beauty founder looked characteristically glamorous in a mint green skirt and shawl combo that left her growing bump bare and on display.

In a couple of the photos, Rocky — dapper in a white tuxedo jacket — giggles into his partner’s ear as he wraps one hand around her waist and the other around her belly.

ASAP Rocky, Rihanna

ASAP Rocky and Rihanna backstage at the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/GI

The only family member missing from the snapshot was the couple’s 10-month-old son, who was probably sound asleep given that the three-hour ceremony lasted until about 11:30 p.m. ET. Rocky and Rihanna welcomed their first child in May last year, about nine months before the “Rude Boy” musician would wordlessly announce her second pregnancy by debuting her unmistakable baby bump during her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance in February.

Rihanna looked equally stunning onstage at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre while performing “Lift Me Up,” which she delivered on an elevated stage in a dress dripping with diamonds. Though the best original song statuette went to “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, the makeup mogul still got to celebrate her first ever Academy Award nomination while honoring late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

Check out Rihanna’s Oscars performance below:

13 Mar 2023

Indie Venue Collective Partners Up to Scale Web3 Credentialing Across Live Music

Ad.Ventures, the collective of over 120 independent venues and festivals across the U.S., has announced a new program with Web3 credentialing platform Dentity, bringing the company’s identity verification tech to the events industry. Throughout the week, Ad.ventures and Dentity will unveil new features of the platform at SXSW and showcase new opportunities for fans, venues and artists.

Ad.Ventures was formed by organizers of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), who launched the “Save our Stages” advocacy movement in 2020 in response to the pandemic shutdown, successfully securing a $16.2 billion relief program to benefit independent venues, artists and professionals. In an announcement, it said it “remains dedicated to preserving the ecosystem of independent venues, promoters, and festivals throughout the United States. This includes providing them access to the best partners and providers so they can continue scaling, enhancing, and improving their operations and offerings.”

Dentity enables consumers to securely store the most sensitive elements of their identities and public personas — from government IDs and memberships to digital event credentials — securely in one Web3 digital wallet.

“Our growing network of independent venues handles a volume of more than $100 million in ticket sales each year and services more than 10 million customers across thousands of events,” said Ian Fine, vp of partnerships for Ad.Ventures. “Dentity’s Web3 credentialing platform provides venue operators with new technology to improve how they produce their events, whether through the lens of consumer data privacy or by implementing sophisticated, sponsored digital loyalty passes, VIP experiences on-site, exclusive offerings, and content. Our goal is to redefine what a ticket provides before, during, and after an event.”

Jeffrey Schwartz, founder and chief executive of Dentity says the company’s unveiling at SXSW is the “first of many we plan to make which impact the event experience and redefine access management.  Thousands of ticket holders have already downloaded their Web3 credentials alongside their Apple and Google wallet passes and are experiencing the benefits of Dentity’s platform in Austin today.”

Ad.Ventures is hosting the 11th Annual Music Tech Mashup showcase powered by Dentity today (March 13) at the Empire Control Room & Garage in Austin, as well as an official SXSW panel called “The Power of Connection With Emerging Technologies.” Dentity collaborated with Ad.Ventures to power a number of other SXSW events as well, including BrooklynVegan: Lost Weekend, FloodFest, Brooklyn Bowl Family Reunion and Stereogum, among others.  

To enhance the fan experience during and after SXSW, credential holders will be provided with unique offerings on-site and will get access to exclusive discounts and experiences at locally owned and culturally diverse businesses throughout Austin.

13 Mar 2023

Feid Announces North American ‘Ferxxo Nitro Jam Underground’ 2023 Tour Dates: Exclusive

Fresh off his first headlining “U.S. Trip” and “Ferxxo Nitro Jam” in Latin America, Feid unveils his 2023 “Ferxxo Nitro Jam Underground” tour exclusively on Billboard today (March 13).

Produced by Live Nation (which also helmed the artist’s 2022 U.S. tour), Ferxxo (pronounced Fercho) is set for a 29-city tour that kicks off April 20 at the WAMU Theater in Seattle and visits key cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, and Miami, before wrapping on June 17 at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando. 

For the first time in his 13-year career, the Colombian artist and Billboard cover star — behind hits such as “Normal” and “Feliz Cumpleaños, Ferxxo” — will visit Canada, where he will perform in Toronto and Montreal. In the midst of the trek, Feid is also set to headline the Sueños Music Festival in Chicago — also a first in his career. 

Tickets for “Ferxxo Nitro Jam Underground” go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on March 16 via LiveNation.com. Presale will begin at 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday, March 14.

April 20 — Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
April 21 — Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
April 23 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
April 25 — San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic
April 27 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
May 03 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
May 04 — Sacramento, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento
May 06 — Las Vegas, NV @ Chelsea Theatre at The Cosmopolitan
May 07 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
May 10 — El Paso, TX @ El Paso County Coliseum
May 13 — Houston, TX @ Smart Financial Centre
May 14 — Hildago, TX @ Payne Arena
May 17 — Dallas, TX @ The Pavillion at Toyota Music Factory
May 20 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
May 21 — Austin, TX @ TBC Bass Concert Hall
May 24 — Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
May 26 — Toronto, ON @ Toronto History
May 27 — Chicago, IL @ Sueños Festival Grant Park
May 28 — Montreal, QC @ Festival Fuego Fuego
May 31 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
June 02 — Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
June 03 — Washington, DC @ The Theater at MGM National Harbor
June 04 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
June 07 — New York, NY @ Hulu Theatre
June 09 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
June 10 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca Cola Roxy
June 14 — Charlotte, NC @ Belk Theater
June 16 — Miami, FL @ Miami-Dade Arena
June 17 — Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live

13 Mar 2023

88rising Signs Korean Alt-Rock Artist LØREN

Korean alt-rock artist LØREN has signed with 88rising, the company tells Billboard. The label will release his debut EP, Put Up a Fight, on March 24 in partnership with THEBLACKLABEL.

LØREN gained traction in 2021 with the release of three singles: “All My Friends Are Turning Blue,” “NEED (ooo-eee)” and “EMPTY TRASH.” He has also written several songs for K-pop superstars BLACKPINK and starred in one of their music videos. His social profile is also robust, with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, and he has graced the covers of magazines including Vogue Hong Kong, DAZED Korea and i-D. He currently models for Saint Laurent.

Put Up a Fight is described as “a pop-punk-meets-indie-rock inspired project” that features “grungy” vocals by LØREN sung in both Korean and English (pre-save here). It’s preceded by the single “Folks.”

Ahead of the EP release, LØREN is set to perform his first-ever U.S. shows at SXSW on March 15 as part of the all-Asian music festival Tiger Den (performing alongside Balming Tiger) and 88rising’s Head in the Clouds New York on May 21.

“I’ve been looking forward to Put Up a Fight‘s release for a while now, and I’m thrilled to join forces with 88rising through the process,” said LØREN in a statement. “I’m a huge fan of their work, and I’m very happy to take part in their vision. It feels surreal to have SXSW, album release, and HITC New York ahead of me. To say I’m excited would be an understatement—I absolutely cannot wait for what’s to come.”

88rising’s roster also includes Jackson Wang, Warren Hue, BIBI, Joji and NIKI.

13 Mar 2023

Neon Union Aims to Break Barriers and Have a Party: ‘We Want to Kick the Doors Down and Make a Little Noise’

Before Leo Brooks and Andrew Millsaps teamed up to form the new country duo Neon Union, their careers were on decidedly contrasting paths.

Millsaps focused on writing songs and performing around his native North Carolina, at one point winning the MerleFest Chris Austin Song Contest and performing his original music during the roots music festival MerleFest.

Meanwhile, the bilingual, Miami-based Brooks spent years honing his talents playing bass on tour with Pitbull and Lauryn Hill. He also co-wrote Pitbull’s “Echa Pa’lla (Manos Pa’ribba),” which earned a Latin Grammy for best urban performance, and contributed to songs, including “Que Lo Que” (recorded by Sensato featuring Pitbull, Papayo and El Chevo) from the Grammy-winning project Dale. Along the way, he also played bass for artists including Mary J. Blige, Nas and John Legend.

But country music was a strong influence when he visited family on the Honduran island of Roatan. “The main music on the island was classic country and reggae music. My dad gave me a guitar and taught me to play George Jones and Hank Williams,” Brooks tells Billboard via Zoom.

When Pitbull realized Brooks’ own music had a country vibe, he connected him with “Freedom Is a Highway” hitmaker, songwriter and exec Jimmie Allen, who felt it was a match for Millsaps’ burly voice and energetic stage presence.

Millsaps and Brooks formed Neon Union and Allen subsequently signed them to his management and production company JAB Entertainment, which Allen launched with John Marks and Aaron Benward. They also collaborated with Allen on “Livin’ Man,” from the latter’s 2021 album Bettie James Gold Edition. In June, they inked a label deal with Red Street Records (led by Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus), and landed their first entry on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart when “Bout Damn Time,” written by HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jordan Schmidt and Hunter Phelps, reached No. 60 on the chart.

“We want to kick the doors down and make a little noise,” Millsaps says of the song, which pays homage to the “farm tan crew” and “the ball cap boys with a six-inch lift.”

Brooks says of the song, “It represents everybody. We want everyone to be at our party.”

Neon Union is also one of a handful of multi-racial acts who have tried their luck in Nashville over the years, including duo Malchak & Rucker, who notched five songs on Billboard’s Country Songs chart in the 1980s, followed by trio The Farm with their 2011 top 20 hit “Home Sweet Home,” and more recently, the duos Exit 216 and 2 Lane Summer.

Neon Union talked to Billboard about their career journey, working together, touring with Allen — and Brooks’ impromptu wedding performance with George Strait.

Jimmie Allen brought the two of you together. What was that like?

Millsaps: I started playing in the bars during college Later, I had a job interview in Nashville and was staying at a hotel downtown. I randomly met Jimmie on an elevator at that hotel and we connected on social media. I didn’t think anything of it, but about six months later, I was playing at [Nashville music event] Whiskey Jam and saw him again. He liked my music, we exchanged numbers — and maybe two weeks later, he called and asked if I had ever thought about being in a duo, and introduced me to Leo.

Brooks: I played with Pitbull for 12 years, and was his musical director on tour, but I was the only one in the back of the bus listening to George Jones. Pitbull told Jimmie about me because I wanted to do my own thing, musically.

Millsaps: We briefly met over FaceTime. Leo flew into Nashville and we met at Jimmie’s house. Jimmie was like, “You guys have to be sure you want to do this.” We got some beers and hung out that evening and just clicked right away.

Brooks: It’s like a movie — so randomly put together, but we just get along so well.

How long after you met did you start recording together?

Millsaps: The next morning we were recording together. There were some nerves — I hadn’t even been in a full-fledged Nashville session at the time.

Brooks: I was just hoping this guy could sing. He did, and I was like, “Wow, OK.”

Millsaps: We started recording scratch vocals and cold chills just went over everybody. It sounded so good.

How did your deal with Red Street Records come about?

Millsaps: We started that day with a writing session and wound up with a record deal. We wrote a song and Leo had a flight scheduled that night. Then Aaron [Benward] called me up. He said, “Jay DeMarcus wants you to come by Red Street Records, like right now.” Leo canceled his flight and we drove over there and met in the conference room. We played like two songs and Jay said, “I want y’all to know I’ll have your record deal on the table by tomorrow.”

Brooks: Everyone over there, it’s just a great team of people.

Not only did Jimmie bring you two together to form Neon Union, but you were on his Down Home Tour last year.

Millsaps: Jimmie has been so supportive to us and getting us on that tour early. We didn’t really have any music out at the time. We got to meet a lot of folks in radio while we were on the road with Jimmie, which was great to give them that initial connection on the road — and then later as we put out this song, they remembered us.

What has being on radio tour been like for you?

Brooks: It’s a lot of travelling but we’re used to it. When I was with Pitbull, I was gone for months and home for a couple of days and then right back out. Here, we’ll travel for six days and then we’re home for a day or so. But it’s great having each other through all of it. You’re not just sitting by yourself in an airport, ever. We goof off and have fun. It is a lot of early mornings though — people will say, “See you bright and early.” Instead, we say, “See you dark and early.”

Leo, your first gig out of high school was playing with Lauryn Hill’s band. How did that happen?

Brooks: I picked up bass in high school, and I got the gig through one of my friends in Miami. He was auditioning for drums and she asked him if he knew a bass player. That’s when I came in and she loved it. I used to have a big old afro with a green bass [guitar]. The work with Pitbull came through the same drummer. I was always in New York and wanted to be closer to family in Miami, so I auditioned and met Pit and we became like brothers. I was just learning from him because Pit works hard and it’s nonstop. I would send him music for like seven years before I landed a song.

You are also bilingual. Would the two of you ever release a bilingual or Spanish-language song?

Brooks: Pitbull told me the other night, he was like, “We gotta do a song in Spanish.”

Millsaps: We also have already done another song, that we haven’t released yet, with Jimmie [Allen] and Pitbull, too, so that was sweet. You hear this country guy from Mayberry going, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Worldwide.” I was like, “Did I just get to say that?”

Where are you at in the album-making process?

Millsaps: We are starting to release new music by the end of March and just cut some songs with [producer] Dann Huff. We’re looking at releasing an EP this summer and hopefully a full-length in the fall. We’ve been out on the road playing so much that people are like, “Where’s your music?” We’ve got it coming.

What was the first concert you ever went to?

Millsaps: Kenny Chesney when Keith Urban was opening for him.

Brooks: Mine was No Doubt.

What did your parents do growing up?

Millsaps: My mom was a teacher and my dad owns a flooring cover store. I was third-generation coming up through a floor-covering business, and that’s what I started doing in Nashville at first. It’s still in my blood — I still look down everywhere I go. [Laughs.]

Brooks: My dad was a car painter and did body work as well, he had his own body shop. My mom was a nursing assistant.

If you could see any artist perform, who would it be?

Brooks: Metallica, for me.

Millsaps: I’ll say George Strait because I haven’t seen him in concert yet.

Brooks: I did play with him one time. There was a wedding I was doing and they were like, “George Strait is going to come here.” I was like, “Yeah, right” — but then he walks into this little party house in West Palm Beach, Florida. I was playing bass guitar and he came up and sang “Troubadour.”

Millsaps: Dang, I’m so jealous. That’s, like, one of my favorite songs.

13 Mar 2023

7 New Must-Hear Country Songs: Carrie Underwood, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney & More

Carrie Underwood offered fans a “birthday surprise” with her new song, while Tim McGraw offers a reflective new track. Megan Moroney heads to the honkytonk, and newcomer Tony Evans, Jr. delves into heartbreak on his smooth four-song EP.

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See latest videos, charts and news

Carrie Underwood, “Out of That Truck”

Underwood released a “birthday surprise” in celebration of her 40th birthday on March 10, with this track she wrote with David Garcia and Lydia Vaughn. She muses that her former flame will have quite the challenge trying to erase the memory of their relationship — thanks to all the traces of herself left behind in her ex-lover’s stick-shift Chevy, from the scent of her shampoo on the headrest to a strawberry wine stain on the seat.

Thematically, the song shares DNA with one of Underwood’s previous releases, “Ghost Story” — though here, Underwood’s penetrating vocals are framed by free-spirited, ‘90s country-soaked instrumentals. A radio hit contender for sure, and another in a recent canon of songs about reminders of old relationships that linger in pickups, following Tim McGraw’s “7500 OBO” and Dylan Scott’s “New Truck.”

Tim McGraw, “Standing Room Only”

With 29 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits to his credit, including “Just to See You Smile” and “Something Like That,” McGraw has based his career on sturdy, timeless songcraft.

Along the way, he’s more than proven his prowess at uplifting and reflective songs such as “Humble and Kind,” and “Thought About You.” His latest muses on living life in a way that one’s funeral would be a “standing room only” affair, filled with those lives had been indelibly impacted. The song’s message is similar to McGraw’s Grammy-winning track “Live Like You Were Dying,” with his warm, accessible voice wrapping around a meteoric chorus and a message with an eye on mortality and legacy.

Parker McCollum, “Speed”

Texas native McCollum is poised to add to his arsenal of radio hits like “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You” with this ode to living life in the fast lane, complete with blistering guitar work paired with McCollum’s urgent vocal. He tips his hat to his hometown of Conroe in his new track, and acknowledges a youthful, hard-charging musician’s wanderlust and ambition.

“I remember shakin’ my head when my old man told me/ ‘Boy, one of these days you won’t always be so hung up on speed,’” he sings. McCollum teamed with Ryan Beaver for this track, which marks a first taste of McCollum’s upcoming album Never Enough, out May 12 via MCA Nashville.

Tony Evans Jr., Starless

Indie country artist Tony Evans Jr. offers a succinct, four song EP with Starless, produced by Ron Fair with distribution by The Orchard. The collection of tracks center around heartbreak and regret, elevating Evans’s warm, burnished vocal. The set includes the shimmering, harmonica-laced “If You’re Ever in Georgia,” and the uplifting “Need Somebody.” “Kids We Never Had” is the standout cut, as Evans muses about a relationship that never stood the test of time and what could have been, all in exquisite detail.

Gabe Lee, “Eveline”

Four years after releasing his debut single, “Eveline,” Gabe Lee reconceptualizes the song with a slightly more uptempo beat, propulsive banjo lines and sprightly fiddle. Lee’s evocative voice effectively sells this sparsely dreamy update to this song of regret, over the things he’s had to leave behind in a small town.

Thompson Square, “Without You”

Thompson Square’s Keifer and Shawna Thompson have previously released more than a dozen country radio singles and earned two No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits with “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” and “If I Didn’t Have You.” Their latest release is a summer-ready track, featuring propulsive, banjo-fueled instrumentation that lends it an early Keith Urban vibe. Keifer’s gritty vocal is soothed by Shawna’s piercing, pure voice. Together they forge coolly cozy harmonies that perfectly set up this song, which explores who each would be with and without the other tackling life alongside them. Though the couple didn’t write the track (Anthony Olympia, Tim Nichols and Brent Rupard did), they certainly make it their own.

Megan Moroney, “Lucky”

Following her breakthrough single “Tennessee Orange” and the subsequent “I’m Not Pretty,” Moroney is gearing up for the release of her debut album Lucky (out May 5). The opening guitar riff has shades of the opening to Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee,” while the song overall feels a little bit Shania and full-on honkytonk, in a manner that would have sounded right at home on ‘90s country radio. Lyrically, it’s chock-full of quirky lines such as “Tonight my only ambition is to make a bad decision/ ’Cause me, my phone, and the neon’s buzzin’” as she makes it clear to her ex-lover that he’s lucky she’s drinking that night. Moroney wrote the song with Ben Williams, Casey Smith and David “Messy” Mescon.