State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 806
Tencent Music Entertainment surpassed revenue of $1 billion in the fourth quarter, representing an 8.2% increase from the prior-year period, while net profit climbed 47.3% to $284 million.
The Chinese music streaming company operates three music streaming services — Kugou Music, QQ Music and Kuwo Music — as well as WeSing, a karaoke app. In recent years, Tencent Music’s business has become increasingly dominated by its music services as its social entertainment business continues to lose business.
Online music revenue grew 16.1% to $799 million due to music subscription gains and growth in advertising revenue, while music subscription revenue jumped 18% to $552 million in the quarter as the number of subscribers increased 13.4% to 121 million. Additionally, gross margin jumped to 43.6% in the fourth quarter from 38.3% in the prior-year period. The company attributed the improvement to strong growth in music subscriptions and advertising revenue and increased usage of owned content, as well as its adoption of the Super VIP program, a subscription tier that costs five times the normal rate. Monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) grew to 11.1 RMB ($1.52) from 10.7 RMB ($1.47) due in part to the expansion of the Super VIP membership program.
Trending on Billboard
The social entertainment business has suffered a sharp decline since the Chinese government began cracking down on the use of live-streaming apps to enable gambling in 2021. In the fourth quarter, social entertainment revenue fell 13% to $223 million and mobile monthly active users declined 21.2% to 82 million (the number stood at 223 million at the end of 2020). Monthly ARPU fell 9.7% to 70.4 RMB ($9.64), down from 172.1 RMB ($26.38) at the end of 2020, and paying users slipped 3.8% to 7.7 million.
For the full year, revenue increased 2.3% to $3.89 billion while net profit climbed 36.2% to $974 million, and gross margin improved to 42.3% from 35.3%. Online music revenue grew 25.5% to $2.98 billion while social entertainment revenue fell 36.1% to $912 million. Full-year gross margin improved to 42.3% from 35.3% in 2023.
Tencent Music Entertainment’s music platforms have evolved into one-stop shops that also include audiobooks, merchandise, downloads and live-streaming. In 2024, the company produced physical albums for Xiao Zhan and Lay Zhang and boosted album sales for Esther Yu by providing options to purchase merchandise along with her digital albums. It also partnered with the band Mayday for an online New Year’s Eve concert.
The company also announced a $273 million dividend and a share repurchase program of up to $1 billion over a two-year period that will commence this month. A $500 million share repurchase program announced in March 2023 will conclude this month.
Tencent Music Entertainment’s shares, which trade on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, had risen 15.8% to $15.12 on the NYSE at the close of trading on Tuesday.
The cast of Moana 2 tests how well they know their knowledge of Disney hits by finishing the lyrics to “Let It Go,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and so many more!
What did you think of the cast finishing the lyrics? Let us know in the comments!
Tetris Kelly:We like to play a game with a lot of our guests called Finish the Lyrics.
Awhimai Fraser: Oh no, I’m terrible!
I’m never going back/ The past is in the past.
They said we really hit it.
Emily Bear:I’m never going back/ The past is in the past.
Tetris Kelly: See? Come on!
Awhimai Fraser: That’s “A Whole New World,” but I can’t remember the rest.
Abigail Barlow:Soaring … No?
Tetris Kelly:OK, you’re getting- You’re on the way
Abigail Barlow:Soaring sideways and under.
Tetris Kelly: You were right with soaring. You started correctly.
Awhimai Fraser & Hualalai Chung: Indescribable feelings tumbling/ free wheeling.
Awhimai Fraser:We can hum it.
Abigail Barlow:Tumbling/ Free wheeling.
Tetris Kelly:There we go.
Abigail Barlow:In an endless diamond sky. That’s a crazy lyric
Tetris Kelly:It’s a crazy lyric. Even when I read it, I was like, well, that one caught me off guard.
Abigail Barlow:Yeah.
He told me that the man of my dreams.
Tetris Kelly: She’s got it.
Abigail Barlow:I don’t know what comes next.
Tetris Kelly:And someday be mine.
Emily Bear:I don’t know.
Abigail Barlow:It’s from Encanto.
Awhimai Frase:Ote, Mariano’s …
Hualalai Chung:She’s got the Māori version down.
Awhimai Frase:I know the Māori version.
Hualalai Chung:She knows the Māori version.
Awhimai Frase:Yeah yeah, OK.
Tetris Kelly:OK, do we got the song title?
Abigail Barlow:“We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
Tetris Kelly:“We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” OK, I’ll give you a point for that.
Emily Bear:I’m sorry, that’s so embarrassing.
Keep watching for more!
For over a year, the K-pop industry has been embroiled in a heated debate over the girl group NewJeans. In fact, even the name “NewJeans” has become a point of contention following the group’s announcement in February that they would be rebranded as NJZ. However, their management company, ADOR, has disputed the legitimacy of this name change. While the group has requested to be referred to as NJZ, no legal ruling has been made on the matter, leaving the existing contract intact. As a result, from a legal standpoint, NewJeans remains the more accurate designation for the time being.
Amid ongoing legal uncertainties, NewJeans is moving ahead independently. This March, the group is scheduled to perform at ComplexCon Hong Kong, where they are reportedly debuting a new song. This move appears to be an attempt to further establish their rebranded identity as NJZ. After all, performing NewJeans’ hit songs while adopting a new name could be seen as contradictory.
Trending on Billboard
Music organizations and associations in Korea are closely monitoring the NewJeans situation. In February, five major organizations — the Korea Management Federation, Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association, Record Label Industry of Korea, Recording Industry Association of Korea and the Korea Music Content Association — issued a statement expressing concerns over NewJeans and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s independent activities. Their primary issue is “tampering,” with suspicions that Min has been attempting to remove NewJeans from ADOR.
The statement from the five organizations reads, “For the past 10 months, we have observed a growing trend, in which certain parties attempt to resolve private disputes through media campaigns and unilateral public statements instead of proper negotiations or legal procedures, including former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin’s press conferences, NewJeans member Hanni’s appearance at a National Assembly audit, and the group’s independent activities.”
NewJeans fans argue that these five organizations are merely echoing ADOR/HYBE’s stance. However, the key issue at hand is their emphasis on the importance of “adhering to legal processes.”
At a press conference on Nov. 28, 2024, NewJeans members announced that “their contract with ADOR would officially end at midnight on November 29th.” They stated, “We have had enough conversations and sent certification of content, but there were no responses during that time. As ADOR and HYBE have breached the contract, we are terminating it.”
Since then, NewJeans has continued its individual actions and reiterated its stance in interviews with foreign media. In a CNN interview last month, the group emphasized, “We have completely lost trust in ADOR. We believe we will win this battle against HYBE and ADOR.” Through Japan’s TV Asahi, a subsidiary of Asahi Shimbun, they stated, “Right now, there are very few media outlets in Korea that carry our voices. Instead of letting that discourage us, we will enjoy our activities.”
International fans who have closely followed NewJeans’ statements may be more inclined to side with the group. However, with both the lawsuit verifying the validity of their claims and the injunction application still ongoing, their assertions remain one-sided. In this context, foreign media that present NewJeans’ perspective without providing balanced coverage of the ongoing legal dispute risk spreading misinformation.
NewJeans and ADOR remain deeply divided, locked in a tense standoff. On March 7, the Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing on ADOR’s provisional injunction request to “maintain the status of agency and prohibit the signing of advertising contracts.” Both parties presented conflicting arguments and failed to reach a resolution.
As a result, it is challenging to take a definitive stance between ADOR or NewJeans. The most prudent thing to do right now is to wait and see how the court reaches its decision, based on the various claims and substantial evidence presented by both parties.
This is precisely the position shared by the five music industry organizations in Korea. On Feb. 27, they held a press conference titled, “Let’s Keep a Promise: Without Record Producers, There is No K-pop!,” where they declared:
“No one can confirm the cancellation of a contract before the court’s judgment, and we must all accept the legal outcome, whatever it may be. This is the only way to protect our industry amid conflict and dispute.”
For now, the K-pop community watches and waits for the court’s decision — a ruling that could have lasting implications for NewJeans, ADOR and the entire industry.
This article was written by Austin Jin and originally appeared on Billboard Korea.
Kazuma Kawamura, a member of the 16-piece Japanese dance and vocal group THE RAMPAGE, has now made his solo debut as L.E.I. with the double A-side single “Delete/Enter.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
While he’s done some rapping on THE RAMPAGE songs and in live shows, with L.E.I., rap is at the very heart of his art. In an interview with Billboard JAPAN, he discussed the background behind this solo debut. “From the very start, when THE RAMPAGE was formed, our concept always included elements of hip-hop. We’d just assembled as a group, and everyone had different musical tastes, so we made hip-hop one of the cores of the group. That got me interested in hip-hop, and our leader, LIKIYA, knew a lot about U.S. hip-hop and R&B, so I learned a lot from him. Yamasho (Shogo Yamamoto) had been talking about the movie 8 Mile, so I watched it, and it also had a huge impact on me. So I discovered the world of hip-hop a bit at a time, and the more I explored it, the more I got hooked.”
“But it’s not like I’m super-knowledgeable about hip-hop music or artists. I’m still learning. I’ve been really influenced by the culture and philosophy of hip-hop, but not the so-called rapper lifestyle. Drink, drugs, women, partying, violence—those aren’t appealing to me. I’m not interested in bragging about how bad I am or boasting about violence. Instead, I’m interested in the philosophy of hip-hop that’s focused on changing the world. Making it better.”
Trending on Billboard
“Of course, there have been a lot of rappers who’ve influenced me. Busta Rhymes influenced me with his fast rapping style, while A$AP Rocky has just been an overall huge presence for me. And my long-time favorite, who I still find amazing, is Kendrick Lamar. Needless to say, of the four elements of hip-hop, dance has also had a big impact on me. For example, the krumping of Tommy the Clown and Tight Eyez, who was influenced by Tommy, just reached out and grabbed a hold of my heart. It was like it was saying, ‘Don’t just stand there, get moving!’”
On “Delete,” one of the songs on the single, L.E.I. expresses his frustration and anger with society and the state of things through serious, fiery rap verses, set to a dark trap beat. It has a distinctive structure, challenging the listener about their own beliefs and pushing them to tackle these problems together. “It’s my first song as L.E.I., so I didn’t want to make any compromises. Putting rap front and center, I knew I needed to make something that caused a stir. ‘Delete’ is a powerful representation of that idea. There’s a lot I want to communicate, but the first was a feeling of release from what’s got you trapped, which is why I wrote this song.”
“It’s easy to just shout ‘No!’ But if you want to convince listeners, if you want to convey an effective message, I think you need to raise issues. To get people who listen to the song to think and be more aware, you need to ask questions. I don’t just want to stroke my own ego by spouting things off. And I think the society we live in is one that stops thinking. That’s dangerous. But I didn’t just want to say ‘No!’ or ‘Think!’ Instead, I wanted to reach out to the listener, saying ‘I think this situation is messed up, what about you?’”
The rapping in “Enter,” the theme song of the anime I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths!, has a lot of variety in its flow. “I tried to change up the flow. I think people will have more opportunities to hear this song, such as through the anime, so I wanted to surprise people, like ‘All these different rap parts are being done by one guy?!’ By changing my approach in each part of the song, I was able to achieve a wider range of artistic expression. It’s like the entire repertoire of my flow as a rapper, all in one song. I did it simply because it’s fun to have a song made up of all these different kinds of rap.”
It’s an anime-themed song, but L.E.I. put his true thoughts into the lyrics. “Sure, there are dark aspects of me, like in ‘Delete,’ but the anime theme brought out the sunnier parts of my personality. I think ‘Enter’ represents my bright side, and the lyrics are all heart-felt. I have a lot of respect for the anime, and I linked keywords that inspired me with my own feelings to create the lyrics. In that sense, as well, I also want to write positive songs that fill you with optimism.”
On inspirations behind his work, he notes, “I’m not the best speaker, but I read a lot of books and manga, more than the average person, and also read a lot through games and anime. So there’s a lot of input, both in the sense of vocabulary and of the beauty of language, and I bring those out in the lyrics. The foundation of the song consists of my own feelings, and then I sift through my vocabulary to come up with ways to express those feelings through rap. When I do that, I think really deeply about what the lyrics will sound like when I rap them. I might write a line a certain way because in that part I’m more focused on conveying my message directly than in the sounds of the words, while in another part I might focus more on the vibe of the sounds.”
Kawamura’s vision is to continue as both a member of THE RAMPAGE and as a solo artist. “Right now, Kazuma Kawamura, member of THE RAMPAGE, is linked to L.E.I., but they may move away from each other over time. I’m also curious and excited to see what form this will eventually take. But as Kazuma Kawamura or as L.E.I., one thing that won’t change is that I’ll always be 100% direct with the people hearing my lyrics. If there’s anyone out there for which L.E.I.’s approach resonates—anyone who I can help through my music—then I want to share my music with them, first. Reaching a wider audience can come later. I want to be an artist that is, first and foremost, a person capable of expressing his own values. I feel like if I can truly accomplish that, then I’ll be unparalleled. I’m striving to be a true rapper with a true message.”
—This interview by TAKAGI “JET” Shinichiro first appeared on Billboard Japan
Tokyo-born singer-songwriter TOMOO — pronounced “tow-mow-oh” — has been playing the piano since she was a child and began working on music in earnest in middle school when she began writing original songs. Her voice has been praised by top Japanese artists and her first full-length album, TWO MOON, reached No. 15 on Billboard Japan’s Hot Albums chart after dropping in Sept. 2023. She was featured in many music programs the following year, and in her MONTHLY FEATURE interview with Billboard Japan, she looked back and shared, “Rather than there being a milestone somewhere like a major change or turning point, 2024 felt like a year when a lot of my activities advanced another step or another level as an extension of the year before, whether it’s about live shows or TV appearances.”
When asked how she would introduce “what kind of artist TOMOO is,” the 29-year-old musician replied, “Yin and yang, old and new. Sometimes people who listen to my music say I seem to have a lot of life experience, but other times they say I still have a boyishness or girlishness about me. That’s an attribute I want to keep. Even when it’s bright, a shadow comes along with it, and even in shadow, a hint of light can be seen in the distance. Having both light and shadow is also my individuality.”
Trending on Billboard
“Rather than always having something I want to express, I want to be able to give form to the things that come into my mind at any given time,” says the “Grapefruit Moon” artist, explaining that she tries to be like a transparent vessel instead of dyeing herself a particular color. “When I was a teenager, I wanted something that would make it easy to visualize my individuality, but recently I’ve started to think that maybe that’s not necessary. I have the 12 years I’ve been doing this. At the time, I didn’t have a past to look back on and my way of thinking was still very superficial. So I used to think that if I worked hard at something or suffered more, I’d be able to figure out who I am. But it didn’t work that way. I guess that’s why I thought, ‘Then maybe that’s just the way it is.’”
Her latest single, “Contrast,” is currently being featured as the ending theme for the anime series Blue Box Season 2. The show is based on a manga series currently being serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, and tells the coming-of-age love story of high school students devoted to their club activities. ”I started reading the original manga after being tapped to write the song. I wasn’t sure if I could relate to the transparency and freshness of the story, and to the feelings of the characters who are about 10 years younger than me,” TOMOO admits. “But I really did write songs like that when I was a teenager, and wanted to sing the theme song for a work like that, so I was happy when they asked me to do it.”
“Some people said that the character of the song seemed simpler than usual, and that makes sense in a way,” she explains. “It’s the simplicity of high school students concentrating on the moment in front of them within the limited ‘box’ of their time, season and environment, and it’s also the simplicity of feeling both happy and sad with your whole body when you haven’t yet developed emotional immunity. I thought about the lyrics while reading the original manga, trying to evoke the feelings I had when I was around 15 years old.”
For TOMOO, creating “Contrast” was an experience that took her back to her youth. “I wrote the chorus and the music pretty much at the same time, but wrote the first verse (A-melody) from scratch at the piano,” she shares about the writing process. “It was just like how I used to write music when I was a teenager. It turned out a lot more somber than I’d expected, but I figured that was fine because it was the result of the memories of my five senses having seeped out and not something I’d come up with in my brain. It was like I was facing the piano with nothing in mind, and my senses and the honest spirit of the song took the lead. It’s been a while since I’ve written music like that.”
The singer-songwriter worked with Ryo Eguchi, a music producer and arranger who has worked on numerous Japanese pop, idol and anime songs, for the first time on the song’s arrangement. “I’d been aware of Mr. Eguchi since I was around 20 years old. When I was in elementary and junior high school, I liked a lot of anime music that he’d arranged, so I’ve always wanted to ask him to arrange something for me if I ever had the chance to be involved in anime,” TOMOO recalls, going on to say that “Contrast” started out with a solid band-based sound but turned out to be a dramatic piano ballad with deep, resonant synth and cello tones. “Because it was quite heartfelt when I was composing it, I wanted to add elements that would evoke a sense of environmental coolness, like the wind, the sky, and the shadows of buildings. I asked him to add in some programmed rhythms and electric guitar strumming that sounds like strings in the distance, to give it a slightly structured, cool feel, to balance out the sense of temperature.”
The “Super Ball” singer is set to headline a solo concert in May at the historic Nippon Budokan for the first time in her career. She expresses enthusiasm for the upcoming show, saying, “I want to make this concert even more meticulous than my previous ones. I’ve always done my best within the schedule laid out for each show, but this time we’ve talked it over and set aside as much time as possible to prepare.”
“I always thought that the Budokan would be a kind of culmination, a milestone, a goal of that sort,” the singer-songwriter adds. “But I’ve started to feel that it’s not like that, now that I’m actually going on that stage. I realized it’d be better to leave it up to the feelings and mindset of each person who comes to see me. So I’m going back to my roots. Psychological closeness and sounds. When I first started out, I did a show on the floor. With the audience all around me, it was a bit scary before the show started, but I was really focused during the performance and there was tension in every moment. I want to recall that feeling of being nervous and excited at the same time when I perform at the Budokan.”
—This interview by Takuto Ueda first appeared on Billboard Japan
Shakira will have her own museum in Mexico and sooner than you think. The pop-up “Shakira Estoy Aquí Experience Mexico City” will open its doors this Friday (March 21) in the Mexican capital.
Located in Roma Norte, on Frontera 88 Street, Shakira’s museum — which celebrates her career through different experiences — will remain open for 10 days (until March 30) with free admission. It coincides with the Mexican leg of the Colombian superstar’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour, which kicked off on March 12 in Monterrey, Nuevo León and arrives Wednesday (March 19) at the GNP Seguros Stadium for a historic series of seven concerts at the capital’s venue (formerly known as Foro Sol). It is Shakira’s first visit to the country in almost seven years.
Exclusively for Billboard Español, Juan Martín Salazar, CEO and creative director of 9F, the company in charge of setting up this experience, tells us in detail what fans will be able to find in each room of the exhibition, from costumes to photographs and instruments, and more.
“There’s something very particular about Shakira,” says Salazar, who was featured this month in our “Stars Behind the Stars” franchise for planning creative campaigns for artists that also include Bad Bunny, Karol G and Beyoncé. “There is a difference or in comparison with other artists. It’s that she is very fond of knowing how to play the instruments, so we wanted to elevate that part.”
Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour — in support of her album of the same name — kicked off on Feb. 11 in Brazil and has passed through Peru, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. Following her engagements in Mexico, the artist will begin the North American leg of the stadium tour on May 13 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will make stops in Montreal, Toronto, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and other cities, concluding on June 30 in San Francisco. (To see all dates in the U.S. and Canada, click here.)
Below, Salazar describes the new “Shakira Estoy Aquí Experience Mexico City” museum room-by-room:
First Room
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Variety / Getty
A video just hit the internet of a phone call between Kanye West and Diddy, who’s locked up right now, and the convo was interesting, to say the least
Diddy, still keeping his energy up despite being behind bars, told Ye straight up, “Man, you gotta start smiling again. Get back in that lab and cook up.” He made it clear that once he’s out, he’s hitting the ground running no time wasted, just straight to the music and living his best life. In the background, you could hear Diddy’s son, King Combs, in the room with Kanye, holding it down for his pops. “Stay solid, Dad. We got you,” he said, keeping the energy positive. Diddy, always about that mindset, reminded both Ye and Christian to keep their vibrations high. “Y’all still free. Don’t take that for granted,” he said, making sure they understood the blessing of being outside while he was in a different situation right now.
Before ending the call, Diddy made sure not to bring the mood down. “I ain’t tryna kill the vibe, man. Just keep cooking up,” he told Kanye before hanging up. The whole convo was the two fallen stars trying to pick each other up during a downtime.
Earlier this week, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were back at it. This time over their daughter North West’s name and brand. As North’s gotten older, she’s been vibing with music whenever she’s with Kanye, and it’s even starting to look like she might take it seriously maybe even turn it into a career. Kim ain’t having it and decided to step in shutting down anything that could potentially put North’s well-being at risk.
Ye, on the other hand, wants to give North the freedom to explore her talents and build her own brand. This has led to some serious tension between the two, with Kanye pushing for more control over North’s career and Kim doing everything she can to protect her from the pressures of fame. It’s clear they’re not seeing eye to eye on how to handle North’s future in the spotlight.
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Cole Burston / Getty / Drake
Drake is once again the butt of jokes on social media, and it’s not because Kendrick Lamar dropped another diss record but because his own label had bars for him.
Spotted on Variety, Universal Music Group let the chopper spray on Drizzy in a motion to dismiss the Canadian’s lawsuit against the music label accusing them of pushing Lamar’s epic diss record, “Not Like Us.”
In the dismissal, UMG claims that Drake is in his feelings and suing because he “lost a rap battle” and his decision to sue was only to “salve his wounds.”
Damn.
Per Variety:
The motion, filed earlier today and reviewed by Variety, took a cutting approach to making the case for dismissal, claiming that Drake “lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds. Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”
The filing also calls the rapper who claimed to “study rap battles for a living” a hypocrite, noting that less than three years ago, he signed a public petition criticizing “the trend of prosecutors using artists’ creative expression against them” and stating their lyrics as fact. “Drake was right then and is wrong now.”
The motion continues, “Complaint’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar.”
Drizzy’s Attorney Responds To UMG’s Filing
Drake did respond, well his attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, did in a statement shared with Variety.
“UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence. This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but we have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering, abusing and taking advantage of its artists.”
Social Media Is Clowning Drake
Drake’s attempt to sue UMG was already frowned upon by music and Hip-Hop fans alike, and now he catching more strays after getting clowned by his own label.
“UMG literally hit Drake with a Reverse uno,” one post on X, formerly Twitter, read.
Another post read, “all that talk of kendrick being a hypocrite drummed up by that fanbase only for UMG to point out how drake is also one……”
Welp.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
Lady Gaga is over a decade and a half into her superstar career, and with this March’s Mayhem she’s proving to still be one of the most reliable performers in pop music.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The acclaimed new set debuts atop the Billboard 200 this week (dated Mar. 23) — her seventh time topping the chart, albeit with a smaller first-week number (219,000) than her previous set of originals, 2020’s Chromatica (274,000), according to Luminate. “Die With a Smile,” Gaga’s smash duet with Bruno Mars, also holds at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, while pre-release hit “Abracadabra” returns to the chart’s top 20, and eight other songs from the set populate the chart’s lower half.
How should Gaga feel about her latest set’s entrance? And where do we rate it within her catalog? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.
Trending on Billboard
1. Mayhem debuts atop the Billboard 200 with 219,000 equivalent album units. On a scale from 1-10, how happy should Gaga be with that first-week performance?
Katie Atkinson: 9. There are no guarantees in the music industry, even with a track record like Gaga’s, so to secure the No. 1 spot with a hefty first-week number can only be seen as a win. Considering this album rollout ostensibly began with the release of “Die With a Smile” back in August, the way she’s been able to build interest over the last eight-ish months — reaching a pop culture crescendo with the interest around last month’s “Abracadabra” — is honestly a master class in pre-release buzz.
Stephen Daw: I’d say a 9 is appropriate here. A No. 1 debut is a No. 1 debut, and to do it with the biggest numbers from a female artist thus far in 2025 — and the biggest streaming week of Gaga’s career — is a pretty incredible feat for a performer who is nearly 20 years into her career. The only reason I’m not immediately going to 10 is simply because of the number itself — the album did better in its first week than 2016’s Joanne, but is still behind all of her other studio albums in first-week gains. I’m sure it would have been nice for Gaga to break the 300,000 mark for the first time since Born This Way’s release, but Mayhem‘s success is still a huge deal.
Kyle Denis: A solid 7. Coming back with an acclaimed record that opened with 200k+ after a year of flop movies and soundtracks is a win, plain and simple. Now that final number being below the opening week totals for Chromatica is a bit curious – especially considering there seems to be more passion for the music of Mayhem versus its predecessor – but still nothing to scoff at.
Jason Lipshutz: A 9. Longtime pop purveyors have lived through various reports of Lady Gaga’s commercial demise — from the 99-cent Born This Way price tag to the multimedia mixed bag of Artpop to the slow start of Joanne to the two-thumbs-down response to Joker: Folie a Deux — and they have all been greatly exaggerated. As she approaches the two-decade mark of her breakthrough, Gaga is not only still collecting hits, but can command enough attention around a new full-length that it debuts with a six-figure total, the best bow of 2025 by a woman artist. This strong opening week number should be treated as a marker of continued longevity, and be celebrated.
Andrew Unterberger: Let’s say an 8. The number isn’t overwhelming, but it’s very solid — and we should note that the superior Chromatica number came when ticket and merch bundles were still counted towards the Billboard 200, which certainly helped that debut performance. Mostly, Gaga should be thrilled that fans are as excited about the album as they are, and that in a pop era overrun by stars who bear both her direct and indirect influence, she still makes a big impact every time out.
2. “Die With a Smile” remains the best-performing song on the set, holding at No. 2 on the Hot 100 this week. The song’s placement as the album’s final track has proven controversial among fans — do you think it earns its inclusion on the set?
Katie Atkinson: I think the end of the track list is the exact right spot. In interviews, Gaga has compared Mayhem to “one night out,” so that would make “Die With a Smile” the point in the night when you exit the club, shield your eyes from the early-morning sun, and fantasize about going to the ends of the earth (or the end times, in this case) with someone you only just met. Tacking what could have been a one-off duet onto your track list could look calculated, but I think Gaga putting it in the final spot makes it feel like an artistic choice instead.
Stephen Daw: Not really, and that’s okay! “Die With a Smile” was not conceived as a Mayhem track, and it does show. While the album’s final run of songs with “The Beast” and “Blade of Grass” does help transition into the song’s romantic balladry, “Die With a Smile” stands out on this album as more of an epilogue than anything else. But, because the track doesn’t show up until the very end of the album, it ultimately isn’t the biggest deal that it’s a bit misplaced — by the time you arrive at Gaga and Bruno’s megahit, you’ve already gotten the full Mayhem experience.
Kyle Denis: Sure? It’s really a symptom of the chart world that we live in that an artist can’t just let a monster standalone single remain standalone. Nonetheless, to Gaga’s credit, she does make a valiant effort to sequence the album in a way that connects “Die With a Smile” with the rest of the tracklist, but it’s still a bit jarring hearing Bruno’s voice out of the blue when you listen to the album from front to back.
Jason Lipshutz: Of course! It’s the definition of a victory lap on Mayhem — removed tonally from the uptempo electro-pop, but a current smash that concludes the full-length on a triumphant note, and is too important to Gaga’s career trajectory to simply float on as a single without a host album. This deep into the streaming age, it’s hard to quibble with any artist tacking a big single onto the end of an album to help boost streaming totals… but in this instance, the decision feels artistically sound, and is well-earned.
Andrew Unterberger: Not particularly, but it’s forgivable.
3. Of the set’s other tracks, “Abracadabra” also peeks its head back into the top 20 (at No. 19, after previously reaching a No. 12 peak) while another eight of the album’s tracks can be found in the Hot 100’s bottom half. Do you think “Abracadabra” has cemented itself as the album’s biggest Gaga-only hit, or do you think one of the newer songs will eventually come to challenge it?
Katie Atkinson: On my first listen, “How Bad Do U Want Me” was so undeniably catchy that I would be surprised if it doesn’t eventually find its way to pop radio. A lot of the release-week headlines focused on whether Taylor Swift might have been involved in the song, thanks to fan theories online, and it makes sense that a song that recalls the radio-dominating Swift – but is undeniably Gaga at the same time – would fit right in at top 40.
Stephen Daw: If Gaga chooses not to give any of her other tracks the single treatment, then “Abracadabra” is going to be Mayhem’s big solo hit for Gaga, no question. Fans love the song, her performance of the track on Saturday Night Live is being rightfully praised, and the gothic music video continues to inspire new trends online.
But I would bet on Gaga having at least one more single up her sleeve for this album’s release — Gaga historically loves to put out a post-album single just a couple weeks after the set’s release (see Joanne’s “Million Reasons,” Chromatica’s “911,” Born This Way’s “Marry the Night,” and so on). If she were to put together a splashy music video ahead of her Coachella performance next month for fan-loved tracks like “Garden of Eden” or “Shadow of Man,” Gaga could easily have another hit on her hands — one that might even make “Abracadabra” disappear.
Kyle Denis: For the time being, “Abracadabra” is definitely the album’s biggest Gaga-only hit, but it’s not like “Disease” put up much of a fight. I know “Perfect Celebrity” and “Killah” are getting a lot of love right now – and “Garden of Eden” snagged the key F1 sync – but my money is on “Vanish Into You.” It’s got that kind of wistful-but-still-danceable feel that sent tracks like Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” to No. 1 around this time last year.
Jason Lipshutz: I prefer other vibes on Mayhem to the maximalist pop of “Abracadabra,” from the downhill motion of “Shadow of a Man” to the slinkiness of “Killah” to the icy arena-rock of “Perfect Celebrity,” and we’ll see where this album campaign goes in the coming months. But for now, “Abracadabra” has clearly struck a chord, harkening back to Gaga eras of yore while also unfurling an enormous new hook and brash visuals. At this moment, I’d be surprised if another solo Gaga song from Mayhem overtakes it as a bigger top 20 hit on the Hot 100.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s been a pretty long time since a Gaga album produced a major post-album-release hit — the only one I can think of in the past 10 years is “Bloody Mary,” which of course came from an album released a whole decade earlier. So I’m guessing “Abracadabra” will reign pretty unchallenged, but I’m certainly rooting for “How Bad Do U Want Me” or “Perfect Celebrity.”
4. Gaga’s media approach to this album was very old-school in its zone-flooding, with the pop star embracing both newer and traditional forms of media and promotion and generally making herself unmissable in the leadup to the set. From the early response to the album, do you think that approach has proven to be a successful one — and why did or didn’t it work?
Katie Atkinson: Oh, it worked. And it maybe its my own personal fondness for Gaga, but it never felt oversaturated. I think it was the variety of appearances – from a lie-detector test, to hosting SNL, to eating hot wings – that kept the audience from getting bored of her. In short, I think she nailed it.
Stephen Daw: As someone who had the honor of interviewing Gaga for this project, I am unbiased and 100% objective in saying that this strategy worked and she should definitely keep doing it.
Big press tours like this can be risky today because fans can smell desperation — if you come across looking too much like you’re selling a product, they will push back against the appearances as advertisements. But Gaga never appeared even slightly insincere in her various interviews ahead of Mayhem; she seemed genuinely stoked for her fans to get to hear her new songs. Had another, less engaged artist attempted a similar run with their media appearances ahead of an album drop, it probably wouldn’t have worked. But because it was Gaga, making herself as available as possible to a fanbase that really wanted to hear from her, this full court press worked wonders.
Kyle Denis: I think it’s definitely proven successful. Her SNL performances really sold the full scope of Mayhem, and she leaned into fan service by teasing a “Telephone” continuation multiple times. With her biggest streaming debut ever, another Billboard 200 No. 1 and yet another 200k+ opening week, it’s hard to argue against the strategy. Retrospectively, however, I do wish Team Gaga rallied around one song to pull off a release week top 10 debut on the Hot 100; “Smile” being the only current top 10 hit from the album isn’t the best look.
Jason Lipshutz: Everyone is aware of Lady Gaga — who she is, what she stands for, where to listen to her ubiquitous smash with Bruno Mars. But what the media blitz leading up to Mayhem accomplished was making even the most casual fan aware that Gaga was back with a new album on March 7, via performances, interviews, promotional opportunities and viral sound bites. Flooding the zone gave the entire mainstream a heads-up to check out her new album when it arrived on streaming services earlier this month, and based on the No. 1 debut and equivalent albums unit total, that strategy worked very well.
Andrew Unterberger: We’ve covered this pretty extensively elsewhere, but yeah — the entire campaign was an unquestioned W for Gaga and her team.
5. After getting to live with it for about a week and a half, where are you currently rating Mayhem within the Gaga catalog?
Katie Atkinson: Whew, this is tough. I think I have it in an arm-wrestling match with Chromatica for the No. 4 spot, after The Fame Monster, The Fame and Born This Way. Right now, Mayhem has the edge, because I’m really feeling its more throwback vibes, but catch me on another day and Chromatica could jump back up.
Stephen Daw: Mayhem is Gaga’s best album in over a decade, period. I would still put it just below her earliest studio projects — The Fame, The Fame Monster and Born This Way are considered modern pop masterpieces for a reason — but above the rest of her discography.
Kyle Denis: In terms of her solo studio albums, this is comfortably in a distant third behind The Fame Monster and Born This Way for me. If we’re adding in the Tony Bennett collab albums, Cheek to Cheek might have something to say. But don’t let me get to talking about the soft spot I have for Harlequin!
Jason Lipshutz: Pretty high! I loved Chromatica as a return to the bold pop of her early days, and while I think her 2020 album had higher peaks, the more time I spend with Mayhem, the more consistent it sounds. For now, I’d probably slot behind The Fame/Fame Monster and Chromatica, and on the same plane as Gaga’s most underrated album, Artpop.
Andrew Unterberger: Just a half-notch below Chromatica for me as far as her best album since her opening trio goes — but together with its predecessor, a really great reclamation of her pop legacy and confirmation that she’s still one of the all-time greats.
JoJo Siwa has had her fair share of viral moments over the past year, but now she’s in on the joke.
The “Karma” superstar walked the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday night (March 17), where she spotted Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly, with whom she had a controversial interview where she claimed she founded “gay pop.”
“I’m not talking to you,” she playfully told Kelly, before explaining, “You know what today is? It’s not only the iHeartRadio Music Awards, which is where I said ‘dream guest on my podcast’ but it’s also the one year anniversary of GLAAD Awards, which is where with your a— I said, ‘It’s called gay pop.’
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In her original Billboard News interview with Kelly, Siwa said that when she originally signed to Columbia Records, she told the label, “I want to start a new genre of music … it’s called ‘gay pop,’” before going on to compare the genre to the jazz-funk genre of dance. The online community quickly began criticizing Siwa for saying she wanted to “create” this “new genre,” with queer icons Tegan and Sara literally offering the 20-year-old singer some side eye on their TikTok page.
However, Siwa is moving forward, sharing that she has a “big announcement that involves a lot of people all over the world” coming on March 22. She joked that her next musical era will include “something that nobody has ever done before.”
Trending on Billboard
Her “unexpected” moves she’s planning include that she’s “going to sing,” and “maybe even write my own song for once,” referencing the backlash surrounding songwriter Brit Smith, who recorded Siwa’s track “Karma” back in 2012.
Wrapping up their interview, Kelly told Siwa that another viral moment is likely on the horizon. “We’ll see y’all on TikTok,” Siwa joked, looking into the camera. Watch the full interview below.
