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Billboard Women in Music 2025 Last Friday is really happening, folks. We’ve been covering updates about the film extensively since June of 2024 when Ice Cube told Flavor Flav that the movie was gaining momentum. “We’re working on it. We finally got some traction with Warner Bros.,” he said. “They have new leadership. My man […]
Johnny Tillotson, the Grammy-nominated country and pop singer behind the iconic hit, “Poetry In Motion,” died on Tuesday (April 1). He was 86 years old.
The star’s wife, Nancy, announced the news of his passing via post on Facebook. “It is with a broken heart that I write to let you know that the sweetest, kindest man I ever met Johnny Tillotson, left earth for Heaven yesterday,” she wrote alongside a sweet photo of the duo laughing together. “He was my best beloved, Champion of my realm, Knight of my heart. Someone said that sometimes right in the middle of an ordinary life you get a fairy tale. The day I met him I got mine. He was funny, generous and kind. A gentleman through and through. He loved and was grateful to his fans, as he once said, they made every dream I ever had come true. Once again on his behalf I say thank you for that.”
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She added, “Johnny will be missed every single day for the rest of my life. He was simply the best. With all the love I have in my heart for a wonderful man gone too soon from this world.”
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Tillotson was born in 1939 in Jacksonville, Florida, and was a talented singer since his childhood. He signed to Cadence Records, and issued his first single, “Dreamy Eyes” / “Well I’m Your Man” in September 1958 at just 19 years old.
After releasing a string of singles, Tillotson quickly became a teen idol. His biggest hit came just two years later in the form of 1960’s “Poetry in Motion,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
Tillotson’s first Grammy nomination was for his 1962 track, “It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin’,” which was inspired by the terminal illness of his father. The song was nominated for best country and Western recording, and has since been covered by several other artists including Elvis Presley, Margaret Whiting, Slim Whitman and Wanda Jackson. The track peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
His second Grammy nomination was for his 1965 track, “Heartaches by the Number,” which received a nod for best vocal performance. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 35 on the Hot 100.
Overall, Tillotson was a mainstay on the Billboard charts. He achieved 25 entries and four top 10s on the Hot 100; five hits on Hot Country Songs; two hits on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and nine entries on Adult Contemporary.
Per Nancy’s Facebook post, Tillotson is survived by his wife, his brother Dan, his son John and stepdaughter Genevieve as well as his grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The hottest baseball player in the world is undoubtedly Shoehei Otani of the 2024 World Series Champions, Los Angeles Dodgers. And as Otani grows in popularity, so does his celebrity collabs with his latest for sports apparel company New Balance.
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With prices starting at $27.99 at NewBalance.com, the Shohei Otani Collection features premium sneakers, cleats, graphic tees, hoodies, jackets and other types of apparel. All pieces feature Otani’s signature logo, a black-and-white sketch of him rounding first base.
And if you act fast, you can score $15 off select shoes with promo code SHOES15 at checkout. But shop now, this deal is only good for a limited time.
Additionally, you can get free shipping on the Shohei Otani Collection when you signup for New Balance’s membership. Usually, it would cost an extra $9.99 for shipping and returns, but when you’re a member, it’s free. Best of all? Becoming a member at New Balance is free. Learn more about New Balance’s membership, including other perks and benefits, here.
Ahead, you’ll find out recommendations for the best items from the Shohei Otani Collection.
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance FuelCell Ohtani 1 Trainer
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Graphic T-Shirt
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Signature Woven Nylon Jacket
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Logo Graphic Hoodie
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Signature Fleece 9-Inch Short
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Signature Woven Nylon Top
Meanwhile, Otani is also a big music fan, while he often walkups up to the plate to the song “The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco. Maybe his next collab could be with the Chicago rapper’s clothing line with Maharishi, Nishigawa Iaido Club.
The Shohei Otani Collection is now available at NewBalance.com.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
A new Batman toy is flying onto store shelves just in time for the 30th anniversary of Batman Forever.
The 1995 film starred the late Val Kilmer as the Caped Crusader, who faces off against Harvey Dent/Two-Face and The Riddler. Now, merch brand Beast Kingdom is unveiling the DAH-115 Batman 1995, the latest addition to its Dynamic 8ction Heroes series.
NEW RELEASE
Batman Forever DAH-115 Dynamic 8-ction Figure
Based on Kilmer’s portrayal of Batman in the Batman Forever movie, the new action figure features the actor’s controversial Batsuit, which displayed a more sculpted physique and sleeker look (fans also claimed to see Batman’s nipples in the film, though they’re less prevalent here). This sonar suit also features a new silver belt, versus a yellow one, along with a sweeping black cape.
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Beast Kingdom says there are more than 22 points of articulation in this posable action figure, including Kilmer’s “signature pouting expression” from the film, along with a fabric cape. The set also includes Batman’s famous weapons and accessories, like his grappling gun and bat-shaped batagrangs.
The Batman Forever action figure measures approximately nine inches in height and comes presented in a collectible box for easy display or gifting. Pre-order the figurine now on Amazon.
TWo-PACK
McFarlane Toys Batman Forever DC Multiverse Batman and Riddler Action Figures
Don’t want to wait? Amazon has this McFarlane Toys set, which includes a Batman action figure and a Riddler action figure from the 1995 film. Both toys measure approximately seven inches in height and come with the characters’ signature accessories and 22 points of articulation. Display the action figures on their own or combine it as part of the Batman Forever Build-a line to assemble and form the Nightmare Bat.
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DC Comics Batman Retro Collection Batmobile and Action Figure
Target also has this two-piece set available now for under $20. The set includes a 20-inch Batmobile along with a four-inch retro Batman figure inspired by Kilmer’s character in Batman Forever.
Batman Forever was released in June 1995 and went on to make more than $336 million worldwide at the box office. You can stream or download the Val Kilmer film online through Prime Video.
The Batman Forever soundtrack was also a hit, and it featured Seal’s chart-topping single, “Kiss from a Rose,” in addition to songs from U2, Brandy, Massive Attack and Method Man.
In today’s episode of Billboard Unfiltered, Billboard staffers Carl Lamarre, Trevor Anderson, and Kyle Denis are joined by Peter Rosenberg dive into Drake’s “Nokia” music video where he references Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” music video, Ye’s interview with DJ Akademiks where he makes statements surrounding Kim Kardashian, Playboi Carti, Beyonce & Jay-Z and others, and the current state of Summer Jam.
What do you want to hear more of? Drop your suggestion in the chat!
Carl Lamarre:
I’m curious to get your thoughts as far as, like, what were your thoughts on the video? Did Drake deliver, underperform? We’ll start with Mr. Rosenberg on his thoughts.
Peter Rosenberg:
Listen, I appreciate you guys very much. So I’m not gonna hold back here. I only watched highlights of the video. That’s not disrespect. Music videos for me these days. Like I probably watched, “Not Like Us” one time when it came out, was like, cool, right? I just don’t live currently in the space where, like, breaking down music videos is part of my thing. But I saw, like, the little connections people were drawing, yeah, and I it felt like a reach. Like, I’m not saying that it wasn’t little stuff, but it wasn’t enough to, like, honestly, warrant major conversation to me. But again, I’m not like, captain break it down to that degree. I’m like, is it on the surface, then to me, it’s something worth talking about? Like the 50 other- when people broke down the Super Bowl, like, by day two, I was like, All right, no, no, I get it. I don’t need, like, 50 different versions. Yeah, if it takes that long to figure out what we’re talking about, while it’s neat for like, the hardcore nerds,I’m too busy. I’m sorry I got no time. But, yeah, no, it was cool. I’m just, if I’m Drake, I’m just happy I have that big a hit. Like, what’s what’s happened? That’s more interesting to me than whether or not he took subtleties at Kendrick in the video.
Keep watching for more!
Billboard Women in Music 2025 Rubi Rose sat down with Bobbi Althoff’s The Really Good Podcast and made a shocking revelation. Rose — who models and sometimes raps — claimed that she makes around $400,000 in a “horrible month” on OnlyFans, and she does it by doing whatever her subscribers want her do, whether that […]
SOCAN, Canada’s largest member-owned music rights organization, turns 100 this year. It’s celebrating with a major milestone — but also issuing a warning to the Canadian music industry.
The organization has reported a record-high half-billion dollars in total royalty distributions to music creators and publishers.
Today (April 2), SOCAN released its 2024 Annual Report, which shows a total of $512.4-million in distributed royalty payments. SOCAN revenue also grew to $559.4-million in 2024, a 7% increase over 2023. SOCAN currently has nearly 200,000 songwriter, composer, and music publisher members.
SOCAN’s record royalty distributions were 17.5% higher than 2023. That includes royalties paid to music creators and publishers derived from data matched to revenue received in 2023 and beginning of 2024.
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That would seem to be unqualified good news, but in a statement, SOCAN called the results “bittersweet for the member-owned, not-for-profit.” That’s because SOCAN data shows less than 10% of music consumed online in Canada was written or composed by Canadians.
“Never in history has consuming Canadian meant more to our nation,” SOCAN writes. “As SOCAN celebrates 100 years, the organization urges Canadians to support homegrown talent. The music that Canadian songwriters and composers create is important to Canada’s local economy, our culture, our storytelling, and our global identity.”
SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown (one of Billboard Canada‘s 2024 Power Players) drives home the “support local” message.
“Canadians are increasingly choosing local products and services, driving the success of Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s important to show the same support for our songwriters and composers — not just today, but always,” she says. “Canadian music fans, businesses and government, alongside the international music companies choosing to grow their business in Canada, all play a role in showcasing music as part of Canada’s cultural identity.”
Clearly, the performing rights org is hopeful that the current surge in patriotic Canadian pride in the face of a trade war with and threats of annexation from the U.S. may have an impact on the way we all use and consume music.
The report features other data, including an increase in revenue from music uses that took place in Canada by $18.1-million to a high of $421.6-million. The increase is led by revenue from digital sources totaling $208.7-million, a 10.8% year-over-year increase, and General Licensing and Concerts increasing 15%. Revenue from music uses in international territories, meanwhile, increased an impressive 14.9% to $137.8-million, a testament to the talent and success of Canadian music creators on the global stage.
SOCAN also boasts a new software platform to be be complete in 2025, improved distribution processing times, an educational SOCAN Academy initiative, and development and networking programs. “Even with these essential enhanced efforts, SOCAN was able to maintain their expense-to-revenue ratio at 12%” the report says.
SOCAN’s Annual and General meeting is scheduled for May 21, in Toronto.
This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
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This week: An Amazon Prime season finale makes a 2020s streaming hit out of a 2010s alt-rock anthem, while Randy Travis’ eternal love song keeps on burning and Snoh Aalegra scores a long-overdue viral breakout.
‘Shine’ Bright: Mondo Cozmo Soars With ‘Reacher’ Synch
“Everything will be alright/ If you let it go,” Josh Ostrander, the singer-songwriter who records under the name Mondo Cozmo, sings on the chorus to his alt-folk anthem “Shine.” Released on his 2017 album Plastic Soul, “Shine” was a minor hit for Mondo Cozmo, climbing to the top of the Adult Alternative Songs airplay chart eight years ago; now, the track has resurfaced in a major way, after it was featured in the season 3 finale of the Amazon Prime Video smash Reacher, which was unveiled on Thursday (Mar. 27).
“Shine” earned 116,000 official on-demand U.S. streams in the first four days that the season finale was available(Mar. 27-30) — more than 1000% the total of the same four-day period during the previous week (9,900 streams from Mar. 23-26), according to Luminate. Meanwhile, “Shine” went from a negligible amount of sales during the previous the week to 2,400 downloads from Mar. 27-30, and nearly a week after the finale was released, the single remains the most-Shazamed song in the country. Even if “Shine” doesn’t receive a revival on the scale of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” if the song’s streaming and sales total keeps pushing upward, Mondo Cozmo could make a return to the Billboard charts. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
“Forever and Ever,” Again – Randy Travis Country Classic Becomes Streaming-Era Hit
First released in 1987, “Forever and Ever, Amen” became not only a Country Songs-topping smash for Randy Travis, but an enduring standard and a signature song. While the song has never remained far from pop culture (and the country world in particular), in the past month it has taken on new life, both as the title of Travis’ recently announced upcoming biopic, and as the source of an emotional Carrie Underwood cover – both of which were revealed at the Grand Ole Opry last month, to very positive reception.
These new boosts, combined with the song’s lingering virality, have resulted in “Forever and Ever Amen” growing into a sizable streaming hit over the course of March. While the song was already racking up 1.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams for the final tracking week of February (ending Feb. 27), in the four weeks since that number has nearly doubled, as “Forever” amassed 3.5 million for the week ending March 27 – while the song’s digital sales have also exploded 565% for the same time period, to over 1,200.
If the song keeps growing, it could become a chart hit all over again – proving that the song really is as eternal as its title implies. – ANDREW UNTEREBRGER
Snoh Aalegra’s Has Her “Eyes” on TikTok Four Years After Song’s Release
Snoh Aalegra has been an R&B darling for years now, but “In Your Eyes” could land her a legitimate hit single. The groovy Neptunes-produced single is a deep cut from the Swedish singer’s 2021 Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies LP, which earned a best R&B album Grammy nod and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200.
According to Luminate, streaming activity for “Eyes” has exploded nearly 540% over the next four weeks. Across the first few months of the year, the song naturally gained traction simply because users were discovering and vibing with it. On March 9, user @ruscowski11 posted a dance clip to “Eyes,” quickly kicking off a dance trend that spread to several different corners of the app. During the week of March 7-13, “Eyes” pulled 607,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, posting a 72% increase from the week prior, according to Luminate. In the first full week post-dance video (March 14-20), streams jumped a further 73%, topping out at 1.05 million streams. Last week (March 21-27), “Eyes” leapt another 51%, earning 1.59 million streams. The official “In Your Eyes” TikTok sound currently boasts over 62,000 clips on the platform.
Between Ravyn Lenae and Janet Jackson scoring viral TikTok hits in recent weeks, it looks like Snoh Aalegra is the latest to ride the app’s R&B wave. – KYLE DENIS
New Lingo, New Viral Track: Rob49 Scores Big With “WTHelly”
When Rob49 dropped “WTHelly” on March 21, the song earned 339,000 official on-demand U.S. streams in its first weekend of release (March 21-24). The following weekend (March 28-31), streaming activity for the song catapulted 373% to over 1.6 million streams.
The impetus? TikTok of course! Over the past week, Ro49’s new single has completely taken over the app, with users sharing their shock and amusement at the song’s outro. “What the helly?/ What the hellyanté?/ What the helly on?/ What the helly, Berry?/ What the helly, Burton?/ What the helly, ‘Bron James?/ What the helly Cyrus?” he spits, making a seemingly everlasting pun out of the phrase “what the helly,” a NOLA-steeped take on the more universal “What the Hell.” On TikTok, the song’s official sound has already earned a whopping 87,5000 clips, including several posts like Wiz Khalifa and Love Island star Leah Kateb.
With hits like “Wassam Baby” and “Trippin on a Yacht” already in the tuck, Rob49 is an eyeing another one with “WTHelly” — which has recently earned a Justin Bieber co-sign. – KD
Billboard Women in Music 2025
At this year’s Billboard Women in Music event, the Impact Award was presented by Bose, with music star Tyla as the recipient. The South African singer and songwriter was honored for her profound influence on the music industry, particularly for her role in spreading amapiano to global audiences.
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The “Water” singer’s recognition at the event followed the footsteps of previous Impact Award honorees such as Solange Knowles, Alicia Keys, Jessie Reyez, H.E.R., Becky G and Young Miko.
When accepting the award, she said, “In life, we all have a chance to pour into one another, whether it be something you say, a performance, a dance move — literally anything. We all have that chance, and you never know what might ignite in somebody and what that person will pass on to another.”
During the ceremony, Tyla also wowed the crowd with a live performance of her hit single “Push 2 Start.” The track has seen massive success, having topped the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for an impressive 14 weeks. It also reached No. 2 on the World Digital Song Sales chart, further solidifying her position as one of the most exciting emerging artists in the international music scene.
In addition to Tyla’s celebration, the event also saw singer-songwriter Griff catch the attention of attendees as she wore a custom pair of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds designed by renowned jeweler Maggi Simpkins. Last year, Simpkins crafted a similar pair for Kenzie Ziegler, and this year, Griff’s earbuds were created with 14k solid yellow gold and a mix of natural and lab-grown diamonds totaling 2.18 carats. These pieces reflected the unique artistry of both Simpkins and Bose’s commitment to blending technology with style.
Griff took a moment on the red carpet to speak with Billboard News’ Rania Aniftos and social media personality Jazzy about her music and the custom earbuds, shedding light on her career and the creative process behind her sound.
As Tyla and Griff continue to make their mark on the industry, this year’s Billboard Women in Music ceremony highlighted the ever-growing influence of young female artists, the continued rise of amapiano, and the way music continues to serve as a vehicle for change and connection across the globe.
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Kid Capri is claiming he was never compensated for his alleged contribution to the Martin theme song, which he says uses his voice as a sample.
In an interview with the Bag Fuel podcast on Tuesday (April 1), Capri said the popular sitcom’s theme song, which was composed by Steve Keitt, used a sample of Capri’s voice from his time on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. Capri said that his signature “Martin!” catchphrase was pulled without his permission.
“They took my voice from Def Comedy Jam, sampled it, put it on the Martin show,” Capri explained. “Never got no permission from me, never asked for my rights, nothing. This show been on eight different networks for 30 years. Now if it was a money thing for me, I would been like, ‘Yo where’s my bread?’ I ain’t never did that.”
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He went on to say that before the show’s reunion, Tisha Campbell, who played Martin Lawrence’s wife Gina Waters-Payne, went on Fox Soul and inquired about whether that was Kid Capri‘s voice heard on the iconic intro. But Martin himself denied that was Kid’s voice during his own appearance on the show.
“First of all, that was the dumbest s—t to say, everybody know it’s me,” Capri continued. “Number two, I got videos of this. Number three, all you had to say was, ‘Yo Kid, we used your s—t, is it aight? Here’s a bag.’ Or not.”
Capri added he hasn’t spoken to Martin about the matter, and that he has no plans to talk to the Bad Boys actor.
Regardless of whether the audio was lifted from Def Comedy Jam, it’s unclear whether Capri would have even needed to give legal permission in the first place, as HBO or one of the production companies behind Def Comedy Jam are likely the owner of the copyrights to the material that was sampled.
Billboard has reached out to Steve Keitt and Martin Lawrence’s team for comment.
The claim comes after Kid Capri made headlines last summer for criticizing Travis Scott over his interaction with a fan who wanted a photo. In a video of the incident, Scott appeared to push the fan’s arm out of the way, while saying, “Don’t touch me.”
“Ayo, Travis Scott, when did we start being disrespectful to kids, bruh?” Capri said after the video went viral. “Little kid asked you for an autograph, [you] pushed his hand away, looked at him like he was the devil and just walked away from him. At one time, you would’ve wanted somebody to ask you for an autograph or ask you for a picture or whatever it is he asked you for.”
Watch the full interview below.