State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 99
Trending on Billboard In 2012, popular music was at a point of major transition. Rock was fading from the mainstream, R&B was getting weird, rap was entering its middle age, and EDM was suddenly at the center of everything. All of these trends were reflected at that spring’s Coachella, where some of the defining artists […]
Trending on Billboard
Mexican music star Netón Vega wraps up a successful 2025 with the release of an ambitious project: his second studio album, Delirium. In it, he experiments with a variety of sounds and teams up with renowned songwriters and producers such as Edgar Barrera and Benny Blanco.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Coming out on Thursday night (Nov. 13) under La Josa Records — just three weeks after Vega won the Billboard Latin Music Award for artist of the year, debut — Delirium features 15 tracks, including the previously released single “Qué Motor,” the focus track “Lentes” and several standout collaborations: “AQNGP” with Ryan Castro, “90 60 90” with Myke Towers, “Baby de los 2 Miles” with Jowell & Randy, and “Perro Fiel” with Benny Blanco.
In addition to Mexican music — the genre that first launched his career as a songwriter for stars like Peso Pluma and Tito Double P, and later as a singer with last year’s hit “Loco” — the album brings reggaetón, rap, and bachata, brimming with lyrics about love and heartbreak designed to resonate with anyone.
Delirium follows Mi Vida Mi Muerte, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Albums chart and No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart dated March 8.
In an exclusive interview in Las Vegas, the city he chose to debut his new music, Netón Vega talks about his year of successes, his new album, how his collaboration with Benny Blanco came about, and more.
What’s your take on how this year has been for your career?
It’s been a year full of changes, surprises, and very fast growth since the release of my first album. Thank God, people really liked it.
You just won the Billboard Latin Music Award for artist of the year, debut. What was that experience like for you?
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it — it was a big surprise. I had eight nominations, so I was hopeful to win something, and it happened. I was really excited and nervous, especially because I didn’t have anything prepared to say. I’m truly grateful to the people.
Was having Edgar Barrera as one of the producers of your new album Delirium meant to create global and commercial music?
I had already worked with him. In fact, we have a great friendship, so when I told him about what I wanted to do with my new album, he supported me all the way. Edgar brought his intelligence and experience; he knows what people like. I always respect people with a strong track record and learn from their knowledge. I’m still learning, so I truly value other people’s work.
It’s surprising that Benny Blanco is another one of the producers and even collaborated on a track. How did that connection come about?
I never would have imagined meeting him, let alone recording with him. It happened thanks to someone on my team who made the connection. We had two sessions, nothing planned — everything just came together in the moment. The first song we created was “Perro Infiel,” which is the collaboration, and the next day we worked on another track for him, and he produced several more for the album.
How did you manage to work together without knowing each other?
He only speaks English and I only speak Spanish, but someone on my team translated for us. There was good energy from the start. He gives you your space — we have different ways of working, but in the end, we both stepped out of our comfort zones and created things we really liked. He’s used to working with very big artists, but he took the opportunity to work with me.
You’re already a big artist. Are you aware of that?
Yes, I know. And there are many things I don’t know, but I’m learning. Everyone, in any profession, starts from scratch and builds experiences over time — same with me.
Your album Delirium has a bit of everything. Anyone, from any age group, can enjoy one or more songs.
I mainly focused on making the album enjoyable, with positive energy, and something more people could listen to. I don’t want to stick to just one thing — you have to try and experiment. This album is a reflection of everything I’m experiencing. I wanted to break away from the usual and explore new sounds.
What’s left to do for the rest of this important year in your career?
On November 28, I’ll be at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles — it’s my last show of the year. After that, I’ll take some much-needed vacation time and go to Mexico to be with my family, because they are the driving force that keeps me going.
Trending on Billboard
Speakers were widely attuned to Taylor Swift when her third studio LP, Speak Now, debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and Top Country Albums dated Nov. 13, 2010.
The set followed 2008’s Fearless as the second of six Swift albums that have started atop both lists.
Speak Now’s release was heavily publicized, as Swift made performances at New York’s Kennedy Airport, on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars and on Los Angeles’ Hollywood Boulevard as she shot an NBC special, Taylor Swift – Speak Now.
Five Speak Now singles reached the top five on the Hot Country Songs chart: “Mine” (No. 2 peak, November 2010), “Back to December” (No. 3, March 2011), “Mean” (No. 2, June 2011) and two No. 1s, which led for one week each: “Sparks Fly” (November 2011) and “Ours” (March 2012), the latter from a Target-exclusive CD version of the album.
On the Billboard Hot 100, four Speak Now songs hit the top 10, including the title track, with “Mine” charting the highest (No. 3).
Amplifying Speak Now’s legacy, Dan + Shay’s new cover of “Back to December” debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart dated Nov. 1.
Speak Now logged 13 weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Meanwhile, the re-recording, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), led for two weeks in 2023.
In addition to Swift’s six albums that have topped both the country and all-genre album lists, her self-titled debut dominated Top Country Albums for 24 weeks beginning in August 2007 and her EP Beautiful Eyes went No. 1 on the chart for a week in August 2008.
Nine more of Swift’s titles have led the Billboard 200 but not Top Country Albums, including The Life of a Showgirl, currently ruling (on the Nov. 15-dated survey) for a fifth week. Her 15 Billboard 200 No. 1s are the most among soloists and second overall only to the Beatles’ 19.
Trending on Billboard
Got a fussy little one? A relaxing new album of Ariana Grande hits transformed into soothing lullabies will make sure there’s no tears left to cry.
As Billboard can exclusively announce on Thursday (Nov. 13), Rockabye Baby! is gearing up to drop an LP of soft, sleepy-time versions of some of the pop star’s biggest hits, from “One Last Time” to “Dangerous Woman” and “Positions.” And ahead of the full-length’s release on Nov. 21, the company has shared a snippet of its take on eight-week Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “7 Rings,” complete with an adorable animation.
The full track list features a total of 13 songs spanning Grande’s seven studio albums, as well as her evergreen Christmas smash “Santa Tell Me” and signature Wicked number “Popular.” The project’s album cover shows the Rockabye Baby! bear wearing a fuzzy bunny mask inspired by Grande’s Dangerous Woman era.
Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Ariana Grande
Courtesy
The two-time Grammy winner is the latest musician to have her work transformed into a Rockabye Baby! album. Some of the company’s past compilations include tributes to The Beatles, Bad Bunny, Queen, Taylor Swift, Snoop Dogg, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Journey, BTS and Marvin Gaye.
Though the genre is primarily geared toward little ones as they wind down for bedtime, Rockabye Baby! promises in a statement that its Grande compilation is perfect for “former theatre kids, pop diva parents, Boca Raton grandparents, future dangerous women and everyone in between.”
The tribute comes at an exciting time in Grande’s career, as the R.E.M. Beauty founder is currently gearing up for the worldwide premiere of Wicked: For Good, in which she stars as Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. Grande also recently wrapped filming on another screen project: Focker-in-Law.
Next year, the vocalist will embark on her first tour in six years, supporting 2024 Billboard 200 No. 1 album Eternal Sunshine — one song from which, the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” will appear on the Grande-inspired Rockabye Baby! LP.
Check out the Rockabye Baby! version of “7 Rings” below.
Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Ariana Grande track list:
7 ringsthank u, nextOne Last TimeInto YouPopularLove Me HarderSanta Tell Meno tears left to cryGod is a womanbreak up with your girlfriend, i’m boredDangerous WomanPositionswe can’t be friends (wait for your love)
Source: Warner Bros. TV / Getty
Megan Thee Stallion goes big on big every time she pops out.
From dropping new music to hard-launching a relationship, Megan Thee Stallion has been on a roll. Now, she’s setting her sights on one of the biggest goals in music, performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. The Houston Hottie spoke with US Weekly, putting it out into the universe that she wants to hit that stage one day, saying, “I’m manifesting a Super Bowl halftime performance for myself in the future.”
One thing about Meg, she loves a good challenge, and this one’s no different. She went in-depth about how she’s willing to do whatever it takes to put on a memorable show, saying, “Honestly, I would really love the opportunity if it presented itself, and I would embrace the challenge. The Hotties know I would love to put on a show, so I’d want to turn the halftime show into a big party, come with some surprises, and put on for my city.”
With Jay-Z playing a major role in planning each Super Bowl halftime show and Megan still having ties to Roc Nation, this seems like a no-brainer. Especially since Thee Stallion has built an impressive catalog in such a short time. Everyone (of age, of course) would be driving the boat while Thee Hot Girl did her big one on stage.
Megan hasn’t let her foot off the gas in the music department. With her new boo, Klay Thompson, starting up the NBA season, she made it clear she’s got a little more time on her hands. With that newfound time came some new heat. The H-Town rapper dropped “LOVER GIRL.” where she openly admitted the song was inspired by her new man, Klay.
The song has been all over social media, with users showing love to their significant others while it plays in the background.
Trending on Billboard
Taylor Swift is giving fans a peek behind the curtain of her upcoming Eras Tour docuseries, which itself is a peek behind the curtain of the biggest tour of all time.
On Thursday (Nov. 13) — exactly one month before the pop star’s 36th birthday — Swift unveiled the full trailer for The End of an Era, a six-part look at how she executed her global Eras Tour coming to Disney+ next month. In the two-and-a-half minute clip, we see the mechanics of how she pulled off everything from her surprise entrance on stage (by rolling up in a faux custodial cart) to how she traveled underneath her unbelievably long catwalk (on a speedy moving platform that launched her back and forth between numbers).
“I’m very aware of mysterious forces at play that I will never have any control of,” Swift says at the beginning. “This show created a bonding experience for, like, 70,000 people all at once. There’s something very special about that.”
The trailer also shows many of the countless people who also played a big role in the two-year trek, which ran throughout 2023 and 2024 and generated a record-shattering $2,077,618,725 in grosses. One of them, of course, is Swift’s now-fiancé professional football player Travis Kelce, who we see on the road with the 14-time Grammy winner both in person and in spirit. In a couple of scenes, Swift cheers him on while watching Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs’ games on TV, and in another, her mom, Andrea, says of her future son-in-law, “He brings a lot of happiness.”
In a different scene, Travis crouches beneath the stage and greets Swift with a booming “Tay Tay!” before the pair ride off together on the moving platform. Sharing the trailer on her Instagram, the singer wrote, “Honestly can’t think of a better way to celebrate my (almost) birthday than to relive the Eras Tour with you! This time we’re going backstage.”
The full trailer comes exactly one month after Swift first shared a shorter teaser for the Eras doc, and about one month ahead of the project’s Dec. 12 premiere on Disney+. It is expected to give Swifties the most in-depth look at the trek yet, though the historic run was also documented in an Eras Tour concert film in 2023.
Also in the new trailer, Swift rehearses how she’s going to surprise her crowds with various surprise guests, including Sabrina Carpenter — with whom she maps out how she plans to call her on the phone from on stage — and Ed Sheeran, who practices guitar next to his longtime friend and collaborator on a couch. The pair were just a few of the several guests Swift shared the stage with at different points in the tour, along with Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner and Gracie Abrams.
With a glint in her eye, Swift says at one point in the trailer, “I love having a good secret.”
Watch the full Eras Tour docuseries trailer above.
Trending on Billboard The Latin Recording Academy hosted its 2025 Best New Artist Showcase on Tuesday night (Nov. 11), giving the spotlight to 10 promising acts in Latin music. Held at the Mandalay Convention Center, the intimate concert kicked off at 9:30 p.m. with a heartfelt performance by Aitana, who also hosted the event. Presenters […]
Trending on Billboard Nicki Nicole talks about the surprising success of her album NAIKI, nominated for both a Grammy and a Latin Grammy, her gratitude towards Billboard for supporting her when she was a rising star, how she managed to rap with an orchestra, and how Rosalía’s new album is inspiring her today. Nicki Nicole: […]
Trending on Billboard
Glitz and glam took over the Mandalay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday (Nov. 12), where industry leaders and Latin music stars alike gathered for a night of celebration at The Latin Recording Academy’s 2025 Person of the Year gala honoring Raphael.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
“We are celebrating a living legend of Latin music,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said to attendees before inviting the 82-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter to the stage. “Let’s welcome an iconic artist who is undoubtedly a legend in Spanish-language music. He created a personal style that has transcended generations and borders. Today, we will be telling your story through your music. We’ve invited friends and colleagues, but also artists from the new generation who recognize your career.”
The invite-only gala that finished around midnight included a three-course dinner, a two-hour long tribute to Raphael, and a five-minute video that showcased Raphael’s more than 65 years in music: “I see colleagues of mine retiring. I’m not going to retire,” he said in one of the clips. “I still have many countries to visit, and as long as my voice holds up, I’ll be singing.”
At 9:30 p.m., Enrique Bunbury opened the show with a soft rock version of Raphael’s 1966 classic “Yo Soy Aquel.” He was then joined by Carin León for some jaw-dropping harmonies during a performance of “Ahora.” León then stayed to perform 1988’s “Toco Madera.” Later in the evening, Fito Paez and Rozalen performed “Enséñame a Olvidarte”; Rozalen brought out Susana Baca for a “Chabacano, Limeña” duet; and Pepe Aguilar was joined by Myriam Hernandez for a sweet rendition of “Procuro Olvidarte.”
Cafe Quijano, Gaby Moreno, Elena Rose, Ivan Cornejo, Jesse & Joy, Pablo Lopez, Aitana, Kiki Morente, Angeles Toledano, Vanessa Martín, Kany Garcia, and Carlos Rivera, were among the many artists who also honored El Divo de Linares with their captivating vocals. “I would clone you,” García told him. “You are a magical human being. Long live Raphael, this is your night!”
The highlight of the night, however, was when David Bisbal performed the timeless 1980s ballad “Como Yo Te Amo.” At one point in the powerful performance, Bisbal walked off stage and sat across Raphael at the dinner table, where he was joined by his loved ones. Bisbal passionately sang to him as a teary-eyed Raphael smiled and sang along.
“The truth is, Raphael, we’re friends, and thank you for leaving a legacy of discipline, effort, and sacrifice… I don’t know how many times you sang while sick,” Bisbal said to him. “That’s the legacy you’ve left for all artists. You can count on me to always carry your word. I promise you.”
The evening wrapped up with the rhythmic 1992 tune “Escándalo” performed by tropical stars Willy Chirino (who composed the song for Raphael’s Ave Fénix album), Eddy Herrera, and Victor Manuelle.
Raphael — who was diagnosed last year with primary brain lymphoma — then briefly took the stage to remind his family, friends, and colleagues in the room: “I hope to return for many more years.”
Trending on Billboard
Songscription, a startup that uses AI to turn recorded music into musical notation, has raised $5 million in a round led by previous investor Reach Capital. Additional backers in the round include Emerge Capital, 10x Founders, Dent Capital, and guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, an advisor to the company whose résumé includes an eight-year stint with Guns N’ Roses.
The San Francisco-based company’s technology can turn a recording into sheet music, tablature or interactive piano roll. The cloud-based platform accepts multiple audio formats such as MP3, WAV, MP4, MIDI files and YouTube links. After using AI to analyze the audio, Songscription can output printable sheet music or MIDI, MusicXML or Guitar Pro file formats. Users can also download and edit their transcriptions directly within the Songscription platform. The company claims to have drawn over 150,000 users from over 150 countries.
Related
The funding will be used to expand Songscription’s available instruments and notation outputs, among other needs. The platform currently supports piano, violin, flute, guitar, bass guitar and trumpet. Ultimately, the company says it wants to become a necessary composition tool that captures performances and renders the music as notation and MIDI to enable easy recreation.
Thal predicts that Songscription “will change musicians’ lives” by providing time-saving assistance to both music teachers and players. “Even us professionals can use it to save hours of time trying to recall what we played on albums we recorded years ago,” he said in a statement. “It’s a real game changer.”
While some AI companies are engaged in legal battles with music rights holders, Songscription intends to be a friend, not foe, of the music industry. “For Songscription, ethics are top of mind, and we are working closely to sign deals with more industry players, including major publishers, to ensure their service honors all stakeholders,” advisor Elizabeth Moody, a partner at Granderson Des Rochers, said in a statement.
Related
To train its model, Songscription has used material from the public domain and partnerships with artists and businesses. CEO Andrew Carlins told Billboard that Songscription’s need for licensing deals “is still a gray area…but because empowering artists is core to our mission, we have decided to proactively approach the publishers to sign deals that will include rights for both the input and output regardless of where the legal line is drawn,” he said.
