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Agnez Mo has always been a style icon, and now she’s designing some new footwear. The Indonesian superstar is teaming up with Omar Bailey’s FCTRY LAb, a footwear innovation studio, as their newest creator partner. For her first-ever shoe design, Agnez is creating a special edition FCTRY LAb KNIGHT RNR with the AM Knight RNR […]
The owners of Departure — the conference and festival formerly known as Canadian Music Week (CMW) — are being sued by its former founder/president for breach of contract and unpaid sale fees.
In a notice of action filed with the Ontario Court of Justice this week (March 17), Neill Dixon has commenced a legal proceeding against the owners of Departure, including Loft Entertainment and Oak View Group (OVG) Canada.
Dixon accuses the companies of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and quantum meruit (a reasonable fee for work done) and seeks damages of $435,428 plus $50,000 in punitive and aggravated damages. The claim states that the new owners have not paid the full sale price of $2,000,000 agreed to in June 2024.
“After 42 years of building an internationally respected Canadian music business, I made the difficult decision to sell and retire, trusting the purchasers to honour their commitments under the Agreement we had between us,” Dixon tells Billboard Canada in a statement. “I have been forced to start a lawsuit to hold them to their end of the Agreement we had between us. It’s disheartening to have decades of dedication and hard work met with such an approach by them.”
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In a statement to Billboard Canada, Loft and OVG confirm they have received the statement of claim and write that they have been negotiating with Dixon over the terms.
“LOFT Entertainment and Oak View Group have received a formal statement of claim from Neill Dixon,” they write. “We have been negotiating with Neill and his counsel for an extended period to finalize our agreed upon terms. If we are unable to reach an agreement, we will explore alternative options.”
Dixon announced his retirement and sale of CMW to Loft and the U.S.-based OVG (which has opened an office in Canada) on the opening day of the conference last summer. In a surprise move before the end of 2024, the new owners announced they would be changing the event’s name to Departure. The festival had been known as Canadian Music Week since 1982, which included Dixon’s entire term as president. During that time, it became known as one of the most important music industry conferences in Canada.
The new owners announced the rebranding at a launch event in November at the conference’s new headquarters, Hotel X in Toronto. The new Departure team — including Loft co-founder Randy Lennox, CEO Jackie Dean and executive producer Kevin Barton as well as OVG Canada president Tom Pistore — outlined a new vision for the festival, expanding the music event to also include comedy, tech, food and more. Some of the confirmed speakers for this year include Matty Matheson, Bryan Adams and Dallas Green.
Dixon was at the launch event, where Lennox and Barton announced they would honour the former CMW co-founder with a lifetime achievement award at this year’s festival, which takes place from May 6-11, 2025.
Now, however, Dixon claims the new owners have not honoured their monetary commitments to him.
Full story here. – Richard Trapunski
IFPI Global Music Report 2025 Touts Canadian Revenue Growth, International Punjabi Music Push
Canada’s music market is staying strong, with revenues growing to $660.3 million USD in 2024.
That’s according to the IFPI, which represents the global recording industry. IFPI’s 2025 State of the Industry report again lists Canada as the 8th largest music market in the world.
Canada’s 2024 revenues saw relatively small growth of just 1.5%, but the report notes that the 2024 figures are in comparison to an unusually high 2023, which saw a large one-off performance rights revenue payment.
Meanwhile, Canada’s most popular musician, Drake, saw his global standing rise. During a tough year for the superstar’s reputation, his worldwide popularity increased, rising from No. 4 to No. 2 in the IFPI’s artist rankings, behind only Taylor Swift.
The report highlights Warner Canada and Warner India’s joint venture, 91 North, which has been successfully growing the profile of South Asian music in Canada and abroad. In the report, Warner India’s Jay Mehta and Warner Canada’s Kristen Burke discussed how the collaborative label came to be. Mehta says the idea came to him during lockdown when he noticed the explosion in Punjabi talent coming out of Canada.
“While it was already a big consumption market, Canada was newly becoming a big creator market, which was consistently making great Indian sounds,” Mehta said. He connected with Burke on the idea of a label that could support South Asian artists in Canada who have huge followings in India.
“Jay and I quickly got together and recognized that there was a real opportunity here to be the first label to come together to really support these artists,” Burke added.
Read more on the Canadian insights in the IFPI Global Music Report here. – Rosie Long Decter
Canadian Country Music Association Adds Francophone Artist of the Year Category for 2025
The Canadian Country Music Association is adding a new category for Francophone Artist of the Year.
The inaugural award will be presented during Country Music Week in Kelowna, B.C., this September. It marks a milestone addition for the CCMA Awards, recognizing both the increasing impact of Francophone artists in Canadian country and the popularity of country music in Quebec.
“The addition of the Francophone Artist of the Year category is a significant step forward in celebrating the diversity within Canadian country music,” said Amy Jeninga, CCMA President, in a statement. “We are thrilled to provide a dedicated platform that recognizes and supports Francophone country artists, ensuring their contributions receive the attention they deserve.”
The eligibility period runs from March 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025. Seventy percent of the act’s released repertoire during that period must be in French.
The new award, which joins the 15 established artist awards at the CCMAs, will shine a light on Francophone artists who might not be getting a national spotlight.
Quebec has a robust Francophone country scene. The province’s ADISQ Gala presents an annual award for Country Album, with recent winners and nominees including Acadian group Salebarbes, singer-songwriter Alex Burger and multi-instrumentalist duo Hauterive.
Francophone country artists are also spread across the country beyond Quebec. The Ontario equivalent of the CCMAs, the Country Music Association of Ontario, already features a similar award dedicated to Francophone artists. Reney Ray of Kapuskasing, Ontario, took home the 2024 CMA Ontario Award for Francophone artist of the year.
The new award at the CCMAs is the latest example of major Canadian music associations adapting to account for the country’s musical and cultural diversity.
Read more here. – RLD
It’s no secret that Drake enjoys gambling, and his partnership with Australian online gambling company Stake is a testament to that. The Toronto rapper posted of clip of him sitting down with the company for their online series House Money, where he answered questions about his biggest win and his gambling GOAT. When asked about […]
Women in music don’t just take up space; they define it. They set the trends, move the culture and rewrite the rules in real time. As we gear up for Billboard Women in Music 2025, happening Saturday, March 29, at Inglewood, California’s YouTube Theater, we’re celebrating the artists and industry leaders who are shaping the sound of today and tomorrow.
Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 – get your tickets now! Get Tickets → HERE
This year’s honorees represent a powerful range of voices and genres. Doechii is our Woman of the Year, while Muni Long is our Rising Star presented by Honda; aespa is Group of the Year, Megan Moroney earns Rulebreaker, and Angela Aguilar is honored with Breakthrough. Tyla takes home Impact, GloRilla claims Powerhouse, and Meghan Trainor is recognized as Hitmaker. Erykah Badu receives the Icon award, Jennie is honored as a Global Force, and ANNA and Charlotte Cardin share Global Women of the Year – Billboard. Gracie Abrams is named Songwriter of the Yea
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Beyond the music, Tina Knowles will be honored as Mother of the Year, recognizing her influence not just as the woman behind some of music’s biggest stars — including her superstar daughter Beyoncé — but as a cultural architect in her own right. From shaping Destiny’s Child to her philanthropy and creative ventures, her legacy extends far beyond entertainment. She’s now sharing her journey in her upcoming book, Matriarch, reflecting on motherhood, leadership and the power of community.
The night will also feature a lineup of presenters including Julia Michaels, Mickey Guyton, Kali Uchis, Summer Walker, Madison Beer, Tanner Adell, Zara Larsson, Becky G, Suki Waterhouse and Victoria Monét, all coming together to celebrate the impact of women in music. Laverne Cox will take the stage as host, leading a night dedicated to honoring the talent, creativity and influence of women across the industry.
To mark the occasion, we’ve curated a 60-song Billboard Women in Music playlist featuring the artists shaping this moment. With songs from honorees and presenters alike, it’s a celebration of music in every form — whether it’s R&B, pop, country, rap, K-pop or reggaetón. No matter the genre, the energy is the same: fearless, forward-thinking, and impossible to ignore.
Listen to the playlist below, and don’t miss Billboard Women in Music 2025 on March 29. Get your tickets now at billboardwomeninmusic.com.
“They Don’t Know.” “Are You Still Down” featuring Tupac Shakur. “Someone to Love” featuring Babyface. Jon B’s brand of soulful music has kept female fans screaming for 30 years. Now the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-producer-musician is celebrating — and continuing — that legacy with the March 21 release of his eighth studio album, Waiting on You (stream HERE).
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“Man, 30 years,” Jon B tells Billboard of reaching that lofty career milestone. “I love what I do, and Waiting on You is just another product of my loving what I do. I also love my fans, who have allowed me into their lives. We’ve gone this long together and still got that love, so let’s keep this thing going.”
That sentiment is reflected in one of the album’s 11 songs, “Still Got Love,” whose cha-cha groove is reminiscent of another Jon B fan fave, the 2001 club jam “Don’t Talk.” In addition, Waiting on You has already spun off two singles: the ‘90s-vibed title track and the atmospheric ballad “Natural Drug.” On the former, Jon B reunited with Tank, who first collaborated with his fellow R&B purveyor on the title track for another Jon B album: 2004’s Stronger Everyday. Along with Tank, Jon B’s Waiting on You production collaborators include Brady Watt, Loren Lomboy and Donte Jackson.
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Of his and Tank’s musical rapport, Jon B says, “He can play, write and sing. So when you put us in a room, we immediately start talking that musical language. I love his bridge [on “Waiting”] because it brings back the harmonies and energy that we were giving in the ’90s — a little of that old goodness that’s kind of missing in R&B.”
As does the ballad “Understand” featuring late ‘90s-early ‘aughts R&B artist Donell Jones. The album’s other tasty offerings include the uptempo love ode “Hills to the Hood” with rap icon Rick Ross (“WhenI made the track, I thought the only voice that needs to rap on this is Rick Ross”) and the meditative “Show Me” featuring rising star Alex Isley (“Her lineage and classic voice speak for themselves; she sounds ahead of her time.”)
“I only have 11 records on here,” Jon B adds, “so there’s just a different intensity with each song. I don’t feel like there any song that’s redundant or just filler. Every song could be a single.”
The one thing that’s remained constant in Jon B’s creative evolution is his smooth, sexy and supple tenor. It’s what caught fans’ ears in 1995 when debut studio album Bonafide was released by Tracey Edmonds’ Yab Yum label via Epic Records division 550 Music. The set boasted the later Grammy-nominated song with Babyface, “Someone to Love,” which initially appeared on the 1995 Bad Boys soundtrack. Jon B’s enduring catalog has since been sampled by the likes of The Weeknd (“Niagara Falls”), Drake (“Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude”), Chris Brown featuring a posthumous appearance by Aaliyah (“Don’t Think They Know”) and Gunna and Chloe Bailey (“You & Me”).
Now Jon B is back on deck with Waiting on You, the follow-up to his 2019 single “Priceless” and last formal studio album, 2012’s Comfortable Swagg. All three projects are under his own label Vibezelect. Jon B credits his wife Danette as being “the backbone” of the family operation. “She’s the executive producer, artistic director, stylist and booker,” he explains. “It’s a really cool collaboration between the two of us and has been now for almost 20 years.”
The pair’s next collaboration is Jon B’s Pick Me Up Tour. Named after the album’s newest single, the 10-city trek — with additional dates forthcoming — begins April 11 at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland and will swing through New Orleans, Dallas, Houston and Chicago, among other cities. Opening for him will be Nigerian-born British singer-songwriter Shaé Universe. “People are really going to be in a trance when they hear her sing,” Jon B promises.
In the meantime, the newly minted 50-year-old says it’s “pretty cool” to come back with new music and new energy. “I feel better and more confident about being an artist than I ever have. After searching for a long time to find my rhythm, I’ve finally figured this whole thing out. Now I’m definitely coming into my own.”
j-hope kicks off his new era with two new tracks: “MONA LISA” and a collab with Miguel, “Sweet Dreams.” The BTS star explains why he wanted to work with Miguel, blending pop and R&B sounds and more in the latest Billboard News’ Music You Should Know. j-hope: “Mona Lisa” Person: He wants something cool and […]
Spotify continued its push into the live music business this week with the launch of Concerts Near You, a personalized playlist designed to help artists market and build awareness for their upcoming shows. Company officials say the playlist will update every Wednesday with 30 new tracks from artists performing near Spotify users based on the […]
*NSYNC fans got a special treat on Friday (March 21), when Vevo chose “Bye Bye Bye” as the subject of their newest Footnotes episode, giving an inside look at the beloved track on its 25th anniversary. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The song peaked at No. […]
Pride Month might still be a few months away, but the city of West Hollywood is ready to kick the celebrations off right with a little help from a pair of pop stars.
On Friday (March 21), Outloud Music Festival announced that Lizzo and Lil Nas X will serve as the weekend’s headliners. Taking place May 31 and June 1 at WeHo Pride, the annual festival will also feature performances from special musical guests Kim Petras, Honey Dijon, Paris Hilton, their return to WeHo Pride in 2025, Shygirl, Pabllo Vittar, Rebecca Black, Empress Of and more.
“At a time when our rights and visibility continue to be challenged, it’s more important than ever for the LGBTQ+ community, allies, organizations, and advocates to come together in solidarity,” Jeff Consoletti, OUTLOUD’s founder and executive producer, said in a statement. “This festival is a place where we celebrate and empower queer artists on a massive scale. As we continue to grow, so does our impact in bringing the LGBTQ+ community to the forefront of entertainment.”
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The news comes amid Lizzo’s big comeback — with the releases of her latest song “Still Bad” and the announcement of her forthcoming album Love in Real Life, Lizzo recently declared that she wants to “make real music with radical joy” in the coming months, while also claiming the allegations of sexual harassment leveled at her in 2023 were “supposed to destroy” her. “It has only set me free,” she wrote on X. “Now I know none of this is real. The only thing that’s real is the love that I share with my family, my friends, nature, my fans, in Real Life.”
Lil Nas X, meanwhile, has been hard at work releasing new music off his forthcoming album Dreamboy. After releasing five new songs in a row in mid-March, the rapper dropped his latest single “Lean On My Body” on Friday. The fan-favorite track was first teased by Lil Nas all the way back in 2022, a fact he reminded his fans of when he reposted the original clip on his X.
Check out the full 2025 Outloud lineup below:
Thee Houston Hottie is hoping to team up with the Swamp Princess. While hanging out with fans on a recent TikTok livestream, Megan Thee Stallion revealed that Doechii is on her list of dream collaborators, with the former currently working on the third act in her Megan album series.
The topic of a team-up with the “Denial Is a River” rapper first came up as Meg gave Hotties an update on her next LP. “Act III is being made,” she told fans on the live. “I’m really just trying to figure out who do I want to do features with at this point in life. I only want to do features with people that … one, I haven’t done a feature with yet, and two, that I listen to on my own time — people that I actually, you know, f— with.”
When viewers started suggesting a certain Florida-born star’s name in the chat, the “Hiss” spitfire said excitedly, “I see Doechii, bi—, I love Doechii.”
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“I do want to do a song with Doechii,” Ms. Stallion added. “That’s on my list. That’s on my album wish list.”
But while Meg did confirm she does have a new song and music video in the works, she also said that she has “no song right now” that would make sense for Doechii to guest on. “I feel like Doechii would be the type of person that you would have to be in the studio to make a song with,” Meg explained. “I would like to hear a beat that she would like to rap over, and also I’m like challenging myself to rap over beats that I wouldn’t normally rap over without losing myself.”
Doechii has certainly been in high demand in recent months, with the musician recently becoming the third woman to ever win best rap album at the Grammys. She is also Billboard‘s Woman of the Year for 2025 and will be honored at the March 29 Women in Music ceremony in Los Angeles.
Thee Stallion’s Megan: Act II dropped in October last year, about four months after the original Megan debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in July. The rapper is now gearing up to perform at April’s Coachella, an event she has personally dubbed “Megchella.”
The top billing of this year’s festival features Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott, and there’s one headliner Meg is particularly excited to see take the stage in the desert. “I definitely am going to see Lady Gaga,” she told fans on the live. “Lady Gaga is the motherf—ing girl.”