Behind the Scenes
J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, for its fifth — and final, at least as we currently know it — edition under the Dreamville banner on April 5-6. Held at Dorothea Dix Park, the sold-out festival drew over 50,000 fans who braved the scorching heat to experience two days of hip-hop, R&B, and unforgettable moments. (See some of our favorite moments from the memorable festival weekend here.)
From the larger-than-life photo opportunities to the diverse food vendors and the exclusive pop-ups, Dreamville Fest 2025 was more than just a music event — it was a full-fledged cultural experience. The lineup featured legends and rising stars alike, with Lil Wayne (alongside Hot Boys and Big Tymers), 21 Savage, and Ari Lennox performing Saturday (April 5), while Coco Jones, GloRilla, Wale and J. Cole took over Sunday (April 6). Additional performers included Tems, PartyNextDoor, Erykah Badu, Ludacris, Keyshia Cole, BigXThaPlug, J.I.D, Ab-Soul, Lute, Chief Keef, Omen, Young Nudy, Anycia, EARTHGANG, Bas, Cozz, Akia and Kai Ca$h & Niko Brim.
While Dreamville Festival as we know it has come to an end, a similar event will continue under the direction of the city of Raleigh. J. Cole made sure to give fans a proper send-off, running through classics from his discography like “No Role Modelz,” “Can’t Get Enough,” “Lights Please,” and “Lost Ones.” As fireworks lit up the sky for the final time, he closed his set — and Dreamville Fest —with “Farewell.”
Billboard captured exclusive behind-the-scenes moments with some of this year’s performers, shot on the Leica Q3. See intimate portraits of Dreamville stars Coco Jones, Wale, Ab-Soul, Lute, Chief Keef, Omen, EARTHGANG and Cozz below.
Coco Jones
Image Credit: Chris Claxton
After a string of standout collaborations, Atlanta rapper Anycia is back with “Never Need” — a bold anthem that celebrates independence, confidence, and the power of women standing strong in their own light. Featuring fellow female MCs GloRilla and Karrahbooo, the track promises to resonate with listeners who know their worth and aren’t afraid to own it.Out March 28, “Never Need” marks the first single from Anycia’s upcoming Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, Grady Baby,set for release later this spring. Produced by the Spaceboy duo EJ Stellar and jetsonmade — known for their space-themed production style — the track highlights Anycia’s signature chant-along style. It also features an interpolation of the beat from Khia’s 2002 hit “Don’t Trust No N-—a,” featuring DSD.
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Anycia shares that the inspiration behind the track was “simple” yet profound. “I wanted to make something that really spoke to women standing on their own, not just in relationships but in every part of life,” she explains. This theme of unapologetic self-worth is echoed throughout “Never Need,” as the three artists combine their unique styles to create a song that is as fierce as it is empowering.
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“Man, I said, ‘Let’s find me the most disrespectful women I could find to get on this track with me!’” Anycia says admiringly of her collaborators. The chemistry between the three is palpable, and their combined force makes this an unmissable track. “They made it even more raw and unapologetic,” she adds, reflecting on how their individual energies elevated the song.
Anycia
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The behind-the-scenes video for “Never Need” further complements the track’s message, as Karrahbooo and Anycia exchange praise and uplift each other throughout. Anycia spends a decent part of the video explaining and displaying why she’s a “bad b—ch,” bringing the theme of independence to life in a visual form. “We wanted to show that independence isn’t just about not needing a man—it’s about owning who you are, moving how you want, and doing it with confidence,” She explains.For Anycia, “Never Need” is more than just music; it’s a statement of empowerment, especially for women. “I just want people — especially women — to feel empowered when they hear it,” she says. “Like, ‘Yeah, you got this on your own, you don’t need validation from nobody.’” It’s a celebration of knowing your worth and moving accordingly.”
She also emphasizes how sharing this moment with her fans means everything to her, declaring, “This one is for us.”
For Anycia, the track’s most powerful lyric is: “I ain’t never need a n-—a for a goddamn thing.” It’s a line that carries deep significance for the artist, who credits the women in her life for shaping her into the person she is today. “Literally since I was born, the most powerful people in my life were women. I literally never needed a n-—a for a goddamn thing,” Anycia shares.
Behind the scenes, the collaboration between the three women went beyond the music. Anycia recalls a memorable moment during the video shoot when GloRilla was “sick as f—k” but “still came and delivered like a trooper. That’s a hard-working girl!”
Watch the exclusive behind-the-scenes video for “Never Need” below.
The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles came alive with some of music’s biggest stars Monday night (March 17), with Billie Eilish, Benson Boone and Gracie Abrams all winning big at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Among the prizes given out were album of the year, which went to the “Birds of a Feather” singer’s Hit Me […]
11/22/2024
From K-pop gossip to the star-studded afterparty in West Hollywood, here’s what Billboard learned and overheard during the first-ever MAMA Awards ceremony in the States.
11/22/2024
While KCON has long been heralded as the Mecca for K-pop fans, a new party that launched amid the 2024 Los Angeles date could also make it a must-attend for those in the industry as well.
What was meant to be a night to celebrate K-pop ended up being a cross-industry collaboration event hosted by Day 13, a new joint venture merger between K-pop and marketing expert Jenny Zha with Keith Kawamura, the anime and gaming marketing veteran who is also CEO of 3i Productions. Following KCON LA’s second day of concerts on Saturday, July 27, artists, execs, and influencers were on their way to downtown LA hot spot Hatch.
Notable attendees included KCON performers like K-pop star and American Song Contest winner AleXa, as well as Mikha of the Filipino girl group BINI — both of whom enjoyed bites and drinks in the roped-off back section of Hatch with friends like The Kelly Clarkson Show producer Jasmine Stephen, songwriter Vanessa Jefferson whose love of K-pop has been long documented by her sister Lizzo, and Henry Jiang of OfflineTV who talked to AleXa about their interest and collaborating in the game space.
“With the inaugural Day 13 industry party, we wanted to bring everyone together to create more avenues for ideation, and establish a longstanding tradition that can give way to even more exciting cross-collaboration projects,” Zha reflects to Billboard. “Subcultures like K-pop and anime are so pervasive it’s now part of mainstream conversation — especially at the forefront for key stakeholders behind-the-scenes.”
A host of journalists, publicists and other media figures that long worked in the K-pop space were also in attendance. Lively discussions included the extra effort being put into ILLIT’s comeback single, ATEEZ’s recent move to United Talent Agency, excitement and inquiries about TITAN CONTENTS’ first girl group AtHeart (originally revealed on Billboard), a K-pop act’s upcoming song collaboration in partnership with Netflix, a new K-pop artist’s signing with a U.S. PR, gripes about working with and guesses about the future of one major Korean agency, as well as tons more juicy tidbits to compete with Hatch’s wagyu and wasabi skewer.
Also in attendance was award-winning actress and dancer Krystal Ellsworth (who blew up in India after starring in the 2017 flick Heartbeats that was shot in the country). Brian Chau of CAA was in the house, linking up Konami and Bandai Games over drinks to explore how talents could be further integrated in a convo about video gaming industry.
Influencers like “The Transition Guy” Jonny Tran (930,000 TikTok followers) and Twitch streamer iGumdrop (with nearly 300,000 Twitch followers and 450,000 Instagram followers) were seen connecting with members of Sony’s Santa Monica Studios — producers behind the God of War franchise – for collaboration opportunities.
JoJo Siwa invites Billboard for an exclusive behind the scenes of her new music video “Guilty Pleasure” off of her debut EP ‘Guilty Pleasure.’ Let us know what you think of her latest music video in the comments below! JoJo Siwa: Welcome to the set of my new music video “Guilty Pleasure!” It’s a little […]
The 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards brought the girl power to Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on Wednesday night (March 6), where the biggest female stars gathered for a night of empowerment and celebration. Karol G was this year’s Woman of the Year, marking a significant milestone for the Colombian superstar, as she is the […]
Billboard‘s 2023 Women in Music Awards kicked off Women’s History Month on Wednesday evening (March 1) by bringing the best, brightest and baddest bosses in the music industry together.
This year’s extravaganza spread girl power and upbeat energy to every corner of the YouTube Theater at SoFi Stadium, from last year’s Woman of the Year recipient Olivia Rodrigo and this year’s Chartbreaker Award winner Kim Petras uniting with this year’s Breakthrough Award-winning act TWICE backstage to executives like Dina LaPolt, Mary Harrington and Angelique Jones showing off their fabulous pink suits at the cocktail reception.
SZA‘s mother and father watched their daughter and recent Billboard cover star receive the 2023 Woman of the Year honor, and they weren’t the only proud parents in the building. Doechii‘s mother introduced her daughter before giving her the Rising Star Award presented by Honda. Bad Bunny made a surprise appearance to present Ivy Queen with the Icon Award. Other honorees included Impact Award winner Becky G, Rulebreaker Award winner Lainey Wilson, Powerhouse Award Latto, Visionary Award winner Lana Del Rey and Rosalía, who received our inaugural Producer of the Year Award presented by Bose. Epic Records CEO/chairwoman Sylvia Rhone received the 2023 Executive of the Year Award. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter, Dove Cameron, Chloe Bailey, Coi Leray and Wondagurl were on hand as presenters.
Petras, Wilson, Becky G, Doechii, TWICE and Latto with “Lottery” collaborator LU KALA also took to the stage to perform during this year’s ceremony, which was hosted by Emmy-winning Abbott Elementary actress and writer Quinta Brunson. Check out what was happening inside the 2023 Billboard Women in Music event below.
Olivia Rodrigo & TWICE
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Olivia Rodrigo and TWICE backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Doechii & Chloe Bailey
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Doechii and Chloe Bailey backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Olivia Rodrigo
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Olivia Rodrigo backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Bad Bunny
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Bad Bunny backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Lana Del Rey & Olivia Rodrigo
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Lana Del Rey and Olivia Rodrigo backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Erika Jayne & Dina LaPolt
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Erika Jayne and Dina LaPolt attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Sylvia Rhone
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Sylvia Rhone attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Heidi Klum
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Heidi Klum attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Coi Leray attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Lana Del Rey & Olivia Rodrigo
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Lana Del Rey and Olivia Rodrigo backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Sabrina Carpenter
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Sabrina Carpenter attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Kakul Srivastava & Christina Coleman
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Kakul Srivastava and Christina Coleman attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Sonia Clavell
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Sonia Clavell attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Lu Kala
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Lu Kala attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Sonia Clavell, Ivy Queen & Leila Cobo
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Sonia Clavell, Ivy Queen and Leila Cobo backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Madison McFerrin & Jasmin Penelope Charles
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Madison McFerrin and Jasmin Penelope Charles attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Dove Cameron
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Dove Cameron attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Latto & Lu Kala
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Latto and Lu Kala backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Samantha Kirby Yoh & United Talent Agency Staff
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Samantha Kirby Yoh (center) and United Talent Agency staff members attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Chloe Bailey
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Chloe Bailey backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Jacqueline Saturn & Sylvia Rhone
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Jacqueline Saturn and Sylvia Rhone attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Chantel Jeffries
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Chantel Jeffries attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Kim Petras & TWICE
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Kim Petras and TWICE backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Mary Harrington, Kerri Edwards, Cris Lacy, Katie McCartney & Guests
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Mary Harrington (left), Kerri Edwards (third from left), Cris Lacy (third from right), Katie McCartney (second from right) and guests attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Helen Yu & Monika Tashman
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Helen Yu and Monika Tashman attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Ashlee Keating & Guest
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Ashlee Keating and guest attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Shenseea
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Shenseea attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Angelique Jones & Tiara Lewis
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Angelique Jones and Tiara Lewis attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Britney Davis
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Britney Davis attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Bozoma Saint John & Lael Saint John
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Bozoma Saint John and Lael Saint John attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Amber Grimes & Äyanna
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Amber Grimes and Äyanna attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Em Beihold
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Em Beihold attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Larsen Thompson
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Larsen Thompson attends the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Chloe Bailey
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Chloe Bailey backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Lana Del Rey
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Lana Del Rey greets fans at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Israel Houghton & Adrienne Bailon
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Israel Houghton and Adrienne Bailon attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
Piper Perabo
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
Piper Perabo backstage at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
SZA’s parents
Image Credit: Flo Ngala
SZA’s parents attend the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles on March 1, 2023.
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