Billboard Cover

28 Mar 2024

Tyla: Photos From the Billboard Cover Shoot

When South African singer-songwriter Tyla turned 22 years old in late January, she was on top of the world — literally.

Her label, Epic Records, invited a few hundred music executives, artists and fans to Harriet’s Rooftop in West Hollywood, Calif., for her birthday bash. The party was a dual celebration: Tyla had also recently scored her first Grammy Award nomination, for best African music performance — one of three new categories the Recording Academy introduced this year — with her 2023 breakthrough hit, “Water.”

Waiters surprised Tyla — who had transformed a corner of the rooftop bar into her own private VIP section, complete with glam shots of herself decorating the walls — with a glittery sheet cake. Epic chairwoman/CEO Sylvia Rhone and president Ezekiel Lewis presented her with three plaques commemorating the success of “Water”: gold and platinum certifications in over 18 countries (including the United States and South Africa); surpassing 1 billion views on TikTok; and reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs, Rhythmic Airplay and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts.

Then, five nights later, Tyla got the best belated birthday present of all: her first Grammy, the inaugural win in its category, which Jimmy Jam presented to her during the awards show’s premiere ceremony. “I was in such shock,” Tyla recalls on an early March afternoon. “It’s something that a lot of people strive toward and want to win at least once in their lifetime. And I’m so blessed to have received one so early in my career.”

Read the full cover story here.

13 Mar 2024

Illenium On Making the ‘Anti-Hero’ Remix, How Kaskade Influenced Him & More | Billboard Cover

Illenium talks about making the “Anti-Hero” remix, his love for Taylor Swift, making the TRILOGY concert series as big as possible, how Kaskade has inspired him to stay sober in the EDM community, how his fans connect with his music, how he got his start making music, how he wants to continue impacting his fans and more!

ILLENIUM
I love Taylor Swift like she was back in high school. One of her songs was like top 25 on iTunes most played.

ILLENIUM
I feel like I’ve always been very inspired by my shows. The first time I played a 500-person venue room was so inspiring. And then I feel like that going all the way up to playing football stadiums has just been like, continuously inspiring. And I think I got a little like, you know, two or three years ago, I got a little worn out of like, really dance music, focus stuff. That’s why I wanted to really experiment with the rock, dance music blend on my album, which was super fulfilling as like an artist. And now I’m really inspired by more electronic stuff again, there’s something so special about like a dance focused anthem, just like feels so good. And like there’s just really good positivity and energy around that type of song that I really miss, you know, and I want to return to. It was random, just like our teams had randomly talked about “Anti-Hero.” My A&R Ryan was like, hey, what do you think about “Anti-Hero?” I was like, love that song, he was like remix? I was like, Yeah, I’m down. They sent me stems that night. I finished it in like 36 hours. And I sent it to him on like a Monday night the after. They responded Tuesday night. Hey, this coming out tomorrow? It was crazy. Yeah, I was like, okay, like, do you do whatever you want. I think her fans really enjoyed the remixes like the remix for sure. And I think I did it because I mean, I love Taylor Swift. Like she was back in high school, one of her songs was like top 25 on iTunes most played.

Watch the full video above!

12 Mar 2024

Christian Nodal on Creating His Own Lane, Unlikely Collabs, Fatherhood & More | Billboard Cover

Regional Mexican megastar Christian Nodal opens up about carving his lane in the genre, challenging the norm, collaborating with artists outside of the genre, fatherhood, new music, stepping into new creative endeavors and more on the cover of Billboard.

Christian Nodal:
Well, he was a young kid with a guitar, I think of all the genres …

Off Camera:
OK, let’s wait a little bit.

Christian Nodal:
It’s just we’re invading their home.

Yes, it was always on my mind that I wasn’t satisfied with what Regional Mexican music was doing. I always envisioned it with the potential to become bigger and mainstream, it’s just no one had tried. We have great musicians, great songwriters, great arrangers, great singers, great everything, and I felt I had been typecast in a stereotype of an audience as well, and I wanted to break through everything, and something I was taught was that love can break through everything.

I consider myself an important part of what’s going on now because of all the changes I was bringing into this genre — they weren’t well-received. I remember when I started getting tattoos or when I started wearing clothes that were a different style or my music videos, which weren’t the typical video of the genre resembling a soap opera. As I started making all those changes, I think that opened doors for new talents, and it’s very nice, but it also feels weird, as they’re the same age as me and they tell me, ‘I used to listen to you when I was in junior high or high school,’ and it makes sense. When I was that age I didn’t present my mom with a high-school or college diploma — I was presenting her with Grammys.

Watch the full interview above!

11 Mar 2024

How PartyNextDoor Created Hits ‘Work,’ ‘Come and See Me’ & More | Billboard Cover

In this episode of How It Went Down, singer-songwriter and producer PartyNextDoor explains how he created some of his biggest hits, such as “Work” with Rihanna, “Come and See Me” with Drake and more during his Billboard cover shoot.

PartyNextDoor:
The guy who signed me to my publishing deal, Ryan Press sent me to, I guess Rihanna’s house or she had a big mansion where everyone who was working at, everybody in the industry was there. Me and Rihanna got introduced, we spoke. They sent us into this, like, tiny room outside that, like, maybe fit five people who open up this beat. And the song came like this, like, the song came in max 20 minutes. And the rest of the times you’re doing background and stuff like that. It was very organic, and very quick. It was a crazy experience. Everyone around me was telling me that it was going to be a hit, but I didn’t know that it was gonna do, what it’s gonna do.

PartyNextDoor:
I went to see Drake in the studio in Toronto and he just said like, ‘Yo, I want to play this record,’ and the 40 beat … that beat was amazing. Like, you know, you just felt it right away. And he had a hook idea on it. So we took it back maybe, like, it was maybe two months later, I was like, ‘You know what, like, I gotta find something for this.’ Me and Prep locked in an Airbnb, and I recorded that song on the edge of a bed in an Airbnb. And yeah, I just didn’t know it was gonna be that …. I love that record. It’s one of my favorite records. And that was just magic.

Watch the full video above!

28 Feb 2024

NewJeans: Photos From the Billboard Women In Music Cover Shoot

As the five members of NewJeans file gracefully down the stairs at their Billboard photo shoot in Seoul, they greet me with bright smiles and genuine greetings of “Nice to meet you.” Just a few days prior, the exploding K-pop girl group won artist of the year and song of the year at both the Melon Music Awards and MAMA Awards, two of South Korea’s most prestigious music prizes — and just two of the roughly 10 awards shows they attended and performed at in the country this past December and early January. Yet despite the hectic schedule of winter awards season there, they exude warmth and enthusiasm.

That infectious energy has endeared the women of NewJeans — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein, who range in age from 16 to 19 — to fans both in South Korea and worldwide. Since debuting in July 2022, NewJeans has swiftly ascended to the top of the K-pop pantheon. Six of its eight released singles have reached No. 1 or No. 2 on South Korea’s dominant streaming measure, the Circle Digital Chart. The act has made inroads on several Billboard charts as well, including three top 10 hits on the Global 200 and four on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, five entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and six top 10s on World Digital Song Sales (the highest-reaching was “Super Shy,” peaking at No. 2 last July). The group’s songs have gained 931.6 million official U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate.

Read the full Billboard cover story here.

15 Feb 2024

Fher Olvera of Maná Talks Touring, New Album, His Thoughts on Reggaeton & More | Billboard Cover

Fher Olvera of Maná sat down with Billboard’s Chief Content Officer of Latin/Español, Leila Cobo, to talk about the band’s tour Mexico Lindo y Querido, writing their hit song “En El Muelle de San Blas,” their new album, working with Christian Nodal, his opinion on reggaeton and more.

Fher Olvera:
There is so much history in this room, if this bed could speak.

Leila Cobo:
Fher, Hi. Welcome to Billboard.

Fher Olvera:
Thank you very much for the invitation.

Leila Cobo:
Where are we?

Fher Olvera:
This is my house, your house. We are in a place called Luna Líquida in the very heart of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is a beautiful town where I had many, many beautiful experiences in this house. In this room, many Maná songs were created from the first album ¿Dónde Jugarán Los Niños? Many songs from that album were made, all the music we had, our little recorders, from back then, some were even cassette but they were multi-tracks and here we put together the entire model.

Leila Cobo:
Right here, the four of you.

Fher Olvera:
Yes, us four. We slept everywhere, some had to share double beds, and our routine was to be here every day, very early, drinking coffee in the morning and wine at night.

Leila Cobo:
Obviously.

Fher Olvera:
There is also a very interesting story in this room. We went to a club, one of those clubs that end very late. We left around 7 in the morning.

Watch the full video above!

07 Feb 2024

Usher Teases Super Bowl Halftime Performance, Talks New Music, ‘Confessions,’ 20-Year Anniversary & More | Billboard Cover

Usher teases his highly anticipated Super Bowl Halftime performance, talks about the advice and encouragement he’s received from other Super Bowl Halftime show performers like Katy Perry and Rihanna, his new album Coming Home, why people still resonate with his album Confessions 20 years later, his experience doing his successful Las Vegas residency and whether he’ll return to it, his thoughts on where the future of R&B music is going and more.

Usher
Playin’ the Super Bowl man.

Gail Mitchell
This is Gail Mitchell, Executive Director of R&B and Hip-Hop for Billboard magazine, and I couldn’t be more thrilled because to my left is the one and only Usher.

Usher
Hey Gail, how you doing? How are you doing love? It’s been a while.

Gail Mitchell
It hasn’t been a long time actually it’s been three years.

Usher
Well three years actually is for everybody else is a long time.

Gail Mitchell
But deja vu? Because we were sitting at Caesars Palace, yes, inside the theater. And you were rehearsing the first iteration of your residency. And look at you now on that stage Park MGM and now you’re going to be on a global stage.

Usher
Very happy to have been able to have that moment with you very happy to have started that and then 100 shows later on now plays a Super Bowl in Las Vegas. I’m very, very happy.

Gail Mitchell
You look very calm, cool and collected outside. It’s a matter of days at this point, right?

Usher
I’m trying my hardest not to overthink it but it’s literally 12 to 15 minutes, if I can manage to impress the entire world, over 30 years of a career within 15 minutes. It’s, it’s a lot, you know, I’m definitely happy that I’m coming off a successful residency and kind of in the rhythm of it overall. Because otherwise, you know, you kind of have to restart and relive the moments, but every day going on that stage from Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, it just reminded me of what my music has meant, and how people feel about me, and how I feel about it. You know, after you know, years and years are doing this, you can go tired, and just kind of grow frustrated, especially as music changes the standards of how we count, it changes the standard of what is hot, what’s not the standard of what’s cool, and what is and all of those things can kind of get to your mind. And, you know, make you even question if you really want to continue to do but when I went to Vegas, it just made me excited about all of it all over again.

Watch the full video above!

07 Feb 2024

Usher: Photos From the 2024 Billboard Cover Shoot

If there’s one word that Usher personifies, it’s “cool.” The word applies to his still-captivating vocals, deep catalog of multigenerational R&B/pop hits, fluid footwork, keen fashion sense…

Usher photographed on January 5, 2024 at 1859 Bel Air Road in Los Angeles.

Usher photographed on January 5, 2024 at 1859 Bel Air Road in Los Angeles. Dolce & Gabbana suit, Calvin Klein shirt, ETAI mask, Fear of God gloves and shoes, Versace sunglasses and Jacquie Aiche jewelry. Sami Drasin

If there’s one word that Usher personifies, it’s “cool.” The word applies to his still-captivating vocals, deep catalog of multigenerational R&B/pop hits, fluid footwork, keen fashion sense — all of which I witnessed firsthand while watching Usher and his team rehearse for the launch of his first Las Vegas residency almost three years ago. Despite the pressure-cooker atmosphere inherent in that gamble — including lingering pandemic-related challenges — the eight-time Grammy Award winner remained chill and in control. So it makes sense that Usher would be just as unflappable on the eve of performing before the largest audience of his career: at the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show.

“It’s more about anticipation than jitters,” Usher says matter-of-factly in early January, having already logged a month of rehearsals in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Atlanta. “I’m so ready for it to happen. I just want to sing louder than I’ve ever sang; dance harder than I’ve ever danced. I want to celebrate the 30 years of this career where I’m very fortunate to have made songs and moments with people that they will remember forever.”

When he started his My Way residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in July 2021, the coronavirus pandemic was far from over — audiences were still “in a life depression,” as he puts it. Two years and one bigger venue (Dolby Live at Park MGM) later, My Way finished as a massive success — and Usher is clearly ready for an even bigger stage. “What an amazing crescendo,” he marvels. “I played 100 shows in Las Vegas [across both residencies], and my 101st will be the Super Bowl.”

Read the full Billboard cover story here.

12 Jan 2024

Ivan Cornejo On How TikTok Kickstarted His Career, Who He Wants To Work With & More | Billboard Cover

Rising regional Mexican star Ivan Cornejo talks about how he started singing, kickstarting his career on TikTok, how Natanael Cano inspired him to make regional Mexican music, which artists and producers he wants to work with, the future of regional Mexican music and more!

Ivan Cornejo:
It’s a good feeling you know being an influence. And I remember what I used to feel like wanting to be a musician it’s a good feeling when I hear kids telling me that they picked up the guitar because of it.

Ivan Cornejo:
I started playing guitar around seven years old, it was kind of like my way of making like 20 bucks for the weekend or something my dad would tell me to like learn like Joan Sebastian songs and just like oldies songs, he’d be like, and I’ll give you five bucks for each song. And at seven years old five bucks is a lot of money. So I was just collecting my my little royalties back then. Around the time that T3R Elemento was dropping music. “Rafa Caro,” I remember like I heard that.

Ivan Cornejo:
And it like, stood out to me so much I think that I was just like hmm I actually like this. At the time, I wouldn’t really listen to regional music. It was more of like my dad’s Mariachi music and like the old school stuff. A couple of years later, Natanael Cano drops, you know, corridos tumbados. He’s definitely like a pioneer for this new genre that you call salsa reino and like corridos tumbados, so many people got inspiration from that, that he really took a big step and just changed the whole corridor feel like a lot of people just adapted to that quickly. I started with TikTok and Instagram, you know, just posting my videos. After I started getting recognition with the covers, seeing a lot of comments supporting me, as you know, motivates you to just write your own music and I started writing my own songs, I dropped my first song, I got signed to a label, and I dropped two albums with that label. Now I’m just working on my third album, it was a big change. For me, I love those tech talks. And then, you know, there’s like labels reaching out. It was like a mini dream country. You know, it was what I’ve always wanted.

Watch the full video above!

11 Jan 2024

Laufey Talks About Her Grammy Nomination, Taylor Swift’s Songwriting & More | Billboard Cover

Laufey shares how she created her unique sound and how she was inspired to start making Jazz music. She opens up about being discovered on TikTok, the advice she’s received from artists such as Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles, being inspired by Taylor Swift’s songwriting, her Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, the future of jazz and more!

Laufey:
Being a really big Swiftie, I really want to see Taylor Swift, probably like everyone else there, but that’s one person I really want to meet before I die.

Laufey:
My earliest memories of music or all classical music — given that my mom was a violin player and my grandparents were both violin and piano professors — there was just so much music in the house growing up and it was always classical. And then my father really loved listening to jazz music. So I always heard that it was kind of like a sonic blend of those two.

Laufey:
Ella Fitzgerald was my first, like, vocal inspiration. I always had a lower timbre, and as a little girl with a lower voice, I always felt kind of odd. And when I tried to sing, like, the pop music of that time, it just didn’t fit. Whereas when I’d sing, like, the songs that Ella was singing, it kind of made sense.

I started writing quite late, actually, I think I saw myself as such a performer of music or a player of music and not necessarily a creator, or like a writer of music. I was singing primarily jazz, and then I was playing classical music. But then I loved listening to pop music as well and songwriters. But I just, I couldn’t find a way to mix all of those together. That made sense for me around 19 or 20. That’s when I started writing. I think when I started experiencing life a little bit more and grew more confident, just in myself as a person. The first song I wrote that really felt like I had mixed all of my worlds together was the song “Street by Street,” which ended up being the first song I released.

Watch the full video above!