Billboard

Jussie Smollet’s 2019 conviction for making a false hate crime claim has been overturned. Keep watching for the full story. 

Narrator:

The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned actor/singer Jussie Smollett’s conviction on allegations that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown Chicago and then lied to police in 2019. In 2021, the ‘Empire’ actor was convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself and was sentenced to 150 days in county jail. Smollett has always maintained his innocence. He has testified that “there is no hoax.” We caught up with him in the studio earlier in September where he shared this:

Jussie Smollett:

It’s really about knowing who you are and being OK with that, and recognizing your flaws and acknowledging your flaws but not letting anyone else tell you who you are.

Narrator:

That same month, the court heard an appeal that argued that a special prosecutor should not have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County State’s Attorney initially dropped charges.

But today, according to the Chicago Tribune, Smollett’s conviction has been overturned. Billboard received a statement from Special Prosecutor Dan K. Webb regarding the Illinois Supreme Court’s reversal of convictions and sentence of Jussie Smollett. “We respectfully disagree with the court’s factual and legal reasoning which upends long-standing Illinois precedent.”

We have also heard from Smollett’s lawyer Nenye Uche: “This was not a prosecution based on facts, rather it was a vindictive persecution and such a proceeding has no place in our criminal justice system. Ultimately, we are pleased that the rule of law was the big winner today. We are thankful to the Illinois Supreme Court for restoring order to Illinois’ criminal law jurisprudence.”

Stay tuned for more updates, here at Billboard News.

Lady Gaga, Post Malone, Travis Scott and Green Day are headlining Coachella in 2025. Keep watching to see all the artists performing and what to expect from the desert show!

Narrator: 
Coachella announces Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Green Day, and Post Malone as headliners for the 2025 festival. One day after Post Malone hinted he was headlining, Coachella confirmed that the “I Had Some Help” singer will in fact be performing on Sundays, April 13th and April 20th. And Little Monsters get those paws up, because Lady Gaga is headlining on Friday, April 11th and April 18th. Green Day will be holding down Saturdays April 12th and April 19th. Adding a little mystery to the festivities, Travis Scott’s performance was unattached to a date alongside the phrase “Designs the Desert.” We’re getting goosebumps! The stacked Coachella lineup also includes superstars Charlie XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Zedd and the living legend Missy Elliott.

For updates on Coachella and everything music stay here at Billboard.

Dolly Parton is our No. 1 country artist of all time, and to celebrate the queen, we are going through her sweet success and counting down Billboard’s top 10 staff picks for best Dolly Parton songs of all time.

Tetris Kelly:

It’s the CMA’s and we’re celebrating our No.1 country artist of all time, the queen of country music herself, Dolly Parton! Out of one hundred top country artists, Dolly reigned supreme as number one per our editorial staff so we’re counting down Billboard’s top 10 staff picks for best Dolly Parton songs of all time! At No.10 is one of her early top 20 hits on the Hot 100, “Two Doors Down.” Dolly shared the unlikely inspiration for the song on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show.’ The No.9 song is definitely one that helped make Dolly a pop icon, “9 to 5.” The song was written for the 1980 film of the same name which Dolly Parton also starred in. The song was not only a commercial success, earning her first No.1 on the Hot 100. It also served as an anthem for working women everywhere in the early 1980s. “9 to 5” earned Dolly nominations from both the Grammys and Oscars and has continued to build her legacy. At No.8 is a song that is very close to Dolly’s heart, “Coat of Many Colors.” The inspiration for the song is from a coat that Dolly’s mother made for her. A replica for the coat was a popular attraction at Dollywood for many years. No.7 is a song that continued Dolly’s success on the charts, “Love is Like a Butterfly.” The song was Dolly’s 5th No.1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. At No.6 is a song Dolly Parton covered and made all her own, “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You.” The song was written by accomplished songwriter Pebe Sebert. Pebe’s daughter, Kesha also did a cover of the song for her EP ‘Deconstructed’ in 2012. The No.5 song helped establish Dolly as a premiere singer/songwriter, “Touch Your Woman.” The song helped Dolly earn another top 10 on the Hot Country Songs chart. At No.4 is widely considered Dolly Parton’s signature song, “Jolene.” The song became her second No.1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Keep watching for more!

Post Malone seemed to tease that he will be performing at Coachella in 2025, and fans have done some digging. Keep watching for the full story!

Tetris Kelly:
Will Post Malone headline Coachella in 2025? The “Pour Me a Drink” singer hinted he’ll be headlining Coachella with an IG post saying that he’ll be on the Big Ass Stadium Tour 2025 with singer-songwriter Jelly Roll. Fans quickly noticed the two dates listed were a pair of shows on April 13th and April 20th in Indio, Calif., aka, Coachella weekend! Internet sleuths also noticed that Post Malone’s Indio dates don’t feature his Big Ass Tour tourmates Jelly Roll or Sierra Ferrell. Coachella has not yet announced the lineup for next year’s show. Neither spokespersons for Post Malone or Coachella have answered Billboard‘s request for confirmation of his booking. We’ll just have to wait and see who really takes the stage! For more Coachella updates stay tuned here at Billboard News.

Rihanna takes No. 3 for Billboard’s 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and we’re breaking down why the pop diva has earned her rank with her Hot 100 No. 1s, Billboard Music Awards and more! Which Rihanna song is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:

With 14 Billboard Hot 100 No.1s, 12 Billboard Music Awards and the most No.1 hits of any artist in the 21st century, our No. 3 greatest pop star of the 21st century is the Bajan queen herself, Rihanna! Rihanna began her music career at 17 after a successful audition with then Def Jam label heads Jay-Z and L.A. Reid. She quickly found success with “Pon de Replay,” her lead single off her debut album reaching No.2 on the Hot 100. And the first single “S.O.S.” off her sophomore album becoming her first No.1 on the Hot 100. Rihanna was quickly making a name for herself and growing up fast. After the success of her first two albums, Rihanna was ready to do something different. Enter her third album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad.’ The album’s title was a sign that Rihanna was growing up, leaving her good girl image behind, and that the singer was ready to take full control of her music as well as her look to become the Bad Gal we know and love today. And RiRi did just that, debuting her new edgy look with “Umbrella.” “Umbrella” became one of Rihanna’s biggest and most well-known hits, spending 7 weeks at No.1. The success of “Umbrella” and ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ helped cement Rihanna as a pop icon. As Rihanna continued to change her look throughout the years, she also experimented with her sound.

Keep watching for more!