State Champ Radio Dance
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The show was, unequivocally, going off. In time with the beat, columns of fire blasted from a complicated and expensive-looking stage setup as a litany of dance hits blasted through the speakers of Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, where more than 15,000 people and their approximately 30,000 ears were gathered to hear the music. Drunk girls […]
Diplo is taking off on foot across the country, with the announcement that Diplo’s Run Club will happen in six U.S. cities in 2025 and 2026. Featuring a 5k run and what’s being categorized as a “mini music festival” headlined by the namesake producer, Diplo’s Run Club will take place in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, […]
Calvin Harris is getting ready to release a country-oriented song, featuring himself on vocals. Today (March 5), the Scottish superstar producer posted a 30-second clip of himself singing a new song called “Smoke the Pain Away.” In the video, occasionally filmed in soft focus, Harris sits on a chair and plays an acoustic guitar to […]
Boys Noize will open for Nine Inch Nails for the entirety of the band’s upcoming Peel It Back Tour. Nine Inch Nails’ first live run since 2022 is scheduled to start at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, on June 15, and move around Europe through mid-July before jumping to the U.S. beginning Aug. 3 for a […]
Create Music Group has acquired the deadmau5 catalog in addition to the catalog of the electronic producer’s longstanding label, mau5trap.
The deal is valued at $55 million and includes the master recordings and publishing of more than 4,000 songs. The partnership also includes the formation of a joint venture to release future recordings from deadmau5 and mau5trap.
“I have worked closely with Jonathan, Alex and Create for nearly two decades now, building my own career as well as the artists on mau5trap,” said Deadmau5 (born Joel Zimmerman) in a statement. “We didn’t need to look far when we were considering a partner to help get it all to the next level. With Create, I feel the music is going to reach more.”
As part of the partnership, Create Music Group will remaster and re-release key catalog pieces, launch exclusive new content and work to introduce “the mau5trap legacy” to new generations of fans, according to a press release. The collaboration will also explore licensing opportunities and brand partnerships and continue to focus on media such as gaming, virtual reality and live-streaming to drive additional revenue streams.
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Founded in 2015, Create Music Group functions as a record label, distribution company and entertainment network. Eric Nguyen, senior vp of global corporate development and M&A at Create Music Group, played a key role in the deal. Paul Hastings LLP served as legal advisors to Create Music Group while LaPolt Law P.C. served as legal advisors to deadmau5 and mau5trap.
“From the earliest days of Create Music Group, [co-founder and COO] Alexandre Williams and I had the privilege of working alongside Joel and his business partner Dean Wilson, witnessing firsthand the evolution of an icon,” added Jonathan Strauss, co-founder/CEO of Create Music Group. “Now, as the stewards of deadmau5 and mau5trap’s legendary catalog, we inherit a legacy that changed music forever. Joel’s influence reaches far beyond sound — his mastery bridges music, gaming, and technology, inspiring a new generation to think bigger. This is more than an acquisition; it’s a responsibility.”
“Over the last 20 years, fueled by Joel’s creative and entrepreneurial ambitions, we have built one of the strongest brand names in electronic music,” adds Wilson, deadmau5’s longtime manager. “To have partnered with Create, who have worked so closely with us over the years on our journey, ensures that the next two decades will be every bit as exciting for Joel and everyone on the mau5trap team as we work to expand our legacy even further.”
HARD Summer is coming back this August with a whopping lineup. Announced today (March 4), the two-day dance fest will be headlined by Colombian star Feid, Australian house force Dom Dolla, Canadian star Kaytranada, hard-driving French producer Gesaffelstein and hard techno titan Sara Landry.
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Additionally, the fest features a load of dance stars including Marlon Hoffstadt, Crankdat, The Blessed Madonna, Loco Dice, James Hype, Deorro, I Hate Models, Gordo, Nico Moreno, Tape B playing b2b with Mersiv, Jamaican legend Sean Paul and rap icon Juvenile. See the complete lineup below.
Produced by Insomniac Events, HARD Summer will take place at Hollywood Park, the 300-acre entertainment complex adjacent to SoFi Stadium. 2025 will mark HARD Summer’s second year at the site. Tickets go on sale March 7.
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The festival’s debut at Hollywood Park last summer resulted in a rash of noise complaints in the area, with the Following the noise complaints, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. wrote that “city authorities engaged the event promoter and the venue and implemented several critical adjustments to each stage and established enhanced monitoring plans for overall sound and bass levels. Additional sound engineers were strategically positioned in areas of concern…and were promptly dispatched to make necessary adjustments in real time.”
This year, HARD Summer will again put on its “Pre-Game” initiative, for which HARD partners with local establishments to bring them into the festival. In years past, this has meant on-site activations with L.A. institutions including Randy’s Donuts, Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, Sweet Red Peach, Sunday Gravy and Carnitas El Artista.
Local businesses can apply here to inquire about partnering on this year’s edition of the project.
HARD Summer 2025
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Femme House, the nonprofit focused on creating equity in the music industry by amplifying voices of women, femme, gender-expansive LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC creators, will host the first ever Femmy Awards during Miami Music Week 2025.
Happening at Palm Tree Club — the waterfront hotel opened by Kygo’s Palm Tree Crew this past December — the March 27 event will honor artists, agents, managers, engineers, allies event brands and other figures across the industry who’ve worked to make the dance scene a more inclusive and representative space.
The Femmys will honor a flurry of groundbreaking artists, including Detroit legend DJ Minx and Chicago dance music royalty DJ Lady D, who will both receive the Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement. This award honors trailblazers who’ve broken barriers, reshaped the dance and electronic music industries and paved the way for femme, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ artists, leaving a lasting impact on music, culture and inclusivity.
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Barbara Tucker and Crystal Waters will be honored with the Voice of House award, which honors the vocalists who have soundtracked the dance music we know and love through generations. Meanwhile Sara Landry will be honored as Producer of the Year, an award that celebrates her singular contributions to electronic music.
Cross-category nominees will be announced in the coming weeks. Billboard is the official media sponsor of the Femmy Awards, which is taking place on March 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. Tickets and tables for the event are available now, with all proceeds from the event benefitting Femme House.
“The Femmy Awards were created to celebrate the artists, executives, and industry leaders who are actively shaping a more inclusive future for dance music,” Femme House Executive Director Emily Bass tells Billboard. “This year felt like the right time to launch because representation in electronic music is at a pivotal moment — there is progress, but there’s still work to do. Honoring legends like DJ Lady D and DJ Minx, who have spent decades breaking down barriers, alongside trailblazers like Sara Landry, who is redefining what it means to be a powerhouse producer today, reflects the impact that diverse voices have across generations. The Femmys are about more than recognition — they’re about cementing the legacy of those pushing this industry forward.”
“As an artist, I know firsthand how important it is to see yourself reflected in the industry — to have role models, mentors and a community that lifts you up,” adds Femme House co-founder LP Giobbi. “The Femmy Awards are our way of shining a light on those who are not only making incredible music but also creating opportunities for others to rise. DJ Lady D and DJ Minx have paved the way for so many of us, and Sara Landry is leading the charge for the next generation of producers. We hope The Femmys inspire more people to challenge the status quo and build a more equitable future in dance music.”
“The Femmy Awards aren’t just about celebrating talent, they’re about acknowledging the people who have fought to create space for underrepresented voices in dance music,” continues co-founder & Head of Culture, I know how powerful it is to see pioneers like DJ Lady D, DJ Minx, Barbara Tucker and Crystal Waters honored for their legacy, and to celebrate someone like Sara Landry, who is showing the next generation what’s possible. This moment is about more than awards — it’s about visibility, representation, and giving credit to those who are shifting the culture.”
Femme House will also host additional events during Miami Music Week, with the third annual Femme Friday happening March 28 at W South Beach. The daylong program will provide emerging artists with direct access to top industry professionals in an effort to foster education and community building.
Starting Tuesday (March 4), SiriusXM will deliver the sounds of Tomorrowland and the global dance scene with a new channel curated by the team at the Belgian mega-festival festival.
One World Radio will be featured within the SiriusXM app and feature music programmed by the team that curates Tomorrowland’s One World Radio internet radio station, with the SiriusXM channel to offer new music and live DJ sets from Tomorrowland festivals including the flagship event in Boom, Belgium, along with Tomorrowland Winter, Tomorrowland Brasil and more.
SiriusXM’s One World Radio channel will be an extension of Tomorrowland’s pre-existing One World Radio feed, but will be curated a bit differently and customized to the SiriusXM audience.
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“We are really excited about hearing the nearly unlimited Tomorrowland archives, giving SiriusXM listeners a peak into past vibes of the legendary two-weekend festival in Belgium,” Geronimo, SiriusXM’s Vice President of Music Programing, tells Billboard.
Aside from regularly scheduled and rotated music, the channel will also feature exclusive song cuts from previous festivals. “You’ll be able to hear the crowd reaction which really put you in the moment,” Geronimo continues. “It’s truly a place where the global dance community comes together and enjoys each other. Dance music is really about fun, love, positivity and enjoying life and each other and One World Radio captures this essence perfectly.”
The channel will feature music spanning the two decades of Tomorrowland history and span the spectrum of electronic music sounds. The “main thing is to give people a good time and spread positive vibes, without necessarily being bound to a genre,” says Bram Franssen, station lead at the pre-existing One World Radio and curator for the new SiriusXM channel.
With the launch, One World Radio joins SiriusXM’s suite of dance channels that include BPM, Diplo’s Revolution, SiriusXM Chill, Studio 54 Radio, Utopia and more.
“We’re excited to not only hear classic archived Tomorrowland sets but also what One World Radio has for the future,” says Geronimo. “The world outside of North America has historically been a step ahead when it comes to dance music and emerging genres, and One World Radio on SiriusXM will help bridge that gap.”
This week in dance music: The Do Lab announced its Coachella 2025 lineups, Bonnaroo 2025 announced that its adding a new dance-focused stage, the team behind Breakaway Music Fetival announced a new label and management division called Breakaway Projects, we spoke with Anotr about their dazzling and recently released album On a Trip, and we spoke with Darkside about their new album Nothing.
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A judge ruled that Ultra Music Publishing must change its name following a lawsuit brought by Sony Music and its Ultra Records subsidiary, Anna Lunoe and Mel C. teamed up for a new track, we talked to our February Dance Rookie of the Month Stryv about his global hit “Move,” and we spoke with the legend Armin van Buuren about remixing Bon Jovi’s 1992 classic “Keep the Faith.” Meanwhile, Justice earned its first ever Radio No. 1 with the duo’s Grammy winning Tame Impala collab “Neverender.”
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That’s a lot, and there’s more. These are the best new dance tracks of the week.
Anyma feat. Ellie Goulding, “Hypnotized” (John Summit Remix)
Ahead of his slot opening for Anyma at Sphere this weekend, John Summit drops his edit of “Hypnotized,” Anyma’s collab with Ellie Goulding released in January and a contender for one of the most major dance releases of the year thus far. It’s an apt meeting of the minds, with Summit leaving the track largely in tact but adding a siren-laden bridge and other smart flourishes that have his fingerprints all over them. The epic build that Summit layers in will without a doubt have ’em going wild in the seats tomorrow (March 1) when he plays in support of Anyma’s lauded audiovisual spectacular.
2hollis, “Style”
It seems everything Los Angeles-based artist 2hollis touches turns to gold, with his latest single “style” already racking up tens of thousands of views across platforms. The song is slight in length (one minute and 39 seconds) but absolutely goes, with a twisted, wind-up production paired with distorted beats and the artist breathily declaring “I like your style.” (Please also see the simple but effective accompanying video.) 2hollis currently on tour in Asia and Europe, with the run set to conclude with performances at Coachella in April and an appearance at Bonnaroo in June.
Carlita & Andre Zimmer, “Raf”
Carlita joins the esteemed crew of producers who’ve assembled one of fabric’s mix compilations, with the lead single from fabric presents: Carlita out today. A collaboration with Toronto producer Andre Zimmer, “Raf” is all out gospel house bliss with muscle and a BPM sure to make ’em sweat. fabric presents: Carlita is out on April 11.
Tesh, “Wants & Needs”
Hitting with the same zest and effervescence of your favorite flavor of La Croix, “Wants & Needs” is the newest from rising producer, Tesh. The richly textured song is laced with U.K. garage and manages to emote a certain amount of love and longing (with the vocals doing a lot of the heavy lifting here) even while also bouncing merrily along. “Wants & Needs” is the second single from Tesh’ forthcoming Cycles + Repetitions EP, coming April 25 via San Holo’s bitbird label. (And don’t sleep on the project’s lead single “Fingertips,” released in January.)
Rusko, “1 Man Army”
The British master is back with his first new solo work in two years with “One Man Army,” a track that delivers the same hectic D&B + bass that’s made Rusko a longtime hero. Out on Monstercat, the song is the title track from a five-song, no skips EP. “Creating this EP was a mission that began with a simple desire to explore more areas of my love for drum and bass,” the producer says. “Over the past 19 years, I’ve been experimenting with new sounds, genres, and emotions — and this collection is a reflection of the vibes and feelings of this past year as Rusko.”
There are many things one is certain to see and hear a dance music mega-festival: fireworks, kandi bracelets, trance, house, bass, techno, wild outfits and the wide expanses of skin they reveal. No one, however, would ever expect to see rock icon Jon Bon Jovi.
And thus it was a shock when the superstar turned up onstage during Armin van Buuren‘s set at Ultra Music Festival Miami last March. He’d made his first ever trip to Ultra to help the Dutch trance legend debut his remix of Bon Jovi’s classic “Keep The Faith,” the title track and lead single from the band’s 1992 album, which was the group’s fifth studio LP.
Bon Jovi fans will understand why van Buuren’s edit worked so well, with the original six-minute anthem possessing the same sort of simmer, slow build/big-ass release structure that defines so many dance music hits.
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But talking to Billboard over Zoom while on a family ski vacation in the Dolomites, van Buuren says he was “super nervous” about how the dance crowd might receive the remix, and also how die-hard Bon Jovi fans might respond to his update, which isolates the vocals and piano stabs, using them to assemble a giant build created around the punchy “faith!” lyric and sleek, frenetically arranged synth stabs. In fact, everyone liked it a lot — with the remix getting an official release today (Feb. 28) on van Buuren’s venerable Armada Music and UMG Recordings.
“Bon Jovi songs have had some unique and epic moments over the years, but this is truly ahighlight,” Jon Bon Jovi says in a statement. “Armin is a total pro, and I was thrilled to work with him on the track. I had such a blast at my first Ultra, the crowd was absolutely electric. Thanks to Armin forhaving me.”
Here, van Buuren discusses how the dance version of “Keep the Faith” came to be, and why — in the case of Jon Bon Jovi — he was very happy to meet his idol.
What are your early memories of Bon Jovi?
Bon Jovi was literally everywhere, especially in the Netherlands; he was super popular. The way we consume music is now radically different now of course. We all have all these beautiful apps and [streaming platforms] but back in the day, it was all record stores and vinyl and the top 40 radio show and, Bon Jovi was the cool dude. He always looked so cool in pictures. I remember buying his records at my local record store and driving home with them and adding another CD to my collection.
How did you first link with Jon Bon Jovi to get the project going?
I met up with his manager, who was a friend of a friend, in L.A. … That’s how the conversation started. I asked “Can I try something?” They asked which song, and I said, “Keep The Faith.” It turned out that the first demo was a home run, and I didn’t actually change much after the very first idea. I lined up all the stems. I got a groove going. I tried updating the sounds without alienating the song, because the guitars and the song structure is already amazing. It’s a very effective song. The structure is very straightforward and very powerful, very energetic. So that made it fairly easy.
Of all the Bon Jovi classics, why did you pick this one to remix?
Obviously, “Living on a Prayer” is the biggest Bon Jovi track. But [his team] said, “We’re okay with [anything] except that one, because it’s been done.” I got that, and his repertoire is humongous.
The great thing about “Keep the Faith” is that it was easy to translate into my EDM world, which always has a BPM challenge. It was 128 BPM, and obviously we sped it up. We made the tempo faster to fit my set. The original, compared to my version, doesn’t really feel a lot faster. When I started working on the mix, I told everybody to let me first get a draft version going, to make sure everybody was happy with the rough idea.
Also, for myself, I asked, “Is this going to persuade a crowd going crazy at Ultra Music Festival? All of a sudden they hear all these guitars coming in and Bon Jovi onstage. How am I going to translate that into an Ultra world, which obviously is very challenging?” People at Ultra have a certain expectation. Dance music has a certain sound.
How did you actually get Jon onstage with you at Ultra?
[While I was making it] I wasn’t even sure if Jon Bon Jovi would be up for doing a live performance, because he had problems with his vocal cords. But I didn’t know that at the time. His manager told me there was a chance [he would come], and that she’d ask him. He actually lives close to Miami, so I asked if we could persuade him to come to Ultra Music Festival.
Apparently, he’s not very enthusiastic about remixes — but he called his manager after he got the first draft of the remix and said, like, “This is insane. I love it so much, and I want to perform this live, but I can’t sing.” Then when he showed up at Ultra. We had time to take photos backstage. We had time to chat a little bit. He even gave me a gift. It was incredible.
What did he give you?
He gave me a very special limited edition Bon Jovi jacket that I still haven’t touched to this day. I’m afraid to wear it. He was very, very nice. I mean, it’s rare, you know — I’ve met quite a few superstars in my career, and was lucky enough to work with a few superstars in the studio, and there’s always this disappointment a little bit after. You know how they say, “Don’t meet your heroes?”
But with Jon Bon Jovi it was the other way around. He was super nice. He was super humble. He was very interested in what I was doing, and he was like, “I don’t know much about the dance music world, but tell me.”
That’s so cool.
And then the climax story, obviously, is that he came onstage. I told [the crowd], “He’s my childhood hero. Here he is, Mr. Jon Bon Jovi” — and completely non-planned, he started actually singing along with the song, which was so random and so great. But he couldn’t really sing, because his doctor strictly forbade him from using his vocal cords, because he just had a massive surgery on his vocal cords. So I was like, “What? He’s singing!” That was the cherry on top. But I was afraid, because I was like, “What if he hurt his vocal cords? What if he hurt his throat?”
We agreed that he was just going to come on, say a few words, we would vibe to the drop, and that’s it. But he sang along, and that’s super special.
Did he say anything after about what compelled him to start singing?
I didn’t meet him straight after, because he left and my performance lasted for another hour. But I texted him after, like, “So dude, you just started singing.” He’s like, “Yeah, I don’t know. Spur of the moment.”
I mean, that has to be a big compliment though.
Well, at that point he hadn’t been on a big stage for a while, so maybe he felt the energy. But you have to imagine, for me, Ultra Music Miami is always one of the most important gigs of the year. I get Bon Jovi on stage, and I’m super nervous, because I’m playing something completely new — which is always a bit uncomfortable with the crowd, because they don’t know what to expect, and they don’t know what you’ve created. And then he comes on. It was a climax, absolutely.
The remix seemed very well received in the moment, and then well received online when the performance video was posted to YouTube. Did you feel that momentum as you were playing it?
Yeah, but I was a little bit afraid. I mean, Bon Jovi has a lot of really big fans. Like, fans that follow him around. He’s a superstar. It’s kind of like ruining one of his paintings, in a way. It’s so out of my world. I was just afraid that people would be upset for kind of ruining the original song, because I have so much respect for the original. The the way it was produced and the way it was mastered, it just sounds so great. It’s a timeless record.
But then I keep telling myself that this is not supposed to replace the original version, it’s just an addition and my interpretation of his great work with the band. I think it adds to the lifespan of the song, and I hope a young generation will appreciate this.
Was it always clear that it would become an official release?
No, not at all. I mean, it’s very difficult, because it’s signed to Universal. It’s a major record company, so you have to really ask politely. That’s why it took a year after the performance to come out. Because he had a documentary coming out, he had an album coming out, and obviously his release schedule can’t be interfered with, so you have to be very delicate.
But that’s all up to management, and I wasn’t involved in that, but that’s the reason why it took a year. The track was done. We haven’t really changed a lot from the version I did at Ultra. We’re thinking about maybe [releasing] another more commercial or radio-friendly version — but the version we’re releasing now is the version pretty close to the version that I did at Ultra Music Festival Miami, because there’s so much demand for it.
