genre country
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On April 1, 1995, Trisha Yearwood’s “Thinkin’ About You” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, beginning a two-week reign. It became the third of her five career leaders, among 19 top 10s.
The hit was the title song from Yearwood’s 1995 album. It was authored by Bob Regan and Tom Shapiro, with production by Garth Fundis. Thinkin’ About You arrived at its No. 3 peak on Top Country Albums, giving Yearwood her third of 15 top 10s, a haul that includes four No. 1s.
The set’s “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)” topped Hot Country Songs for two weeks in September 1994. After the title track’s chart run, “You Can Sleep While I Drive” (written by Melissa Etheridge) hit No. 23 and “I Wanna Go Too Far” returned Yearwood to the top 10 (No. 9). Last single “On a Bus to St. Cloud” also dented the survey.
Yearwood was born on Sept. 19, 1964, in Monticello, Ga. In 1984, she graduated from Young Harris College with an associate degree in business. Prior to signing with MCA Records in 1990, she worked various jobs in Nashville, including a stint as a receptionist at MTM Records.
Yearwood’s rookie single, “She’s in Love With the Boy,” crowned Hot Country Songs for two weeks in August 1991. Its 30th anniversary was marked in 2021 with a surprise celebration at the Grand Ole Opry (to which she was inducted in 1999).
Now 60, and married to fellow country cornerstone Garth Brooks since December 2005, Yearwood is active in music and as a TV personality and an author, having published multiple cookbooks.
2025 has already proven to be a busy year for Yearwood. On March 24, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with dedications by Reba McEntire and Carly Pearce, and with Brooks by her side. With a new album due this year, Yearwood will kick-off a seven-city theater tour beginning on April 30 in Austin, Texas.
Megan Moroney brought a decidedly upbeat vibe to her usual “emo-cowgirl” candidness, performing her love song “Am I Okay?” at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event held Saturday night at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
Clad in a silver dress covered in fringe and sparkle and confidently commanding the stage, Moroney offered up a peppy rendition of the title track to her second studio album, which was released in July 2024, debuting at No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and at No. 3 on the Top Country Albums chart.
During the ceremony, Moroney was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rulebreaker award.
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Taking the stage to accept her honor, Moroney said, “Thank you, Billboard, for this. This is so cool. And I’m just really grateful to be here. When I found out I was getting the Rulebreaker award, I thought it was kind of funny, because if you know me in real life, I’m like an avid rule follower. I stole a piece of gum when I was 10 from a ballpark, and I still think about it sometimes. So it’s just ironic that I get the Rulebreaker award, but I’m just so grateful for it.
She continued, “I’m grateful to be here in a room with such talented, confident, amazing women in music. And I wouldn’t be up here if it wasn’t for my team. Thank you to my managers [Punchbowl Entertainment’s] Julie Griffith and Hayley Corbett, my [UTA] agent Elisa Vazzana, Stephanie Self. I’ve just got like so many bad bi—es [on my] team, I could go on and on. But my record label, Columbia Records and Sony Nashville, I’m just really grateful to be here and it’s awesome to see so many amazing women all in the same room tonight. So cheers. Let’s have margaritas. Thank you. Thanks, Billboard.”
Moroney was honored with a recent Women in Music feature, in which she opened up about her approach to her music and career, branding, working on her upcoming album, staying connected with her fanbase and more.
Morgan Wallen’s “Just In Case” debuts in the top five of the Hot 100. Tetris Kelly: This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated April 5. “APT” is back in the top 10 while “Not Like Us” slips to nine. “Beautiful Things” also returns to the top 10, as does “Nokia” […]
At the close of the new Alison Krauss & Union Station cut “The Wrong Way,” Krauss practically whispers the final line, “The one that I forgot.”
The “g” and the “t” on that last word are distinctly crisp and audible despite the softness of the moment, underscoring the singer’s reverence for the text.
The track is featured on Union Station’s Arcadia (March 28, Down the Road) — the band’s first project since 2011’s Paper Airplane — in which her uniquely fragile approach is once again front and center. Krauss’ crystalline tone is — as her fans have come to expect — immaculate, and her stylized enunciations and airy resonance seem to reach through the speakers in a personal way. But that emotional connection isn’t created in a vacuum. She leans on technical partners — producers and engineers — who capture her voice, paying particular attention to Krauss’ nuanced treatment of the most brittle sounds in the English language.
“There’s a high degree of intimacy in hearing those consonants and the fricatives,” says engineer Neal Cappellino, who co-engineered Arcadia with Rounder senior vp of A&R Gary Paczosa. “They have meaning to her. Everything like that has meaning.”
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In most country-based recordings, the lead vocal and the song itself are the primary connecting points for the listener. Thus, the singer’s ability to translate the melody and lyrics is key. But singers aren’t robots, so the physical and emotional condition that an artist experiences can vary from day to day. Dancing with the uncertainties, both technical and psychological, to elicit the ap-propriate vocal is part and parcel of the engineer’s job.
“The voice definitely has to be ready,” Paczosa says. “That can be tougher with a pure tone like [Krauss’]. That requires that everything’s in great shape, as far as no allergies or no dryness. Then your job as the engineer is to be ready when all of that happens.”
Perhaps the most valuable tool in an artist’s arsenal is an identifiable vocal sound. Finalists for the Academy of Country Music Awards, announced March 27, illustrate the point. Top nominee Ella Langley conveys a casual sarcasm. Cody Johnson calls on an impressive level of power. Lainey Wilson sounds ultra-Southern. Jelly Roll often trails off at the end of his phrases. And Chris Stapleton owns a soulful grit.
Producers and engineers employ plenty of technology to relay those signatures to the consumer, but the machinery is merely a tool.
“A lot of people complain about all this Pro Tools, auto-tuning stuff,” says Vince Gill, a five-time winner of the Country Music Association’s male vocalist of the year. “Let me tell you something: Auto-tune doesn’t make you more interesting. It only makes you more in tune, you know. And you can be perfectly in tune, but your voice still may not be very compelling.”
What’s compelling varies. Linda Ronstadt reached her commercial peak with impeccable, pre-Auto-Tune pitch and fierce dynamics. George Jones, considered by many to be the greatest country singer in history, built his reputation on wild dips and slurs, frequently a hair off-pitch. George Strait approaches material with classic, masculine understatement.
Strait’s long line of hits is directly related to his skill at matching his everyman resonance to songs that suit him.
“You can just raise the key a half-step or lower it a half-step, and he gets in that sweet spot of his voice,” says producer Tony Brown (Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn), revealed March 25 as one of this year’s Country Music Hall of Fame inductees. “It’s amazing that a tiny, little, subtle thing like that turns a song into one that sounds like George.”
Newcomer Greylan James instantly has his own identity, thanks in part to the sibilance in his first radio single, “Wait Til You Have Kids.” The “s” and “f” sounds are prominent, though not overdone. Many other artists would likely downplay that trait, but James embraced it.
“It’s getting the real-life character of a vocal,” James says. “For me, it’s [also] got to have some rasp to it.”
Artists and engineers can obsess, understandably, about the details in a vocal. They tinker with microphones, preamps, equalization, reverb and other effects to get what they perceive as the right sound. Once they settle on a vocal chain — as that series of machines and effects is called — they often use that same chain for every recording. Producer Lukas Scott (Hudson Westbrook, Austin Snell) is a fan of a Luke Audio Voodoo microphone that features a removable diaphragm. It allows the user to switch out a vibrating membrane that plays a part in converting the live tone to an audio signal. The removable diaphragm makes it easier to rifle through options until finding a tone that works for the producer and the singer.
“All the diaphragms look exactly the same,” he says, “but they sound completely different.”
The gear is just part of it, though. Cappellino focuses on three areas in his work: the musical, the technical and the interpersonal. Unlike, say, mathematics, where 2+2 always equals 4, a vocal is subjective. Artists typically need supportive feedback as they work through their part since there is no right or wrong answer to what works.
“It’s knowing what to say, what not to say, when to push, when to encourage, when to be patient, allowing something to unfold,” Cappellino says. “But really, you have to be honest with somebody in the moment, having a discriminating ear for technical things or a tuned-in sense for how it’s feeling.”
That’s harder than it might appear. Fans typically learn every wrinkle of a singer’s performance as they memorize a song, as if it’s the only way to perform it. But the artist always knows they can change a phrase, the melody, the dynamics or even the enunciation. They’re prone to wonder if they could improve it.
“The great singers I’ve worked with, that have long careers, are the ones that do second-guess themselves,” Paczosa says. “They’re sort of never happy with their voice or their performance.”
Most fans won’t actively identify what differentiates singers, but they’ll recognize voices that stand out. Those that carve their own place, as Krauss does with her precise tone and exacting consonants, are a product of their natural resonance and performance choices. The devil’s in the details, and the great singers tend to pay attention to the small stuff.
“Alison has amazing ears,” Paczosa says. “If you change something slightly — a different screen, little things that you might not even think about — she’ll say, ‘Something’s different.’ It may be something really small, but she usually hears it.”
This week, hitmakers Cody Johnson and Carín León pair up for a stone-cold, country-meets-Latin intertwining. Meanwhile, Tanner Adell releases one of the most powerful songs of her career with “Going Blonde.” Elsewhere, Cole Swindell brings a summer-ready new offering, while Laci Kaye Booth offers up a haunting new track. Steve Martin, Alison Brown and Tim O’Brien team up a new bluegrass outing, while duo Something Out West brings their latest rock-fueled offering.
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Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country, Americana and bluegrass songs of the week below.
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Cody Johnson and Carín León, “She Hurts Like Tequila”
Cody Johnson and Carín León blend their signature sounds to put forth this slice of classic country punctuated with steel guitar and accordion, and English-meets-Spanish lyrics that accentuate the agility and passion in each artist’s voice. The two entertainers co-wrote the song with Johan Sotelo, Trent Willmon and Orlando Aispuro Meneses. Together, Johnson and León offer an intense rendering of this song praising a passionate lover whose affections are worth the heartbreaking pain that ultimately follows.
Tanner Adell, “Going Blonde”
With songs like “Buckle Bunny” and “FU-150,” Tanner Adell has become known for crafting and singing dance-worthy country-pop grooves that will anyone on the dancefloor. Her ethereal voice also appears on Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter project. But with her latest, Adell shows another side to her story and artistry. She’s been open about being adopted, but here, Adell offers up a devastatingly honest song about the biological mother she never got to meet. “Going Blonde” chronicles her journey of longing for that maternal connection — even dyeing her hair blonde in a nod to her mother–while building up her own perceptions of her mother’s characteristics and persona in her mother’s absence. Written solely by Adell, “Going Blonde” showcases one of her most stunning, vulnerable vocals to date.
Laci Kaye Booth, “Daddy’s Mugshot”
Singer-songwriter Booth, who made her Grand Ole Opry debut on March 29, blends her gritty, bluesy vocal with a story arc of a defiant impulse that’s embedded deep in her bloodline. Over robust, glossy pop chords that balance her dusky vocals, she traces early-career music industry experiences, singing, “I made a record that didn’t break no records/ Only my soul,” then compares the resistance apparent in her father’s mugshot to her own rebellious streak in taking a chance on rebuilding her career on her own terms. This new track brims with confidence and steely determination.
Cole Swindell, “Spanish Moss”
Swindell’s latest is infused with sensual guitars to create this summery, carefree ballad that wraps in vivid imagery of breezy Southern coastlines and nights spent soaking in the summer heat. All in all, it makes for an easygoing track that pushes Swindell’s lilting twang into slightly sultrier territory than usual. He wrote the song with Devin Dawson, Jordan Minton and Jordan Reynolds, with production from Reynolds, Dawson and Jacob Durrett. “Spanish Moss” marks the title track to Swindell’s upcoming fifth studio album, out June 27 on Warner Music Nashville.
Steve Martin and Alison Brown (feat. Tim O’Brien), “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back”
Having previously collaborated on several songs including “Foggy Morning Breaking” and “Wall Guitar,” banjoists Alison Brown and Steve Martin reunite on their latest collaboration, teaming with vocalist and mandolinist Tim O’Brien for this heartfelt song about chasing musical dreams on a “5 days out, 2 days back” schedule while trying to stay connected with family back home. The song also features Bryan Sutton, Stuart Duncan, Todd Phillips and Vickie Vaughn. With superb harmonies and musicianship caressing the song and melding with O’Brien’s unmistakable leading voice, it infuses this song with a timeless resonance. “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” is part of a new collection of music from Brown and Martin, which will be released on Compass Records.
Something Out West, “You Better Run”
Chet Hanks and Drew Arthur’s musical duo, Something Out West, has issued the latest preview of their upcoming EP, Leaving Hollywood, which releases June 20. “You Better Run” leans more heavily into the rock arena, with a mashup of bristling, pounding rock guitars and Hanks’s urgent, grainy vocal interlaced with lyrics such as “You’re running out of time/ On a ticking clock, she’ll be comin’ for you/ There’s no time to walk” Meanwhile, the music video builds on that lyrical theme by featuring Chet Hanks recreating scenes from his father Tom Hanks’ famous role in the 1994 Oscar-winning film Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks also makes a lengthy cameo in the clip).
Five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper Jordan Davis will hit the road again this year, when his 18-city, headlining 2025 Ain’t Enough Road Tour, produced by Live Nation, launches Sept. 11 at Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, Calif. As the “I Ain’t Sayin’” hitmaker prepares for the tour later this year, he says he’s feeling the pressure — in the best way.
“The most pressure I feel as a touring artist is when you announce that new tour and now it’s a blank slate,” Davis tells Billboard, noting his focus is on giving his best to find new ways of bringing his music and live shows to fans who have supported him since the beginning, from his 2018 debut album, Home State.
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“We’re so blessed with an amazing fanbase, truly, the people that have been to 30+ shows and who continue to come and see us and support us,” Davis says. “When I think of a new tour, that’s who I immediately go to, the day one fans. It’s like, ‘How do I do something that they haven’t seen?’ If I can do something that feels new and feels cool to a fan that’s been there from day one, I think I’m going to cover the wide range of fans we’ve picked up along the way.”
The Ain’t Enough Road Tour will make stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York, St. Louis and more, before concluding Oct. 25 in Estero, Florida’s Hertz Arena. Davis will welcome “Hell Is a Dance Floor” hitmaker Vincent Mason as an opener. Also joining him is “Truth About You” hitmaker Mitchell Tenpenny, who previously opened for Davis on his 2024 Damn Good Time World Tour and joined Davis on Luke Combs’ recent stadium shows in Australia.
“Mitchell is a superstar,” Davis says, adding, “Vincent had ‘Hell is a Dance Floor,’ and I could not stop listening to that song. I saw he signed with Universal, where I’m signed and the second I saw that, I was like, ‘I’ve got to get this kid on tour.’ Mitchell and me have a good time and Vincent looks like he’s down to have a good time, too. It’s going to be some great music.”
It was one of those recent Australia shows with Combs and Tenpenny in Brisbane, Australia, that presented Davis with one of his most memorable onstage moments to date.
“There were storms coming in,” Davis recalls. “We were about three-quarters of the way through our show and I kept seeing the lightning getting closer. I thought, ‘I don’t know if we will be able to finish this [set] or not,’ and just then my drummer came through in our in-ears and was like, ‘We have to cut two songs.’ I always end ‘Buy Dirt’ with an a cappella piece. I finished ‘Buy Dirt’ and I’m standing out there like, ‘Ah, I can’t not do this.’ So, I just started singing it a cappella and about that time, it starts pouring rain. I’ve never heard a crowd get that loud in my life, singing every word. It was truly one of the most special moments I’ve had onstage.”
Starting with his 2018 Country Airplay chart-topper “Singles You Up,” Davis has become a radio chart mainstay thanks to songs including “What My World Spins Around” and “Tucson Too Late.” Two of his hit singles have earned song of the year accolades: ACM song of the year winner “Next Thing You Know” and CMA/NSAI song of the year winner “Buy Dirt.” Those songs helped spur his 2023 album Bluebird Days to platinum-selling status, and earlier this year, he notched the No. 2 Country Airplay hit “I Ain’t Sayin’.”
With his new song “Bar None,” he could potentially extend his chart-topping tally. Though Davis is often a co-writer on many of his hits, such as “Tucson Too Late” and “Buy Dirt,” his new song “Bar None” is an outside cut, written by Hunter Phelps, Lydia Vaughn and Ben Johns, with production by Paul DiGiovanni.
“I fell in love with it from the first time I listened to it,” Davis says. “The second you hear the hook, you want to be like, all right, I bet you they’re going to do this. This one surprised me. I didn’t really see it going here. I think about the line, ‘If moving on had a scoreboard it’d say, ‘You and your memory one/ Me and this bar none.’ It gave me a smile, like ‘Well done.’”
He adds, “I’ve always loved being able to kind of twist a hook. That’s one of my favorite things about songwriting, to take an idea and go somewhere completely different with it. It’s something that feels like a song I haven’t done from a production standpoint, even instrumentation-wise, with the banjo part [at the beginning].”
While his new single centers on a vain attempt at drowning heartbreak in a barroom, Davis’ time is devoted to his career and his family — both of which continue expanding as he keeps piling up hit songs, while he and his wife Kristen are expecting their fourth child. Davis says his growing family is looking at moving into a larger home.
Jordan Davis
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“That was actually the first thing, when my wife told me she was expecting, I was like, ‘Well, where are we going to put the nursery?’ So, we’ve started the search for a place with another bedroom.” Davis says they don’t know if the baby is a boy or girl yet, and notes, “We’re just going to wait and find out. We’ve got a girl [daughter Eloise, born in 2019] and two boys [Locklan, born in 2021, and Elijah, born in 2023], which means it’ll probably be another boy, which will increase the gray hairs on my head,” he says with a chuckle. “My boys want another brother, and my daughter really wants a sister.”
Even as he focuses on family and work, that doesn’t mean Davis doesn’t have a favorite Nashville bar he’ll visit on occasion.
“I think my buddy Luke [Bryan]’s got a good [bar] downtown with Luke’s 32 Bridge. My dad loves to come in town and go honky tonk. If he’s in town, we’ll go. That’s one of the few times I’ll hit up Broadway, and we usually always find ourselves at Luke’s.”
See the tour announcement video for the Jordan Davis Ain’t Enough Road Tour, featuring Peyton Manning and Jim Nantz, below:
Pre-sale tickets for the Ain’t Enough Road Tour will be available beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. through Davis’s fanclub The Parish, while tickets for the tour go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. See the list of tour dates for the Jordan Davis: Ain’t Enough Road Tour below:
Sept. 11 – Greater Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure ArenaSept. 12 – Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at ConcordSept.18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek TheatreSept. 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial TheatreSept. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta AmphitheaterSept. 26 – Independence, MO @ Cable Dahmer ArenaSept. 27 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz ArenaOct. 2 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music HallOct. 3 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at FenwayOct. 9 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank ArenaOct. 10 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate ArenaOct. 11 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO PavilionOct. 16 – Dayton, OH @ Wright State University Nutter CenterOct. 17 – Hershey, PA @ Giant CenterOct. 23 – Duluth, GA @ Gas South ArenaOct. 24 – Savannah, GA @ Enmarket ArenaOct. 25 – Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena
Morgan Wallen‘s hasty retreat from the stage at Saturday Night Live over the weekend during the traditional credits roll lovefest raised a lot of eyebrows. After performing two songs as the musical guest on the episode hosted by Oscar-winning Anora star Mikey Madison, Wallen whispered something into the actress’ ear and then abruptly walked off […]
Morgan Wallen has left the building.
The 31-year-old country star appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 29, alongside host Mikey Madison, who won best actress for her role in Anora at the 2025 Oscars.
After performing a pair of songs from his forthcoming album, I’m the Problem, Wallen briefly joined the SNL cast at the end of the show, as is customary on the long-running sketch comedy series. He then whispered something into Madison’s ear, gave her a hug and abruptly walked off the stage at Studio 8H.
Soon after the incident, Wallen shared a photo on his Instagram Stories from his private plane, with the caption “Get me to God’s country” written over an image of the runway.
Billboard has reached out to Wallen’s representative for comment.
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During his March 29 appearance on SNL, Wallen performed the title track from his upcoming album and later delivered the post-heartbreak anthem “Just in Case.” I’m the Problem is set for release on May 16.
The singer-songwriter previously appeared on SNL in December 2020, performing “7 Summers” and “Still Goin Down” from Dangerous: The Double Album, which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Wallen was originally scheduled to appear two months prior but was replaced at the last minute for breaking SNL‘s strict COVID-19 safety protocols at the time. During his debut appearance, Wallen also appeared in a sketch poking fun at the controversy surrounding him when he was photographed partying and not wearing a mask in Alabama.
This week’s SNL episode follows Lady Gaga’s appearance on March 8, where she performed double duty as both host and musical guest. Past season 50 musical guests have included Tate McRae, GloRilla, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, among others.
In the upcoming weeks, Lizzo, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile are set to perform on episodes hosted by Jon Hamm and Jack Black.
Morgan Wallen returned to Saturday Night Live, performing two songs from his upcoming album.
The 31-year-old country star made his second appearance as the musical guest on March 29, joining host Mikey Madison, who recently won an Oscar for best actress for her role in Anora.
Dressed in a denim jacket, blue jeans and a baseball cap, Wallen opened his performance with the title track of his fourth studio album, I’m the Problem. Backed by a full band, the singer-songwriter delivered the song — which currently sits in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart — against a set design adorned with scrapbook-like photos and articles about the artist.
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Wallen returned later in the episode to perform his post-heartbreak anthem “Just in Case,” set against a more somber, dimly lit backdrop featuring a vintage television with the words “Morgan Wallen Broadcast Corp” displayed on the screen.
He previously appeared on SNL in December 2020, performing “7 Summers” and “Still Goin Down” from Dangerous: The Double Album.
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I’m the Problem is set for release on May 16. The new project follows Wallen’s successful albums, 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album — which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and 2023’s One Thing at a Time, which accumulated 19 weeks at the top spot. In anticipation of I’m the Problem, he has previewed several tracks, including the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Love Somebody,” as well as “Lies Lies Lies” and “Smile.”
This week’s SNL episode follows Lady Gaga’s appearance on March 8, where she performed double duty as both host and musical guest. Past season 50 musical guests have included Tate McRae, GloRilla, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, among others. In the upcoming weeks, Lizzo, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile are set to perform on episodes hosted by Jon Hamm and Jack Black.
Watch Morgan Wallen’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Influential women in music graced the red carpet at Billboard’s 2025 Women in Music event, which took place on Saturday (March 29). See the best red carpet photos from the night here.Host Laverne Cox, music stars and industry leaders were pictured on the carpet ahead of the ceremony that honors accomplished women and their contributions to the music industry, their communities and beyond.
Artist nominees at this year’s prestigious event include Doechii, receiving the Woman of the Year Award, as well as aespa (Group of the Year), Ángela Aguilar (Breakthrough Award), Erykah Badu (Icon Award), GloRilla (Powerhouse Award), Gracie Abrams (Songwriter of the Year), JENNIE (Global Force Award), Megan Moroney (Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky), Meghan Trainor (Hitmaker Award), Muni Long (Rising Star Award Presented by Honda Stage) and Tyla (Impact Award presented by Bose). Global Women of the Year are ANNA (Billboard Italy Woman of the Year) and Charlotte Cardin (Billboard Canada Woman of the Year).
Tina Knowles, mom to Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, is the first-ever Mother of the Year honoree at Billboard’s Women in Music, held at the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
The list of presenters features Becky G, Kali Chis, Madison Beer, Julia Michaels, Lauren Jauregui, Mickey Guyton, Suki Waterhouse, Summer Walker, Tanner Adell, Victoria Monét and Zara Larsson.
The red carpet was also expected to see appearances from Ari Lennox, Ashe, Ava Max, Bella Poarch, Heidi Montag, JoJo Siwa, Kandi Burruss, Keyshia Cole, Loren Gray, Madison Bailey, Queen Naija, Sophia Culpo, Tinashe, Victoria Justice and more.
See many of them pictured on the red carpet in this photo gallery of not-to-be-missed moments.
Meghan Trainor
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Meghan Trainor at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Kali Uchis
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Kali Uchis at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Victoria Monét, Ari Lennox & Muni Long
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Victoria Monét, Ari Lennox and Muni Long at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Julia Michaels
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Julia Michaels at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Zara Larsson
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Zara Larsson at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Ravyn Lenae
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Ravyn Lenae at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Tinashe
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Tinashe at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Maeta
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Maeta at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Ledisi
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Ledisi at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Dalia Ganz
Image Credit: JC Olivera
Dalia Ganz at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Cindy Oliver
Image Credit: Jesse Grant
Cindy Oliver at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Sabrina Phillips, Pam Sturchio & Elena Quandt
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Sabrina Phillips, Pam Sturchio and Elena Quandt at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Rania Aniftos
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Rania Aniftos at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Tanner Adell
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Tanner Adell at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Diane Warren
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Diane Warren at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Laverne Cox
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Laverne Cox at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Melody Thornton
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Melody Thornton at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Mary Conde & Judy Heyman
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Mary Conde and Judy Heyman at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Gina Harrell
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Gina Harrell at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Kiona Nikiy Reaves & Alexandra Lyzwa
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Kiona Nikiy Reaves and Alexandra Lyzwa at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Meg Donnelly
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Meg Donnelly at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Queen Naija
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Queen Naija at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Mickey Guyton
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Mickey Guyton at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Megan Moroney
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Megan Moroney at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Ari Lennox
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Ari Lennox at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles,.
Muni Long
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Muni Long at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Bella Poarch
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Bella Poarch at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Madison Bailey
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Madison Bailey at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Melissa Ruderman
Image Credit: JC Olivera
Melissa Ruderman at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Lauren Jauregui
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Lauren Jauregui at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Dana Droppo & Mike Van
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Dana Droppo and Mike Van at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Kiana Lede
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Kiana Lede at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Victoria Monét
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Victoria Monét at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Suki Waterhouse
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Suki Waterhouse at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Jenna Park Adler
Image Credit: JC Olivera
Jenna Park Adler at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.