genre electronic
Amid a characteristically packed schedule of events at Miami Music Week 2025, Femme House continued carving out a place for itself and the many artists and industry folks who align with its mission to make the dance world a more inclusive place through education, music, camaraderie and community building.
Founded by Hermixalot and LP Giobbi in 2018, the nonprofit — which works to create opportunities for women, gender-expansive, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ creatives — hosted a series of events during the annual dance industry gathering, which took over Miami from March 26-31.
On March 27, the organization hosted the first ever Femmy Awards, an afternoon gathering at Palm TRee Club that honored some of the dance world’s most essential female pioneers — DJ Minx, DJ Lady D, Crystal Waters and Barbara Tucker, shining a light on the Black, female creators who helped forge the dance scene in its early days and who’ve been consistent presences in the decades since.
Trending on Billboard
The awards, a festive occasion that elicited a lot of cheering and also some tears as award winners were announced on the the packed patio, also honored many other women and allies, with beloved party brand and label HE.SHE.THEY winning for best record label, Lightning in a Bottle winning for most diverse festival and The Martinez Brothers appearing to accept the Ally Award, among many other winners. See exclusive photos from The Femmy Awards below.
British producer TSHA won the best producer of the year, with her speech acknowledging “all the DJs who’ve put me on their lineups… I saw the Martinez [Brothers] are here…they’ve always put me on their lineups — and not as the warmup DJ, which is what happens a lot. I usually get stuck as the warmup, but they haven’t done that, so thanks guys. And to all my fellow producers, singers, DJs and my girls here, you guys are amazing, this award means the world to me and I will continue to support you, too.”
While accepting her award for producer of the year, techno star Sara Landry shouted out fellow techno queen Nicole Moudaber, who was also at the ceremony, calling her “one of the original pioneers of techno in this space, an original glass ceiling breaker; I would not be where I am without you, thank you Nicole.” Landry also acknowledged fellow techno producers Amelie Lens and Charlotte de Witte, saying their “fearlessness has made it so much easier for me, and your community and sisterhood have lifted my spirits even when I’m feeling like absolutely dogs… It’s a joy and a pleasure to go backstage and to see your spaces and be welcomed in loving and open arms.”
Landry also acknowledged the pioneers in the room, acknowledging the “women who went through what I’m going through now, before these spaces existed to honor them for the work that they do. We have all have had some very difficult times; it’s hard to be the only woman in the room, and the sisterhood and the camaraderie I’ve gotten from the incredible women in this industry, whose kindness and acceptance and willingness to welcome me into this space when I was a f—ing nobody from Austin, Texas, y’all have made such a difference to me… I solemnly swear to pay it forward and continue to do that.” See the complete winners list here.
Beyond The Femmys, Femme House’s Miami Music Week programming a showcase for LP Giobbi’s Yes Yes Yes label, with DJ Minx headlining the event and the party going until 5 a.m. on Friday morning. Despite this late night, Hermixalot (the artist born Lauren Spalding) and Giobbi were back in action by Friday mid-morning, first hosting a brunch for friends of Femme House and then a panel discussion featuring DJ Lady D, Crystal Waters and Kaleena Zanders, three Black female dance music vocalists who spoke to the injustices Black female singers have faced within the dance world, which has historically profited from the voices of Black women without providing proper acknowledgement and fair compensation.
“The reason I curated this panel in this way is because these are the voices, literally,” Hermixalot said while moderating the event. “These are the artists literally, this is the culture literally. I wanted to give them a chance to call all you industry folks in and tell you how to do it and how to do right by them, because they’ve earned that right. This is about creating equity, impact and longevity. These women are the personification of those ideas, and I think it’s important that we listen to them and that we honor what they have to say and that we act on it appropriately.”
Speaking from decades of experience, Chicago house icon DJ Lady D advised that it’s necessary for any curator with a platform to make space for the originators of dance music culture. “There are only a few pioneers of this movement left,” she advised, “and I think that festivals and places like that should be putting those people that are still here on stages. They should be intentional about that.”
Waters, meanwhile, stressed the importance of having a good lawyer to check contracts to make sure they’re benefitting singers. She noted that “there’s a lot of legal stuff that I don’t think a lot of people know or understand,” referring to how crucial it is for vocalists to be listed as featured artists on tracks in order to receive royalties. “Educate yourself, get an attorney, get that stuff straight, because there’s a lot of little pinpoints where you can protect yourself for years to come, especially with the AI coming in, you’re going to have to start thinking ahead.”
The house music star also noted the importance of just speaking up and standing your ground. “Men will tell you ‘no’ as a default,” Waters advised, “and if you just let it go, they’ll push you to the side, so you have to be persistent, you have to kind of be a b—h, but you don’t have to be a nasty one.”
Speaking as a younger voice of the dance world, Zanders said that given “how mistreated vocalists and Black women are in this industry, I felt a responsibility to stay in dance music, to fight the fight.” She continued that she has her own list of checks and balances when choosing collaborators, emphasizing that she tries to have the producers that reach out to her for a possible collaboration “see the human in me first, because they often don’t see that at all.”
Pragmatically, the conversation also focused on the importance of singers being listed as primary artists in the backend of DSPs (even if they’re listed as featured artists on the front-end of these platforms) to ensure maximum and accurate streaming revenue. Zanders advised that while you “might have to follow up 1,500 times” with DSPs to ensure these correct listings, “you have to fight the fight.”
Billboard is the official media sponsor of the 2025 Femmy Awards.
The 2025 Femmy Awards
Courtesy of The Femmy Awards
The 2025 Femmy Awards
Courtesy of The Femmy Awards
The 2025 Femmy Awards
Courtesy of The Femmy Awards
The 2025 Femmy Awards
Courtesy of The Femmy Awards
The 2025 Femmy Awards
Courtesy of The Femmy Awards
Billboard Women in Music 2025
A feature film by artist, graphic designer, music video director and Ed Banger Records’ longtime art director So Me is out today (April 1) on Netflix.
Banger tells the story of an aging French DJ named Scorpex, played by French actor Vincent Cassel. Scorpex gets mixed up in a mission with an intelligence agency that provides him with what he believes is the chance to return to the top with the movie’s titular banger. The film also stars Laura Felpin and features an appearance by French dance royalty Kavinsky. Watch the trailer for Banger below.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The French language film expands an episode that So Me, born Bertrand Lagros de Langeron, directed for the 2021 French television series 6 X Confiné.e.s. This episode also starred Cassel as Scorpex, with So Me later writing the film based around the character.
“I was already contemplating a movie in this world, and the opportunity of shooting the [episode] came a little bit after actually,” So Me tells Billboard. “So in a way, the [episode] is a spinoff that came out before the movie itself.”
He adds that the bumbling but endearing Scorpex “generates empathy because we’re all sooner or later confronted with a cooler, younger version of ourselves. And it’s particularly true in a job where most of the audience is, well, young. Some DJs deal with it perfectly, some struggle a bit more, and I look at it with a certain tenderness.”
Having worked with many DJs over the years, So Me says these artists have “all inspired me, that’s for sure. However, I would say [Scorpex] is more of a composite. This scene is just so ripe for satire. It’s a lot of egos. And it’s pretty competitive.”
After spending years directing videos for artists including Justice (“D.A.N.C.E.”, “Audio, Video Disco”) Major Lazer (“Get Free”), Kid Cudi (“Day ‘N’ Nite”) and Kanye West (“Good Life”), So Me says making a movie was “always been a dream” of his.
“There’s a lot of common things: Framing, lightning, turning ideas into moving images,” he says of the commonalities between making videos and making this movie. “However, there are also some major differences, such as directing actors, basically telling a more complex story. Music videos are more of a place to experiment, but having shot a lot of things already probably put me at ease to attack the climbing of such a high peek.”
But while making a feature length film was new, So Me certainly had a lot of life experience to draw from in terms of telling a story that takes place within the DJ world of clubs, parties and studios.
“I hope [the film] shows an educated version of how things actually happen in the studio, backstage, et cetera,” he says. “My goal was that people who are in the know would find it credible, however showing how it really is would be extremely boring for people who don’t know. So it’s a fantasized version of this world that aims at feeling real.”
Billboard Women in Music 2025
In the words of an iconic 2010 Skrillex track, yes, on my god.
On Tuesday (April 1), the producer released his fourth studio album, the astoundingly titled F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!
After months of teasing and anticipation, Skrillex‘s fourth studio album, the astoundingly titled ‘F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!
The world of electronic music is currently coming to terms with news of an international ruse which has seen former Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür reportedly tricked into a false collaboration with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Flür, who rose to fame as part of Kraftwerk between 1973 and 1987, issued his third solo album, Times, on Friday (March 28). Early reports of the record indicated the effort was a star-studded affair, featuring collaborations with the likes of Yello’s Boris Blank, New Order’s Peter Hook, and more. One of the most notable collaborations was with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, who was to be credited on the record under the name Thomas Vangarde.
According to a recent interview with Flür, the apparent collaboration began innocently enough when Bangalter got in touch with the veteran musician via social media to request a signed copy of Flür’s 2022 album, Magazine 1. “He said, ‘It’s so wonderful. Can I have a signed album? I collect albums but it must be signed personally from you. We love you guys. Without Kraftwerk we would not find our own robot style, being on stage with the helmets, you know. And I love you Wolfgang. And please, can you send me [an album]?’”
After the signed record landed at Bangalter’s house, Flür explained that he suggested the two work together on a track. Following some technical alterations to ensure Bangalter’s contributions fit the key of the initial musical ideas, his work was combined with Hook’s bass line, and both Flür and musical partner Peter Duggal completed the track. The final record actually features two songs credited to Bangalter/Vangarde; “Über_All” and “Monday to the Moon.”
However, following the release of Flür’s Times album, Daft Punk archivist Luke Perez took to their blog to confirm the collaboration was in fact a hoax, outlining the chronology of events that led up to the release of the final product.
According to research conducted by Perez, Flür had spoken about being contacted by Bangalter via Facebook back in 2023, admitting he was unaware of the Daft Punk member or his influence at the time.
Though initially suspicious of the news, given the reclusive social media presence of Daft Punk and its members, Perez further noted that something seemed amiss when Thomas Vangarde was credited on the record instead of Bangalter. Further compounding the mystery was the fact that Bangalter’s father had reportedly used the surname as a moniker during his own musical past, providing a reasonable explanation for the different name.
Ultimately, Perez concluded by mentioning that an individual in close contact with Daft Punk’s management had confirmed that Bangalter was not behind the collaboration with Flür, and that the former Kraftwerk musician had been duped by an as-yet-unknown individual on social media.
“I’m assuming the fake Bangalter must have convinced Flür’s camp that he was now going by Thomas Vangarde in some sort of effort to cover their tracks,” Perez concluded in their post. “Bizarrely, it seems no one in the real Thomas Bangalter’s sphere found out about this or brought this up to him until after the tracks released despite over two years of this being known about. It’s equally bizarre that at no point did Cherry Red Records (or any other involved party) question or debunk this bold claim that Thomas Bangalter was involved.”
Daft Punk officially announced their split in 2021, having not released new music since their fourth and final studio album, 2013’s Random Access Memories. The record was their first to top the Billboard 200, and earned the group five Grammys, including album of the year and best dance/electronic album, while lead single “Get Lucky” took out record of the year and best pop duo/group performance.
Since their dissolution, Bangalter has been active musically, curating scores for ballet, film, and other art projects, while fellow Daft Punk member Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo has remained active in the world of production.
The first major dance music gathering of the year went down in Miami this past weekend, with Ultra Music Festival returning to downtown’s Bayfront Park from March 28-30.The annual event celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, with tens of thousands of fans descending upon the site to celebrate and hear music by artists both famous and up and coming.
While a strong wind was blowing through town on Friday (March 28), the weather held for the festival, with day one featuring sets from marquee acts including Charlotte de Witte, Alesso, Armin van Buuren and Dom Dolla and John Summit performing together as Everything Always. Saturday’s biggest stars included Axwell, Crankdat, Tokimonta, Gesaffelstein and KSHMR, while Sunday’s lineup included Martin Garrix, Zedd, Nico Moreno and Above & Beyond.
Beyond the fireworks and art installations, Ultra 2025 was made splashier by a series of mega-watt special guests. On Friday, David Guetta and Sia came out during Afrojack’s set to perform “Titanium,” with the three artists playing their 2011 smash together for the first time ever.
On Saturday, Skrillex brought out myriad stars during his headlining set — which marked his first appearance at Ultra in a Decade — with Flowdan appearing onstage to perform their 2023 collabs “Rumble” and “Badders.” Skrill then brought out Damian Marley, his collaborator on 2013’s “Make It Bun Dem” and then Young Miko, who performed what seemed to be an as-yet unreleased song. (To wit, the producer announced today, March 31, that he’ll release a new album tomorrow, April 1.) Then on Sunday, Steve Aoki also played the surprise guest game, bringing out Trippie Redd for their recently released track “Radio.”
Ultra 2025 also leaned hard into special b2bs. On Friday, Armin van Buuren played b2b with Maddix and Oliver Heldens for a Dutch triple-threat on the Worldwide Stage. Meanwhile over on the UMF Radio stage, Partiboi69 went b2b with both Juicy Romance and Kettama and Skream played played with Interplanetary Criminal.
On Saturday (March 29) under overcast skies, the festival again delivered a series of heavy-hitting b2bs that included Anyma and Solomun performing together for the first time and deadmau5 (sans his helmet) playing alongside Rob Swire of Pendulum.
While Ultra temporarily shut down on Sunday, March 30, due to rain, the festival eventually reopened and unleashed plenty of music, including b2bs by bass stars Alleycvt and Jessica Audifred (our Billboard Dance Rookie of the Month for March), bass titans Flux Pavilion and Doctor P going b2b and other pairings that included a major surprise b2b2b2b, with Solomun inviting Four Tet, Chloe Caillet and Mau P onstage during the last portion of his festival-closing show on Ultra’s massive Megastructure stage and the four artists taking turns on the decks.
See photos from Ultra Music Festival 2025 below.
In a night of big moments, Afrojack helped deliver one of the very biggest when he brought out French titan David Guetta and one of history’s all-time singers, Sia, to perform their 2011 classic “Titanium” during the first night (March 28) of Ultra Music Festival 2025. The pair walked onto the festival’s mainstage hand-in-hand, a […]
The inaugural Femmy Awards kicked off in high style and spirit Thursday (March 27) in Miami.
Happening amid the many (many) events of Miami Music Week, the awards were put on by Femme House, the nonprofit founded by LP Giobbi and Lauren Spalding that works to create and celebrate equity in the music industry by amplifying voices of women, femme, gender-expansive LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC creators.
The afternoon ceremony took place on the waterfront patio at Palm Tree Club, the hotel opened by Kygo and his manager and Myles Shear this past December. In the sunshine and bay breezes, LP and Spaulding presented a variety of awards honoring artists, party brands, festivals, execs and other members across the dance music industry.
The event started with moving speeches by Barbara Tucker and Crystal Waters, who were honored with the Voice of House award for the prolific contributions they’ve made to the genre over the years. So too were DJ Minx and DJ Lady D each honored with the Pioneer Award for their everything they’ve each done to break barriers, reshape the dance and electronic music industries and pave the way for femme, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ artists.
The event also presented awards to a flurry of other artists, with Kaleena Zanders and Aluna Francis winning for best live performance, Coco & Breezy winning the Carolyn Horn Trailblazer Award (named for LP Giobbi’s longtime piano teacher who passed away in 2023), TSHA winning for best producer, Xandra being honored with the Rising Star Award and Sara Landry getting the award for producer of the year.
Trending on Billboard
The ceremony also honored a number of executives, with WME’s head of electronic music Stefanie LaFera getting the Theresa Velasquez Award for Outstanding Executive award and WME’s Bailey Greenwood winning for agent of the year. Billboard was the official media sponsor of the event.
See the complete winners list below.
2025 Ally Award: Le Chev2025 Breakthrough Artist: Alleycvt2025 Most Diverse Festival: Lightning in a Bottle2025 Theresa Velasquez Award for Outstanding Executive: Stephanie LaFera2025 Ableton Instructor of the Year: Mini Bear2025 Pass the Mic Media Award: DJ Mag2025 Pass the Mic Media Award: Billboard2025 Carolyn Horn Trailblazer Award: Coco & Breezy2025 Femme House Community Member of the Year: Shak Jackson2025 Best Live Performance: Kaleena Zanders + Aluna Francis @ Planet Pride
2025 Best Radio Mix: DJ Holographic2025 Album of the Year: Sofi Tukker, Bread2025 Best Sound Designer: Tokimonsta2025 Best Producer: TSHA2025 Best Vocalist: Kaleena Zanders2025 Best Engineer: Jayda Love2025 Best Mixer: Laura Sisk2025 Sonic Innovator Award: FKA Twigs2025 Best Visual Experience: The Blessed Madonna2025 Best Visual Experience: Nora En Pure2025 Activist & Impact Award: She Is the Music2025 Culture Shifter Award: Ronny Ho2025 Best Music Journalist: Katie Bain2025 Best Record Label: HE.SHE.THEY.2025 Manager of the Year: Julia Fugazy2025 Agent of the Year: Bailey Greenwood2025 Hospitality Visionary Award: Carly Van Sickle2025 Talent Booker: Heather Church2025 Best Club: Elsewhere2025 Icon Award: Honey Dijon2025 Song of the Year: Desiree, “Khuluma Nami”2025 Creative Director of the Year: Sophie Muller2025 Best Underground Promoter: Girls Room2025 For the Culture Award: Interna$hional Bounce2025 Voice of House Honoree: Barbara Tucker2025 Voice of House Honoree: Crystal Waters2025 Rising Star Honoree: Xandra2025 Producer of the Year Honoree: Sara Landry2025 Pioneer Award Honoree: DJ Lady D2025 Pioneer Award Honoree: Minx
The Long Feng art car will serve as the stage for the upcoming Framework in the Desert parties happening around the first weekend of Coachella 2025.
Electronic events producer Framework announced Wednesday (March 26) that the lineups for these parties will feature Dutch producer Mau P, Manchester’s Interplanetary Criminal and California native Max Styler on Saturday, April 12, and Alesso playing one of his underground Body Hi sets on Sunday, April 13, with special guests Francier Mercier and Layton Giordani. The lineup for Friday, April 11, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Framework in the Desert will be the first time that the Long Feng art car has appeared outside of Burning Man, where it made its debut last year. Featuring sets by a flurry of underground DJs, the car was an immediate standout for both its Funktion-One sound system and dragon design.
Trending on Billboard
These festival afterparties are happening at the Atlantic Aviation airport hangar in Thermal, Calif., a few miles from the Coachella site. Tickets are on sale now.
“Framework is back at the Atlantic Aviation hangar in Thermal, bringing our staple production and musical artists to the desert,” said Framework co-founder Kobi Danan. “After unforgettable moments like Chris Lake with Fisher, Black Coffee b2b The Martinez Brothers, Peggy Gou and last year’s standout sets from Charlotte de Witte, Dom Dolla and John Summit, Framework in the Desert has cemented itself as a pivotal extension of the festival experience. In 2025, expect a fresh lineup of global talent and forward-thinking artists, all set in an atmosphere for those craving something beyond the main stage. This year, we’re adding exciting new elements while keeping the unique vibe that’s made this event a fan favorite.”
Framework also curates the lineups for Coachella’s club space, the Yuma Tent, which will this year feature DJ/producers including Mercier, Indira Pagonotto, Vintage Culture, Amelie Lens, Haai, Tripolism, Damian Lazarus and many more. Coachella 2025 happens April 11-13 and April 18-20 in Indio, Calif., with headliners including Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott.
See the poster for Framework in the Desert below:
Framework In The Desert
Courtesy Photo
Electronic music producer Anyma has signed a global publishing deal with independent music publishing company Kobalt. The deal encompasses the artist’s catalog (including some of his work as part of the duo Tale of Us), along with future releases. The deal announcement follows the conclusion of Anyma’s buzzy residency at Sphere Las Vegas earlier this […]