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Months after receiving backlash for utilizing AI-generated imagery for her “Delusional” single, Kesha has announced new artwork for the track.
First released in November 2025, “Delusional” was issued as the second single from Kesha’s forthcoming sixth album, . (Period). However, the track’s original artwork – which depicted a number of handbags with the word ‘delusional’ spray painted on them, often incorrectly – was swiftly criticized for its use of generative AI.
Kesha did not respond to the backlash, or address fans’ requests to commission an actual artist to create new imagery for the single. However, on Tuesday (May 20), she took to social media to share new artwork for the single, along with an explanation for the update.
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“When making the single art for my song ‘Delusional,’ I wanted to make the point that it’s DELUSIONAL that the world expects artists to continue making art when we are so undervalued,” she explained. “I tried to echo my ideas in the form of a political single cover. I’ve realized that living in alignment with my integrity is more important than proving a point.
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“So I’ve decided to change the cover art for this song. She’s one of my favorites.”
Kesha also made a point to individually thank the creative team behind the artwork, including the photographer, videographer, stylists, and more. “Thanks to my crew for helping me live out here in my highest and c–tiest potential,” she added.
In closing her social post, Kesha also addressed the elephant in the room, directly shifting her focus to the work of AI and the toll it can take on real creatives in the process.
“AI is a Pandora’s box that we as a society have collectively opened, and I think it’s important that we keep human ramifications in mind as we learn how to use it as a tool and not as a replacement,” she explained. “Just me healing, in real time.”
The updated artwork arrives less than two months from the release of . (Period) on July 4 via her own Kesha Records label. It also arrives as her first LP since the 2023 settlement of a yearslong legal battle with Dr. Luke over Kesha’s claims that he drugged and raped her in 2005, after which he sued her for defamation while calling the allegations “false and shocking.”
“I’m really excited for the world to hear this, because I’ve been in control of everything,” she revealed on The Jennifer Hudson Show recently.
“It’s been all of my vision, all of my words, a lot of hard work, a lot of joy,” she continued. “Really coming back home to myself and feeling what freedom really looks like, feels like, sounds like.”
Joe Jonas and Aly & AJ are squashing all potential of “Potential Breakup Song” being about the DNCE frontman, with the trio reuniting in a hilarious TikTok posted Tuesday (May 20). In the clip on Jonas’ account, he mimes talking on the phone while singing the lyrics to the 2007 hit. “It took too long, […]
If not for TikTok, Connie Francis‘ 1962 tinkly organ bop “Pretty Little Baby” may have been forever obscure. It was never a hit, and Francis, reached by phone at her Parkland, Fla., home, barely remembers recording it. “I had to listen to it to identify it,” admits the 87-year-old pop legend, who became the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo act in July 1960 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” one of her three Hot 100 No. 1s.
“Then, of course, I recognized the fact that I had done it in seven languages.”
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A friend recently informed Francis that “Pretty Little Baby” had turned up on TikTok as a “viral hit,” an upbeat soundtrack for people (including Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian) showing off babies, puppies, kittens and — befitting the lyric “you can ask the flowers” — flowers. Francis responded: “What’s that?” In a sense, TikTok is just a technological update of American Bandstand in the ’60s, when Dick Clark’s TV countdown regularly drew 8 million viewers and automatically turned songs into hits. “Without Dick Clark, there would have been no Connie Francis,” Francis says.
“Pretty Little Baby” was one of 40 songs Francis recorded during several recording sessions over four days in August 1961, according to her 2017 autobiography Among My Souvenirs: The Real Story Vol. 1. The track landed on her Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love & Other Hits album.
On April 10, “Pretty Little Baby” was streaming 17,000 times per week in the U.S.; a month later, it was streaming 2.4 million times, an increase of more than 7,000%. The track has 10 billion TikTok views, hitting No. 1 on the app’s Viral 50 and Top 50 charts, and recently crossed over to streaming success, with 14 million global streams, landing at No. 67 on Spotify’s Global Top 100. Francis’ label, Universal Music, recently reissued the versions Francis had sung in Swedish, Japanese and other languages in 1962, when her label, MGM, hoped to score hits in regions outside the U.S.
Francis, who told Facebook followers in March she is awaiting stem cell therapy to treat a “troublesome painful hip,” discussed “Pretty Little Baby,” “Who’s Sorry Now,” Just In Time (the hit Broadway musical about her late onetime boyfriend Bobby Darin) and the domineering nature of her late Svengali father, George Franconero Sr. Of her newfound virality, she tells Billboard: “I’m getting calls from everywhere: ‘You’re a TikTok phenomenon.’”
Did the memory of recording “Pretty Little Baby” come back to you when you recently listened to the song?
Yes. I remembered after I heard it. It’s just a blessing to know that kindergarten kids know me and my music now. It’s really thrilling.
That song was on Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love & Other Hits. Phil Spector co-wrote the title track.
Yes, it was Phil Spector’s first top 10 record.
What do you remember about working with him?
I didn’t work with him on it. He wasn’t even at the session.
Since you posted “What’s that?” on Facebook, have you learned about viral hits and TikTok?
Yes. [Laughs.] Now I know.
Have you seen Just In Time, in which Gracie Lawrence plays you on stage?
I’m planning on going to see it.
Lawrence told an interviewer at Nylon that the most difficult song of yours to sing is “Who’s Sorry Now,” from 1958. She said: “The balance of singing emotionally, going through the heartbreak she experiences every night, while also wanting to deliver a pitch-perfect performance is a really challenging task. It’s one I assume Connie herself was navigating while performing the song as well at the pinnacle of her career, and she’s just been put through the ringer emotionally behind the scenes. I think about that a lot.” Does that resonate with you?
Yes. It does resonate with me.
How did you get through that emotion when recording it?
I didn’t want to record the song. My father insisted that I record “Who’s Sorry Now.” I did three other songs at the session first, in the hopes of not being able to get to “Who’s Sorry Now” in the four-hour time allotted to me. I had 16 minutes left in the session and I said, “That’s a wrap, fellas, there’s no time for ‘Who’s Sorry Now.’” My father said, “If I have to nail you to that microphone, you’re going to do at least one take of ‘Who’s Sorry Now.’” So that’s what I did — one take of “Who’s Sorry Now.” And I didn’t try to imitate anybody else, as I always had on my recordings. By the time I was 14, I did demonstration records, and a publisher would say, “Connie, give us some of that great Patti Page sound, give me some of that great Kay Starr sound, give me some of that great Teresa Brewer sound.” I didn’t have a style of my own yet. But on “Who’s Sorry Now,” I was so turned off on the song that I didn’t try to imitate anybody else. I just sounded like myself for the first time. And it was a hit.
So not only was that a breakthrough on the charts, it was a breakthrough for you creatively.
Yes, it was.
You described in your book the “arduous work” to drive between radio stations and record hops in different cities, “from one dreary, depressing $3 or $4 a day hotel room to the next.” When did that dreary, depressing part of your career come to an end?
It came to an end with “Who’s Sorry Now.” I didn’t have to worry about staying in $4-a-night hotels.
You wrote in your book: “Bobby wasn’t merely a person, he was an experience.” If an actor and actress were to reach out for suggestions on how to play both you and Mr. Darin, what advice would you give them?
Well, Bobby was very cool. And I was very naive. When he said, “I dig,” I said, “You do? For what sort of company? Oil?”
What plans do you have to promote “Pretty Little Baby”? Interviews? Appearances?
I don’t feel like going on the road.
TV shows?
Yes, I’ll do TV.
What do you miss about the music business?
I miss the stage.
Is there ever an opportunity for you to perform again?
Those days are over. That ship has sailed.
For health reasons? Or too difficult logistically?
For a variety of reasons. It’s too much work.
Anything else you want to say to your new “Pretty Little Baby” fans?
I want to thank everybody. It gives me a new lease on life.
Megan Thee Stallion is saying anything but “we can’t be friends” to Ariana Grande, whom the rapper said she’s eager to collaborate with again following the success of their “34+35” remix.
In a game of “Truth or Wear” for Who What Wear — the cover of which she appeared on Monday (May 19) — Meg had an immediate answer when challenged to name her dream duet partner. “I would probably have to say Ariana Grande,” the Houston Hottie said.
“I collabed with her one time, but now that I’m in a new space with music and such — and I feel like she’s in a new space with her life and her music,” she continued. “I would really like to see what we would come up with right now.”
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It’s been about four years since Thee Stallion and the Wicked star last teamed up, joining forces for a remix of Grande’s Positions single “34 + 35” with Doja Cat. After the two rappers added to the track, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Meg and the “Yes, And?” singer have been tight ever since, with Grande writing, “I adore @theestallion” on Instagram last year after the hip-hop star emphasized the importance of voting in the presidential election in her Billboard cover story.
For WWW, Meg reciprocated the love — “That’s my girl, that’s my queen,” she said of Grande — before setting things into motion. “Ariana!” the “HISS” artist said into the camera. “Call me.”
The interview follows the release of Thee Stallion’s new single, “Whenever,” which dropped in late April. This week, she also unveiled her new swimsuit collection with Walmart.
The past few days, however, have also presented some less pleasant news for the “Savage” spitfire; as rappers including Drake and Ye have started petitioning for the release of Tory Lanez, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted in December 2022 of shooting Meg in the foot three years prior, Lanez’s lawyers have claimed new evidence has surfaced proving he wasn’t the one who shot her. In response, Meg wrote in a post on TikTok Monday (May 19), “Ain’t no new f–king evidence yall been saying the same s–t for years … TORY PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE you are a f–king demon.”
Watch Meg reveal Grande as her dream collaborator above.
Katy Perry is defending her territory. In a viral moment from her recent show in Nevada, the pop star hilariously called out a fan in the crowd for messaging her fiancé, actor Orlando Bloom — with whom she shares 4-year-old daughter Daisy — on social media.
As captured in a video posted on X Sunday (May 18) by the KatyCat in question, Perry spots him in the audience and squats down to get closer to his level. “I know why you’re here,” she tells the fan, whose name is Kyle. “Listen, if you keep DMing my man …”
“You’ve been doing it for months, ever since the residency,” she continued, her eyes sparkling even as her tone remained serious. “If you keep DMing my man, I’m going to have you removed. Seriously, get your own life — I’m his wife.”
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As she then transitioned into her 143 single “I’m His, He’s Mine” — sans collaborator Doechii — Perry added as she walked away, “He don’t want you, Kyle!”
In the moment, Kyle looked bewildered that the musician had singled him out, smiling with his mouth open in shock. Later, on X, he shared a screenshot of what he’d sent to Bloom to warrant the talking-to: “Hey babes, can you pls tell Katy to sing Ghost?”
The “Firework” singer and Pirates of the Caribbean actor have been engaged since 2018. They welcomed Daisy in August 2020.
The Nevada show comes about one month into Perry’s Lifetimes Tour, which kicked off in April in Mexico City. After upcoming performances in Austin and Dallas, Texas, she’ll head overseas for a run of dates in Australia.
Her run-in with Kyle was just the latest viral moment to emerge from the trek, which follows a period of public scrutiny for the former American Idol judge due to her highly criticized trip to space on Blue Origin’s first all-women flight in April, as well as her controversial choice to work with Dr. Luke on single “Woman’s World” before that. But on stage in Chicago on May 12, Perry laughed off the scrutiny in a viral video.
“Well, I thought I was the most hated person on the internet,” she quipped in the clip as her crowd applauded. “I think that’s false!”
Rihanna fans have been waiting not so patiently the last three years for new music, and it finally arrived Friday in the form of the Smurfs soundtrack song “Friend of Mine.” The vibey new song is the perfect backdrop for a Smurf dance-off, as evidenced by the mostly animated music video, but the three-minute-plus track […]
Chappell Roan is making no apologies. While serving as a guest alongside Sasha Colby on an episode of TS Madison’s Outlaws posted Monday (May 19), the pop star opened up about embracing her “villain” era after speaking out about toxic fan behavior last year. And while she was feeling candid, Roan also slammed a particular pop-culture update account.
On the topic of her public image, the Missouri native first quipped that she’s “had like three” villain eras since skyrocketing to fame in 2024 following the success of Billboard Hot 100 hit “Good Luck, Babe!” “I was the new girl in the pop game, where I was like, ‘I don’t give a f–k what you say to these girls who have been doing this since they were 10,” she began on the podcast. “I did not get famous until I was 26, so I had a lot of time to realize, ‘Oh, this is what it’s like to be an adult and how to be respected in a job.’”
“I’ve been treated better at my doughnut shop job than I have on a f–king [red] carpet,” she continued. “People on the news treat me worse than how customers did. And I think when I started to say, ‘Don’t talk to me like that’ … That doesn’t mean that I’m a villain or ungrateful for what I have. It’s like, ‘Why is this customary?’”
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Roan went on to compare how certain fans have treated her to the way “people were so evil” to stars such as Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton in the past. “That behavior is still, they’re still doing it. … Do you want me to just get to the point where I become agoraphobic? Or so stressed out or so anxious to perform?” she said. “You want me to get to that point? Because if I don’t say anything, I will. If I do not stand up for myself, I will quit because I cannot bear this. I cannot bear people touching me who I don’t know. I cannot bear people following me.”
“I cannot bear people saying I’m something I’m not,” she added. “That’s what’s really hard online. People just assume you’re the villain.”
The interview comes about nine months after Roan first made headlines for addressing what she saw as “predatory” fan behavior, calling out obsessive listeners who would touch her without permission or stalk her whereabouts. Her posts on the subject sparked a wider discussion on stan culture and the sacrifices celebrities must make to be in the public eye. Though many sympathized with Roan, others were quick to deem her ungrateful.
Regardless, the “Pink Pony Club” musician has previously said that her experiences in public have improved drastically since she said her piece. “I think people are scared of me,” Roan said on Call Her Daddy in March. “I think I made a big enough deal about not talking to me that people do not talk to me. I’ve been with people, like, friends who are artists, and when they’re with me, they’re like, ‘It’s a force field around us. People don’t come up to me if I’m with you.’”
But now that she’s washed her hands of toxic fan treatment, Roan has a few other things she’d like to see “banned.” While playing a game of “Ban It, B—h!” on Outlaws, the Grammy winner said she’s had enough of people’s hot takes — “I don’t care. … You don’t know what you’re talking about” — as well as cork shoes and a widely followed pop culture account on X. “Pop Crave,” she said on the show. “Ban it!”
Listen to Roan on Outlaws below.
After speaking out for the first time about her newfound gender identity leading up to new album Virgin, Lorde has announced that the project’s next single will be “Man of the Year,” a track about embracing her own masculinity.
On Monday (May 19), the pop star shared the track’s cover art — a close-up photo of her chest covered by a strip of duct tape, the waistline of her jeans poking out from the bottom of the frame — and wrote on Instagram, “Man Of The Year. An offering from really deep inside me.”
“The song I’m proudest of on Virgin,” Lorde added. “Out next week.”
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“Man of the Year” will mark the second track fans are getting from Virgin, which arrives June 27. The New Zealand native previously released “What Was That” in April, debuting at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In her Rolling Stone cover story from earlier in May, Lorde opened up about writing “Man of the Year” after stopping her birth control and realizing that her gender felt more fluid than she previously realized. Just before penning the track, she taped her own chest with duct tape — just as it appears on the artwork — in an effort to realize a vision of herself “that was fully representative of how [her] gender felt in that moment,” she told the publication.
“I felt like stopping taking my birth control, I had cut some sort of cord between myself and this regulated femininity,” she continued. “It sounds crazy, but I felt that all of a sudden, I was off the map of femininity. And I totally believed that that allowed things to open up.”
Lorde would later tease “Man of the Year” through her 2025 Met Gala look, wearing a strapless, slate strip of fabric adhered to her chest that mirrored what the song’s cover art would look like. “This is my creation,” she told Vogue‘s Emma Chamberlain on the red carpet at the time. “It’s something of an Easter egg … To me it really represents where I’m at gender-wise. I feel like a man and a woman, kind of vibe.”
The rollout cycle for Virgin — which will follow 2021’s Solar Power — has marked the “Royals” singer’s first time opening up about her broadening gender identity. Though she still prefers “she” and “her” pronouns, she explained to Rolling Stone, “[Chappell Roan] was like, ‘So, are you nonbinary now?’ … I was like, ‘I’m a woman except for the days when I’m a man.’”
Lorde has also shared that overcoming her struggles with an eating disorder — another experience that informed Virgin — allowed her to embrace her true identity. “I had made my body very small, because I thought that that was what you did as a woman and a woman on display,” she recently told Document Journal. “It had the effect of making me [feel] totally ungrounded. I was very weak. I look back now, and I don’t have that same feeling of floating away.”
Best known as a dancer, rapper and singer-songwriter in BTS, j-hope has long stood out, with a magnetic stage presence and captivating dance moves that helped propel the group to global stardom. Now — as ARMY around the world anticipate the group’s remaining members completing South Korea’s mandatory military service and BTS reuniting in June, with group activities on hold until 2026 — the charismatic 31-year-old is distinguishing himself further, carving out a bold solo identity that showcases a versatility and creative range that extend far beyond his BTS persona.
Following his 2022 debut solo album, Jack in the Box, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and his 2024 Hope on the Street, Vol. 1 EP that rose to No. 5 on the chart, j-hope has already released collaborations this year with stars including Miguel, Don Toliver and Pharrell Williams. And with his Hope on the Stage World Tour, which kicked off Feb. 28 in Seoul, j-hope is reaching new heights: His show at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium made him the first South Korean male solo artist to headline a U.S. stadium. (His bandmate Jin will hit the road this summer.) The tour — which will wrap June 1 after visiting 15 markets across North America and Asia, including a May 31 show in Osaka, Japan, that will be broadcast live to cinemas around the world — has mirrored his own artistic growth as he prepares for the next stage of his solo journey with his upcoming album. J-hope sat down with Billboard Korea in Los Angeles for an exclusive chat about his music, touring and inspirations.
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Louis Vuitton shirt, jacket, and pants; Audemars Piguet watch.
Julian Dakdouk
What does it mean to you to be on the cover of Billboard as a solo artist?
Growing up, Billboard seemed like a completely different universe to me. I’d follow the charts to see where my favorite artists landed, and that’s how I got a sense of the era’s musical flow and what sounds were defining each moment. So having my own music recognized by Billboard still feels surreal and exciting. To me, Billboard remains a dreamlike presence, and the amazing thing is, that dream is still unfolding, much like my song, “Sweet Dreams.”
You’re widely regarded as a symbol of hope — not only for your fans, but also for many Asian artists globally. How does it feel to have that kind of impact?
Just as I drew inspiration from the artists I admired growing up, shaping my own music through their influence, I’d be honored if my work could inspire others and pass on that same positive energy — that would mean the world to me. Above all, I hope to continue growing into an artist who brings light and encouragement to others wherever I go.
Louis Vuitton jacket and pants, Audemars Piguet watch.
Julian Dakdouk
Is there a particular message you want to convey with this tour?
Embracing my identity as j-hope, I found myself reflecting more deeply on the true essence of hope. I realized it’s not something to be taken lightly, so I wanted to channel that sincerity into my music and bring it to life through Hope on the Stage, sharing it with as many people as possible. I was hands-on with everything — stage design, choreography, fashion and even the props — pouring my heart into every aspect. I hope the audience left with a sense of genuine positivity and inspiration. Moving forward, I want to keep creating authentic performances that unite everyone through the power of music.
You made history in April as the first South Korean male solo artist to headline a U.S. stadium. How did that feel?
Having performed at countless stadiums with BTS, I was always part of a seven-member team filling the stage. This time, I was on my own, and honestly, I wondered if I could handle that immense energy and pressure by myself. But I pulled it off and that means a lot to me — it’s a milestone I’ll always cherish.
Louis Vuitton shirt, jacket, pants and shoes; Audemars Piguet watch.
Julian Dakdouk
You’re often hailed as a fashion icon. What ignited your love of style?
Ever since I was young, I’ve had a genuine passion for clothes. I don’t really see myself as a fashionista — I just have a deep, genuine love for fashion. To me, clothing is a powerful way to express my identity. Even during BTS world tours, I’d make time to visit local boutiques and explore different styles, which really helped shape my personal aesthetic over time. For my solo world tour, I handpicked every outfit for each performance, ensuring every look was distinct. I believe my approach to fashion adds a fun, dynamic element for fans to enjoy while watching my shows.
Your recent single, “Mona Lisa,” debuted at No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was released in March two weeks after your Miguel collaboration, “Sweet Dreams.” What’s the story behind these tracks?
I believe my music should evolve as I grow. Before my enlistment, I leaned into my roots in dance, experimenting with a variety of sounds to express different facets of myself. But just a week after my discharge, I headed straight to the U.S. because I wanted to explore how the American producers I admire would interpret my sound. “Sweet Dreams” featuring Miguel — an artist I’ve long respected — has a smooth, soulful vibe that feels deeply personal. On the other hand, “Mona Lisa” brings a hip-hop-driven performance energy. Both tracks are easy to connect with, yet they offer a glimpse into the broader, more evolved musical world I’m building. This is just the start — I have plenty more musical experiments in store.
This story appears in the May 17, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Grab your synthesizer, pink wig and star earrings – Jem is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. To commemorate four decades of Jem and the Holograms, Hasbro is releasing a new album of Jem and the Holograms songs.
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The series – which ran from 1985-1988 and inspired Jon M. Chu’s live action 2015 film Jem and the Holograms – combined music, sci-fi and a storyline that more than like inspired Hannah Montana (Jem is the secret rock star alter ego of Jerrica Benton). The show’s ’80s fashion was truly outrageous (truly, truly, truly outrageous) and its glimmering synth-pop tunes were, as the Jem theme song promised, undeniably “contagious.”
Billboard can reveal that in July, a 40th anniversary album for Jem will come out on vinyl and digital streaming platforms via Hasbro. The project includes six re-recorded tracks from the ‘80s series, held down by the original singing voice of Jem, Britta Phillips.
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“Seriously, I was thrilled to be asked to sing these songs again,” Phillips tells Billboard. “I had listened to and sang many Jem songs at Jemcon last year, so they were very fresh in my mind. And I’m so excited for the Jem fans to hear them.”
Those six songs are the Jem theme song, “Only The Beginning,” “Truly Outrageous,” “Like A Dream,” “I Got My Eye On You” and “She’s Got The Power.” You can listen to “Jem and the Holograms Theme (Reimagined)” right now thanks to a glamor and glitter, fashion and fame-filled music video below.
Listening to the reimagined theme song, it’s hard to believe this is Phillips’ voice four decades later – she sounds almost exactly the same as she did on the O.G. series. That’s especially impressive when you spin her post-Jem music, such as her 2016 album Luck or Magic, which found her adopting a more mature, dreamy vocal tone. But it seems that the spirit of Jem was still inside her, ready to return (even without the help of supercomputer Synergy).
“I took a couple of voice lessons before the recording sessions which helped with my confidence in belting those crazy high notes, but luckily the sound of my voice and my vocal range hasn’t changed much. It’s still pretty girlish,” Phillips tells Billboard. “To my surprise, the high notes weren’t difficult. We even kept the songs in the original key except for one track where we dropped down a half step – and that one didn’t have the highest notes. The biggest challenge was singing at such fast tempos (the original tempos), but it was very exciting and nostalgic for me, and I had a blast! And working with these amazing and talented producers (all female!) was inspiring,” she adds, tipping to the female-led team behind this anniversary album.
Of the re-recorded songs, Phillips says “Only the Beginning” – a song that appeared in the series pilot, which aired Oct. 6, 1985 – was “the most emotional one to sing. It brought me back to my beginning and so it felt like a full circle of my life from the very beginning of my musical career to the present.”
Phillips says returning to “She’s Got the Power” was also exciting for her. “It felt much like it did when I first recorded those songs, except now I know those little kids I sang to are all grown up! Makes me a little teary.”
