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“I’m still trying to take it all in,” Gigi Perez tells Billboard of her extended moment in the spotlight. Last July, the singer-songwriter’s “Sailor Song” became a viral hit and Perez’s first Hot 100 hit — and months later, the folksy exaltation of queer flirtation remains in the chart’s top 40, rising up one spot this week to No. 35.
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In the interim, Perez played a slew of shows to growing audiences, released follow-up singles like “Fable” and “Chemistry,” and most importantly finished recording her debut album. At The Beach, In Every Life, out today (Apr. 25), finds Perez navigating love, grief and self-possession, as the success of “Sailor Song” has amplified her Island Records debut but not altered its core tenets.
“This project is as close of a reflection of my experiences over the past five years as I could get,” says Perez of the album, which expounds upon the reflection of her sister’s passing that became the focus of her single “Fable.” “My grief has shaped the way that I love, in friendships and with family and romantically. On the project, those things exist next to each other.”
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Below, Perez discusses four songs on At The Beach, In Every Life, and what they represent within her debut album:
The Song That Was Finished Last
“Two days before I was turning the album in, I recorded ‘Sugar Water’ on my own,” says Perez of the five-minute emotional heavyweight, which looks back on her transition into adulthood with childhood details and a simple guitar-and-vocals arrangement. “I wasn’t expecting to put ‘Sugar Water’ on the project,” Perez continues. “And my A&R asked me about the song. I was like, ‘Oh, I love this song.’ … I was like, “Okay, I’m gonna just record and see what happens.’ And it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the project.”
The New Song That’s Most Fun to Play Live
“The most excitement that I’ve had playing a new song has been definitely ‘At The Beach’ or ‘Sugar Water,’” says Perez, who’s been playing a handful of headline shows in the lead-up to the album release. The title track of At The Beach, In Every Life closes the album with an encapsulation of Perez’s worldview, full of passion, disappointment and unruly thoughts that run into each other over the course of the song.
Perez says that testing out her new material on live audiences over the past few weeks has been a thrilling experience. “I just have fun for an hour straight, so it’s hard” to pick one highlight, she explains. “Every single song I get the guitar, and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so excited to do this song!’”
The Song That Was Most Difficult to Finish
“’Crown’ was hard,” Perez says of the searing centerpiece of the album’s second half, which mixes religious imagery with memories of her late sister. “I think it was letting myself go into that space of my grief and the uglier side of it. It’s all ugly, pretty much, but a different shade was probably the hardest to do in a specific time constraint.”
Yet that struggle, Perez believes, speaks to the truth of her first full-length. “Ultimately, I feel like that’s part of the album,” she says. “It’s not easy.”
The Smash Single That Set the Tone
“Sailor Song” kicks off At The Beach, In Every Life, and Perez says that she’ll always be thankful for the doors that her breakthrough hit has opened. “Especially now that there are new songs in the mix and other focuses that I have, to know that she’s just holding down the fort is amazing,” she says of “Sailor Song. “It’s a gift — to know that I was part of the creation of something that has impacted people globally just feels divine.
“And it’s exciting to see where the rest of the music is gonna go,” she continues, “because in my head, ‘Sailor Song’ and the impact that it’s had are amazing, but I’ve set my sights on personal fulfillment, and what that means is different. As long as there’s a community there, whether it’s one person or it’s 1 million, every single person that’s impacted by it matters.”
Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” landed a sixth week at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart April 25, and becomes the longest running chart-topper since Sabrina Carpenter’s nine-week run with “Taste” in 2024. Last week, Warren broke the tie he held with Lola Young’s “Messy” for 2025’s longest running No. 1 in the U.K. “Messy” had […]
Taylor Swift has returned to the top of the U.K. Albums Chart April 25 with The Tortured Poets Department following a recent physical reissue. A new signed CD variant, released to commemorate the album’s first anniversary on April 19, propelled the album 23 places to the top spot. Upon release in April 2024 2024, The […]
It’s extremely rare that fans get to hear Ariana Grande tap into her jazzier side when she isn’t singing pop music or Wicked show tunes, but thanks to Jeff Goldblum, the star’s latest performance is a rich cover of Dean Martin’s staple “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do).” The wonderful wizard indeed. For his […]
Justin Bieber is calling out the “darkness” in Los Angeles, particularly what he experiences from paparazzi.
On Instagram Friday (April 25), the pop star shared a video showing his point of view while stepping outside to blinding camera flashes, with several photographers following him every step of the way to his car and frequently blocking his path. “Look at these guys, man,” Bieber’s voice says disapprovingly from behind his camera, while his security guard repeatedly tells the paps to back up.
“This has to stop,” the musician captioned the clip.
In other posts, Bieber shared his thoughts on the culture as a whole in his home city. “Everyone telling me to move from La,” he wrote in a block of text on his feed. “U think I’m gonna get bullied to leave where my influence is most needed? How can we make a change if we run away from the darkness?”
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Admitting that he too has “been caught up in the transactional nature of Hollywood” in the past, Bieber went on to say that he now wants “nothing to do with that as a grown adult with a wife and son.” The “Peaches” artist, who married model Hailey Bieber in 2018, welcomed first child Jack Blues in August.
“I just want to be submerged in the culture learning from any and everyone,” he added. “And be a proponent and advocate for LOVE AND EQUALITY.”
Also sharing a photo of a stately lion, Bieber wrote, “IM CURRENTLY ASKING [GOD] TO HELP ME WITH PATIENCE BECAUSE It CAN BE REALLY HARD TO NOT RIP THESE F–KIN GUYS HEADS OFF.”
“Today I’m forgiving myself for my own selfishness, AND forgiving THOSE WHO SEEK TO USE AND ABUSE ME SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CAPITaLIze off of me, Or Their jealousy makes them want to make me feel small like how they feel,” he continued. “People have had to die cuz of this s–t princess Diana is the first that comes to mind smh. We gotta do better please can we make a change?”
Bieber has long clashed with the paparazzi. Enduring consistent hounding since he first debuted in 2009 at just 15 years old, the “Baby” artist has spoken out against the invasive practice on multiple occasions, with Friday’s post echoing something he said after his Ferrari was rear-ended by a persistent photographer in 2014. “There should be laws against what I just experienced,” he posted on X at the time. “We should have learned from the death of Princess Diana…”
His latest posts follow a string of candid musings Bieber has been sharing on Instagram lately, with the star writing the day prior that he’s working to forgive people who “gossip and spread lies” on the internet. “Honestly if I was u it would be hard not to be jealous if I saw me and Hailey going so brazzzzyy,” he also added Thursday (April 24).
See Bieber’s new posts below.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” lifts a spot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart dated May 3.
Lamar rules Pop Airplay for the third time — and first as a lead artist, following two No. 1s in featured roles, on Maroon 5’s “Don’t Wanna Know” for a week in 2017, and Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” (five weeks, 2015). SZA scores her fourth No. 1, after “Saturn” (two weeks, 2024) and “Kill Bill” (one, 2023) and as featured on Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” (one, 2021).
“Luther,” on pgLang/Interscope/ICLG, previously made history as the first song to hit No. 1 on both Rap Airplay (five weeks and counting) and Adult R&B Airplay (three weeks in March). It has also topped Radio Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay.
Notably, “Luther” joins 10 other songs that have led Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Pop Airplay. (All are four individual-format charts. Radio Songs reflects all-format play; R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay blends mainstream R&B/hip-hop and adult R&B reach; and Rap Airplay counts activity on mainstream R&B/hip-hop and rhythmic stations.)
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Here’s a look at the elite mass-appeal hits that have topped Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay and Pop Airplay (which have coexisted since 1993).
“Luther,” Kendrick Lamar & SZA, 2025
“Talk,” Khalid, 2019
“That’s What I Like,” Bruno Mars, 2017
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” The Weeknd, 2015
“Happy,” Pharrell Williams, 2014
“Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell, 2013
“No One,” Alicia Keys, 2007-08
“Be Without You,” Mary J. Blige, 2006
“We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey, 2005
“On Bended Knee,” Boyz II Men, 1994-95
“I’ll Make Love to You,” Boyz II Men, 1994
Meanwhile, “Luther” is the first rap hit to lead Pop Airplay since two back-to-back in February-March 2024: Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” followed by Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills.” (Rap titles are defined as those that have hit or are eligible for Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart.)
“Luther” is an ode to late R&B great Luther Vandross and samples his vocals. He charted one Pop Airplay entry as a credited artist: “Endless Love,” with Mariah Carey, hit No. 7 in 1994.
“Luther” has notched nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has drawn 896 million in radio audience and 582 million official streams and sold 50,000 downloads in the U.S. through April 17, according to Luminate. It’s from Lamar’s LP GNX, which has ruled the Billboard 200 albums chart for three weeks and spent its first 21 weeks on the chart in the top five.
All charts dated May 3 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, April 29.
Every night on tour, Olivia Rodrigo performs for countless women and girls – but when they all funnel out of the arenas and festival grounds at the end of each of her shows, she worries constantly for their futures.
That’s why she’s spent almost her entire career advocating for reproductive rights, using her platform to speak out against oppressive policy changes and raising money through her concerts for abortion funds. And on Thursday evening (April 24) at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Spring Into Action Gala in New York City, those efforts were honored by the organization with the designation of 2025’s Catalyst of Change award to the 22-year-old pop star, who asked during her speech, “When I play shows, I look out at crowds filled with young girls and the bond I feel with them is profound… I often wonder, ‘What happens to those girls when they leave those venues? What are their dreams? What kind of world are they returning to?’”
Rodrigo was one of two guests of honor at the night’s celebration at Cipriani South Street in lower Manhattan, with Amanda Zurawski — the Texas woman who sued her home state in 2023 after she nearly died due to pregnancy complications and was denied an abortion — also getting a moment of recognition as this year’s Champion of Change award winner. Past winner Laverne Cox was on hand to present Zurawski with the honor, while the “Vampire” singer’s friend and fellow activist Lily Allen (with whom she chanted “F–k you” to the Supreme Court at her Glastonbury set three years prior, shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned), gave Rodrigo a heartfelt introduction.
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“Olivia, my love, you’re the realest,” the British singer-songwriter gushed after commending Rodrigo for not “[straying] from her values to make powerful people comfortable.” “You use your platform because you actually give a s–t about reproductive freedom and justice. And in this world, genuinely giving a s–t is revolutionary.”
After taking the stage and giving Allen a hug, Rodrigo used her speech to highlight the work of Planned Parenthood and shout out Zurawski — “You deserve this award far more than I do,” the singer said, singling out the activist in the audience — before paying tribute to Cecile Richards, the healthcare organization’s former president who died earlier this year after battling brain cancer.
“It’s a privilege to be here tonight to support an organization that, despite countless obstacles, continues to show up with compassion, hope and dignity for women,” Rodrigo told a crowd of donors and Planned Parenthood of Greater New York board members, who clung to every word. “My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.”
“[Richards] led at a time of relentless attacks on care and constant efforts to silence and shame women into submission,” the three-time Grammy winner added. “She reminds us that standing up for what’s right doesn’t mean we have to be fearless. We can be scared, we can be angry, we can feel hopeless. We just have to fight anyway.”
The event honoring her comes after years of Rodrigo being one of the most vocal and hands-on modern pop stars when it comes to advocating for reproductive freedom. Back in May 2022 at a Sour Tour concert in Washington, D.C., just after the overturning of Roe, she made headlines for telling her crowd, “Our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians … I hope we can raise our voices to protect our right to have a safe abortion, which is a right that so many people before us have worked so hard to get.”
On her next tour in support of 2023 Billboard 200-topping sophomore album Guts, Rodrigo launched her Fund 4 Good, which funneled proceeds from her shows on the trek to local abortion funds. Through the initiative, the Grammy winner also had local abortion funds set up tables at her venues, allowing young fans to learn about reproductive health and resources. In December, she announced that she’d donated more than $2 million in ticket sales from her 2024 Guts Tour — which continues this year with shows in Latin America and Europe as well as a run of global festival dates — to 10 organizations around the world championing girls’ education, reproductive rights and the prevention of gender-based violence.
Read Rodrigo’s full speech at the 2025 Planned Parenthood Spring Into Action Gala below.
Um, first of all, huge thank you to Lily. I absolutely adore you and I’m so grateful that you’re here tonight, thank you. And a huge thank you to Planned Parenthood of Greater New York for this incredible honor.
I feel very fortunate for so many things in my life and my career. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten to live out dreams that I had as a little girl. I’ve traveled the world, I’ve written music that inspires me, and I’ve met so many of the people I grew up worshiping, like Miss Lily, for example.
But perhaps the greatest privilege this career has given me is connection with women through my music. When I play shows, I look out at crowds filled with young girls and the bond I feel with them is profound. To be in a space where we can all feel safe to be wild, emotional and carefree is incredibly powerful, and even though we’re not speaking one on one, those moments where we sing together and lock eyes, something real forms. It feels like we’re part of each other’s lives. I often wonder, ‘What happens to those girls when they leave those venues? What are their dreams? What kind of world are they returning to?
We live in a world that politicizes our bodies and uses harmful ideologies to deny us safety and healthcare, and it breaks my heart to think that, because of oppressive laws and outdated policies, some of those girls may not get to follow their dreams the way I was able to follow mine. Just a year ago, fueled by heartbreak and anger over what was happening in the world, I launched my Fund 4 Good, a global initiative that supports local nonprofits, championing reproductive freedom, girls’ education and the prevention of gender-based violence. A portion of my tour proceeds went to the fund, and I’m proud to share that we’ve raised and donated over $2 million to organizations around the world.
I’m so, so incredibly humbled to be here amongst so many real-life heroes in the fight for freedom of choice. Amanda, wherever you are – where are you? Oh, hi Amanda! I’m absolutely floored by your story. Your ability to turn something so heartbreaking and painful into such powerful activism is so incredibly inspiring. I’m just so in awe of you. You deserve this award far more than I do, and I’m just very honored to stand with you tonight and celebrate your bravery.
I can’t express how much I admire Planned Parenthood and the life-saving work that they do. Providing affordable healthcare, cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing, and abortion care, amongst so many other things, gives women the autonomy to care for themselves and shape their futures. It’s a privilege to be here tonight to support an organization that, despite countless obstacles, continues to show up with compassion, hope and dignity for women. My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.
Before I go, I want to honor Cecile Richards. She led at a time of relentless attacks on care and constant efforts to silence and shame women into submission, but Cecile stood her ground, and in doing so, she stood up for millions of us. I never got the chance to meet her, but her legacy of resilience and decency continues to impact me. She reminds us that standing up for what’s right doesn’t mean we have to be fearless. We can be scared, we can be angry, we can feel hopeless. We just have to fight anyway. Thank you again, so much.
Kylie Minogue had to call off what was going to be her first-ever show in Denver, CO this week for the very best reason. The Australian dance pop legend was slated to play at Ball Arena on Tuesday (April 29), but because the hometown Denver Nuggets are still in the playoff hunt and have a […]
PinkPantheress was born in Bath, England, and raised in Kent, but on Friday (April 25), she came “Stateside” for her latest single. “Stateside” arrives three weeks after “Tonight,” the lead single from her upcoming mixtape, Fancy That, which is out May 9 via Parlophone and Warner Records. The club anthem, which samples Panic! At the […]
Joe Jonas is going offline for his first solo single of the year.
Ahead of his forthcoming sophomore solo album, Music for People Who Believe in Love, the second-eldest JoBro has released his long-teased “Heart by Heart,” a booming, reflective track that blends a pop foundation with elements of ’90s country and arena rock. “Well, if he don’t ever light your spark/ Remember, I know your heart by heart,” he sings in the pre-chorus over swirling guitars and percussion, striking an impressive balance between dirty macking and heartfelt ode to the enduring power of genuine connections.
As the third offering from Music for People following 2024’s “Work It Out” and “What This Could Be,” “Heart By Heart” further solidifies Joe’s solo sound and differentiates from his work alongside his brothers and DNCE bandmates – as well as the electropop throughlines of his 2011 debut LP, Fastlife.
Accompanying the new single is a Bleeker Street Bar-set music video that finds Jonas embodying the ethos of Heineken’s new “Social Off Socials” campaign. Launched on Thursday (April 24), the new campaign seeks to remind consumers that the original social network is the bar – and that no mode of communication beats in-person connections. It’s a poignant message for a population still recovering from the psychological and emotional impact of not just the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the ever-growing pressures of existing in the digital age. Jonas also stars in the beer brand’s new video spot, which features him dramatizing his reaction to empty social media feeds before eventually stumbling on a packed bar.
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On the evening of the campaign launch, Jonas and Heineken teamed up for a special event at Bleeker Street Bar, where the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter played “Heart by Heart” for the first time in front of an audience free of phones and social media. He even captured the crowd’s real-time reactions for the track’s forthcoming music video, playing the song twice, with a passionate rendition of “What This Could Be” sandwiched in between. Jonas will unleash his full Music for People Who Believe in Love LP on May 23 via Republic Records. Alongside his solo efforts, Jonas and his brothers will release their seventh studio album, Greetings from Your Hometown, on Aug. 8 — a little over four months after the band hosted JonasCon to celebrate their 20-year anniversary.
“I chose to debut my new song offline and in-person because it felt like the perfect time to return to what music is really about: connecting with people,” Jonas said. “The crowd was so real, so present, and completely locked into the music – that is something you can’t experience by watching on social media.”
During the video shoot, Billboard got some time with Jonas himself as he opened up about recording “Heart by Heart,” his favorite poets, and resuming his solo musical journey nearly 15 years after his debut.
What was the writing process for “Heart by Heart” like?
[“Heart By Heart”] was actually pitched to me [by] Savan Kotecha. He wrote it with Lewis Capaldi, and I just loved the messaging behind it. I really felt connected to it, so we did some tweaks, and I recorded it last year around the summer or fall. We held onto the song for a while. It felt like the song I really wanted to be the next single of my album, so I’m positioning it in a way where it speaks to where I’m at in my life and the emotional side of where I’m at. I’ve teased it long enough, so I’m eager for people to hear it.
How many takes did it take for you to nail that bridge?
Savan and the whole Max Martin team are brilliant because they will be very particular about what they want, and that’s always really encouraging. They’ll hear something and be like, “Eh, the diction on this word, etc.” [The song] took a few takes, but ultimately, when you connect with anything, it falls together quite quickly. For me, I thought it was pretty natural to get into the song emotionally. The bridge [took] a few takes, but honestly, the song itself happened quite fast – all the mixing and that.
Why does this feel like the right song to launch alongside the Heineken campaign?
I think it was good timing. Heineken came with this amazing campaign of being present [and it resonated with me]. We’re all on our phones all the time, doom-scrolling; I’ll be in bed and be like, “I could be doing so many things right now.” I went to the Masters Tournament recently, and you’re not allowed to have your phone there. The anxiousness you get is crazy; I get in line to order a drink, I’m checking my pockets, and it’s like, “Wait a minute, I can just be.” It’s a nice reminder to be present. I was about to release the song, and they were about to launch the campaign, and we chose the same day.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about yourself since returning to solo work?
It’s been a minute since I’ve released anything [solo]. The last album that I did by myself, I’m very proud of. There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen at that time in my life. I was surrounded by a lot of people that I just said, “Yes, and” to. Now, knowing who I am, feeling confident, and looking at my life, I’m so grateful for the friends and family I have around me. And I get to do it again 20-something years later, and find creative ways to speak to what I’ve been through. I know the difference of when it’s a [Jonas] Brothers song or a DNCE song; the music I’ve been making felt really personal. And I selfishly didn’t want to share it with other people. This needed to come from my voice in particular.
What are some of those musical elements that help you differentiate between a solo song, a JoBros song and a DNCE song?
DNCE – our drummer Jack [Lawless] is here, actually – is a funky, sexy, wild, free band, and our audience loves that. We’re a party band; a bar wouldn’t be an unfamiliar place to find us. For the [Jonas] Brothers, [we’re] the guys you know and grew up with. It’s like a warm hug; it’s emotional. But, lyrically, sometimes we can’t always speak. We have three minds going through three different things in our lives. With my solo album, I feel like this music is like my journal that I carry around all the time, and the poetry I’ve been working on.
Who are some of your favorite poets? 
I have a few! Mary Oliver is probably my favorite among many people. I love her poetry. At the beginning of my solo shows right now, I project a Mary Oliver poem [“The Journey”] about realizing the only person you can save is yourself. It’s so powerful. I’m most encouraged by her writing.
What’s your go-to bar order?
I usually go with tequila. Tequila soda with an orange wedge. I don’t know why, but I’m doing the rocks glass — it feels like it tastes different from a tall glass. I’ve also been getting into martinis.
What’s your go-to bar song?
If you’re doing karaoke, you can always do “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and everyone is thrilled. If it’s just me, I like “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. But I’ve Shazamed Brazilian and Spanish hip-hop, so it can be different for any setting.
Where’s your dream place to perform “Heart by Heart?”
A giant stadium, so hopefully this song will be popular enough by when we open the tour on Aug. 10 and people request it!
