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After opening for Taylor Swift at some of the biggest venues in the world, Gracie Abrams says she hopes to return as a headliner someday.
In her Billboard cover story published Thursday (April 17), the 25-year-old singer-songwriter was candid when asked by staff writer Hannah Dailey whether she aspired to someday tour through stadiums amid her recent career spike, which has found Abrams leveling up from playing shows in theater-sized venues to full-on arenas in a matter of months.
“Hell yeah,” the “That’s So True” musician replied immediately, before confessing that she didn’t always feel that way. “I could have never imagined myself admitting to that. I think having had the privilege of opening for Taylor in the stadiums that we played, to now have a visual reference and a real sense of what it feels like to be on a stage in that environment … It’s something that I miss and desperately hope to earn over time,” she added.
The interview comes about two years after Abrams opened her very first show on the “Anti-Hero” singer’s global Eras Tour, which kicked off in spring 2023. In between headlining her own treks for albums Good Riddance (2023) and The Secret of Us (2024), the “Risk” artist would go on to spend a collective six months supporting Swift in stadiums all over North America.
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Shortly after playing her final Eras show in December, Abrams embarked on her first-ever arena trek that began with a month of European shows earlier this year. She’ll continue over the next few months with legs in Asia and Australia, and this summer, she’ll return to the U.S. for more arena dates, including two nights at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Abrams has been open about how studying Swift on the Eras Tour has taught her ways to improve her own performances, but in her Billboard cover story, the former also shared how simply observing the latter has helped her stay afloat amid the new level of fame she’s hit. “It’s like, I really don’t have it that bad in terms of invasion of privacy, you know what I mean?” Abrams marveled. “I feel like I learned a lot from [Taylor], obviously, but one of the things that I’ve felt lucky to observe is how extreme it can be [for her].”
She added, “It helps right-size my own s–t.”
The Grammy nominee also gushed about another one of her past tourmates: Olivia Rodrigo. “She gave me such a shot, opening for her on the Sour Tour,” Abrams raved of the “Vampire” singer. “I adore her with my whole heart for forever and ever.”
“Gracie has such a singular voice when it comes to songwriting,” Rodrigo said in return. “I think it’s rare to be so young and already have developed your very own lane.”
See Abrams on the cover of Billboard and photos from the shoot below.
When fans finally get to hear Lil Wayne‘s Tha Carter VI — an album he’s been working on for six years at this point — they’ll be treated to a mixed bag of collaborators, including two major pop stars.
In a Rolling Stone cover story published Thursday (April 17), the “Lollipop” rapper revealed that both Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus are featured on the June-slated sixth installment of his Tha Carter album series, which has been ongoing since 2004. He didn’t share any further details about what the “Bad Guy” singer and “Flowers” artist’s contributions will sound like, though, simply telling the publication that he’s extra focused on his collaborations this time around.
“If there’s one thing about this album that’s different, it’s me approaching it like, ‘Man, what would I sound like on something with such and such?’” Wayne explained.
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Tunechi did, however, reveal that U2’s Bono will costar on a track titled “These Are the Days,” which also features Wayne’s son, Kameron. Plus, one song on Carter VI will include opera titan Andrea Bocelli singing “Ave Maria.” Wyclef Jean, Weezy’s main collaborator on the album, apparently flew all the way to Italy to ask the tenor for permission, winning him over with the famous story of how Wayne survived a self-inflicted gunshot at the age of 12.
All in all, Rolling Stone reports that Wyclef and Wayne have recorded around 30 songs together for Carter VI, though the final tracklist is still very much up in the air. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, produced a song for the project that may or may not make the cut, while Wayne teased that Elephant Man and MGK could also have guest credits.
Once it finally drops on June 6, Carter VI will mark Weezy’s first album since 2020’s Funeral, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Wayne has been anything but inactive in the five years since his last LP, though, collaborating constantly with artists such as Jack Harlow, DJ Khaled, Drake, DaBaby, Tyler, the Creator, Tyga, Ye and numerous others.
See Wayne on the cover of Rolling Stone below.
Billboard cover star Gracie Abrams is heading back to the studio and has revealed that she’s working on new music following the success of “That’s So True.” She opens up about her friendships with Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, her experience opening their tours, the future of pop with Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, her […]
Haim are coming home. The Los Angeles sister trio announced two surprise hometown shows happening next week on April 23 and 24 — their first live performances in nearly two years. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “This is for everyone who’s been there since day one.. […]
Almost two months on from the death of actress Michelle Trachtenberg, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has revealed the cause of her passing.
According to People, a spokesperson from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Wednesday (April 16) that the actress’s passing was ruled as natural, resulting from complications of diabetes mellitus.
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“The amended determination was made following review of toxicology testing results,” the spokesperson said, noting that a “toxicology testing can be done without autopsy.”
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Trachtenberg died on Feb. 26 at the age of 39, with New York City emergency services responding to an emergency call where they discovered the actress “unconscious and unresponsive.”
Though her death was not treated as suspicious, Trachtenberg’s family declined an autopsy on grounds related to their Jewish faith, with her death therefore expected to be officially ruled as “undetermined.” However, the review of the toxicology results has ultimately provided a form of closure for those close to the actress.
A New York native, Trachtenberg began acting as a child, receiving her breakthrough role by starring in the film Harriet the Spy in 1996, released when she was just 10. By then, she had also made multiple appearances on ABC’s All My Children — working with Sarah Michelle Gellar. That connection led to Trachtenberg joining Gellar on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 2000 through its 2003 finale.
In 2001, the series’ sixth season featured one of its most innovative and revered episodes, the musical Once More, with Feeling. While most of the show’s stars had their singing talents showcased prominently, Trachtenberg – a trained ballet dancer – requested her dancing skills be the main focus for her appearance. Her vocal talents weren’t entirely absent, however, opening the episode’s coda, “Where Do We Go From Here?,” singing the opening title line a cappella.
The 23-song Once More, with Feeling soundtrack was subsequently released (on Mutant Enemy/Twentieth Century Fox/Rounder Records). Mirroring the show’s trademark witty dialog (one lyric features singing-averse Alyson Hannigan admitting, “I think this line’s mostly filler”), the set slayed Billboard’s charts, most notably debuting at its No. 3 best on the Soundtracks chart — a year after the episode aired. It also hit the Billboard 200 and Independent Albums charts.
To date, the album has drawn more than 23 million streams in the U.S., according to Luminate.
Trachtenberg’s presence in the world of music also extended beyond the world of Buffy, with the actress also appearing in music videos for acts such as Trapt and Ringside, and Fall Out Boy’s “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100.
The Find Your Light Foundation (FYLF), founded by Josh Groban, announced that in its most recent grant cycle it awarded more than $1.25 million to 189 nonprofit organizations in 33 states which will provide arts education to more than 300,000 K-12 youth. In addition to its regular grant-making, FYLF also made special grants to The […]
Selena Gomez will receive the 2025 Woman of the Year award at the annual Billboard Latin Women in Music event, Billboard and Telemundo announced earlier Wednesday (April 16). The two-hour special, set to be held in Miami, will air April 24 exclusively on Telemundo.
Gomez was named Woman of the Year at the all-genre Billboard Women in Music event in 2017. She’s the second woman to take top honors at both shows, following Karol G.
Gomez has had a very good year. On Feb. 23, she won her first Screen Actors Guild Award as a cast member of Only Murders in the Building, which was voted outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.
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The multi-media, multi-genre superstar has received two Grammy nominations (a surprisingly low tally for someone who has done quality work over many years) and four Primetime Emmy nods for Only Murders in the Building (one for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, three for outstanding comedy series, as an executive producer.)
Gomez first hit the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2009 with “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” from the movie Another Cinderella Story, in which she starred with Drew Seeley. Gomez has landed 45 Hot 100 hits, including four so far in 2025 from a collaborative album with fiancé benny blanco.
Billboard statisticians sifted through Gomez’s 45 Hot 100 hits to determine the 20 biggest. They include nine strictly solo hits; four hits with her early group Selena Gomez & the Scene; and seven collabs with an impressively wide range of artists – Rema, A$AP Rocky, Zedd, Kygo, DJ Snake, Charlie Puth and Marshmello.
We listed Gomez’s 20 biggest hits in alphabetical order. Now we’re turning it over to you to choose your favorite from this list. Vote!
(Here’s the formula for how we arrived at this list: Selena Gomez’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 through the charts dated April 19, 2025. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.)
Vote here or below.
Bobby Brown isn’t a fan of Britney Spears‘ rendition of his hit song “My Prerogative.” During a recent appearance on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, Brown addressed whether he asks to hear an artist’s rendition of a song they want to sample or cover before giving his blessing. “Yes, I gotta hear it,” he […]
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” leads the Top Gabb Music Songs chart for a third month in a row as the most-played songs on Gabb Wireless phones, but a challenger appears on the March 2025 tally in the form of Benson Boone, whose “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” debuts at No. 2.
Billboard has partnered with Gabb Wireless, a phone company for kids and teens, to present a monthly chart tracking on-demand streams via its Gabb Music platform. Gabb Music offers a vast catalog of songs, all of which are selected by the Gabb team to include only kid- and teen-appropriate content. Gabb Music streams are not currently factored into any other Billboard charts.
“Die With a Smile” became the first song in the now-six-month history of Top Gabb Music Songs to stay at No. 1 for more than one month when it reigned on the February 2025 survey; now, it’s the inaugural track to do so for at least three editions.
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After enjoying five weeks at No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year, “Die With a Smile” spent the entirety of March 2025 in the top three of the ranking and appears at No. 3 on the latest chart, dated April 19.
Boone’s “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” however, continues to establish the singer-songwriter as a formidable presence on Top Gabb Music Songs as one of three Boone songs in the top 10 of the March 2025 list. “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” was released on Feb. 27 and debuted at No. 44 on the Hot 100 dated March 15; it’s at No. 47 on the latest chart.
“Beautiful Things,” which led the inaugural Top Gabb Music Songs in October 2024, and “Slow It Down” rank at Nos. 3 and 9, respectively. That makes Boone the second act to occupy at least three positions in the chart’s top 10 at once, following NF, whose “Let You Down,” “Hope” and “The Search” were Nos. 5, 7 and 10, respectively, on the October 2024 tally.
The February 2025-dated chart featured just one debut among its 25 positions. Not so for March 2025; the artist behind that lone bow, Forrest Frank (via “DROP!,” at No. 19), returns again with the second-biggest start after Boone’s “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else”: “Nothing Else,” featuring Thomas Rhett, at No. 7. Like Boone’s new entry, “Nothing Else” was also a late-February release (Feb. 28); it enjoyed a No. 4 debut on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart dated March 15.
The third and final debut of the month belongs to Lady Gaga, whose “Abracadabra” bows at No. 17. “Abracadabra” was also released in February, albeit much earlier (Feb. 3). It reached a peak so far of No. 13 on the Hot 100 dated Feb. 22 and ranks at No. 38 on the most recent tally.
See the full top 25 below.
Top Gabb Music Songs
“Die With a Smile,” Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (=)
“Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” Benson Boone (debut)
“Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone (=)
“APT.,” ROSE & Bruno Mars (-2)
“God’s Plan,” Drake (+2)
“Deja Vu,” Olivia Rodrigo (+6)
“Nothing Else,” Forrest Frank feat. Thomas Rhett (debut)
“Golden Hour,” JVKE (+3)
“Slow It Down,” Benson Boone (-1)
“Butterfly Effect,” Travis Scott (+3)
“Face 2 Face,” Juice WRLD (-6)
“Stargazing,” Myles Smith (-2)
“Thick of It,” KSI feat. Trippie Redd (-9)
“Please Please Please,” Sabrina Carpenter (-5)
“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” Luke Combs (-1)
“Love Somebody,” Morgan Wallen (=)
“Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga (debut)
“Heat Waves,” Glass Animals (-1)
“Too Sweet,” Hozier (-4)
“Run It,” Jelly Roll (-14)
“Let You Down,” NF (-3)
“Bones,” Imagine Dragons (-1)
“Stressed Out,” Twenty One Pilots (-3)
“Saturn,” SZA (-1)
“Hope,” NF (=)
DROPS FROM FEBRUARY 2025: “DROP!,” Forrest Frank; “Enemy,” Imagine Dragons; “Wildflower,” Billie Eilish
Selena Gomez will receive the 2025 Woman of the Year award at the annual Billboard Latin Women in Music event, Billboard and Telemundo announced on Wednesday (April 16). The two-hour special, set to be held Miami, will air April 24 exclusively on Telemundo.
The Woman of the Year award is presented to a female artist who has demonstrated exceptional success, leadership and cultural influence in the music industry and beyond. Previous Women of the Year honorees at Latin Women in Music include Shakira and Karol G.
A global powerhouse, Gomez has had a fruitful career as a recording artist. On the Billboard charts, the 32-year-old star has had presence across genres, including a total of 42 entries on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, including her first No. 1 hit, “Lose You to Love Me” (2019). On the Hot Latin Songs chart, her featured role on DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki,” alongside Ozuna and Cardi B, debuted at No. 1 on the tally in October 2018, where it ruled for 13 weeks. Since, she’s achieved three additional top 10 hits on the multimetric ranking, including “Baila Conmigo,” her collaboration with Rauw Alejandro, which soared to a No. 4 peak in 2021 and topped the Latin Airplay chart for a week.
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The Texas-born artist of Mexican descent further expanded her reach in Latin music with her first-ever Spanish-language project, Revelación. The EP, released four years ago, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart, making history as the first album by a female artist to achieve the feat since Shakira’s El Dorado. It also scored her a Grammy nomination for best Latin pop album. Most recently, Gomez entered the top five on Hot Latin Songs thanks to “Ojos Tristes” with Benny Blanco and The Marías. The song, a reimagination of the ’80s classic “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes,” is part of Gomez and Blanco’s collaborative album, I Said I Love You First.
Beyond her career in music, Gomez — also an award-winning actress, producer and business mogul — has become a leading voice for mental health and social justice issues that impact underrepresented communities. She was Woman of the Year at the 2017 Billboard Women in Music.
Gomez joins this year’s previously announced honorees, including Anitta (Vanguard Award), Belinda (Evolution Award), Celia Cruz (Legend Award), Chiquis (Impact Award), Ha*Ash (Unbreakable Award), Natti Natasha Unstoppable Artist), and Olga Tañón (Lifetime Achievement Award).
Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 Executive List here.
The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live April 24 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. Central exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean onTelemundo Internacional.
