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With the 25th anniversary of her debut rapidly approaching, AI has announced various tie-ins and collaborations starting in November 2024. Her latest song is “NAKAMA,” the ending theme to the latest anime series Dragonball DAIMA. AI has loved the Dragonball series since she was a young girl, and she talked with Billboard Japan about everything from her love for the series to her collaboration with EDM titan Zedd on the series’ ending theme and her other experiences working with overseas artists. She also revealed her plans for her 25th anniversary year and her somewhat surprising outlook on the future.
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The Dragonball franchise includes comics, movies, TV series, and more. How did you first connect with it?
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AI: I think my first exposure to Dragonball was with the comics, but what made the strongest impression on me was the TV series. I’m part of the generation that grew up with it. I watched it the whole time it was on TV. At one point I moved overseas, so I lost contact with it, but then they started making movies. It must have been like the number one or two thing I was into as a kid.
How did you feel when you found out you’d be working on “NAKAMA,” the ending theme of Dragonball DAIMA?
AI: At first, my team just said something like, “This is Dragonball DAIMA, a new series that will be coming out soon,” and they showed me a video. I saw it while on the road, and I was just saying “Wow” as I watched it. My manager then said, “You’ll be doing the ending song,” and the minute he said it, the tears started falling from my eyes (laughs). I’d loved Dragonball since I was a kid, and I was so happy, I was like “Whaaaa?” It’s not just me. I think everyone loves Dragonball. I’m not the type of person who talks a lot about what they like, but it seems the team knew (laughs).
So there’s a sharp contrast between you and Zedd, your collaborator on “NAKAMA.” He’s made his love for Dragonball very public, even posting pictures of himself in Dragonball cosplay on his social media.
AI: That’s right. I’m the kind who watches from a distance (laughs). It’s like I love it so much that it’s holy, so I don’t dare to touch it.
How did the actual process of making the music go?
AI: Right after it was decided that I’d be working on the ending theme, Zedd happened to come to Japan, so we met and we talked about what kind of song we should write. Then a while after he went back to the U.S., he sent a video of him playing solo piano. I was really impressed, thinking “this chord progression has a wonderful feel.” It wasn’t just a bright and cheery song, but had the feeling of an ending song.
What did you focus on when writing the lyrics?
AI: I love Dragonball as much as anyone, so when I wrote the lyrics I thought about the fans who had watched and loved Dragonball through the years.
Zedd pays a lot of attention to the details of songs—the tone, the nuances of the sound, and the like. Was it hard working together with him?
AI: No, not at all. On the contrary, he was quick to give his okay (laughs). On top of that, the song he wrote was really easy to put Japanese lyrics to. I actually found matching English lyrics to the song a lot harder.
This was your first time working with Zedd, but you’ve collaborated with a lot of overseas artists before, right? Which stand out the most in your memory?
AI: The first name that springs to mind is, of course, Chaka Khan. She’s very down to earth. Like, I offhandedly said something like “I’d love to get a Grammy someday,” and she said “That’s easy.” For Chaka, that’s what getting a Grammy must be like. She doesn’t brag or act arrogant. I think it’s just that for her, the message and the heartfelt feeling of the music is more important than any kind of award. I think that’s what moves her.
Is there a big difference between Chaka the singer and Chaka behind the scenes?
AI: No, not at all. She has the least gap between the two. She’s always like that, and she carries around this huge fan and is like “Heyyyy!”
But you have a similarly broad-minded personality. It seems like you two could really talk at the same level.
AI: That’s because she’s so accommodating. It’s because of the way she is, because she’s such as great person. I have so much respect for her that I get a bit nervous and I can’t really approach her. But she’s very outgoing and approaches me, so our conversations just keep rolling (laughs). I saw her at a Billboard Live show before we sang “One More Try” together. I was wearing these really long rings at the time, which covered my entire fingers. She saw them, and she lifted my hand up in the air and stared at them and said “Wowww!!” I thought that if she liked them so much, I wanted her to have them, so I gave them to her (laughs). At her show, when she came out on stage and started singing, I just started crying. It wasn’t even a sad song or anything. Her voice was just so powerful. When I was a little kid, my parents loved Chaka Khan, too, and my mom even went to her shows, so I had all these memories. I have a lot of interesting stories about Chaka.
Who else has made a big impression on you, besides Chaka?
AI: Boyz II Men, who I collaborated with on “Incomplete,” were amazing. Their voices were truly angelic. Watching their recording session taught me so much. The way they joined in chorus, the freedom with which they let their voices roam, and each of their voices, they were all wonderful. They had this strong sense of stability. They could go airy, or belt out really bold vocals, and deftly switch between them. I think I learned more from them than any other session. Trey Songz is also a genius. He was still young when I met him, but he was a great kid. When we recorded “Beautiful (Remix)” together, he was already well-known in the U.S. but relatively unknown in Japan. He can write music, he can sing, and he can even do sound engineering. He can do it all. I remember really feeling the love he had for R&B.
What about Snoop Dogg?
AI: On our “Let It Go” collaboration, Snoop and I recorded separately, but then it was decided that we’d film the video together, and I was like “Really?” So I went to LA and got ready and waited. I was wearing this tight, uncomfortable dress and these high heels, waiting for him. He didn’t come until like six hours later. That’s really true to form for Snoop, but I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, so I was there waiting to tell him off when he comes in and says “The song was great, but that’s not all, your voice is great, too.” With that, I was like “I love this guy” (laughs). He’s generous with praise. So my anger faded, and ultimately we had fun filming the music video together (laughs).
I would have thought the Jacksons would have made the biggest impression on you.
AI: That experience had me so nervous. For me, the Jacksons are the very pinnacle. They’re like Dragonball. They’re just beyond imagining. Like, these are not people I could ever actually meet.
In the MUSIC ON! TV “AI Miss MICHAEL JACKSON – The Miracle of the King of Pop” series, you went to the U.S. and filmed the Jacksons. It covered a really long span of time. I doubt there has ever been, or will ever be, another Japanese person who has gotten such an up close and personal look at the Jacksons.
AI: It was really long. Really long, and the schedule was really tight. I had to make sure not to be inadvertently rude to anyone, but there were also so many things I wanted to ask. There were a lot of people who shared really genuine stories and stories I’d never heard before. It was just one moving experience after the next.
That’s what led to your recording “Letter in the Sky” with them, right?
AI: I just wanted to run away. It was all too much for me. I felt like I was unfit to even deal with them. The show was about exploring the roots of the Jacksons after Michael Jackson’s death. I met his brothers during the filming of the show, and things just took off from there. They said “We’re going to be performing at a tribute event. Why not come sing with us?”
On your RESPECT ALL album, which came out last year, you sang Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” You also performed the song in the “Lasting Peace” project at the G7 Hiroshima Summit. I’m sure you’ve loved this song for years but what led you to want to sing it now?
AI: When the decision was made that I would be singing at the G7 Hiroshima Summit, I wanted to share a message with the world. I thought a message of peace would be good, so I wanted to sing with a chorus of children. I was going to sing “Aldebaran,” “Not So Different,” and then I wanted to sing a cover song, so I came up with a list of candidates. I didn’t want a song with a big, lofty message, like “Let’s change the world, let’s do this or that.” I wanted a song that was more about the ups and downs we have in our lives, a song that was like a dialogue. I felt that this song was the one that was closest to my own spirit. It didn’t sound like a lecture, but instead was the message that I wanted to share the most. I also thought that it’s a wonderful song that would contribute to peace. Then we started talking about recording it, and I decided to perform it to a simple piano accompaniment.
I see. You sang with a children’s choir on “Lean On Me,” but on your tour you also led a gospel chorus, and on your best hits album, Kansha!!!!! – Thank You for 20 Years New and Best, you included gospel versions of songs. Do you feel that when you go back to your roots, you go back to gospel?
AI: Yes. I love gospel. I love that assembly of voices. That power. Gospel isn’t just sung in a straightforward way, it uses all these different techniques, and hearing them just gets you so excited.
I get the impression that when you sing in English, there’s a bit more freedom and a bit more of a relaxed feeling. What do you think?
AI: When it comes to speaking, my Japanese is better, but when I’m singing, for some songs, English is easier to pronounce and it fits better with the music. But there are also songs which only work in Japanese, so it really comes down to the individual song.
It’s going to be your 25th anniversary soon. Do you have any plans?
AI: Yes, I’m going on tour and I’m going to put out an album.
One of the things I vividly remember from a previous time interview was that you said “I want to win a Grammy. I’m going to win one.” Do you still feel the same way?
AI: Yes, I want to get a Grammy. That desire hasn’t changed. But I think that when I said that, I wanted a Grammy as a demonstration of my ability. I picked it simply because it was the most famous award. I felt like I had to do a lot of different things while I was still young. Nowadays, I don’t feel that need to rush. But, of course, since I said I was going to go win a Grammy, I will. I want to take care of everything on my bucket list. But it doesn’t have to be right this moment. I’ve still got my health and energy, so I think I’ve got time (laughs).
What are your long-term goals?
AI: Right now I’m focusing on my children. It’s pretty hard work. It’s shaken up everything—what I write, what I say, what I do, my attitude, my rhythm. I don’t think there’s any experience like it. It’s like really hard but rewarding training. Like I’m a monk going through ascetic training (laughs). It’s like you break yourself completely down and then the question is how you’re going to rebuild yourself. To be honest, I really don’t think about the 25th anniversary of my debut. It’s just the people around me who are focused on it. So much so, actually, that when someone first mentioned it, I was like “Oh, really?” (laughs) For me, music is just something that I’ll probably keep on doing forever. I think that’s important. I just live each day, hoping that I’ll make it through with no problems.
—This interview by Hisashi Murakami first appeared on Billboard Japan
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Bitter Vacances” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, rising from No. 6 where it debuted last week.
On the chart released Dec. 11, the theme for the upcoming live-action movie Saint Young Men (due in domestic theaters Dec. 20) comes in at No. 2 for streaming (up 182% week-over-week) and radio airplay (up 1,381％), No. 5 for video views (up 136％) and No. 3 for downloads.
Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT.” slips to No. 2 this week after holding the top spot for three straight weeks. After peaking last week, streams are down to 95%, downloads to 79%, and videos to 85%, but the global hit continues to dominate streaming and video.
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Number_i’s “HIRAKEGOMA” debuts at No. 3. The new track off the three-man group’s album No. I (Deluxe) released Dec. 2 launches at No. 1 for downloads and radio, No. 4 for video, and No. 40 for streaming. The album No. I rises to No. 2 on the download albums chart and to No. 7 on the Hot Albums chart this week.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” holds at No. 4. Downloads for the Oblivion Battery opener gained 119%, streaming 104%, and radio 229% from the week before.
BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE’s “SAY IT” bows at No. 5. The track produced by T.Kura, Chaki Zulu and DJ DARUMA comes in at No. 4 for sales and No. 3 for radio.
In other news, the tragic death of Japanese actress and singer Miho Nakayama at age 54 was reported on Dec. 6, and fans turned to her collaborative single with the band WANDS from 1992, “Sekaiju no dareyori kitto,” (roughly, “probably more than anyone in the world”) to celebrate her life. The karaoke favorite debuted at No. 56 on the Japan Hot 100 this week, coming in at No. No. 6 for downloads, No. 91 for radio, and No. 88 for karaoke. Seasonal staples are also coming back in full swing, with back number’s “Christmas Song” rising 19-15, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” jumping 72-46, and Keisuke Kuwata’s “White Love” returning at No. 66. Also, a new Christmas love song by REIKO featuring JUNON of BE:FIRST called “First Christmas” debuts at No. 54.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 2 to 8, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
Dua Lipa’s list of 2024 musical accomplishments is comically long. In this year alone she’s done — deep breath — the following: released her third studio album, Radical Optimism; kicked off her biggest global tour yet; played a coveted Glastonbury Festival headline slot, the first British woman to do so since 2016; filmed a TV special at London’s Royal Albert Hall; performed onstage with Cher, Elton John and Chris Stapleton; and made a playful cameo on Charli xcx’s remixed version of brat.
“It’s honestly been the best year of my life. I’ve done things that I’ve wanted to do for so long,” Lipa tells Billboard U.K. with a laugh on a video call. She’s in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when we speak, where she’s playing two nights at the city’s Axiata Arena. The run of dates in Asia, which has included stops in Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Bangkok, is her first in the region in six years. The crowds have been so “loud and fun,” she says, and she’s been “blown away” by their enthusiasm.
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“There came a point in the year where I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to sit down and write some new dreams and new plans and other things I wanted to do,’ ” she says. “I feel like I ticked so many of my boxes this year. It’s amazing.”
In May, the British Albanian artist released Radical Optimism (Warner), which peaked at No. 1 on the United Kingdom’s Official Albums Chart upon release and had the biggest opening week by a British female artist since Adele’s 30 in 2021. The record went to No. 1 throughout mainland Europe in Spain, France, The Netherlands and more, and hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, her highest debut on the U.S. charts to date. Lead single “Houdini,” meanwhile, enjoyed a 17-week reign on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
The 29-year-old is a fitting entry for Billboard U.K. in Billboard’s inaugural Global No. 1s series celebrating the biggest and most successful artists internationally over the past year.
Seven months after the album’s release, Lipa looks back fondly on recording it with the stellar house band that included Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, hyperpop hero Danny L Harle, superproducer Andrew Wyatt and star songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr., along with her accomplished previous collaborators Caroline Ailin and Ian Kirkpatrick. Lipa has said it was inspired by Parker’s Tame Impala work and, speaking to Rolling Stone in February, dubbed it a “psychedelic-pop-infused tribute to U.K. rave culture.” A noticeable shimmy away from her disco-infused single “Dance the Night,” which appeared in the 2023 blockbuster Barbie film, Radical Optimism showed flashes of the turn-of-the-millennium French touch scene (“End of an Era”) and Parker’s signature psych-pop (“Training Season”).
Lipa sketched the blueprint for Radical Optimism following the success of her monster second album, 2020’s Future Nostalgia, which later spawned several hits, including “Levitating,” which was named the biggest song of 2021 on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 chart. The set, which found an enthusiastic worldwide audience with its playful disco sheen during the COVID-19 lockdown, won best pop vocal album at the Grammys in 2021.
“Future Nostalgia doing what it did allowed me to grow as an artist, to push boundaries and change. It allowed me to have the confidence to make Radical Optimism,” Lipa tells Billboard U.K. “It gave me the freedom and confidence to be like, ‘You know who I really want to make an album with? Kevin Parker. And I want to do something a bit different; I want to work with Danny L Harle and experiment with my sound, do a different vocal performance and make pop music but allow that to live in another sonic world.’ It’s been fun to shape-shift.”
Dua Lipa backstage at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Nov. 24.
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In October, the songs received the ultimate stress test with a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where she enlisted the 53-piece Heritage Orchestra, conducted by Ben Foster; 14 choristers; and her regular touring band for a bombastic, glitzy night at the capital’s most iconic music venue. She performed Radical Optimism in full, utilizing the brass section to give new heft to songs like “Houdini,” while elegant strings added another dimension to “French Exit” and “These Walls.” The in-the-round performance was captured for a TV special, An Evening With Dua Lipa (which aired Dec. 8 on ITV in the United Kingdom and will air Dec. 15 on CBS in the United States), and a live album, Dua Lipa Live at the Royal Albert Hall (out now).
“When we were in rehearsals, there was nothing quite like it: Those orchestral instrumentations just shook me to the core,” Lipa recalls. “Feeling my music in such a way that was so moving, it made me fall in love with music all over again.”
During the concert’s encore, John joined Lipa — the first time they performed live together — to sing their collaboration, “Cold Heart,” which topped charts globally upon release in 2021 (in its PNAU remix) and interpolates multiple John songs.
“Obviously Elton is no stranger to the Albert Hall himself and it felt like such a chic and elegant night, so I needed my most chic and fabulous friend to come and join me. He immediately said yes,” she says. “One thing about Elton is that he always shows up for his friends. He’s super loyal… he’s just always been there, lending his ear and being so supportive.”
Dua Lipa backstage at the Philippine Arena in Santa Maria, Philippines, on Nov. 13.
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The defining Dua Lipa performance of 2024, however, was not in the austere, lavish Albert Hall but in a Somerset field in southwest England. Worthy Farm, where Glastonbury Festival is held, is usually full of dairy cows gently grazing in the lush greenery, but on June 28, they were replaced with a sea of sequined spectators for Lipa’s headlining slot on the festival’s Pyramid Stage. The impassioned, fun, formidable set (during which Parker joined Lipa onstage) aired live on BBC One and globally on the broadcaster’s website.
The show marked her second Glastonbury appearance, following a 2017 mid-afternoon performance that attracted one of that weekend’s biggest crowds — and, following on the heels of her self-titled debut album’s release, helped catalyze her star turn.
Returning as a Pyramid Stage headliner (on Friday, so she could party the rest of the weekend at the festival with her partner, actor Callum Turner, and some pals) had been on her agenda ever since. “I try not to let these moments pass me by so I made sure that when I was standing up there I took as many mental pictures as I could,” she says. At one point, she headed out toward the crowd and turned to face the stage, focusing on its apex: a shining white tip sending a beam of light into the starry night sky.
Prior to the performance, Lipa had switched off her phone to get in the zone. When she got back to her dressing room afterward, she had a deluge of texts.
“It was so beautiful. I had so many messages from previous headliners,” she says. “You sort of earn this badge of honor in that moment, and it felt like I joined the coolest club in the world.” One came from Adele, the last female British act before Lipa to top the bill in 2016. “She said, ‘I’ve been thinking about you all day and just wanted to wish you luck for tonight. Don’t forget to soak it all in.’ Looking back at that Pyramid was me trying to do that.”
Dua Lipa backstage at MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai, India, on Nov. 30.
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Radical Optimism is the first album Lipa has released since striking a deal with TaP Music, her former management and publishing group, to acquire ownership of her songs, music, masters and publishing rights. The move dovetailed with news that Lipa would now be managed by her father, Dukagjin Lipa, and in 2024, she expanded her nonmusic offerings: Her company Radical22 produced the Disney+ documentary Camden, about the north London borough and its music scene; she starred in the action-comedy Argylle; and her Service95 newsletter — which compiles recommendations for food, literature and more — grew in stature. No surprise, then, that The Sunday Times featured her on its annual Rich List, estimating a $113 million (90 million pounds) net worth.
“This is really me stepping into my role not just as a creator but as a businesswoman,” she says. “It comes with the understanding that as much as I want to stay on the creative side, I have to be knowledgeable about all aspects of my career if I want to have longevity.
“I think for every artist that’s really important — and as much as we might not want to, as the easiest thing is to go into the studio and write the songs and whatever happens, happens — it just can’t be that way,” she continues. “Every artist should be educated on that. It’s really important for us to be in control or at least know what’s happening with our careers and not turn a blind eye.”
Elsewhere, she’s consistently voiced support of Gaza during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and she was also named a champion for the Trevor Project, the suicide prevention charity that supports LGBTQ+ youth. “Anything I can do as a supporter to help out in any way with the platform that I have, I’m fully willing and open to all of that,” she says.
But, despite her many achievements, something noteworthy eluded Lipa on this cycle: Radical Optimism did not receive any nominations for the upcoming Grammys, a surprise given her 10 career nominations in years past (including a win for best new artist in 2019) and the fact that her performance kicked off the 2024 ceremony.
“I’m so proud of Radical Optimism and where it’s brought me. I love that album and I’m having the time of my life performing it live, and I’ve been able to do things that I thought I could only dream of this year, so I’m really grateful,” she confidently says of the record’s impact on her career. “Although it would have been nice to be recognized by your industry, especially as a woman, I’m so proud seeing so many incredible female artists nominated at the Grammys this year.”
Dua Lipa backstage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Nov. 6.
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Lipa has particular love for Charli xcx, a longtime pal who received several Grammy nods for brat. She had a cameo on the remix of Charli’s “Talk talk” alongside Troye Sivan, with Lipa speaking in French and Spanish on the track.
“I love her so much and she’s always been a really good friend of mine and been so supportive from day one. She deserves all the flowers,” Lipa says of Charli. “She’s worked her arse off, and it’s so beautiful to see her get the recognition she deserves. She’s really stuck to her guns and allowed herself to be creative in her own way, and it’s paid off. That’s the best thing that can ever happen to an artist. She’s so deserving of every moment.”
As for where her own career is, “Overall I’m really happy with where I am,” Lipa says. “I don’t think it really matters in the grand scheme of things where I am, where I want to be and where I’m going. It doesn’t change the way I feel about the record at all.”
Now, as 2024 comes to a close, Lipa is enjoying some well-earned rest before her biggest tour yet. In March 2025, her Radical Optimism tour kicks off its next leg in Australia and New Zealand before heading to Europe and the United Kingdom, which includes two sold-out nights at London’s 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium and Liverpool’s historic Anfield Stadium. Then in September, she’s off to North America with 24 arena dates including a whopping four nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden and another four at L.A.’s Kia Forum.
She speaks about manifestation, the idea that she must imagine her biggest goals and achievements for them to become a reality. In fact, Lipa’s use of the word contributed to the Cambridge Dictionary naming “manifest” its word of the year. She remains coy, however, of what’s next on the agenda. “I can’t really tell you, as they have to be a secret to come true…” she says. If her past year is anything to go by, we’ll know it when we see it.
The first-ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards (BBAMAs) lit up the stage on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This landmark event celebrated the incredible talent shaping Arabic music, honoring artists who dominated Billboard Arabia’s charts throughout the year, alongside several honorary awards, including Icon of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and the Cultural Impact Award.
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This event underscores the growing significance of Arabic music on the global sound map, as it joins K-pop, Latin and African music among the fastest-growing music markets worldwide. Arabic music is echoing across the globe through a surge in international concerts, cross-cultural collaborations and a celebration of its rich and diverse sounds—all under the trusted Billboard umbrella.
Winners of the BBAMAs were determined based on their performance on Billboard Arabia’s diverse charts: the Hot 100, Artist 100, dialect-specific charts (Khaleeji, Egyptian, Levantine and Magharebi) and genre-specific charts such as Arabic Hip-Hop, Arabic Indie, Shelat and Mahraganat. These categories reflect Billboard’s signature approach to celebrating music that resonates globally.
Sherine’s music and voice continue to leave an undeniable mark on the Arabic music landscape, as she swept five awards, reflecting her continued ability to resonate with fans across the region. Not far behind was Al Shami, who claimed four awards, and ElGrande Toto, who took home three trophies, while Abdul Majeed Abdullah was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, in addition to Artist of the Year – Khaleeji Dialect and Top Male Artist – Khaleeji Dialect. Meanwhile, the Cultural Impact Award was posthumously presented to the late and iconic singer Etab by Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Saudi Music Commission, honoring her enduring legacy and profound influence on Arabic music.
The evening was marked by electrifying performances from regional and global superstars. Elissa delivered an unforgettable medley of some of her greatest hits against a cinematic, visually stunning set design, proving why she took home the coveted Icon Award. Tamer Ashour performed his chart-topping anthem “Haygeely Mawgoa,” which earned Song of the Year, while Elyanna dazzled the audience with a vibrant medley, including her hit “Ganeni.” Elyanna’s remarkable year was further celebrated as she took home Top New Artist and Top Arabic Indie Female Artist.
The coveted Top Dueto of the Year went to Ahmed Saad and Assala for their heartfelt collaboration “Sab Farhety.” Saad also set the stage ablaze with performances of his fan-favorite hits, including “Wasa Wasa” and “El Youm El Helw Dah.” The Khaleeji medley was another highlight, featuring breathtaking performances from Hams Fekry, Ayed and Oumaima Taleb. Ayed’s standout track earned him Top Khaleeji Song, while Oumaima was crowned Top Female Artist – Khaleeji Dialect.
Adding to the night’s significance, the BBAMAs coincided with Saudi Arabia’s historic announcement of winning the bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. In a special segment, Ayed, Ghada Sherri and Fahd Bin Fasla debuted the first official songs for the World Cup, making the awards’ debut ceremony truly unforgettable.
Who else made their mark at the inaugural Billboard Arabia Music Awards? Check out the full list of winners below to see who’s shaping the future of Arabic music.
Billboard Arabia
Song of the Year
“Haygely Mawgow” by Tamer Ashour
Artist of the Year
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Male Artist
Amr Diab
Top Female Artist
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Band
Cairokee
Top New Artist
Elyanna
Highest Gainer
TUL8TE
Top Arabic Dueto of the Year
Assala Nasri and Ahmed Saad – “Sabb Farhety”
Top Khaleeji Song
Ayed – “Lammah”
Artist of the Year – Khaleeji Dialect
Abdul Majeed Abdullah
Top Male Artist – Khaleeji Dialect
Abdul Majeed Abdullah
Top Female Artist – Khaleeji Dialect
Oumaima Taleb
Top Egyptian Song
Tamer Ashour – “Haygely Mawgow”
Artist of the Year – Egyptian Dialect
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Male Artist – Egyptian Dialect
Amr Diab
Top Female Artist – Egyptian Dialect
Sherine Abdel Wahab
Top Levantine Song
Al Shami – “Sabra”
Artist of the Year – Levantine Dialect
Al Shami
Top Male Artist – Levantine Dialect
Al Shami
Top Female Artist – Levantine Dialect
Nancy Ajram
Top Magharebi Song
Saad Lamjarred, Shreya Ghoshal and Rajat Nagpal – “Guli Mata”
Artist of the Year – Magharebi
Dystinct
Top Male Artist – Magharebi Dialect
Dystinct
Top Female Artist – Magharebi Dialect
Manal
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Song
ElGrandeToto – “Blue Love”
Artist of the Year – Arabic Hip-Hop
ElGrandeToto
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Male Artist
ElGrandeToto
Top Arabic Hip-Hop Female Artist
Khtek
Top Indie Song
Al Shami – “Sabra”
Artist of the Year – Arabic Indie
Cairokee
Top Arabic Indie Male Artist
Muslim
Top Arabic Indie Female Artist
Elyanna
Top Mahraganat Song
Eslam Kabonga – “Aywa Ya Habibty Wahashtiny”
Artist of the Year – Mahraganat
Essam Sasa
Top Male Mahraganat Artist
Essam Sasa
Top Shelat Song
Abdullah Al Farwan – “Jamalek Gheer”
Artist of the Year – Shelat
Mohammed Bin Garman
Top Male Artist of the Year – Shelat
Mohammed Bin Garman
Best Composer
Amro El-Shazly & Mehdi Mzayen
Best Songwriter
Aleem
Best Music Producer
Tareq Hjeily
ROSÉ made her highly anticipated solo in-studio debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night (Dec. 11).
The BLACKPINK star brought her signature style and her infectious energy to the late-night stage, performing “APT.” and “Toxic Till the End” from her latest album, rosie.
With a six-piece band behind her, ROSÉ turned Fallon’s iconic studio into her own concert venue. She began an “APT./toxic till the end” medley by taking over his desk, casually singing with her feet propped up as if she owned the place.
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Dressed in a sleek black crop top, pleated gray miniskirt, and bold red-and-black suspenders, ROSÉ gave the audience a taste of her unique flair while letting the music take center stage.
Her latest appearance wasn’t just another performance—it signaled a pivotal moment in her career. ROSÉ is no stranger to The Tonight Show stage—BLACKPINK delivered “How You Like That” in June 2020, and she herself shared a pre-taped performance of “On the Ground” in March 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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This time around, it was live and in-person, and she certainly owned the moment. The crowd rose to their feet to sing along to the catchy chorus of “APT.” before ROSÉ seamlessly transitioned into her new track “toxic till the end”. Confetti rained down during the finale, the neon lights of the Tonight Show glowing behind her, wrapping up a set that felt as celebratory as it was transformative.
Elsewhere on Fallon, the New Zealand-born, Melbourne-raised star opened up about her childhood dream of becoming a singer, shared how Bruno Mars helped pick the name of her first solo album, and shows Jimmy Fallon how to play the “APT.” drinking game.
Reminiscing about her first audition for BLACKPINK, ROSÉ shared with Fallon, “It was around the time Jason Mraz had released a song called “I Won’t Give Up,” I had just learnt it…”
“I walked in, I honestly thought it was a joke. I was like, ‘This is funny. There’s no way I’m going to get it at all.’ But My dad and I had flown all the way from Melbourne to Sydney for the audition, so I was like, ‘Well, might as well make some memories..’”
“I did it and was like ‘bye’, then they called me, and I just remember thinking, ‘What is happening?!’”
ROSÉ is fresh off the release of her solo debut album, Rosie. The 12-track set includes hit single “APT.” with Bruno Mars — which has spent six weeks so far at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and has so far peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 — surpassing even the highest-charting hit of her globally famous K-pop girl group BLACKPINK— as well as her new track “Number One Girl.”
She also recently dropped “toxic till the end,” which she performed on Fallon, accompanied by a new Ramez Silyan-directed music video co-starring Evan Mock.
The hype around ROSÉ’s solo career is only growing. Rosie has been met with excitement for its blend of introspection and pop-forward energy, and with performances like this one, she’s proving why she’s a force to be reckoned with on her own.
“I have poured my blood and tears into this album,” she wrote on Instagram when she first announced the project back in October. “I cannot wait for you to listen to this little journal of mine. Rosie – is the name I allow my friends and family to call me. With this album, I hope you all feel that much closer to me.”
ROSÉ’s new album, Rosie, is available to stream below, and you can watch her performance on Fallon here.
12/10/2024
From chart hits “APT.” and “Number One Girl,” the BLACKPINK star’s debut LP shares intimate experiences amid pitch-perfect vocal performances.
12/10/2024
It’s peculiar to hear Jacob Slater talk so effusively about “the quiet life” when he is renowned for one of the most intense, rib-shakingly loud live sets on the indie circuit. He’s the sort of artist, it seems, who is striving to find meaning in life’s simpler moments.
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“I haven’t had a break in a long while,” he says, eyes narrowing as he lights a cigarette. The smoke plumes drift towards a large Bob Dylan poster spread across the ceiling. “The sea is cold and there’s been waves here the past few days, so it’s been good to get back out there. I’m a little bit rusty, though, as I now spend so much time out of the water.”
The Wunderhorse frontman has been readjusting to the natural rhythms of life in his adopted locale of Newquay, Cornwall. It’s here where the 27-year-old trained as a surf instructor a few years ago, a solo venture that helped to relight his creative fire after burning bright and crashing out in the much-hyped but short-lived London punk band Dead Pretties. Recently, he has spent his time sleeping in, listening to records, and catching up with friends over coffee. Best of all, Slater says in a blissed-out tone, there is little to no mobile phone signal. The temptation to go off-grid clearly looms large.
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Returning to the coast has become an outlet for Slater’s newfound sense of lightness. Rarely at home, he’s spent much of 2024 insulated inside a touring bubble, playing shows across Europe with Fontaines D.C. and racking up huge British festival appearances at the likes of Reading & Leeds and TRNSMT. In August, Wunderhorse’s second LP, Midas (Communion Records), hit No.6 on the Official U.K. Charts upon release; a major feat, given that 2022 debut Cub failed to crack the Top 40.
On his birthday, Slater got a call from his manager saying they had booked a gig at London’s 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace next spring. In November, the group supported Fontaines D.C. throughout Europe, and now, through December, the band are opening for Sam Fender at arenas across the U.K. and Ireland, capping off an extraordinary year.
Though often mired in themes of self-destruction and volatility, the music of Wunderhorse is uplifting, cathartic, and compassionate. The four-piece are cult stars at the threshold of mainstream crossover, a reality that they are now encountering on the road. Each night, they come eye-to -eye with a predominantly young fanbase that has recently ballooned in size as a result of “unexpected” TikTok popularity. “Not to sound like an old man, but I really don’t know how that whole ‘online thing’ works. Yet it seems to be a real beast,” says Slater, speaking over video call.
It was after a headline show at Glasgow’s Barrowlands venue last month that Slater realized the band’s profile was changing. Combating a disrupted sleep schedule that had left him feeling like “a nocturnal creature,” he ventured out, alone, to walk off all the adrenaline he had worked up on stage. What he found was a city gradually revealing itself through characterful people, foggy images of bars shuttering up for the night, and the distant expanse of the M8 motorway.
Only an hour earlier, with sweat beads lining his forehead, he had been growling into the mic, stomping as each song reached its soaring climax. Video footage of the performance circulated on social media the following day, with clips of gig-goers crying and barking doing the rounds. Wunderhorse may have already inspired fan tattoos and custom trainers, but this felt like a new level of visibility altogether.
“Recently, the audience has solidified a bit more in its demographic,” Slater explains. “At first, I didn’t quite know how to take it when people were telling us that we had young fans. But I remember when I was younger, music meant so much to me. It still does, of course, but music has a particular potency when you’re a teenager. If people are connecting with us at that age, then that’s amazing.”
Initially a one-man endeavour, the first seismic shift in Wunderhorse’s trajectory took place when Slater decided to expand the project to a full band in the early days of creating Midas. He brought Harry Tristan Fowler (guitar), Peter Woodin (bass) and Jamie Staples (drums) into the fold, having met each of them at gigs in London and their native Hertfordshire. Slater figured out early that the best way to approach music was to build his own world and invite people in; he and his bandmates soon honed their bluesy, expansive, emotionally-weathered sound after bonding over seminal records from Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.
The release of Cub, meanwhile, had left Slater feeling as though he was treading water as a lyricist. Much of the album’s writing resonated because of its unvarnished frankness about a dark personal history, traversing selfishness (“Purple”), nihilism, and traumatic teenage experiences (“Butterflies,” “Teal”). For its author, however – who was in recovery from addiction issues at the time – having to accept the circumstances of his previous life for what they were became too much of a mental burden to bear.
“This is probably not the stuff you’re meant to say in interviews, but I think every artist has songs they wrote when they were younger and now struggle with,” Slater says, grinning beneath a big, raggedy scarf. “You start to realize that, whatever you write, you’re going to have to live with it for a long time. If people are singing songs back to you and you don’t like the words that you’ve written, then you end up standing on stage feeling like you’ve deceived yourself.”
Wunderhorse
Polocho
Slater notes how his record contract stated that Cub was meant to see him “deliver 18 songs at a minimum.” Only 11 tracks made the final cut, and he put “any leftovers that didn’t fit into the Wunderhorse world” onto 2023 solo LP Pinky, I Love You. Curiously, eagle-eyed fans noticed that, a few weeks back, the earliest Wunderhorse music videos had been removed from YouTube; they responded by creating a Google Drive folder with all the newly missing clips. Today, Slater admits this was his doing: “If I had it my way, there would be no promo, there’d be no videos. I find it all really difficult because it’s not the way that my brain works.”
Releasing Midas didn’t banish Slater’s feelings of alienation towards the music industry entirely, but it did explore a more peaceful coexistence within it. It seems as though the search for salvation he sings of on “Silver” is starting to bear fruit. Despite it all, Slater thinks that aspects of his life today would astound his younger self: he is thoughtful yet steadfast in describing how publications describing Wunderhorse as “generational,” only two albums in, can be disorienting for a musician still coming to terms with his changing stature.
“Worrying whether you’re going to become this ‘grand thing’ that people are saying you are will only cause you to get in the way of yourself. Nobody even knows what such titles mean,” he says. “Any songwriter who has stood the test of time has managed to stay true to who they are. Like, did Bob Dylan wake up one day and go, ‘I’m gonna be generational?’ No.”
It’s clear that Slater sees a gap between his intentions and the public’s reaction to his musical output. He’ll later mention how Midas’ “Superman” was “completely misunderstood” by listeners, but he’s also trying to let go of these things which are out of his control. “Nobody’s ever going to feel what you felt when you wrote the song as everyone is at the center of their own universe,” he says. “And that’s part of the magic.” True self-acceptance: Slater is steadily getting there, inch-by-inch, wave-by-wave, song-by-song.
In the final week of November, Clockenflap 2024 transformed Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbor into a gathering point for music lovers, blending the city’s history and cultural energy with a lineup that crossed genres and borders.
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More than 60,000 fans came together from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 to witness headliners Jack White, Central Cee, and St. Vincent share the bill with AIR, Creepy Nuts, Glass Animals, as well as a mix of local and international acts. Since its start in 2008 as an indie gathering, Clockenflap has grown into a major international event, attracting world-class artists and fans from all corners of the globe.
Jack White’s closing performance on the Harborflap Stage was nothing short of spectacular as the rocker made his Hong Kong debut. Wasting no time, White dove headfirst into a set that spanned his illustrious career, pulling from his three No. 1 Billboard 200 albums – Blunderbuss, Lazaretto, and Boarding House Reach. Fans erupted as Jack White delivered a throwback with The Raconteurs’ “Steady, As She Goes,” a track penned by White and Brendan Benson that peaked at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Alternative Airplay chart (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks) in 2006.
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However, the night undeniably belonged to “Seven Nation Army.” Its iconic riff, chanted in unison by thousands of fans long after White left the stage, echoed across Victoria Harbor, providing a powerful and unforgettable send-off for the festival.
The Hang Seng Stage on Friday night saw the highly-anticipated performance of Creepy Nuts, a Japanese hip-hop unit consisting of R-shitei (R-rated), the first MC in J-rap history to win the country’s top MC battle competition UMB Grand Championship three times consecutively, and DJ Matsunaga, who won the world’s largest DJ competition DMC World DJ Championships in 2019 and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The duo’s rapid-fire raps brought a fresh and frenzied energy that had the crowd on their feet. Their viral hit “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” featured in season two of the anime Mashle: Magic and Muscles, was an undeniable highlight.
The track’s success includes being ranked first on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 year-end chart for 2024. “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” extended its record to 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and topped the Billboard Japan Streaming Songs, Hot Animation, and Download Songs charts for the year. Their latest single, “Otonoke,” added another high point, reaching number one on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and World Digital Song Sales charts.
In stark musical contrast and framed by the twinkling lights of Hong Kong’s skyline, AIR’s ethereal soundscapes created an unforgettable atmosphere on the Harborflap Stage. The iconic French electronic duo’s set featured the hauntingly beautiful “Highschool Lover” from their acclaimed The Virgin Suicides score. Released in 2000, the soundtrack earned critical acclaim and reached No. 161 on the Billboard 200. The pair also performed fan favorites like the sultry track “Sexy Boy” and the lush “La femme d’argent” from their landmark 1998 debut, Moon Safari.
Central Cee, one of the U.K.’s hottest drill artists, brought the grittiness of tracks like “Doja” and “Sprinter,” turning the tropical night into his own lyrical playground. With peaks of No. 19 and No. 10 on the Billboard Global 200, respectively, he represented a new generation of global artists refusing to be confined by geographic boundaries.
Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” cascaded across the musical landscape and drew a crowd as they showcased their record-breaking Billboard Hot 100 performance. The track holds the record for the longest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100, with an unprecedented 91-week run. Its journey to the top was equally remarkable, taking 59 weeks to reach No. 1, the longest climb to the summit in Hot 100 history.
English EDM icon Jamie xx closed the Hang Seng Stage on Clockenflap’s final night with a vibrant set featuring tracks from his acclaimed album In Colour. The album, which debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chart, sold 19,000 copies in its first week in the U.S. and spent an impressive 70 weeks on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
Jamie kicked off his crowd-pleasing set with “Wanna” and “Treat Each Other Right,” blending fan favorites with fresh material. Highlights included “Gosh,” which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, and “Obvs,” alongside newer tracks like “Falling Together” and “All You Children.”
Deep cuts such as “Breather” and “Life” added depth to the performance, while “Loud Places,” which spent nine weeks on the Billboard Dance Singles chart and peaked at No. 17, delivered a euphoric moment for the audience. The set concluded with “Team Closing,” leaving the crowd on an undeniable high and wrapping up the weekend with an uplifting finale to remember.
Over on the Hang Seng Stage, Porter Robinson took the audience on a journey through sound. With “Shelter,” his collaboration with Madeon that peaked at No. 16 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, and the introspective “Blossom,” which reached No. 46 on the same chart, Robinson wove together emotion and euphoria. The hyperpop star, who was named as one of Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list in 2011, showcased his evolution as an artist, including tracks from his latest album Smile! 😀 which debuted at No. 10 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart this year.
St. Vincent again delivered a genre-defying performance that featured fan favorites like “Cheerleader” and “New York” alongside new tracks from her latest album All Born Screaming, such as “Flea” and “Big Time Nothing”. Her crowd dive was a highlight, embodying the energy and unpredictability that define her artistry. Her latest album, All Born Screaming, debuted at No. 86 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the Independent Albums chart. The record has also nabbed four Grammy nominations, including one for Best Alternative Music Album.
Local and regional acts added even more flavor to the weekend. Japanese vocalist yama turned heads on the Park Stage by Martell where she performed “Haru wo Tsugeru,” a track that peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, her voice carrying across the harbor with soulful clarity.
Japanese girl group Sakurazaka46 lit up the Harborflap Stage with their synchronized choreography for “Nobody’s Fault,” a debut single that topped both the Oricon Singles Chart and the Billboard Japan Hot 100, selling over 408,000 copies in its first week.
Australian DJ Partiboi69, renowned for his unique mix of ghetto house, Miami bass, electro, Detroit techno, and ’90s rave sounds, delivered a party-starting set that kept the crowd moving late into the night. His energetic transitions and unexpected track choices had attendees on their feet, while local act Robot Presents Spider Gubbins added a playful twist to the festival’s evening, performing from an inflatable Bowser shell.
Whether it was Japan’s Creepy Nuts delivering sharp-edged hip-hop, the U.K.’s Central Cee infusing the event with gritty drill beats, and France’s AIR captivating the crowd with their ethereal electronic soundscapes, the festival was a showcase of how diverse musical traditions can intersect on a single stage, celebrating the shared language of music in the heart of Hong Kong.
Early bird tickets for Clockenflap 2025 are available here.
As we build toward the 2024 Billboard Music Awards on Dec. 12 and Billboard’s Year-End Charts reveal on Dec. 13, check out our editorial list of staff picks for the best K-pop songs of the year.
As more and more K-pop artists break the genre and cultural barriers that can divide listeners, the Korean music industry grew its visibility and expanded its experimental nature this past year, resulting in greater opportunities for the scene at large while gifting global audiences some undeniably special singles.
In line with trends since the start of the decade, girl groups continued to dominate the singles space as (G)I-DLE, fromis_9, aespa, NewJeans and ILLIT delivered inescapable hits, alongside beloved troupes like Red Velvet, ITZY, Dreamcatcher and Kep1er, who delivered some of the best songs of their career.
K-divas BIBI, Lee Young Ji and K-pop’s standout rookie boy band TWS delivered singles that became mainstays on the charts and across social media. Elsewhere, Lim Young Woong, PENTAGON’s Hui, ATEEZ, Loossemble and ARTMS all stepped up to new moments of musical greatness with creative curveballs that defied expectations but delighted all kinds of audiences.
From the nostalgic reunion of BIGBANG’s leader G-Dragon enlisting his bandmates Taeyang and Daesung for “Home Sweet Home” to the rookie girl group that made Billboard Hot 100 history this year, not to mention a track that samples Afrika Bambaataa and the Afrobeat-infused flair of KISS OF LIFE’s “Sticky,” this year’s best K-pop songs boast some of the most eclectic, exciting tunes in recent history.
While the Korean music industry continues to expand its global reach, with many of its artists releasing English singles or tracks explicitly aimed at the Western pop market, this list focuses on the songs released with Korean lyrics or with core K-pop audiences in mind (as much as we loved bops from the likes of Jimin, AleXa, BABYMONSTER, the BLACKPINK members and many, many more).
With some of the best boy bands, greatest girl groups, specially selected soloists, plus one dynamic duo, dive into the complete list to experience the finest K-pop songs of 2024. And check out our list of the 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2024, too.
Kep1er, “Shooting Star”
Idols, rookies and global stars all made our list.