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It doesn’t take long to understand that Rose Villain is an artist who is truly interested in what she talks about. Above all, she wants to know who is in front of her – be it her make-up artist, a member of her team, her press office or the bartender. She is a passionate artist who takes care of her music down to the smallest detail and is also a girl with empathy and a good dose of irony. That doesn’t hurt, especially when dealing with topics that can turn out to be traps of banality.
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The 35-year-old Rosa Luini from Milan is enjoying a big turning point in her career thanks to her participation in the 2024 Sanremo Festival, her presence in the Netflix talent show Nuova Scena as a judge and the release of her new album, Radio Sakura, which includes the single “Come un Tuono” feat. Guè, currently at No. 1 on Italy’s singles chart.
Rose Villain has never stopped expressing her opinion on the topics of environmental sustainability and gender inequality. Having lived and studied in the United States — where she likes to return whenever she can — has also contributed to her vision of the world.
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The new issue of Billboard Italy is dedicated to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17 goals of the program are all fundamental, but do you think there is one that you are most attached to?
I am very sensitive to the topic of environmental sustainability. This is why years ago I decided to become vegan. I started from a need related to health, also due to my family history. I had read Michael Greger’s book How Not to Die, which explains in a simple and clear way the impact of meat farming on our environment. Then I started watching documentaries that showed in an even more shocking way the cruelty to which we subject animals. I feel like my life has really improved since becoming vegan, because I feel like I’m doing something for others every day. I notice that when we have dinner with friends, we now talk a lot about the environment, because everyone is worried. But at the beginning I was much more aggressive when I spoke out about these issues.
And now?
I understood that you achieve much more when you explain things calmly and delicately. When it comes to gender equality, for example, if we women attack, then men will retreat. Sometimes in the past I got so angry that I even cried. Now I realize that I have a duty to speak my mind. I try first to inform myself well and then pass the message on.
Do people ask you the classic question “why vegan — wasn’t being vegetarian enough?”
It’s totally different, because even the milk or egg industries pollute as much as the meat industry. The only thing that changes is the killing practice. But it is also absurd cruelty to remove the calf from the cows to have their milk, after they have been made pregnant specifically for that. However, I consider myself an imperfect vegan. I try to do my best, but if I’m on tour and if there’s no alternative, I also eat a croissant with butter. However, vegan food will be the diet of the future. That’s for sure.
Would you like to do more for the environmental sustainability of music and concerts?
Billie Eilish is making vinyl from recycled plastic. I would like to follow her example, also because she is a great inspiration: she is very young and vegan. For tours, I try to participate in green festivals, but the problem is travel. For my part, I try to prefer the train to the plane, whenever possible.
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Coldplay also try to reduce their carbon footprint while touring. You will be opening their shows in Rome in July.
Songs like “Fix You” and “Yellow” were part of my youth, like that of many other people. Who hasn’t listened to them after a breakup? Having been chosen by them to open their concerts still seems incredible to me. I also like the fact that for this tour they always chose women as opening acts.
They like to meet the opening acts when they can. What would you ask Chris Martin?
I would ask him for a featuring right away! I’m joking… I would like to ask him what the key is to remain an artist for so long, how he has retained his audience. In other words, the secret of their artistic immortality.
Going back to the initial question, is the issue of environmental sustainability the one that is closest to your heart among the goals of the 2030 Agenda?
You know what the fundamental goal is that I believe summarizes all the others? Attention for others. If we were all less self-centered, it would be a better world. Few things are needed: kindness, attention, and education. At school they should also teach how to treat women, nutrition and above all respect for others.
You have been fighting for years on the topic of gender inequality. Do you see improvements in the music industry?
Yes. We must thank the American rappers, who have cleared a free narrative, even about sex, expressing themselves as they want. This trend is also arriving in Italy. Let’s take for example Elodie, who during the tour danced as if she were on a cube in the disco. She was criticized but probably didn’t care. Annalisa, same thing. I think there is nothing more beautiful than a woman who feels free to behave as she wants. In my opinion we women are now much more united.
Have you witnessed any abuse?
Sure. A form of pressure that I can’t stand is having to dress sexy. It literally drives me crazy. I also saw it in America. I remember the CEOs who hit on me when I was only 20 years old. We need to learn to say a firm no. But many things have improved since #MeToo, fortunately.
As a child, did you dream of becoming more of a pop star or rapper?
Absolutely a pop star! My myth was (and is) Madonna, who is definitely multifaceted. And The Weeknd is the greatest pop star of our time, in my opinion.
Is there a genre you would focus on?
I love rock. But I think I range a lot in my albums, especially in Radio Sakura, where there are bachata, punk, country and electronica. I don’t want to choose a single genre for a concept album. I want to do everything I like.
Nude pictures of you created with artificial intelligence have circulated on the internet. Does progress sometimes scare you?
A.I. is certainly important. It could help solve many problems or discover new cures for diseases that are now incurable. But it must be regulated in a very strict and precise manner. I also fear that they might use my voice to create videos where they make me say horrible things.
If you had children one day, what would you fear for them?
That they live in a country at war and totally inhospitable, with an out-of-control climate. I would like to have children, precisely to tell them: “You must fight to save the planet.” But Gen Z is very aware, I really trust them.
Canadian musicians who worked with Steve Albini are sharing their admiration.
Albini’s phenomenally prolific career included work on an estimated 2,000 albums, including landmark alt-rock records by Nirvana, Pixies and PJ Harvey. A wide range of notable Canadian artists worked with Albini and were quick to respond with effusive tributes to the Chicago-based studio wizard.
Toronto drummer, composer and author Don Pyle worked with Albini as a member of acclaimed Toronto instrumental bands Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and Phono-Comb. Albini was an admirer of Shadowy Men, even sending them a fan letter that helped prompt the band to hire him for sessions that led to the trio’s second album, 1993’s Sport Fishin’: The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook.
Albini would later work with Dallas Good and The Sadies on The Sadies’ 2001 album Tremendous Efforts and then its 2006 live album, The Sadies In Concert, Vol. 1, recorded at Lee’s Palace in Toronto (Pyle also assisted on the record). Alongside fellow Shadowy Men member Reid Diamond, Beverly Breckenridge and Good (later of The Sadies fame), Pyle was also in the lineup of Phono-Comb, a Toronto band that recruited Albini to work on its 1996 album, Fresh Gasoline.
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In an interview with Billboard Canada, Pyle confirms that his late friend Dallas “definitely had a warm relationship with Steve. The Sadies recorded with him on two occasions. I know Steve definitely enjoyed the experience around coming up here and doing The Sadies live album. Doing the Phono-Comb album allowed for more social time and friendship to happen with them. Steve definitely respected who Dallas became.”
Acclaimed Guelph post-rock band King Cobb Steelie worked on material with Albini prior to the release of its second album, 1994’s Project Twinkle, which would later be credited to Bill Laswell as producer.
“He stayed at my house for a week and was a very generous and gracious guest,” group frontman Kevan Byrne tells Billboard Canada. “I think we were one of the first sessions he engineered after In Utero. Steve raved about Dave Grohl’s drumming and insisted that our drummer buy new white-coated Ambassador heads. Then he used a heat gun to break them in.”
Toronto hardcore faves Fucked Up offered up a succinct and poignant tribute on X: “rip steve…you hated our band and made fun of us while we were recording at your studio but you stood for something honest and fair in music and tried to make it a better place in everything you did and there will never be another one like you.”
Head to Billboard Canada for more remembrances and Albini tidbits from KEN Mode, Joel Plaskett, Metz and more.
Feist, Allison Russell, Mustafa Shortlisted for 2024 Prism Prize
The Canadian Academy has announced the top 10 Canadian music videos of the year. The videos, selected from a pool of 300 by a jury of music and video production professionals, have been shortlisted for the 2024 Prism Prize. The award comes with a $20,000 prize.
Singer-songwriter Feist, pop-rock group The Beaches, roots artist and Grammy winner Allison Russell, musician and poet Mustafa, and hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids (who took home the prize last year, for “Damn Right”) are all amongst the shortlisted nominees.
Since its introduction in 2013, the Prism Prize has been celebrating outstanding work in Canadian music video production. The shortlist is determined by a jury of more than 120 leading figures in Canadian music, film and media arts. In evaluating the music videos, the jury considers elements such as originality, style, creativity, innovation and execution.
Each of the top 10 finalists is also eligible for the fan-voted Audience Award, which comes with a $2,500 CAD prize for the winner.
A celebration of the Class of 2024 will take place in July, featuring a screening of the top 10 videos and the announcement of the winners.
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The 2024 Prism Prize Top 10 (in alphabetical order):
Blame Brett – Artist: The Beaches | Director: Ievy Stamatov
Borrow Trouble – Artist: Feist | Directors: Mary Rozzi, Colby Richardson, Heather Goodchild & Leslie Feist
Demons – Artist: Allison Russell | Director: Ethan Tobman
feral canadian scaredy cat – Artist: young friend | Director: Sterling Larose & Zachary Vague
I’m Good – Artist: Snotty Nose Rez Kids | Director: Sterling Larose
I Wanna Be Your Right Hand – Artist: Nemahsis | Directors: Norman Wong & Amy Gardner
My Mind At Ease – Artist: Dominique Fils-Aimé | Director: Adrian Villagomez
Name of God – Artist & Director: Mustafa
Of Woods And Seas – Artist: Alaskan Tapes | Director: Andrew De Zen
Revenge of the Orchestra (feat. Magugu) – Artist: Apashe | Director: Adrian Villagomez
LONDON — Two of the United Kingdom’s leading music management companies have joined forces after ATC Management acquired a majority stake in Raw Power Management, whose clients include rock bands Bring Me The Horizon and Bullet For My Valentine.
Financial terms reveal that ATC paid £1.4 million ($1.8 million) for a 55% stake in Raw Power, which was founded in 2006 by CEO Craig Jennings, Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor. Headquartered in London and with offices in Los Angeles, Raw Power’s other clients include The Mars Volta, The Damned, You Me At Six, Don Broco, Heartworms, Kid Kapichi, The Chisel and Refused.
Under the new partnership, Raw Power’s U.K. team, including Jennings and commercial director Don Jenkins, will relocate to ATC Management’s London headquarters. Both companies’ LA-based operations will also merge with immediate effect.
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Raw Power employs 14 staff across its U.K. and U.S. offices. The firm said there will be no job losses because of the deal.
According to a regulatory financial filing, Raw Power generated £2.3 million ($2.9 million) in revenue in the year ending Feb. 28 2023. Profit before tax was £326,000 ($412,000).
As part of the majority stake deal, ATC will loan Raw Power up to £1.3 million ($1.6 million) in additional funds to pay off historic debts. Listed among those liabilities in Companies House records is a £1.9 million ($2.4 million) loan from Phantom Music Management, the company of Iron Maiden’s long-time manager (and Raw Power co-founder) Rod Smallwood.
Since its formation in 2006, Raw Power has built itself into one of the leading rock artist management companies in Europe.
Bring Me The Horizon, who are managed by Jennings and the firm’s U.S. president, Matt Ash, won best rock/alternative act at this year’s Brit Awards and have surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams and more than 5 million equivalent album sales worldwide.
The British band’s most recent album, 2020’s Post Human: Survival Horror, topped the charts in the U.K. and peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hard Rock albums chart. A sold-out U.K. and Ireland tour in January sold 140,000 tickets across 10 dates, says Raw Power.
ATC Management was founded in 1996, initially as a boutique ticketing and marketing business, before focusing on artist management. Part of the independently owned ATC Group, which also encompasses live booking agency ATC Live, merchandise company Sandbag and livestream business Driift, the management business represents more than 60 artists, including Nick Cave, The Smile, PJ Harvey, Yaeji, and Johnny Marr. ATC Live represents more than 500 acts, while Sandbag has relationships with 750 artists.
In 2021, ATC Group, which is headquartered in London and operates offices in Los Angeles and New York, listed on the U.K.’s Aquis Stock Exchange.
Commenting on the deal, Raw Power’s Jennings said the merger with ATC marked “a new era” for both companies and would turn them into a “powerhouse organization.”
“Both ATC and Raw Power value integrity, belief in the acts we look after, passion for the music and doing everything for the benefit of our artists,” said Jennings in a statement. “This feels like a massive opportunity to take our artists to a whole new level.”
“At heart, our two companies have a common purpose – to support artists and empower them to achieve their creative and commercial goals,” said Adam Driscoll, CEO, ATC Group. “By coming together and combining forces, the capacity to deliver on those goals has increased substantially.”
Metro Boomin stands poised in quiet confidence, silhouetted against the backdrop of the Great Pyramids of Giza. With an aura of timeless grandeur, the three pyramids echo the iconic rhythm of his “Young Metro 3x” producer tag. Framed meticulously by his photographer, Gunner Stahl, the moment is frozen in time, capturing not just an artist, but a convergence of history, culture and creativity. As the desert sun bathes the scene in a golden light, Metro Boomin’s presence among the pyramids becomes more than a photograph – it’s a testament to the enduring legacy of artistry and innovation.
In this juxtaposition of ancient wonder and contemporary music, Metro’s presence before the pyramids speaks volumes. It demonstrates hip-hop’s enduring influence and its ability to transcend time and space, from Missouri to the Middle East. Metro Boomin’s April 30 concert at the Kundalini Grand Pyramids venue sold out in record time, whereby Live Nation, the organizer, announced a second night in his routing through the Middle East (including a show in Abu Dhabi’s BRED Festival). The majority of the audience knew the words to at least one if not several of his songs and collaborations played during his nearly two-hour set, suggesting that Metro Boomin’s music has found a home in hearts of youth culture worldwide.
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Per Billboard Explains, Metro Boomin’s Billboard Hot 100 breakthrough as a producer came with Future’s “Honest,” which hit No. 55 in 2013. Over the next three years, he produced 23 more Hot 100 hits. He earned his first No. 1 on the Hot 100 for his work on Migos and Lil Uzi Vert’s collab “Bad and Boujee,” which topped the chart for three weeks in 2017. The episode explains that Metro boasts a remarkable tally of 16 top 10 hits on the Hot 100, including noteworthy productions like The Weeknd’s “Heartless” in 2019 and his collaborative effort with Future and Kendrick Lamar, “Like That,” which clinched the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 for three weeks this year.
His collaborations with prominent rap artists on groundbreaking albums have been stellar, with seven top 10 entries on the Billboard 200. According to Billboard Explains, notable highlights include Double or Nothing with Big Sean, which peaked at No. 6 in 2017, Savage Mode II, which ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2020, and his solo project Heroes and Villains, which claimed the top spot on the Billboard 200 in 2022, maintaining a record-breaking 18-week reign atop the Top Rap Albums chart. So far in 2024, Metro’s collaborative album with Future, We Don’t Trust You, and the follow up album, We Still Don’t Trust You, both debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200.
Despite the accolades, Metro maintains a subtle balance of confidence and humility, driven by what feels like a clear sense of purpose in how he approaches making music and chart-topping hits. Throughout his two shows at the Kundalini Grand Pyramids venue, Metro praises his audience and carries with him a sense of wonderment at performing against the backdrop of some of the oldest structures in the world. “I’ve always wanted to see this [the pyramids] with my own eyes, but I could never even fathom doing a show and performing in front of something as crazy and legendary and history as this,” says Metro. “I’m grateful for everyone, for the whole country.”
Metro displays this love in his Cairo shows, wrapping himself in an Egyptian flag as the epic intro of “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” with Future and Chris Brown plays out in one of his closing tracks in the set. He seems completely unfazed that he is performing solo. He emcees his set, engaging frequently with the audience while delivering a mixtape of his massive body of work, masterfully scripted together in a way that tells a story of what it means for a kid from St. Louis, Miss., to end up making music that captivates the entire world.
When asked about his first hip-hop memory, and what song or album compelled him to pursue the genre artistically and professionally, Metro points back to the year 2000, with the release of Nelly’s Country Grammar. Still in kindergarten at the time, there was no going back for Metro, and with the support of his mother, Leslie Joanne Wayne, he went on to become the most sought-after hip-hop producer of his generation, and a catalyst for reviving the genre’s placement on the Billboard charts.
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As reported by Billboard, with We Still Don’t Trust You arriving atop the Billboard 200 only three weeks after We Don’t Trust You debuted at No. 1, that marks the shortest gap between new No. 1s by an artist since Future replaced himself at No. 1 in 2017 in successive weeks with his self-titled album (March 11, 2017, chart) and HNDRXX (March 18, 2017), both of which debuted at No. 1.
According to Metro Boomin, this success came as a result of what he calls “really caring,” coupled with the urgent need to continue competing with oneself, in order to do better than whatever he did last. But there was a deeper force at play beyond just his individual work ethic, which propelled his consecutive albums with Future to unprecedented heights.
In June 2023, Billboard reported that “rap had yet to produce a Billboard 200-topping album or Billboard Hot 100-topping single” that year, while industry executives grew concerned over the genre’s growth and potential stagnation. So for Metro, things got personal.
“I really took it personally, in the past couple years, seeing different outlets and people sh-tting on hip-hop, saying ‘hip-hop is dying, hip-hop is this, it’s been this long since there was a hip hop No 1…’ says Metro Boomin. “Just trying to spin that whole hip-hop is dying narrative, at the same time trying to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. I felt they were trying to wash our genre and culture away, I’m still in the game, and I take it personal. Those kind of things disturbed me, at the same time, it was the kind of fuel I needed.”
Reflecting on his roots and the impact of his work on hip-hop, Metro’s passion for the genre is radiant. This undeniable drive propels him to continuously elevate his presence on the Billboard charts and within the genre at large. With each chart-topping hit and sold-out show, Metro Boomin not only cements his own legacy but also pays homage to hip-hop while ensuring its continued relevance for generations to come. Because for Metro, hip-hop is not dead, it’s very much alive and thriving.
Metro Boomin for Billboard Arabia
Gunner Stahl
Metro Boomin for Billboard Arabia
Gunner Stahl
Metro Boomin for Billboard Arabia
Gunner Stahl
British rock band Elbow was never supposed to be the first act to play Co-op Live — the United Kingdom’s newest and biggest entertainment arena. That honor was originally supposed to go another Greater Manchester local, comic Peter Kay, who grew up in the nearby town of Bolton, and was slated to officially open the 23,500-capacity venue in on April 23.
But construction delays led to the cancellation of Kay’s shows and subsequent gigs for The Black Keys, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Keane, Olivia Rodrigo, as well as a five-night run by Take That. After weeks of false starts, executives with building co-owner and developer Oak View Group — partners on the project with City Football Group (the parent company of Manchester City football club) – insist tonight’s (May 14) long-scheduled Elbow show at Co-op Live will go ahead. Across the live business, executives will be keeping a close eye on how events unfold in Manchester, where the much-hyped project is located.
Billed as a “game-changing” best-in-class new arena facility, Co-op Live has long been positioned as an important international pivot for co-owner Oak View Group, the LA-based arena development company launched by OVG chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke a decade ago. OVG has successfully designed, built and opened more than a dozen successful arenas in the U.S. including Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and UBS Arena in New York and has a full slate of arena development projects in progress in Brazil, Nigeria, Canada and Wales. The firm has also confirmed that it’s in talks to open a new arena in West London.
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Arena construction is challenging under the most ideal conditions, and delays are common, but the arena’s aggressive opening calendar, with more than a dozen concerts planned in its first month, became a liability and source of embarrassment for the company as the delays worsened.
The first signs of problems became apparent at a press launch and invite-only test concert on April 20, headlined by U.K. acts Everything Everything and Rick Astley. OVG’s Leiweke travelled to England to be at the launch, which was attended by Billboard, and told guests of his extreme pride at what OVG and its partners had built in Manchester, which he enthusiastically called “one of the greatest cities on the face of the Earth.”
Foreshadowing some of the issues that were soon to follow, Leiweke urged those present to be patient as his team hosted an audience inside Co-op Live for the first time. “It won’t be perfect,” he said. “Please bear with us as we get through the growing pains and learn tonight how to better operate this building.”
As Leiweke spoke, extensive construction work could be seen and heard taking place in the background. At the time, only the ground floor and sections of the first floor were open to visitors. In those areas, lights, cables and wires could be seen hanging loosely from fittings. Temporary wall and floor coverings were a common sight and only a small number of toilets were accessible. The cold temperature inside the building suggested either its heating system was not working or had not been switched on.
Rendering of the interior of Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Courtesy of Oak View Group
Hours before doors opened that night, Co-op Live announced it had cancelled thousands of free tickets for the test event, provoking an angry backlash from disappointed fans on social media. Inside the venue, the show went ahead smoothy in front of several thousand people — but it was hardly the grand unveiling OVG were hoping for and was overshadowed by negative headlines.
Less than 48 hours later, Co-op Live began detailing the construction issues delaying the building’s opening, starting with power supply issues that would push back shows for Kay, the comic, and The Black Keys by one week.
That news was followed by the surprise resignation of Co-Op Live building manager Gary Roden, who came under fire from the UK based Music Venue Trust for criticizing a proposal to raise money for venue preservation by adding a surcharge to Co-op Live and other U.K. arena tickets. The next day, the rescheduled opening shows by The Black Keys and Kay were postponed for a second time.
In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Leiweke said Brexit, Covid and a record amount of rainfall were in part to blame for the delays to the project, while a joint statement from Manchester City Council and the city’s emergency services on April 26 blamed outstanding issues should been fixed in advance of opening including “a fully tested emergency services communication system… some remaining internal security systems, and fire safety measures.”
On May 2, during a soundcheck for A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, a piece of the building’s ventilation system fell from the ceiling, shaking confidence in the building’s readiness. That led to another round of cancellations at Co-op Live, including upcoming shows by Rodrigo, Keane and Take That.
In response, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Take That’s teams jumped into action and moved their concerts (six in total) to Manchester’s rival arena facility, the ASM Global-operated AO Arena, who’s general manager Jen Mitchell relished the opportunity, telling Billboard, “Everyone really pulled everything out of the bag at the last minute. It’s been a lot of late-night calls and problem solving, but in the best possible way.”
Mitchell declines to discuss operations at Co-op Live but says she empathizes with the issues the venue has experienced. “Arenas are big venues and there’s always challenges around those, and opening any space comes with its own [unique] challenges,” she says.
In Roden’s absence, Co-op Live is now managed by Rebecca Kane Burton, the former GM of London’s O2 arena, which is owned and operated by AEG.
Over the past two weeks, contractors have been working overtime to fix outstanding issues to the building and get it ready for tonight, insiders tell Billboard. An inspection by Co-op Live subcontractor, SES, found that the issues with its ventilation system, which led to the pulling of A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s May 2 show, was the result of “an isolated manufacturing fault.”
Sources tell Billboard that all premium member spaces for which tickets have been sold are up and running, including the venue’s deluxe spaces, Ciroc Lounge and AMP Club. As compensation for recent disruptions, ticket holders for all postponed shows would be offered a free drink and food item of their choice when visiting the arena, Co-op Live said.
“I think the lesson to be learned in all of this, is never over promise and under deliver because it will catch you out,” says Mark Borkowski, founder of London-based communications agency Borkowski and an expert in crisis and reputation management.
“The magnifying glass is now on them but if they can get it right, and they have got to get it right, then all of this will be forgotten.” says Borkowski.
He cites the troubled birth of London’s Millennium Dome, which was subsequently redeveloped as The O2 arena, as an example of high-profile building projects that experience major teething problems before eventually turning it around.
“No project of this scale runs to plan,” adds Borkowski. “The negative headlines that surrounded the Millennium Dome totally dwarfed what’s going on in Manchester, but now [The O2] is held up as one of the best in the world. Co-op Live can use that as exemplar of what they need to do.”
Executives of Tencent Music Entertainment Group said on Monday that higher than expected subscriber growth pushed its first quarter profits up 28% to RMB1.53 billion ($212 million). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Through marketing promotions timed around the Chinese New Year holiday, TME was able to […]
The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest live broadcasts aren’t just about the competing songs. There are flashbacks to past shows, interstitial material and most important, performances by some of the host country’s most beloved artists.
One of Sweden’s brightest stars turned in a tour-de-force performance this week in the first semi-final for Eurovision 2024. Benjamin Ingrosso performed a seven-minute medley of some of his best songs, including his new single, “Look Who’s Laughing Now.”
Ingrosso has a multi-year history with Eurovision. When he was 8 years old, he competed in the Lilla Melodifestivalen for younger artists in 2006 and won. In 2017 he competed in Sweden’s national final with the song “Good Lovin’” but did not win and did not advance to Eurovision. It was a whole different story in 2018 when Ingrosso’s “Dance You Off” won Melodifestivalen and opened the door for him to compete in Eurovision that year.
Billboard met up with Ingrosso at the Malmö Arena to talk about this year’s Eurovision, his new album and what happened when he sang “Wild World” in front of Cat Stevens.
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What is it like for you coming back to Eurovision but not competing?
It’s a very nice thing to come back and not compete, because you don’t win and you don’t lose. You can just go up on stage and have fun. But for me, the biggest difference is that when I was here six years ago, I was a younger, almost a completely different artist. I was 21 and now I’m 26 and I’ve been on tour a lot and I think I have evolved as an artist. People who have not seen me since 2018 will see me as a different performer, and I do believe I’m more of a performer now. Back then I was just an artist singing a song, but now I’m an entertainer. At least, that is what I’m aiming for.
I saw your rehearsal and you’re definitely a performer.
I’ve been working hard to get where I am today. I always love to work on every little thing I do. I really want to become better. Back in 2018, I did like a music video kind of number and this is the opposite. This is more of a live pop show. I’ll be on stage with 21 people for a seven-minute medley of my recent songs.
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Describe the work you put into your performance.
Covid stopped everything from happening, but I worked a lot during the pandemic. I released a lot of music in Sweden. Since my Eurovision participation in 2018, I’ve released four studio albums and three live albums. I’ve done a TV show. I’ve done concerts and tours, so I think I’ve been evolving both as a human being and also as an artist.
What advice would you give yourself if you went back in time to when you were performing on Lilla Melodifestivalen?
I would just give him a big hug and say, “I’m proud of you.” I sent a video to my mom last night from the rehearsals and I said, “Imagine if I could go back in time and show the 8-year-old me this number, he would be so proud.” This is like a full circle moment. When I was a kid, I loved John Travolta and tonight I will be on stage in a white John Travolta suit, so I’m doing this for the little kid I was.
Tell me about your new single.
I just released “Honey Boy” last week with the Purple Disco Machine and Nile Rodgers and Shenseea and that song is one of my favorite songs ever. I wrote the chorus two years ago and we’ve been working on it for a while. I performed it last summer on my tour, so my core fans have been asking for this song for a long time. That song will be the end of the medley. I also premiere a new song tonight, “Look Who’s Laughing Now,” and that song will be out this month on May 31.
Did you write “Look Who’s Laughing Now”?
I wrote it in Los Angeles with David Stewart and Jessica Agombar. They had a number one in Billboard. We’re talking the younger David Stewart [not the Eurhythmics Dave Stewart]. They did “Dynamite” with BTS. He just finished Shakira’s new album. He’s supremely talented. We were in Westlake Studios for four days and on the fourth day, the guy that works in the studio asked if I wanted a tour of the place. I walked past Michael Jackson’s gloves and a painting. “Wait a minute. Why are there Michael Jackson pictures everywhere?” “He did Thriller here.” And I said, “And you’re telling me this now? I’ve been here for four days. This could have been inspiration!” But it turned out to be a great song that starts with a Queenish/ABBA beat. There’s some energy in that studio.
Are you working on a new album?
Yes. I’ve been on my first European tour. It is sold out, and I’ve been so blessed to be able to do a European tour for the first time in my career. And on that tour, I’ve been doing 80% new songs, teasing the next album. I did not tell anyone before, because I thought that people wouldn’t buy tickets if it was only songs that they never heard. But to be honest, I made people sing along in a weird way. Thanks to TikTok and Instagram, people could learn the songs before the show.
Any plans to do more recording in America for this upcoming album?
I might go back in September after the tour to finish a couple songs. Before Covid, I used to go to Los Angeles often. I think for the next album, I will be doing maybe 80% of the songs in Los Angeles, because I’ve been working with a lot of great songwriters and producers.
The European tour is over, so what is next?
The European tour lasted a month. The new tour is in Scandinavia and it’s on a much larger scale. We’re 12 people on stage. There are 45 people in the crew, so it’s a massive production. We’re playing Stockholm in August in a stadium, which is has a capacity of 30,000. It’s my biggest show ever in my career so far, so that’s going to be cool.
Any thoughts of trying to break into America?
100%. That’s my goal and it’s been my goal ever since I was a kid, although when I was 8 years old, I wanted to become a Broadway musical artist. I did musicals, but that changed and then when I was a teenager, I wanted to become the next David Foster and now I’m really aiming for a global tour in the future.
Marcus and Martinus from Norway are representing Sweden this year Have you given them any advice about performing on the Eurovision stage?
We talked yesterday. I was in the bathroom on the toilet and I heard the guys coming in and I said one word in Norwegian and they said, “Benjamin?” I asked how they could hear what I was saying. They replied, “We’ve been listening to ‘Honey Boy’ for 24 hours. So we recognized your voice in a second.” We talked about the fact that it’s a three-minute performance, so make sure you enjoy those three minutes because they go like this[finger snap]. I told them to have fun and enjoy it and not take it too seriously. To win Melodifestivalen is already a big achievement. It is pretty hard for a country to win Eurovision twice in a row [Sweden won in 2023 with “Tatttoo” by Loreen]. I told them that we’re all proud of them.
I was seated at a table closest to the stage at the Polar Music Prize in 2023 when Chris Blackwell was a Laureate, so I had a close-up view of you singing “Wild World.” What was it like when Cat Stevens rose out of his seat and walked on stage to embrace you?
It was insane. First of all, I had rehearsals the whole day for the tour, so I had one hour to jump into the car, put on my clothes, walk up on stage, sing the song and then all of a sudden, people were standing and I just turned around and Cat Stevens was there, right next to me, hugging me. It was a great night. The day after, I thought, “What happened yesterday? Did I hug Cat Stevens?” It was so cool. And then I performed the song on my tour and I never expected it to become such a big thing. A lot of older artists from his generation came up to me in Sweden and they were saying things like, “Well, Cat Stevens gave you a big hug. That’s impressive.”
We couldn’t tell from the floor — when he was hugging you, did he say anything in your ear?
He said nothing to me, but I saw him interviewed by the host and he said, “That guy is really talented. I really want to work with him.” Just the fact that he said that was pretty dope.
With less than four hours to go before the live grand final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, developments on the ground in Malmö, Sweden, are heating up at a fast pace. During the third dress rehearsal for the grand final, still in progress at Malmö Arena, the singer from France stopped his performance to […]
Eric Lehman from Luxembourg started out as a Eurovision fan, attending his first contest in Birmingham, England, in 1998 after Katrina & the Waves claimed victory in 1997 with “Love Shine a Light.” Eventually, Lehman became a journalist, reporting for various outlets in his home country, even though the Grand Duchy dropped out of the contest in 1994.
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Nine years later, when the song contest was held in Riga, Latvia, Lehman stayed an extra day.
“I invited a close friend of mine to come over to my hotel room to have coffee. We discussed the possible return of Luxembourg. At that point, we had not participated for 10 years. My friend said, ‘Why don’t you try to reach out to let them know what the benefits are, of coming back and participating in the Eurovision Song Contest? You are well equipped with all your Eurovision knowledge, and you have all these contacts. Why don’t you reach out and tell them if they need a head of delegation, you are the perfect choice.’ I was very reluctant because I thought I would be too young for this. He said, ‘No, just go and suggest it.’”
Fast forward to 2024. Lehman’s accreditation badge lists his name and title: head of delegation.
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There are not a lot of things fans of the Eurovision Song Contest hate about the long-running, pan-European competition – but one of them is when countries drop out. But as much as they dislike when that happens, they love it when they return.
The small European nation was there at the very beginning of Eurovision in 1956, one of seven countries in that inaugural broadcast. Luxembourg consistently returned to the contest every year through 1993, only missing 1959.
Things went south in 1994. Seven new countries were admitted, bringing the total number of entrants who wanted to take part to 32, too many for one broadcast. A relegation system was implemented and the six lowest scoring countries in the 1993 contest were out. Goodbye Belgium, Israel, Denmark, Slovenia, Turkey and Luxembourg. Italy voluntarily withdrew.
All of those nations did return, sooner or later. But not Luxembourg – until now.
Eric Lehman was 10 years old in 1988. “I watched Eurovision with my family,” he tells Billboard. “My father was working for RTL, the national broadcaster in Luxembourg, and he had worked on the 1984 contest, the last time Luxembourg hosted [after a 1983 win with “Si La Vie Est Cadeau” by Corinne Hermès]. As a kid, I was allowed to stay awake until very late in the night because the show would end at midnight CET. We were represented in 1988 by Lara Fabian, who went on to become a big star. It was the same year that Celine Dion sang for Switzerland. Lara was in the lead, so I was really enthusiastic. I thought we might win. I like geography and hearing different languages and I enjoy music and TV production, so Eurovision was giving me everything I wanted.”
In 1998, with access to the Internet to purchase a ticket, Lehman traveled to Birmingham by himself to be in the audience for the first time. “I met so many people and became a member of the local fan club and went on to be president in 2000. There are 42 branches today.”
Lehman’s next step was to cover Eurovision for Luxembourg media, including RTL, Radio Luxembourg and local newspapers. Then he became a member of various delegations over the years, including Lithuania, Turkey and France. He also returned as a journalist for Luxembourg television.
All this time, Lehman was determined to bring Luxembourg back into the Eurovision fold. “I fought very hard. I wanted to be the face of Eurovision in Luxembourg. I staged annual charity fundraisers for Televie, a TV marathon that collects funds to fight against cancer and leukemia. They were all Eurovision-themed, which is how we made Eurovision popular again at home.”
Lehman was at the contest in Turin (2022) and Liverpool (2023) and did “massive coverage” for RTL. “I started a big campaign with our previous prime minister, Xavier Bettel.” Lehman and Bettel were granted a one-hour meeting with RTL CEO Christophe Goossens.
“It took me three weeks to prepare this presentation. I got in touch with 14 heads of delegation, EBU staff and former contest producers, to find all the information we would need in order to know what it takes to join Eurovision and what the costs are.”
Lehman, who says he doesn’t even sweat at the gym, could feel drops of water running down his spine during the presentation. “I knew that this was the moment. If we didn’t convince them now, we never would. We explained what the benefits are, that Eurovision has a large audience, especially young people 15 to 29. That is very interesting for them. And it’s not about the three minutes on stage. It’s a good thing for the entire country – nation branding, creating new music, promoting and showcasing new local talents and allowing a team of singers and composers to work with foreign composers and record labels. It’s a way to expand your music industry to the rest of the world.”
Not long after, Lehman got a call from RTL asking if he would he take on the job of head of delegation for Luxembourg’s return to Eurovision.
Thus began a search for candidates to represent the country after a 31-year gap. “We proceeded to the selection process with a nationally televised contest. We received over 500 entries. From that field, we selected 70 songs to audition. And from those 70, we chose eight singers to compete in a national final.”
One of those eight performers was Tali, an Israeli-born singer who had been living in Luxembourg. She was in New York studying theater when Lehman called and asked if she would consider representing Luxembourg in Eurovision.
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And what of the friend who told Lehman he should pursue his dream all those years ago?
“Last year when I was appointed HOD, I knew I needed to find him. We had not been in touch for years because he stopped coming to Eurovision in 2007. I didn’t have his phone number or email address. I checked Facebook and other social media and couldn’t find him. Then I traveled to Malmö. I was in the lobby of the official delegation hotel on the day of the opening ceremony and I saw him after 17 years. I got up and I said, ‘Do you remember me? I’m Eric from Luxembourg.’ He immediately recognized me and we talked for a while and later at dinner I showed him my badge and said, ‘Remember what we said back then in 2003 in the hotel room?’ He started crying and I told him, ‘I was looking for you because I wanted to tell you that your idea and my dream have come true. I have become head of delegation of Luxembourg and I brought the country back.’ Can you imagine? Twenty-one years later, it happened. It’s quite a coincidence because he hadn’t attended the contest for 17 years. And just when I was thinking about him, there he was.”
Tali will sing “Fighter” for Luxembourg in the grand final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. She is fourth in the running order. Viewers in the U.S. can watch the four-hour live broadcast on Saturday, May 11 at 3 p.m. ET.
Joost Klein, the Netherlands’ representative in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, is being investigated by the European Broadcasting Union for an “incident.” No details have been made public yet, but Klein is suspended from rehearsals. It is not known if he will be able to continue in the competition.
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The EBU statement did not shine much light on the situation: “We are investigating an incident reported to us concerning the Dutch artist. He will not be rehearsing until further notice. We have no further comment at this time and will update in due course.”
The second dress rehearsal for the grand final is now underway at the Malmö Arena in Sweden. The Netherlands is in fifth position. Nothing will seem amiss in the venue. SVT, the Swedish TV broadcaster, will use Klein’s rehearsal from semi-final 2 unless the incident is cleared up in the next few minutes. The EBU is in talks with Dutch broadcaster Avrotros.
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The broadcast begins with the traditional “flag parade,” with the artists striding on the stage in performance order. Klein appeared in the ceremony in the first dress rehearsal on Friday (May 10) afternoon. When it was time for him to perform, his stage props were being set up on stage when they were suddenly removed. He was absent from the evening rehearsal flag ceremony. The voiceover announcer proclaimed, “Netherlands,” but no one appeared to show off the nation’s flag.
The dress rehearsal currently underway is an important one; the national juries are watching and will cast their votes tonight.
While details about the incident are not known, Billboard got wind of speculation that there was a backstage incident between Klein and someone working on the show — but cannot confirm anything. There was tension between Klein and Israel’s singer, Eden Golan, at a Thursday (May 9) night press conference for the 10 qualifying countries in semi-final 2. Golan was asked if her presence at the contest presented a security risk.
The moderator told Golan she need not answer, and Klein shouted out, “Why not?” Golan then voluntarily said that the EBU was committed to a safe and inclusive environment for all. The assembled press corps burst into applause.
Israel follows Netherlands in the running order, so it is likely that the two artists were in close proximity during the afternoon rehearsal.
This is a developing story.