Interview
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Here’s the first change Jon Loba intends to make, in his new position as BMG’s president of frontline recordings in North America: “Immediately ramping up the A&R team in L.A.”
So the Berlin-based music company is hiring? “Yes. Yes!” Loba says, by phone from the Detroit airport, near his home city north of Grand Rapids, Mich. “News at 10.”
Loba, who has spent the past seven years breaking country superstars such as Jelly Roll, Parmalee, Lainey Wilson and Blanco Brown in his role as the company’s Nashville president, will remain in Music City but broaden to other genres and U.S. cities. “BMG wanted to devote more resources to the U.S., and part of that was to focus even further on frontline, looking at the success we’ve had in Nashville,” says Loba, who plans to travel to L.A. every other week and New York sporadically. “The biggest challenge is keeping everyone patient.”
BMG announced the Loba move Thursday morning (Jan. 25) with a concurrent one for Thomas Scherer, who moves from running publishing and recordings in L.A. and New York to head of global recorded catalog. The move effectively puts Loba in charge of new music and Scherer in charge of classics (while still in charge of publishing). BMG’s CEO, Thomas Coesfeld, took over the company last July and, Loba says, has veered away from the company’s April 2023 announcement that it would combine its frontline and catalog divisions.
“[Coesfeld] is incredibly analytical and had a different take on the business,” Loba says, “and felt the catalog business could benefit from even more focus and being separated out a little bit.”
BMG, part of the Bertelsmann publishing empire, was formerly a standalone label, then merged with major label Sony Music Entertainment before a 2007 uncoupling. It has since beefed up as a music company focused on publishing, acquiring or re-signing catalogs by artists from Paul Simon to Tina Turner, and developed a recorded-music division thanks in no small part to its Nashville office. Loba joined the company in 2017 when BMG purchased BBR Music Group — whose roster included stars Jason Aldean and Dustin Lynch — for $100 million.
Bertelsmann, which recently failed to acquire Simon & Schuster, has pledged to invest billions throughout its companies, giving it considerable clout in a music industry dominated by the three major labels and smaller competitors such as Concord and HYBE. The company’s music divisions will be centered in the United States and the United Kingdom, not so much in Bertelsmann’s Berlin home base. “We are in an absolutely beautiful place,” Loba says. “The catalog allows stability and for us to take chances on frontline. We have the resources and reach of the three majors with the heart and tenacity and focus of an indie. There are few companies, if any, that have both.”
When Loba moves into his new position, effective immediately, he’ll begin expanding the label’s ability to discover and sign new artists. “Internally, for sure, there will be resources added. Our immediate focus is getting that world-class A&R team together, while removing, for the rest of the departments and staff, anything that’s not productive, getting rid of bureaucracy if there is any,” Loba says. “It’s just a real watershed moment for BMG. It’s our coming of age.”
Flavor Flav teamed up with his Public Enemy bandmate Chuck D for “Every Where Man,” a new single that uses AI to translate the track to dozens of different languages. To celebrate, he joined Billboard’s Rania Aniftos to discuss the inspiration behind the song. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, […]
After a decadelong hiatus since her Grammy-nominated Vengo, Ana Tijoux — synonymous with the trailblazing spirit of Latin American hip-hop — returns with Vida, her fifth solo album.
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The 15-track LP stems from a period of intense personal experiences for the legendary Chilean rapper, particularly shaped by the dual forces of loss and motherhood. It’s a profound statement on existence and a celebration of life’s ebbs and flows.
Her introspection in Vida is encapsulated in tracks like “Millonaria,” where she juxtaposes the metaphorical richness of personal relationships against material wealth; the Afrobeats of “Bailando Sola Aquí,” about the importance of returning to the center of oneself; or “Busco Mi Mombre,” which explores identity, memory and resilience — verses like “Rompieron la puerta sin aviso, te arranaron de mí sin permiso” (“They broke the door without warning, tore you away from me without permission”) hint at a personal and collective grief over those unjustly taken.
“Vida is a response, unfortunately, to many people who passed away, people very close to me. It’s also a response to what happened with those departures,” the artist tells Billboard Español.
Motherhood, a recurring influence in Tijoux’s life and art, continues to shape her perspective. In the years between Vengo and Vida, it has influenced her worldview, infusing her music with a nuanced understanding of life’s complexities. This evolution is evident in the way she approaches her craft, learning to navigate emotional landscapes with a renewed sense of gratitude and self-compassion.
From her beginnings with rap group Makiza in the ’90s to her solo success with hits like “1977”, Tijoux has always forged her own path. Vida continues this tradition: it is a tale of resistance, revolution and the unwavering spirit of an artist who continues to redefine the contours of Latin hip-hop. “I think the most beautiful thing is that there are no pioneers here, there is an existing fabric and we build together,” adds Tijoux. “It’s not false humility, the world of hip-hop and rap is community. Therein lies its strength and its construction on its axis, and that makes all the beauty of this genre”.
The wordsmith talks to Billboard Español from Barcelona about her comeback.
Vida is your first album in ten years, what motivated you to go back to the studio?
After a decade, between life and motherhood, an avalanche of things happened. Vida is a response, unfortunately, to many people who passed away, people very close to me. It is also a response to what happened with those departures that sometimes are very hard. I don’t know why humans sometimes need those things that move us to create, or in this case to write or make songs.
Unfortunately, sometimes tragedies inspire that creative side of us to release. “Millionaire,” for example, is joyful and brims with metaphors.
“Millionaire” justly is a way of thanking my family and the people I appreciate, which have been many links woven through the years. They make me feel that I am a very lucky person. Understanding that we live in a very crazy time, of asking “what do you want to have to be lucky?” I feel full of jewels of people around me. That’s why the irony is carats, using this metaphor of bling. It’s ironic but grateful, to pay homage to all those people who for me are more than people — people who mark me and build me and allow me to walk.
You are the mother of two children. How has motherhood influenced your artistic career?
In every sense. Everyone lives motherhood in a very different way. I don’t think there is one way to live it. There’s also a side where you are faced with a lot of fears, trying to do the best you can, with a million mistakes. And within these mistakes, I believe that dialogue with one’s children is also very important. With this career, which is very beautiful but also very demanding, trying to deal with the labor demands, which in the end is a profession. Raising and trying to give tools to help one’s children, I believe that there is an influence in everything that one is. It is evident that this marks and sets the tone of how one perceives the world.
During the creation of Vida, how did you overcome creative challenges and what did you learn about yourself in the process?
I have learned how not to be so hard on myself. I dare say that many artists I have met from different musical genres or different areas, one works with emotions. It’s not a linear thing, it’s not numerical, it’s from emotion, from that swaying, from things that happen; some beautiful and others more complex that have to do with exposure, expectations, both personal and external…and pressure. I am also grateful to a lot of people I don’t know in person, but who make it possible for me to continue working. In that turmoil of emotions, one tries to surf the wave. I think it’s fun to take age, to grow old or to observe how one goes as the years go by. Approaching the work with these learnings, at the point of achievements but also of mistakes.
The album has notable and very diverse collaborations, with Talib Kweli, Plug 1 of De La Soul, iLe, Pablo Chill-E, among others. How do you choose your collaborations?
The collaborations came very naturally. Each one is a universe, each artist is a planet. You go through how you learn through each person you collaborate with. I think that the songs commanded and shouted those specific people, and I love that because they are all very different. It’s nice to be able to discover those planets and to invite them into mine and dialogue.
The production is a mix of hip-hop, jazz and Latin American rhythms, how are these diverse influences fused into a cohesive expression?
Andrés Celis has been in charge of the production, with whom we have made the two previous albums. Andrés comes from the world of jazz, but he is also very curious. He is very open to the richness of the multiplicity of sonorities that exist around the world. I think he translates very well these questions, this desire to explore in the songs.
As a leading figure in the Spanish-language rap scene and a pioneer since Makiza, how do you see the evolution of the genre from your point of view?
It’s nice because now I see a lot of women from different parts, many from Chile, with whom I have a super good vibe or I am very admiring. It gives me a kind of healthy envy to say, “¡Pucha! Why wasn’t I born later?” I would have had more sisters and colleagues, ¿cachai? Yes, there were in my time, but we were few. Now I see a diversity and multiplicity, crossing Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, in so many other countries. There is a new crop of incredible artists that come with a momentum, with a grit and a hunger. Also to be able to share their flow, their experiences, their sorrows, their joys, and their questions as a woman. I see that there is a lot of richness now. There is a volcano of things that are happening from a new generation that is very eager to express itself, and that is always very healthy. In the end it shows a very vital Latin America, with many very vital women.
In Chile I’m a big fan of Irina Doom, La Mística, La Flor del Rap, 22RUZZ. There’s a girl from the Dominican Republic who is amazing at rapping, and a couple of Mexican girls that I love. They are very precise when it comes to rhyming, flow and meter. There is a girl from the Dominican Republic who is amazing at rapping, and a couple of Mexican girls that I love. They are very precise when it comes to rhyming, flow and meter. Aside from the tone of a woman’s voice, it’s very different from a man’s voice. The fact that it has higher tones allows an exploration in other tonalities that I say, “Wow, that’s cool!” I think the most beautiful thing is that there are no pioneers here, there is an existing fabric and we build together. It’s not false humility; the world of hip-hop and rap is a community. Therein lies its strength and its construction on its axis, and that makes all the beauty of this genre.
Performing at Carnegie Hall is only a dream for most artists in the world. Soon Andrés Cepeda will be able to say that he has done it not once but twice — and in less than two years — when he returns to the iconic New York City venue on May 1.
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“I would have really liked it if my parents, who are no longer with me, had seen me get there,” the Colombian singer-songwriter tells Billboard Español. “They also dreamed of stages like that.”
The show is part of his upcoming Tengo Ganas Tour, a 19-date engagement in the U.S. that starts in Nashville on April 9 and includes cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, D.C., before concluding on May 4 in Charlotte, NC. Countryman singer Alejandro Santamaría is coming along with him. (For more information and tickets, visit andrescepeda.com.co)
Tengo Ganas follows his tour La Ruta Púrpura, which began in October 2022 precisely with that dreamy sold-out concert at the Carnegie Hall.
Cepeda, who won his fourth Latin Grammy in November (best traditional pop album, for Décimo Cuarto) and returned this week as a judge on La Voz Kids “Colombia,” began his career with Poligamia, a Latin rock-pop band which he founded with some friends during his teenage years, releasing several albums in the ’90s.
Since debuting as a solo artist with the set Sé Morir in 1999, he has recorded a dozen albums and released hits including “Tengo Ganas,” “Día Tras Día” and “Beso Usados.” And he’s been the only artist to fill the Movistar Arena in Bogotá, the largest stage in Colombia, for five consecutive days. On the Billboard charts, he has had two Latin Pop Airplay entries: “El Mensaje” in 2013 (No. 38), and “Magia” with Sebastián Yatra in 2018 (No. 37).
In an interview from Miami on Thursday morning (Jan. 11,) Cepeda spoke with Billboard Español about his upcoming tour, his creative process and his first album under Warner Music Mexico, which he will begin recording next month.
1. Most artists prefer to give interviews in the afternoon. It’s 9:30 am. Can we assume that you are a morning person, or was this circumstantial?
I’m used to starting early when we’re on promo, because we also do a lot of things in the afternoon. So to make the most out of our working day, we start early.
2. How do you usually wake up? Biological clock or alarm?
I set the alarm, but my biological clock usually wakes me up a few minutes early. You know, you kind of program yourself and wake up but, just in case, it’s better to set the alarm. And that alarm is music. For a couple of years now I have had a song that I love by The Beatles that has a beautiful personal meaning for me, “Here Comes the Sun.” Of course it doesn’t reflect much of today’s [rainy] weather [laughs]. But I like that song.
3. On April 9, you start your Tengo Ganas Tour in the U.S. How do you prepare for that?
Well, there is a stage of a lot of rehearsal, of a very strict curation of the songs, the arrangements, what is going to be presented, the staging, the narrative that accompanies the songs — because it is not just getting up and singing them, but being able to tell people a little about them and how one comes to make all this music and all these songs. So there is a part, let’s say, of writing and narrating that narrative — and then along the way, for me it is vital to have a good few hours of sleep and a good diet. It gives you the possibility of facing a series of consecutive dates that are still demanding.
4. What can you tell us about the show itself compared to the previous one?
The previous show was focused on the acoustic aspect of my career, with boleros and other Latin rhythms even flirting a little with jazz, in a format that was composed of acoustic piano, double bass, winds and guitar. This time I present the other side of the coin, so to speak, which has to do with my influence, which is pop and rock. Although they have in common the romantic nature of my stories and my music, they are two different sounds that have accompanied me throughout my career.
5. What will be Alejandro Santamaría’s role on the tour? Will you be sharing the stage or will he serve as an opening act?
Both. He is going to be the opening act at the shows, and he is also going to be invited in the section that I sing because we have recorded music together, so we will be singing a couple of the songs that we have done and he will be accompanying me throughout the journey of this tour.
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6. For many, the Carnegie Hall is just an unattainable dream. You already performed there in October 2022 with a sold-out show and you are returning on May 1. How did you get to play on this venue and what does it represent for you?
We were very fortunate to present our proposal to the Carnegie Hall curatorial committee two years ago. We explained what we wanted to do, we presented our resume, and they thought it was interesting and that it was worth having us there. And it went so well last year — it was sold-out and they liked it a lot — so they told us that if we wanted to come back the doors were open. For us it is a great honor. It is an iconic venue, a dream, a goal. I would have really liked it if my parents, who are no longer with me, had seen me get there, because they also dreamed of stages like that.
7. Last November, you won your fourth Latin Grammy. Do these types of recognitions continue to surprise or excite you?
It’s not something you get used to. I thought at some point that it could be like that, but no. It is becoming more and more exciting because it is the sum of several prizes, so you receive them with great joy, great emotion, great expectation. I have to confess that the days before an award ceremony, and on the day of the award ceremony, my hands sweat, the anxiety is incredible. In some way you suffer a lot waiting to see what happens … and when you receive it you celebrate with great joy. Especially when it’s an award for an album, which honors the entire team.
8. Let’s talk a little about your songwriting process. Each song has its own story, but in general, what is the common denominator?
Perhaps the common denominator is that I always look for a space of disconnection, a lot of peace, a lot of silence, where I can isolate myself from the everyday life and the rest of the world. But it is always different in the sense that sometimes I write with others, sometimes the lyrics emerge first or sometimes the musical idea emerges first. Normally in my case, when I work alone, the musical idea comes first, and then I find the path to what I want to say.
9. What was the song that came out the fastest, the one that sort of wrote itself?
[Laughs.] Some of them write themselves and it is surprising, because you feel like they are moving your hand, yes. There is one song in particular that I love very much that I wrote in one pass, and when that happens it is something exceptional. It’s a song called “Ciertas Cosas.” Another one that came in a single pass, like an instant song, was “Sé Morir.” But there are others that you have to work on for a full day or several days, or you even start writing and let some days or weeks pass before returning to it to complete it.
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10. The most difficult or the one that took the longest to complete?
A song from my last album [Décimo Cuarto] that I sang and wrote with a Colombian artist that I love very much, Greeicy Rendón, [“Le Viene Bien”]. The entire process of writing, producing and making the video took two years. When we went into the studio to record it we were still making corrections and things.
When you write with someone else and you have the possibility of debating and somehow negotiating each of the verses, one would think that it’s a tedious process, but on the contrary, it is very pleasant to sit down and bid for what each one wants the song to say. Those discussions are fantastic.
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11. And does it happen to you in cases like those that you hear the published song later and still go, “Ugh, I should have used this other word”?
That happens and you have to learn to let go, because if you focus so much on making it perfect… And not just with the lyrics! With the music, it happens a lot that you are in the studio and you don’t get over that process and you want to fix it and re-record the piano and voice again because you want this part to be better. You start to go crazy. Sometimes you have to understand that the song is ready and let it go.
12. What achievement, song or album would you say marked a turning point in your career?
There’s a song [from 2014] that did that in my career, and put me in a different place mentally, in the creative process. It’s a song called “Día tras día.”
13. I am going to tell you a series of words and I want you to answer the first thing that comes to your mind. Poligamia.
The cradle! The hatchery, so to speak. The beginning of a career.
14. Bogota’s Movistar Arena.
Five absolutely unforgettable nights in my career and in my life. A week on a honeymoon with my own city.
15. Colombia.
The love of my life, with whom I have great romances but also strong arguments at times.
16. As an artist and as a judge for La Voz Kids, any message or advice for young people who aspire to have a career in music?
First, that it is very much worth it. And second, that it is worth it as long as you commit to it, take it very seriously, study and understand that it is a career. The more prepared you are, the more competitive and deeper you can become. Talent and vocation are just a small part of what is needed to achieve something in this profession; I think dedication, persistency, perseverance and preparation are an even bigger part than the other.
17. You’re going back to the studio to work on a new album in February. How many songs have you already written?
This album should have 10 songs and there are 14 written, so we’ll go into a selection process in which I plan to allow myself to have 12. But the initial project is 10.
18. How do you expect this album to be different from the previous ones?
On the artistic side, I think that each album has to reflect a different moment in life and also a maturity, because there has to be an evolution. And on the show business side, I think that working with a new team, which in this case is Warner Music, is going to bring very nice things and is going to project me even more. I have a lot of faith in the team that is helping me make this album and promote it.
19. Speaking of maturity, last summer you turned 50. What have you learned about yourself in this half century?
[Laughs.] That although I have acquired some maturity, one of the most beautiful things about that maturity is understanding that I am still a child facing my job and facing many aspects of the world, which, thank God, continue to amaze me. And I think maintaining that wonder, ironically, is a sign of maturity.
20. What is Andrés Cepeda still looking forward to?
To live. And to make music.
For the last two decades, English pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has been more than happy to divert her fans with performances of her deliciously cutthroat nudisco anthem “Murder on the Dancefloor.” With top 10 chart placements all over Europe and Australia upon its 2002 release, the song became an indelible part of the star’s career.
“That song took me places I’d never been before, and it was always quite a special one for me,” Ellis-Bextor tells Billboard over a Zoom call, sporting a knit-pink sweater and perched atop a cushioned wicker chair. “[It] took me to Latin America and Southeast Asia and all around Europe — it was already a song I associated with adventure and new things and a friendly, glorious chapter of my life.”
So, when the star found out that her song at long last debuted at No. 98 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 (dated Jan. 13, 2023), more than 20 years after its original release, she was naturally flabbergasted. “It’s glorious, it’s magical, really,” she says, disbelief still tinging her voice. “But it’s very hard to process, if I’m honest.”
The new wave of attention for “Murder on the Dancefloor” comes largely thanks to the song’s inclusion in the pivotal final scene of Emerald Fennell’s twisted 2023 thriller, Saltburn [spoliers ahead!]. At the conclusion of the film, Oxford student and certified maniac Oliver Quick (played by Barry Keoghan) revels in having murdered his crush/obsession Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) and his entire family the only way he knows how — dancing buck naked through the sprawling estate he inherited from them to Ellis-Bextor’s gleeful track.
It’s a scene that’s equal parts disturbing and hilarious, which Ellis-Bextor says is the perfect tone for her song’s inclusion. “I think Barry Keoghan’s character in the movie and mine in the music video are not so dissimilar,” she offers.
Below, Sophie Ellis-Bextor chats with Billboard about her song’s revival into pop cultural conversation, the bevy of TikTok trends it’s spawned over the last month and why she’ll never grow tired of singing her seminal single.
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“Murder on the Dancefloor” is officially having a renaissance! What does it mean for you to have this song re-entering the public consciousness 20-plus years into its existence?
I think I’m still getting my head around that a little bit! My relationship with the song is great, I perform it all the time — it’s been the song that people associate the most with me. But to have it having this little wild adventure on the charts is actually bonkers.
I’m sure this was not on your bingo card for this year.
It wasn’t, but I think I learned a long time ago that the bingo cards — they’re not really what they’re made out to be. You have to be open to the unexpected. Because it’s nice to be surprised, actually.
This song now officially marks your first-ever entry on the Hot 100, debuting at No. 98 this week. I know the new wave of attention has been very recent, but have you noticed any difference in the reaction between the U.K. audiences who really responded to it originally, and the newer American audience that’s discovering it today?
Yeah, nothing really happened in America with the song when it came out in 2002. To have it doing new things now is really extraordinary. To have new people discover it now, people who didn’t know at all, is insane.
The only way I’m really seeing that is through all the viral stuff, because it is all quite recent. Lots of exciting things happened for me because of “Murder on the Dancefloor” when it first came out — real career highlights. But this resurgence is something that’s next level, because when you start out your career, everything’s about asking “where might that lead?” Or, “if that happens, then you get to do this.” This time, I don’t really want to think like that. Momentum is such a glorious, exciting thing, and I just want to enjoy whatever happens.
The newfound success for the song is largely thanks to its inclusion in the wild final scene of Saltburn. Walk me through the process of how you got involved in the movie — when did Emerald Fennell or the production first reach out to you? How much of the plot were you aware of?
I knew very few facts! They asked for permission about a year ago, maybe around springtime last year. I knew the name of the film. I knew that Emerald Fennell was the writer and director, so it was in safe hands. And I knew the scene would involve a character dancing to the entirety of the song completely naked. That was it! And that was all I needed, so I said “yes,” immediately. When we got to the summer, I started to hear a little bit of buzz around the movie, and I was invited to go to a screening. So I went along with my whole family — my mom, my teenage son, my husband, my brother. Actually, they coped very well, even when I had a couple of challenging moments.
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I’m sure you did — having your son next to you through that film must have been intense!
Well, he’s 19, so it wasn’t too bad — though he was still sitting between his mother and his grandma! But not only did we survive, we all really loved it, and my son said it was one of his favorite films he’d ever seen. I thought it was brilliant; it entertained me, it was dark, it was funny, it looked beautiful, and the music is used throughout the movie in a really clever way.
Agreed, and I think that’s especially true for “Murder on the Dancefloor” — it fits perfectly into this dark, campy ending, and when you’re listening to the lyrics of the song in this context, they become a bit more sinister. Did you experience any of that feeling when you were first watching it?
Yes, definitely. But then I think that song sort of lent itself a bit to that originally, as well. Because in the music video, I’m not playing a goodie. I’m a nasty person who’s been very mischievous — I kill people, I poison someone, I chloroform someone, I’m whipping people out all over the place just to win a dance competition.
As you mentioned, the scene also ended up creating multiple viral TikTok trends, the most popular showing people executing the film’s choreography while moving through their homes. Did you ever imagine a song of yours becoming a Tiktok trend?
Absolutely not! I’m a 44-year-old woman; I’m not saying you can’t use TikTok if you’re that age, but it’s a lot less likely, right? I have my eldest son, and my next one down is nearly 15, so we have TikTok in the house, but it’s never coming from my phone. It is fascinating, though, because one minute [my sons] will be listening to The Shangri-Las, and then it’ll be Wham!, and then it will be a modern pop record. The songs come from all over, from different decades. It’s like a record shop that’s got everything in stock. It’s really changed the way that kids listen to music — it doesn’t have to be about what’s newly released, it’s about what really makes them feel good in the moment.
I do think sometimes it feels like I’ve been invited to a party that I never thought I’d be part of. I saw Vogue used [the song] for a series of clips of people on the red carpet of an awards show, and then it’s just some kids and their dogs dancing to it. That gives me so much joy, because nobody wants their songs to just peter out. You want the conversation to keep going, you want to know that someone somewhere is getting a lift from it.
It’s also worth noting that this is not the only sync that this song received earlier this year — one of my personal favorites was the song being featured as a lip sync on season 3 of Drag Race Down Under last year. What did you make of that performance?
It was so amazing. I mean, just being included in Drag Race is such an honor, full stop. I got to be a guest judge on Drag Race UK last year, and I just love the fact that that’s so mainstream now, because it’s so groundbreaking. I think the thing about Drag Race that I love is that there is this facade that’s very pulled together and considered and incredible, but then you’ve got the story behind it. That’s always the bit that brings the heart and the vulnerability and I just think the juxtaposition of that is so incredible.
This is part of an ongoing trend in music, where these songs get syncs in major movies and TV shows, and then see record-breaking gains. “Running Up That Hill” comes to mind, as does Matchbox Twenty’s “Push” from Barbie. What do you think it is about these song placements that leads to such huge results for artists like yourself?
Oh, golly. I suppose for me the conversation probably starts before that, when you ask why those directors wanted to use those songs. And sometimes, it’s something that’s a little bit in the ether already. With “Running Up That Hill,” Stranger Things was certainly the tipping point, but I remember seeing it used in Pose a few years before that in this scene was really moving. It can feel like there were a few little seeds you planted, and then suddenly you turn around and there’s a forest. Nothing like this happens in a void. I think that’s why it’s really important to appreciate how special it is, because there is no equation where it can be utterly manufactured. You need people to feel like they’re part of it.
This has long been the song that people know you best for. Some performers get fatigued with their “signature songs” — have you found yourself feeling at all fatigued with “Murder?”
Oh, no. I mean, I wouldn’t want to do a gig where I just sang it seven times in a row, but I’m a music fan before I’m a singer. So I always think like I’m in the crowd; I always want to create a good shape for the show, where it’s got to finish with something that hopefully seals the deal. That journey has invariably, for 20-odd years, always ended with “Murder on the Dancefloor.” I feel like sometimes, when artists get funny about the songs that they’re known for, I want to sit them down and say “Don’t take that for granted, mate! Don’t do some weird different version. Sing the one I know the way I know it!”
Obviously, I hope that people come to me through this song and then find a couple of other things they like. That would be wonderful, I’ve laid a lot of work out for them to go have a little look-see. But if I’m known for one song for the rest of my life, I’m not going to be churlish about it. I’ve already had an embarrassment of riches as it is — this is just one more.
RBD will end a long-awaited reunion that took 15 years to come to fruition on Thursday (Dec. 21), a tour that took the famous Mexican pop group through stadiums and arenas in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and the United States for more than 50 dates. The Soy Rebelde Tour was a successful journey that surprised everyone, including its members, who never imagined what their music represented for millions of people.
“It’s beautiful,” band member Maite Perroni tells Billboard Español. “Now we see children who get excited and sing, who are the children of our fans. They make their parents come to the concerts because they want to be part of that history.”
The end of this cycle for Anahí, Dulce María, Christian Chávez, Maite Perroni and Christopher von Uckermann — which began in August in El Paso, Texas — will be at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, a forum for over 80,000 people that has welcomed icons such as Vicente Fernández, Madonna and U2. Previously, RBD filled the Foro Sol for six nights starting November 30, attracting a total of 390,000 fans, according to promoter Ocesa.
While the Soy Rebelde Tour, produced by Live Nation and T6H Entertainment, became the second most lucrative tour by any Latin artist in 2023 (only behind Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito,) the impact generated by the reunion of RBD and its fans is huge at a time when reggaeton and regional Mexican music dominate the streaming platforms.
Five (of six) returning members sat down together in an exclusive cover interview with Billboard Español shortly before hitting the road, and Perroni recounts what returning to the stage with her colleagues has meant for her and the group.
What assessment do you make of this long-awaited RBD reunion? What has been the most surprising thing about it all?
It has been very nice to meet again with so many people who have been part of our history for so many years now, 20 years, which is easy to say, but there’s a lot of loyalty, love, affection. It has been a great surprise to meet new generations — is no longer just one generation, it’s three generations! All of this has made me come to the conclusion that RBD is that powerful, loving, positive energy that moves the project. We have simply become the vocalists, the representatives of what this group is, but the truth is that the magnitude, the strength, the power, the energy, the love, the dedication, have been given to us by the audience. And we realize that RBD is today and always.
What has been the main achievement of this reunion?
That we managed to make history! That is something that was questioned in the past because RBD is a project that came out of a TV show (Rebelde,) a pop group, one of those that already existed in the world. They told us that pop music is easy, that pop bands disappeared easily, and many of us were classified in that place, and also for a long time we received, within the industry, from other colleagues, singers, songwriters, criticism, ridicule, parodies. And despite that we moved forward, building what RBD was. We believed in Rebelde and what we did. And the most beautiful thing is to see that 20 years later our history transcends to another place and that we can feel very proud that this went down in history within Latin music, pop music, and that is thanks to the people.
What was the biggest challenge?
RBD has been a project that has filled us with challenges, with many emotions, a lot of commitment. For me, RBD is more than a group of artists; for me we are brothers and sisters, with our defects and our qualities, with our good and our bad things. We love each other and understand each other. Regardless of that, for me, it has represented being able to balance three worlds: The first one with my baby, my family unit to join this dynamic; two months after my daughter was born we were already flying to Los Angeles to get to the tour rehearsals and to join a tour of almost five months and my husband’s support has been fundamental for me.
On the other hand, and it is something very personal but very important to me, is that in a very short period I had to be on stage, after giving birth, with many extra pounds on me, I had to be on a stage where there were many emotions, hopes and a lot of love, but with a very large magnifying glass to see how you look and what you do — you’re pregnant, you’re fat, you’re skinny, if you didn’t make it — and say, “I don’t care what they say, I don’t care what happens. I am on a stage sharing and being able to carry this.”
What difficulties did you encounter in this process?
The first thing was to commit ourselves in a much more adult way to our project, to commit ourselves to creating a company, a society, to get involved from the administrative and the legal side, and to make decisions that were decisive so that we could continue our tour, take the reins of our history, do things the right way. But I can say that today I leave with my heart full, knowing that the effort was worth it — RBD is worth it — and that together we will always be better and stronger.
What’s in RBD’s future?
The reality is that our last concert is on December 21st. We have hopes, desires. It has been beautiful! Of course the hope of being able to continue building something together remains. We’ll see what destiny and life have in store for us; we don’t know today. We are in a different process, in this closing cycle, finishing this tour in Mexico, at the Estadio Azteca, very excited and tremendously grateful.
Dove Cameron is fresh off the release of her debut album, Alchemical: Volume 1, and the 27-year-old star sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to discuss the inspiration behind the two-part project. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I felt like I was writing the two halves […]
December may traditionally signal the end of the calendar year, but for Masicka, the twelfth month of the year houses plenty of new beginnings. The dancehall superstar opened the month with the release of Generation of Kings last Friday (Dec. 1), his sophomore studio album and first full-length release since signing to Def Jam in February. The 17-song set comes on the heels of his summer hit “Tyrant,” which sat alongside Byron Messia’s “Talibans” and Chronic Law & Ireland Boss’ “V6” among this summer’s defining crossover dancehall hits.
Upon Masicka’s signing to Def Jam, CEO Tunji Balogun said, via a press release, “Def Jam has always been the home for great artists across the wide spectrum of Black music, and Masicka is very much emblematic of that vision.” That may seem like a catch-all corporate platitude, but Masicka truly does embody the ever-evolving spectrum of Black music. Hailing from Portmore, Jamaica, Masicka grew up listening to not just dancehall and reggae, but also rap music. As Hip-Hop 50 has acknowledged, the relationship between dancehall and hip-hop is as storied as it is symbiotic, and Masicka continues that legacy with a stage name partially derived from his favorite blockbuster 50 Cent album.
Across Generation of Kings, Masicka infuses his trap dancehall foundation with flourishes of R&B (“Wet”) and Afrobeats (“Fight For Us”), calling on a globe-spanning collection of collaborators to bring his vision of collective royalty to life. Equally introspective and biting, Masicka’s lyrics — which explore everything from settling beef to reflections on his childhood — perfectly complement his penchant for lush melodic lines and reverb-drenched harmonies. With such a strong ear, it’s no surprise that, despite dancehall’s current Stateside commercial stagnancy, Masicka has been able to truly break through.
438, his debut album which also won dancehall album of the year at the 2023 Caribbean Music Awards, has earned over 50,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. since its Dec. 3, 2021 release, according to Luminate, and his overall catalog has collected over 258.8 million on-demand streams. Upon release, Generation of Kings looks poised to explode those numbers. In just over a week, the album has hit No. 1 on Apple Music in 16 countries, scored the eighth biggest album debut on Spotify U.K. for the period Dec. 1-3 and reached No. 11 on U.S. Apple Music. Furthermore, with Generation of Kings, Masicka became the first artist in history to simultaneously occupy the top 17 on Apple Music in Jamaica — and he even surpassed Bob Marley & the Wailers‘ unmoveable Legend compilation for the No. 1 spot on both U.S. iTunes’ and Apple Music’s reggae albums charts.
Still basking in the glow of the immediate success of Generation of Kings, Masicka stopped by the Billboard offices to chat about his future as a Def Jam recording artist, his formative musical influences and 50 Cent’s influence in Jamaica.
Let’s talk about Generation of Kings. Where was your head while making this album? What were you drawing inspiration from?
After the first album [438], mi feel like mi cement myself inna di dancehall space with a great body at work. So, with Generation of Kings, mi just feel like it’s my time. The whole era, the whole music, the whole feel, just how everything’s going.
How did you go about assembling the tracklist?
I think that was the hardest part, being we had quite a number of great tracks on the album. So, you kind of get them fi tell a storyline. Mi went back in the studio a couple of times, link up with di team, we decipher a likkle bit and then we think what we choose was more of the songs that were what people can relate to. They’re like the motivational songs you can get a positive vibration from.
So, what exactly was the storyline you envisioned for the record?
Triumph. Just transitioning and taking a greater step towards fulfilling your dreams. This album was basically telling the people dem that I’m ready.
You have some fire collaborations on the album – Popcaan, Spice and Fridayy, to name a few – tell me about bringing those artists into your vision.
The most anticipated collab was the Chronic Law [track], he’s a lyricist from Jamaican and people always wan us fi do a song together. That song also features Lila Iké too – bad upcoming female artist. Mi think di people dem really resonate with that collab. The song with Fridayy, it’s different, the one with Fave too. But I think all of the collabs went exceptionally well.
Did you reach out to Fridayy or did he reach out to you?
Tunji [Balogun] set that up! When I heard di track, I was like, “Yo, this dope,” and Fridayy connected right as his album dropped – mi love di album, it’s crazy.
Speaking of Tunji, you signed to Def Jam earlier this year, so congratulations! Why Def Jam? What drew you to them in particular?
The direction and empowerment for artists culture they have. Mi like how dem work. Mi like Tunji vision more than anything else. We spoke probably about a year and a half before [I] actually signed. Mi also like the humbleness. Mi think we share the same work ethic and vision all in one. Anything’s a risk, but mi think this a good risk.
Why did now feel like the time for you to sign to an international label?
I think, personally, mi cover a lot of ground throughout the Caribbean. I feel like I’ve done everything I needed to in the Caribbean. I’ve traveled the Caribbean like 6-7 times already, over and over again, and it’s just trying to get a greater reach. They see the talent, they see the creativity. It’s just trying fi expand the content and mek di ting grow and just build it. Nuh sense fi have all this talent and you remain on the same level.
There are a lot of hip-hop influences on Generations of Kings and the genre has a rich relationship with dancehall. Are there any rappers you’d like to get on a remix of one of these tracks?
Probably Lil Baby. Lil Baby dope. Jay-Z. 50 Cent.
Compare your headspace from the release of 438 to the release of Generation of Kings.
Mi think mi more mature. Mi think mi have more control in terms of how mi want di music fi sound. The ting before it was just di tip of di iceberg. Mi had just started to venture out into creating albums and creating projects. Mi think 438 was dope, just like Generation of Kings. But mentally, mi more mature, more settled, and the music a likkle bit more polished and direct.
What song on Generation of Kings took the longest to finish?
Mi think “Limelight.” Mi record “Limelight” and then leave it for like a month and then mi other verse come. Most of the time mi do something like that. Mi a just go inna di studio and spit something out. With “Limelight,” di riddim is different so mi actually do the chorus and then the verses.
Why did you decide to make “Limelight” a single?
Mi think di vibe — it was a likkle bit after summer, so you know everybody needs to be pumped. Mi think the vibe and the energy and the whole feeling of the song just felt victorious. Mi just feel like we had “Tyrant,” so mi haffi come with again with something sick. After the “Tyrant” success, mi just say, “Alright then, let mi listen through everything. What does it feel like?” “Limelight” was the next thing. It’s showing that it’s our space and we’re here.
Obviously, we’re in the Social Media Age — how has that been an effective tool for you as you continue to navigate your career?
Social media is the Golden Age, man. It mek it a lot easier and mek people from all over di world see your music. It helps a lot. It help to promote, it help to grow the fan base. Social media is one of the key things right now for musicians. They can just pick up the phone and see somebody in Guatemala and somebody one million miles away. We have a better advantage now than the generation of artists before us, so we just haffi make use of that.
What else do you have on the horizon to promote Generation of Kings?
Mi a shoot alla di music videos! Nuff video, nuff promo, mi already started working on a deluxe. Mi have some songs recorded. Mi think I have some sick collabs on it, it’ll be just as crazy as the album.
What do you listen for in new beats and riddims?
The thing is, you know, the beat don’t matter. It’s the once mi get the beat and mi feel a vibe, mi will record. The beat is a surface problem. For me to get a beat and really write to it, mi like pianos, beats with guitar, percussion. Mi like live songs that have a soulful feeling to it.
How do you approach songwriting? Are you more of a freestyler?
Normally, mi go inna di studio, play di beat for like 2-3 hours, and vibe it, vibe it, vibe it, vibe it, vibe it. Mi cyan write just sitting down. Mi write if mi haffi write, but mi like freestyle. Mi think the music better when mi freestyle. So mi would freestyle it and then go back inside, listen, see where we can make some more arrangements and stuff like that. That’s how mi create music. Mi have a studio at home, so mi inna di studio everyday majority of the time.
Sometimes it’s just the melody alone mi have, I just go inna di studio and mumble it. And throughout the day, when I’m playing a game or something, I just think about it subconsciously, and I finish it like that. Mi nuh have no songbook. I’ve never had a songbook.
Sonya Stephens recently praised you as an amazing songwriter, with a lot of that you can teach older generations of dance artists. I also spoke with Beenie Man few months ago about sharing knowledge across generations of dancehall. What do you think you and your peers can learn from your dancehall elders and vice versa?
Mi think we can definitely study the longevity of the artists dem before. All of them have amazing careers and dem stood the test of time, like Beenie Man and Bounty Killer. Mi think the difference is modern dancehall just gets five minutes of fame. Mi think them nuh love di craft. I think it’s more about getting out there than mastering the craft.
Bounty and Beenie Man start from when they was small, so dem actually really love di music, so they never had any other options. Now we have too much choices. There’s no appreciation for the music, so everybody feel like dem can just be a part of the music and just call themselves anything.
Definitely, mi think they can learn to take more risks, cause mi think we take a lotta risks, the younger generation. They could take more risks and pave more way for di yutes because dem have the opportunity and dem could do way more.
There were a number of global dancehall crossover hits this year, “Tyrant” among them. How do you think that momentum can be maintained?
We just have to realize it’s a bigger market out there. People with different ears, you know, so we just haffi try stuff. We just haffi try to be appealing, try the different music — but at the end of the day, keep originality and keep authenticity. We just haffi try and merge it with the Afrobeats – they’re on that level now. Dancehall was on that level, and it can be on that level again. It will, Imma speak it into being. I just think we need fi come together as people and push di music.
Do you feel that there’s any division that’s preventing that from happening?
Yeah, definitely. Dancehall is known for segregation, and that hinders the growth of the music a lot. Mi think once you have that togetherness and that unity… mi think that’s happening now. Yuh see di yutes dem now? I think the mindset is different, and mi think the yutes just work and take more risks. I venture to say that is why you have so many labels looking to the Jamaican market right now — because mi think there’s a change coming.
And I think that risk-taking, especially in terms of blending genres, is what’s really helping modern dancehall right now. Where do you think your courage to try new sounds comes from? Who were your main musical influences?
Mi love dancehall, but mi started off listening to rap. So, 50 Cent, Eminem, alla dem tings. Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, Massacre. Mi love music. Mi love dancehall, I’m a dancehall artist, but mi love music. Adele a one of my favorite artists of all time, mi listen to Lukas Graham, mi listen to so many different kinds of artists, so mi think with experimenting, it comes from feeling comfortable and mastering the craft and practicing every day. So, if mi get a beat, mi just look at miself like an instrument instead of just a dancehall artist. If I get a beat a need to sing in Spanish, then mi need fi guh learn Spanish! [Laughs.]
We only have one life, so why not experiment and why cage yourself into a box? Grow and try different stuff! Mi just think di music can be so big and diverse, you know?
You had a show in New York recently for your birthday, how was that?
Crazy, crazy. It was my birthday celebration. Di people dem love me out there. They love me in New York, so I always bring the energy. It was a crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy vibe.
Do you have any plans to tour soon?
I have a couple of shows, one in Miami. I have a show in Jamaica soon. And then we start off next year fresh. Right now, mi just a focus on GOK, and getting out there and pushing it.
So, I take it you’ll get some downtime with the family for the holidays.
Yeah, man, just spending some time. Family is big to me, so mi love fi get a likkle time fi spend with my family. I gotta take a break man. After next week, Def Jam cyan get to me! [Laughs.] Just kidding!
Looking out towards the next five years, what are some benchmarks that you want to hit?
In five years’ time, I really love fi become a fully established artist in the U.S. A fully established dancehall artist selling hundreds of thousands of records, start performing in stadiums, and sign some artists.
When it comes to signing artists, what you be looking and listening for?
Typically the same thing what mi have inna miself. Versatility, the love for di music first. You can have the talent, but if you don’t love it nah guh fully work. So them haffi have di love and di drive for it first.
Are there any notes you think the Jamaican recording industry can take from the American and African ones as you continue to work with international labels?
The professionalism. 100% the professionalism and the business behind the music. Mi think that is why the African industry is advancing now and booming like that. Mi think that’s what we lack, but we’re getting back there, right? Once we get back to that disciplinary level within di yutes and within di music, then we will have investors interested in working with dancehall artists cause you’re committed to your words and your work.
Before we go, I heard there’s a dope story behind your name.
You know, actually, it was 50 Cent’s album, The Massacre. Back in high school time, my auntie bought me the album. Initially mi never wan become an artist from di time mi was young, young, young. Mi coulda write songs mi nuh wan turn that.
What did you want to be?
A lawyer, mi was young! I still started my music career young, like 17, 18. But mi get the CD and I kept playing it. My friends dem used to call me Sicka, and then mi just decide say, Yo, Masicka, this is it.
50 Cent influence inna Jamaica is massive. You have the G-Unit tank tops, everybody loves Young Buck, Lloyd Banks — I think G-Unit was one of the crew that everybody inna Jamaica was just crazy about. You have other groups that’s mad talented, but the gangster thing, the aggressive thing just resonate with our culture.
While NewJeans‘ brand of easy-listening K-pop minimalism has earned the girl group both a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as well as a Billboard Music Award, the quintet shook up their formula when it came to recording League of Legends‘ annual world-championship anthem “Gods.”
For the musical collaboration alongside Riot Games set to one of the world’s most popular video games (League of Legends reports 80 million average monthly players), NewJeans bring a booming, maximalist electronic-pop epic fully in English where an ominous full choir accompanies members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein.
According to NewJeans, bringing “Gods” to life meant delivering their most elaborate live performance to date when the quintet took the stage at LoL‘s World Championship Finals on Nov. 19. Along with dancers and actors joining NewJeans, the performance included virtual-reality, computer-generated imagery and guest appearances from the top competing teams in eventual 2023 champs T1 from South Korea as well as Weibo Gaming from China.
Talking to Billboard exclusively after a big weekend where they not only performed and won at the 2023 BBMAs but helped open League‘s 2023 Worlds, NewJeans discuss recording and preparing “Gods” for the big stage, meeting T1 and Weibo Gaming, favorite Riot Games’ musical collaborations and more.
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Congratulations on a huge weekend. Not only did you perform and win at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, but you also performed “Gods” for the first time live at Worlds. How are you all feeling?
DANIELLE: The whole experience felt surreal to me! Performing for the Worlds Finals as well as the Billboard Music Awards alongside artists we deeply respect and admire was incredibly surreal! Even looking back now the scale was unbelievable and we are so grateful and honored for the experience.
The Worlds performance looked and felt very massive. How do you prepare for such a big performance with different elements like dancers, actors, VR and more?
MINJI: It felt like the stage with the most diverse range of creative elements we had so far. It was truly enjoyable going through the process of coordinating with the dancers and actors through numerous rehearsals, aligning the timing and virtual reality aspects! [Laughs]
Those VR and CGI elements are very cool to watch on YouTube. As performers, do you need to imagine the effects while you’re singing?
MINJI: I was aware that there were numerous stage setups, but when we actually rehearsed on stage, everyone was quite mesmerized. In particular, seeing the part where the video effects seamlessly transitioned into reality left everyone in awe. It was truly an honor to be able to participate in a performance of the scale!
How was making the live premiere of “Gods,” your first song in English, at Worlds? Take us through how this song was conceptualized and eventually came to life on stage.
MINJI: “GODS” was a new challenge for us as NewJeans. It has a different vocal and choreographic style from what we usually do, so we invested a lot of time and effort into it! I recall rehearsing it over and over again for a flawless and dynamic live performance on the grand stage.
HAERIN: Since it’s the anthem for a game and a tournament that is so widely loved on a global level, we thought the lyrics in English would help fans around the world immerse themselves better in the surge of emotions associated with the song.
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Are any of you League of Legends fans or players yourselves? Was anyone excited to see parts of the game like Leona and Mordekaiser’s character represented during the performance?
HANNI: I enjoy playing League of Legends every now and then, and because there are so many champions, I’ve become curious about all their different abilities. It was amazing to see the performance we practiced being brought to life on stage alongside such amazing dancers, actors, and all the special effects and CGI. I remember being in awe while we watched the playback of our performance backstage. Also, our outfits and styling were inspired by the champion Leona! Looking back, having Leona appear on stage with us was definitely cool to watch.
So, even your fashion had connections to LoL too?
DANIELLE: Yes!! In fact, our whole outfits were based around Leona, who is a holy warrior in League. Our accessories were specifically designed to resemble her armors of gold and shimmer!
HAERIN: Our wardrobe had a chic feel to it and was put together based on a palette of neutral tones. We wanted an attire suitable for portraying the song effectively!
Finalist teams T1 and Weibo Gaming (WBG) also joined on stage. T1 members have shared that they’re NewJeans fans. Are any of you fans of the teams or players? Did you meet at the event?
HANNI: We had the pleasure of meeting both T1 and WBG backstage on the media conference day! It was a few days before the Finals, and I can’t imagine how nervous they would’ve been, but they greeted us all very warmly. It was nice to have time to meet them! Up until then, we had seen all the small references they made about us and our music, so I really wanted to mention it to them and thank them. But, out of the excitement of meeting them, I forgot to mention it!
HYEIN: We had a lot of rehearsals to perfect our performance for the Finals. During one of the rehearsals, I turned around briefly and was surprised but also fascinated to see the players there! Also, before the stage, we had a moment to greet the players, and it was so gratifying to be able to tell the players from both teams that we’ll be cheering for them.
One of my favorite parts was the montage with people from the LoL community’s photos, like players, casters, announcers, owners and more. How does it feel to be part of this diverse community?
HANNI: The fact that we were able to take part in such a globally loved occasion and engage with such a big community still feels surreal. We were so honored to be a part of it, and we were also grateful to everyone who made it possible. Being there in person and witnessing how such a wide community shares the same love and passion, including all the staff and fans there alike, was an amazing experience. It really was the icing on the cake for this whole process.
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You’re now joining LoL and Riot Games’ history of musical collaborations. Imagine Dragons, Becky G, Marshmello, Kim Petras and more have participated, while Riot Games has created virtual bands like K/DA, HEARTSTEEL and True Damage. Have you listened to these collabs?
HANNI: I’ve listened to nearly all of the musical collaborations with Riot Games Music and watched all the amazing accompanying performances. I think K/DA’s “POP/STARS” was just so iconic and massive. I remember it blew up in popularity back when I still lived in Australia! Personally, “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons, the first-ever Worlds Anthem, possesses a very deep emotional sound that is captivating, and I loved immersing myself in the emotion it conveys and the expression of it itself. While we were rehearsing and preparing for the opening ceremony performance, we got to watch the other performances, and HEARTSTEEL was such a blast to watch! The song is not only fun to listen to, but the artists’ individual characteristics and personality were showcased really well on stage, while effortlessly complimenting each other!
As artists, in what ways do you see music and gaming connecting?
DANIELLE: From my perspective, I think music can enhance the storytelling aspect, enriching the whole experience of the game. I think it helps to heighten the overall immersive quality of the experience, which leads to a stronger connection between the player and the visual elements within League!
NewJeans had a massive 2023. Is anything significant still planned for the end of this year? Or any spoilers about what to expect for 2024?
HYEIN: Certainly there were many exciting events in 2023, including our music releases. I want to deliver many fulfilling and amazing performances for the remainder of 2023! I hope our fans, Bunnies, will enjoy our upcoming performances too!
NewJeans performs at League of Legends World Championship 2023 Finals Opening Ceremony at Gocheok Sky Dome on November 19, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea.
Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Even as the self-proclaimed Prince of Christmas, Matt Rogers is still baffled by how much a single holiday has consumed his year.
“I went to a pool party on the Fourth of July this year, and people kept asking me, ‘What are you working on?’” Rogers tells Billboard over a Zoom call from a London hotel. “And I had to say, ‘Actually, a Christmas album.’ So it turns out, when you do a Christmas album, you actually better love Christmas because it becomes your whole year.”
But the comedian’s hard work certainly paid off with the release of Have You Heard of Christmas?, Rogers’ debut album of satirical holiday tracks (released on Nov. 6 via Capitol Records) designed to both celebrate the monolithic holiday and skewer its cultural oversaturation. Spanning every genre of holiday song he could over the course of 12 songs, Rogers expertly puts Christmas under the microscope, playing out every last seasonal scenario with wit, charm and plenty of holiday cheer.
The album’s origins date back to 2017, when Rogers began a one-man show in New York City, making fun of the very concept of the celebrity Christmas album. As he honed his act over the next few years, Rogers eventually got the show greenlit as a special for Showtime, debuting in Dec. 2022 — a record deal with Capitol followed shortly thereafter.
It’s become clear that audiences everywhere are also buying into Rogers’ Christmas vision — one week after its release, Have You Heard of Christmas? made Rogers a Billboard-charting artist, as the LP debuted at No. 4 on the Comedy Albums chart. Meanwhile, the comedian still can’t get over that audiences are singing his songs along with him during his live shows. “I now get to be in that club of people that have had that experience, which is really cool,” he says with a smile.
Below, Rogers chats with Billboard about the album’s origin as a joke, the “bald capitalism” of the holiday season, his favorite celebrity Christmas album and why he thinks pop music ought to be funnier.
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It’s been a long road for you to release Have You Heard of Christmas? — what does it mean for you to actually have this album out that you’ve been talking about for years?
It’s pretty surreal, because it’s not just that thing where you work for a month or even a year on your album; I’ve had a lot of this for about six years. I started this in 2017 as a joke when I was doing it as a one man show in the West Village. The whole bit was, “Come see my show to hear a holiday album that is definitely, for sure, for real, absolutely, 100% coming out, no doubt about it. This is not a joke.” And of course it was a joke! Now, years later, these songs that I wrote half a decade ago are finally out, and people are actually singing them back to me, which is wild.
Let’s go back to the inception of that joke — what was it about the idea of a fake Christmas album that tickled you?
I think it was an interview I watched with Mariah Carey, where I feel like this interviewer kind of said the quiet part out loud: “Wow, so you get to make lots of money every year!” And I was like, “You just boldly called out the capitalism of it all. That is so funny.” I started to really think about Christmas as this last vestige of the monoculture, where if you have a Christmas album, you know it’s going to sell every year. It’s kind of a hack; if you create really good Christmas content, you then become part of that culture. I just thought it was so funny to say, “Let me sneak into the cultural consciousness by creating a fake Christmas album,” because I always think bald capitalism is so funny.
I love Christmas, and we all love Christmas because we are kind of forced to love Christmas. But it’s also something to drag for that reason; it is this thing that forces itself down our throat every year. Like, every pop girlie can’t love Christmas, but the record labels sure do, because it makes them lots of money. So it’s just funny to me that, in every young pop star’s life, there comes a time when you have to do two things: Go to Vegas, and do a Christmas album. I’m just starting a little early, that’s all.
Among the expansive list of celebrity Christmas albums, do you have a favorite?
I’m quite partial to Kelly Clarkson’s Wrapped in Red. Don’t get me wrong, When Christmas Comes Around… is also really good, but that first album is just fantastic. “Underneath the Tree,” I think, is the candidate to be the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” of our generation. Now, as a recording artist, I’m keeping my eye on the streams of it all, and the “Underneath the Tree” streams are very similar to Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” in that they seem to increase every year. It’s becoming this thing where you have these handful of songs that just sound like Christmas in the background.
I actually made one of those songs on my album, called “I Don’t Need It to Be Christmas at All.” There’s not a single joke in it, I thought it would be funny to have this whole album of hard comedy songs, and then go, “Hey, by the way, here’s an actual earnest effort on my part.” Lo and behold, it’s the one that’s doing the best now. Even in my attempt to satirize this whole thing, I ended up having an impact with the one genuine song.
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Was it at all strange to go from making fun of the concept of recording a Christmas album to actually recording and releasing one of your own?
To be honest with you, everything I’ve ever gotten to do successfully is because I was making fun of doing that exact thing. Like, if I wanted to become a singer, I made fun of good singing, and all of a sudden people were like, “You’re a singer.” I just kind of faked my way into it. Now, I don’t want to say that this is a fake Christmas album, because it’s fully realized by great producers and great writers and an amazing label at Capitol Records. But I could not have dreamed that it would get here, because a certain point came where I was just used to making fun of myself and being like, “There’s no way.” When it became real, I was like, “Oh, I guess I have to find a different way to frame this.”
Another thing I’ve started thinking about now that I’ve gotten to this place is this idea of, “Who says that pop music can’t have funny lyrics?” I think that we have this idea of pop songs that are about love, or heartbreak, or partying. Who says that they can’t be about all sorts of different things?
I’m so glad that you brought that up, because I’ve noticed that pop music has been getting progressively funnier over the last couple years, especially with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Reneé Rapp and Chappell Roan bringing a lot of humor to their songs.
Yes, completely! The thing about all those girls —well, I don’t think we’ve seen this from Chappell yet, but certainly with Olivia and Reneé — is that they’re actresses. What they want to do is to embody their song, and they’re very good at that. I would be very surprised if Chappell couldn’t deliver on screen.
I come at this as a comedian and an actor myself. So what I think is so great about the record and one of the things I’m proudest of is that I can have a song like “Everything You Want,” which is like me doing this lovelorn, sad girl pop record, and then it goes right into “RUM PUM PUM,” which is my trappy, filthy club song. I really wanted the opportunity to play different characters, and I am in a unique position to bring my skills to this as a character performer. So yeah, I’m really happy that idea is coming back in pop music.
You got to work with a number of artists on this project, including Katie Gavin from MUNA, VINCINT, Bowen Yang and Leland, who both appears on and executive produced the album. What was it like to work with these very talented, and also very queer artists on a Christmas project?
I am just so proud that they all are queer artists, and I’m also really proud that they’re all queer artists who have had a major impact. You know, VINCINT’s songs were inescapable during Pride, and MUNA is just becoming more and more important to not just queer culture, but our generation. I genuinely do believe that Katie Gavin is one of the voices that we will still be listening to in 30 years — I believe she’s a Stevie Nicks-level singer.
Leland is such a great artist in his own right and such an amazing producer; the vibe that he creates creatively is so open and very collaborative. He’s also a real go-getter, because we wrote the song “Everything You Want” as a solo song for me, and he realized we were writing a MUNA song. He said, “We’re gonna call them right now,” and we just asked, and Katie said yes. Also, Leland is Troye Sivan’s [songwriting partner], and Troye was around the whole time I was recording. He would be listening to first cuts, and with “RUM PUM PUM,” he’s the one who called it “diabolical” and then asked if he could help vocal produce it. This was the week that “Rush” was coming out. He was about to have this nasty little pop boy moment, and here he was helping me with mine.
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You’ve mentioned all of the different flavors of holiday song we get on this album — why was that an important step in making this a successful satire on the pop Christmas album format?
I came up through my 20’s doing sketch comedy, and the similarity between writing a good comedy sketch and writing a good pop song is way more synergistic than people think. Let’s take “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson as an example. In verse one, we get the premise; “I’m not with you anymore.” The game is now about this idea of “I don’t care, I’m better off without you.” In the second verse, we explore the reality; “Here’s the things in the relationship that happened, which were actually pathetic.” The bridge is this big f–king kiss off is where she comes to the conclusion that, “We will never ever, ever get back together,” to quote another artist. And then there is this little taste at the end with her vocal that maybe she isn’t super over it. All of this essentially is three beats of a sketch: introducing a comedic idea, exploring that idea, and then seeing the idea out to its fullest potential.
I feel like the best way to really heighten a specific comedic idea in song is to just match it to a genre that can help you do that. So, if I’m writing a sketch about being in the club, meeting someone and wanting to bring them home on Christmas, obviously that should be a club song. If I’m feeling a genre first, I think about what funny idea would fit.
It also helps that you are a naturally gifted singer — was singing something you always knew you were very good at?
I think I’ve started to be comfortable calling myself a singer since I started doing the show five years ago. What I didn’t know was how good of a recording artist I was going to be, because I really think those are two different things. To me, what sets recording artists apart is having that special tone and that ability to landscape your vocals. Like, Selena Gomez is a fantastic recording artist. I don’t know that she could go up there and sing the house down like Audra McDonald, and I also don’t know if Audra would consider herself a great recording artist, right? They’re both very, very good at what they do.
When they gave me this record deal, I knew I could sing, but I didn’t know if I was a recording artist. Luckily, Leland was very encouraging about me using this like part of my voice that recalls the origins of when I started listening to music — this very JC Chasez, R&B-pop tone. What really helped, it turns out, was podcasting for all these years. That has weirdly prepared me to use a mic in this way in the studio.
Was there anything you learned in this process that further differentiated being a singer from a being a recording artist?
Listen, as a gay guy who has had a podcast for years talking about pop culture, I’ve had certain opinions about who’s “a great singer” and who’s not. Now, I have so much more respect for anyone who creates a hit and has a distinct sound where, when you hear it, you’re like, “Oh, that is unquestionably Ariana Grande, or Rihanna, or Kesha, or Selena Gomez.”
Finding out what my sound is has ben one of the most fun parts of this. It’s something that I’m really interested in exploring going forward, because I do have a sound that I think if I were to pinpoint what sounds the most like me on this album, it probably is “Everything You Want.” I think that it’s where I’m the most myself. But being able to explore all these genres is exciting, where every single day I was recording was like going to Disney World.
Have you thought about what a follow-up to this album would look like?
I don’t want to give anything away. But what I’ll say is, if I can do another album, I will go in the exact opposite direction of this. I think I would present something that was … let’s call it “seasonally opposite.” Leland and I may have even already written down some stuff. So, who knows?