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Tiga‘s Turbo Recordings has delivered fresh, inventive music reflecting the darkly alluring world of techno for 25 years, which is a pretty long time.
Today (Nov. 17), the Montreal-based producer and the label are celebrating this quarter century of existence with a 25-track compilation album, composed of music by a globe-spanning collection of artists including Seth Troxler, Spanish producer Adrian Marth, Chilean-German artist Matias Aguayo, Germany-based Biesmans and a 2manyDJs edit of Tiga’s own “Woke.” There’s also a flurry of other productions that exist in a place that’s simultaneously tough, cerebral and transcendent.
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In other words, the compilation is made for the club, which has been the producer’s home away from home since he started releasing music in the late ’90s. Over time, Tiga has become a hero of the electronic realm with smart, consistent releases that hit emotional buttons without ever veering into cheesiness.
The Turbo 25 project comes amid new work from Tiga’s LMZ project, a collaboration with Hudson Mohawke that’s delivered resonant collaborations with Channel Tres and most recently, Jesse Boykins III. Here, Tiga reflects on the compilation, 25 years of Turbo, and how — while he’s occasionally considered throwing in the towel on the label — he’s “never considered quitting” music.
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1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
Amsterdam. I’ve been staring out my window like a house cat. Looks very alive.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
With my own money: the first Duran Duran album. On cassette, bootleg Indian edition, at a hotel lobby giftshop in Bombay. 1981 or 82.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do or did they think of what you do for a living now?
My mother was a full-time mom, she took very good care of me and was always there for me. My dad was a stock trader. They were both extremely supportive from step one, even when I dropped out of school at 18. They knew their son, and knew how serious and passionate I was, and they supported me completely with zero judgment.
4. What’s the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
Good question. A pair of Yamamoto boots.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into electronic music, what would you give them?
Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works.
6. What’s the last song you listened to?
Leonard Cohen, “It’s Torn.”
7. You spent the early years of your life in Goa, India. What are your strongest memories of that time? Did it set you up to be a producer?
I don’t think it set me up as a producer, but as a person I got used to being around wild people and got used to the idea it was okay to be different and strange. I also grew up around a lot of hippies and weirdos, so I always wanted to work hard to end up “successful.”
8. Goa trance, love it or leave it?
When it’s done well, I like it. But what I really love is just good trance that happens to be played in Goa.
9. How were the 25 tracks on the compilation collected and selected? What was the criteria for what made it on? Is there anyone you’re particularly excited about having on the compilation?
It was a collection of our existing family of artists and new artists that we have had an eye on. We sent out invite letters to everybody and then just had some back and forth with them. It is always quite informal. I was very happy to work with Matias Aguayo, because he’s one of my favorites and he delivered something really special.
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10. What does this compilation say about the past/present/future of Turbo?
That we still do what we do.
11. The compilation’s album’s fine print that it was “made possible in part by the Government of Canada.” What did the Canadian government bestow upon the album?
We get some grant money for certain projects from the Canadian arts endowment. They support Canadian artists. Its tax money well spent.
12. Does Turbo have a brick-and-mortar headquarters? If so, paint us a picture of that space. If not, what’s your fantasy HQ?
We had a gorgeous office from about 2012 to 2018. It had a studio, a giant wall of fame with every single physical release mounted in order. We closed it pre-pandemic, and now it’s all laptops and remote control. But it’s my plan to open a new HQ in the next few years, on a mountain top in the countryside.
13. Twenty-five years is a respectable amount of time for any artistic endeavor. Was there ever a time in your career when you considered quitting? Do you see yourself making music and traveling the world in perpetuity?
I never considered quitting personally. Never. I obviously go in and out of the love affair with travel and touring, but generally it’s still an almost unbeatable occupation. As for the label: Yes. There were a few times over the years when I almost threw in the towel.
14. If you could time travel to any era of dance music, to when would you go and why?
I would have liked to go to a few legit early acid house parties: early 80’s Ibiza, late ’80s U.K. I also would have loved to have been to some serious Belgian industrial/new beat clubs at inception. I would love to have been at a club like the Hacienda the first time Blue Monday played.
15. In the sprawling ecosystem of dance music, what niche does Turbo fill?
I like to think we make dignified bangers.
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16. Dance music is obviously intended to make people… dance, but are there any dance songs that reliably make you cry?
I don’t think I’ve ever actually shed a tear to a dance song. There are a few Aphex tracks like “Polynomial/C” and “Every Day” that make me very emotional, but not actual tears.
17. What’s the proudest moment of your career thus far?
I was proud of the first time I did a live show, in Berlin, in 2015. Singing in front of an audience, etc. Also, my first real shows in Berlin back in 2001.jamb
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?
Never having a boss.
19. Who’s been your greatest mentor, and what’s the best advice they gave you?
I don’t really have a mentor, and I would love to have one. It’s healthy. But my dad told me when I was about one, “Just find something you love to do, and do it.” And that was great advice.
20. One piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Get paid in Bitcoin for a few years, 2015-2016, and be generous with the people around you.
Whether you know him as Green Velvet, as Cajmere, as one half of Get Real or as one of his other aliases, the fact is that Curtis Jones’ productions are as vital now as they was when he started making house music back in the early ’90s.
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The Chicago-born artist scored dance world hits early in his career, with Cajmere’s “Percolator” and “Brighter Days” — both released in 1992 — becoming club staples (and in the former’s case, also a jock jam essential.) Both of those songs were also played during Beyoncé‘s 2023 tour behind Renaissance, an album Green Velvet contributed to the as the co-producer of “COZY.” His hefty catalog includes collaborations with a spectrum-spanning collection of dance artists including Chris Lake, Patrick Topping, Flosstradamus, Walker & Royce and many more.
Jones’ most recent release is “The Greatest Thing Alive,” a characteristically funky collaboration with Mark Knight and James Hurr released via Knight’s longstanding label, Toolroom. The last two months of the year will find him playing gigs in the U.K., Mexico, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Arizona.
But before all that, we found him at home in Chicago. Here, Green Velvet talks about how Beyoncé helped deliver one of the proudest moments of his career, his respect for Prince and why – after so much success — he doesn’t yet feel like a legend.
1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
Right now I’m home in Chicago working in my studio, and the setting is peaceful and inspiring.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
This is very difficult for me to answer, because with my father being a DJ and working in my aunt’s record store I grew up around music. My favorite album, however, was Parliament’s Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do or did they think of what you do for a living now?
My father was an electrical engineer, an entrepreneur and DJ. My mother was a dietitian. My father passed away more than 10 years ago. He was very proud of what I was doing. My mother still wants me to go back to school to get a PhD so we will have a doctor in the family.
4. What’s the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
A tacky, used, stick-shift red sports car.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance/electronic music, what would you give them?
Prince’s 1999. The man was a genius, and he knew how to bring synthesizers to life.
6. What’s the last song you listened to?
My upcoming release with DJ E-Clyps and Dajae, ”Hot N Spicy.”
7. The word “legend” is associated with your name. Do you feel legendary?
No, I don’t feel legendary, because my best work is yet to come.
8. Your latest track is “The Greatest Thing Alive.” What, for you, are the greatest things alive?
Babies, puppies and people with love in their hearts.
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9. The song is also very much about feeling yourself. In what moments do you feel like the greatest thing alive?
When I am helping others.
10. You’ve been doing this for more than three decades. What’s the key to your longevity?
God blessing me with creativity and wisdom to make music that continues to resonate with fans, young and old.
11. And in those 30 years you’ve obviously seen the dance world change a lot. How does this moment compare to 10 or 20 or 30 years ago?
Now it is pop culture, where in the past it was underground.
12. You’ve talked before about your religious conversion after having your drink spiked with GhB roughly 20 years ago. How do your faith and your career intersect?
I have always been religious, and a lot of my music reflects that. After by the grace of God I survived my drink being spiked, it made my faith even stronger.
13. What’s the best city in the world for dance music currently? Why?
The music is really global now and one of the results of the pandemic — especially with the internet and streaming — is people have learned to have a good time no matter where they are in the world.
14. The most exciting thing happening in dance music currently is _____?
The return of oversized clothes.
15. The most annoying thing happening in dance music currently is _____?
People having their cell phones stolen at music events.
16. Do you have guilty pleasure music?
My guilty music pleasure is listening to classical music.
17. What’s been the proudest moment of your career thus far?
There are actually two. Hearing “Percolator” on the radio in 1992 and having Beyoncé play “Percolator” and “Brighter Days” during her Renaissance Tour.
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?
Leaving graduate school at the UC Berkeley Department of Chemical Engineering for music.
19. Who was your greatest mentor, and what was the best advice they gave you?
My music career has been influenced by many people and experiences, but unfortunately, I didn’t have a mentor.
20. One piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Get your own drinks and never leave it unattended!!!
When music attorney Don Passman was starting his career five decades ago, he talked his first client out of signing a 15-year contract that would have paid her manager half her earnings. Today, that same artist could get the same career-saving advice from Passman’s revered guide, All You Need to Know About the Music Business, for just $35 retail.
A partner at Los Angeles-based Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc., Passman is hesitant to discuss his high-wattage clients — he is said to represent Taylor Swift and Adele, among others — but is always eager to share the lessons he has learned from five decades of representing them. The 11th edition of All You Need to Know About the Music Business, to be released by Simon & Schuster on Oct. 24, arrives at a critical time for many musicians. Increasingly, artists are deciding to remain independent and use the high-powered tools at their disposal — everything from recording applications to digital distribution to social media apps like TikTok — to build a fan base. Both opportunity and the ability to make poor decisions have never been greater.
To Passman — who doesn’t take major record labels as clients, although his firm “occasionally” represents an independent label, he says — the proliferation of do-it-yourself marketing tools has brought equity to a business long marred by power imbalances. Unlike the early years in Passman’s career, when record labels, retailers and radio stations acted as powerful gatekeepers, today’s artists go directly to fans using digital distributors and powerful tools such as TikTok and YouTube. With such low barriers to entry, more than 100,000 tracks are uploaded to digital service providers every day. Being a professional musician is easy. Being a successful professional musician is far more difficult.
“Now the game has become [about] how do you break through the noise?” says Passman in a recent Zoom call. “The record labels have made a conscious decision to wait and see what artists can get traction on their own. And then when they get enough heat, the record company starts to chase them.”
As the tools of the trade have changed, so too has the path to success. With the exception of K-pop labels, companies rarely pluck unknown artists from obscurity and spend years developing their careers. Artists are expected to build their own careers and develop enough momentum to warrant a record label’s commitment. That often requires building a team — manager, agent, attorney and an army of consultants — and taking more of a CEO role. For a generation of aspiring artists, Passman’s advice has never been more important.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
In the new version of All You Need to Know About the Music Business, you write that the music business has become far more democratic since the last edition of your book. What do you mean by that?
Now it’s about how you connect with your fans. I have a section that I’ve expanded this time about how to go about doing that. Whether you want to do it yourself completely, or whether you want to go to a label, you’ve got to start a buzz on your own and you’ve got to make things happen. The companies get the same data, they’re all chasing the same artists and you’re getting bidding wars. And artists are able to get deals that in history they could have never gotten for their first record deal.
The downside is that you get people who have a billion streams but have never played in front of a live audience. I’m exaggerating, but they don’t have years on the road of developing their chops and don’t have a show. Maybe they’ve only got a few songs. If you look at the statistics from Billboard, there are less new artists in the top 100 over the last few years. It’s been declining. And there’s a concern that we’re in we’re in the hip-building business rather than the career-building business and no one’s quite sure why or what to do about it other than feed the short attention span and the virality of some of these things. But it’s challenging in that sense to build a long-term career.
From where you sit as an attorney, are things working out for these artists that have some do-it-yourself success and then get signed? How’s that next step going for them?
The reality is I don’t do a lot of those kinds of deals, just because we’re a small firm and I don’t take a lot of business. And so, I don’t take as many shots with brand new artists. I do here and there, but not a lot.
It also depends on the smartness of your manager and the innate talent of the artists to follow it up. But the ones that are real artists, and the ones that are well managed, can launch a good career off of it. The ones that are one-shot wonders don’t do so well. They can’t follow it up. I don’t know what the statistics are on the ones that get these massive deals, but I’m going to guess there’s a pretty good rate of failure beyond the first record.
But the companies have gotten more sophisticated. They’re not just looking for something that’s got hundreds of millions of streams. They’re also looking for fan engagement. They’re looking to see whether there’s a real connection with the artists because today it’s all about connecting with fans. And the artists that do that well and maintain it and build their connections and their image and their buzz, are going to have much healthier careers than the ones who just happen to catch a moment.
The front of the new edition of your book says artists have more power than ever in the history of the business. Where’s that power coming from?
From what we’ve discussed about how the labels are chasing people who already have a buzz. What happens is that two or three labels start to chase the same artist and if the artist is trending upward during the fox hunt, the numbers get bigger and bigger, and the labels are bidding against each other out of FOMO. And so, the artists now have a lot of power to demand things that they’ve never gotten before in history, like a share of the profits, like ownership of their masters that revert after a period of time. It used to be that you had had to be massive to get those things, but not anymore.
What about artists who are already established? Do they have more power? Is there a ceiling to how powerful a Taylor Swift or somebody can be in her negotiations?
Well, there’s a ceiling. But the ceiling in any negotiation is just simply the pain tolerance of the other side. My personal philosophy is that you there’s such a thing as making too good a deal — if you leave the other side so battered that they have no incentive to do anything, in particular with the artist if something goes wrong, because they just can’t make enough of a return on it. I think there’s such a thing as going over the line. Now, I’m happy to go up to the line and maybe an inch or two over. In fact, I’m probably not doing my job if I don’t. But when you get to the massive superstars, you get to figure out where the lines are, and you get to do something that’s never been done before. And that, to me, is the most fun part of the business.
The 360-degree multi-rights contract was dominant for a time. Artists pushed back. They didn’t want to share other revenue streams other than recorded music. And is that still a starting point for contracts is the 360 and then you carve out exceptions?
Yes, and yes. Most of all, labels will ask for something. If there’s any kind of bidding war, it goes away pretty quickly. A few labels are stubborn and think they’re entitled to it no matter what. But most labels, if there’s any kind of bidding, it’ll go away. Or at worst, it gets reduced radically to relatively small amounts.
So that’s a sign of artists having more power is getting better terms in these recording contracts.
Correct.
What things still exist in recording contracts that have had a bad reputation? I’m thinking of reserves for returns or control composition clauses or ways that labels would keep a little money for themselves at the expense of artists. Do these things still exist?
They do but they’re becoming much less relevant. Certainly, the returns reserve if the item is physical goods still applies. Although vinyl is surging, it’s still less than 10% of the business. So, it applies to that. And the same thing with the control composition clause. It doesn’t really apply to digital. It only applies to physical product in any relatively recent deals. And so, it’s become less relevant and easier for the artists to get better terms on it.
What would you like to completely rid from contracts?
The contracts have gotten reasonably artist-friendly over time. I mean, obviously, they’re still going to want to take an edge and a corner. I will tell you that re-recording restrictions have gotten tougher in recent years for reasons you can probably figure out. And those used to be much broader than they are now.
What’s a typical restriction?
They don’t want you to duplicate your recordings — like ever — and then they will limit the other types of recordings you can do. So, it’s gotten tougher as the labels get more concerned about artists re-recording or catalogs.
There’s a lot of concern about artificial intelligence these days — about properly harnessing the technology, concerns about getting paid, concerns about unauthorized use of artists, voice or songwriters’ compositions from a legal perspective. How challenging is this new generation of AI technologies?
We’re not going to put AI back in the bottle. It’s here. The real problem with AI, apart from the fact that artists may not like it, is that it can dilute the money that’s paid out to real artists. If I got 1,000 plays, and there’s 10,000 in a month, I’m gonna get 10% of the money, right? The problem is that if part of those plays are AI, and the streamer isn’t paying anybody, because there’s no copyright in AI, and there’s no ability to get paid for it, then they’re taking a chunk of money that’s not going out to the real artists. So, the challenge is to make sure that they can’t use AI to dilute what’s going to the record companies and artists. And obviously, the companies are all over this and I think will be successful if they aren’t already — it’s not public — in making sure that doesn’t happen. But that’s a major concern coming out of AI that we need to be careful about.
But there’s also potential, too. I can imagine estates using AI to bring to life deceased artists.
Yes, of course, all of those things are possible. Interestingly, there’s no copyright in AI. So, if you use it to create something, it may be that anything you create, anybody else can use for free, and you can’t necessarily get paid for it. So, I do think AI has a place in helping artists and helping enhance materials and so forth, but the law gets a little tricky because you can only get a copyright on what’s created by a human is pretty well settled. And so, the part created by the AI doesn’t have a copyright, so you don’t end up owning 100% of your material.
If something is created with AI, would part of that be copyrighted and then some portion would not, based on whatever the AI created?
Yes, that’s correct.
And then how is the split determined?
It depends on how much creativity the human put into it. If I go to an AI machine, and I say, “Write spa music,” and it knocks out a bunch of spa-sounding music, I haven’t done anything creative. I’ve just said, “Go make spa music”. If, on the other hand, I say, “Draw a picture of Kim Jong Un and Abraham Lincoln in a wrestling match on a roof in Mumbai,” maybe I’ve got enough creativity to get something of the copyright — but not in the drawing.
There’s a recent case with the Copyright Office about Zarya of the Dawn, where the author wrote a story and then had AI create the pictures for a graphic novel. The copyright office said there’s no copyright in the individual images. There is [copyright] on the story. But there’s interestingly what’s called a compilation copyright in the novel, meaning the way you arrange the pictures. The law in copyright says if I arrange un-copyrighted material in a particular way, I can get a copyright in the arrangement even though the underlying materials aren’t copyrighted, like a phone book, for example, the names aren’t copyrightable, but you can get a copyright in the way they’re arranged in the phonebook. And so that same principle applies here when you’ve got a number of copyrightable drawings in a particular way. But anybody could copy one of the drawings separately.
In your book, you give artists some advice: “All the superstars I’ve known have a clear vision of who they are and what their music is.” But there are also countless stories of artists, perhaps with clear visions, running into record labels’ A&R teams and sometimes that vision changes. What separates the superstar artists that you’ve known from the artists that didn’t reach that status?
I think the simple answer is their drive and their passion. The superstars have an unlimited amount of drive and are willing to walk through walls and they don’t get discouraged, and they keep getting up when they get knocked down and they just keep going. I think that’s what separates them. I think it could arguably be more important than talent. I mean, you and I could both name some moderately talented superstars just as we can name amazingly talented people who’ve never had much of a career. And the difference, I think, is their drive and their ability to want to do the work. It’s just a lot of work to have to have a serious career in any field really, but particularly in entertainment when you there’s no set path to get on. You just have to do it yourself.
Are the superstars equally demanding of their attorneys? Do they have high expectations for you as well?
I hope so. You know, it depends on the artist, and it depends on the situation. A lot of them are not that interested in business, or they may be interested but they want to spend their time being creative, which is a smart decision. So, they have people around them. But I think they deserve the utmost time and attention.
Your book details quite well how the music business can get really complicated and have a lot of pitfalls. What are some mistakes you see artists and their attorneys still making that they shouldn’t?
Well, in the early stages, the biggest mistakes artists make are signing long-term deals and not having any kind of an out if things aren’t working and they can get hung up with a manager that can really impact your career. They can get hung up on a record deal that’s not very good or a publishing deal that’s not very good, and no ability to ever get out of it. I think those are the things to watch for in the beginning.
That recalls your first client. I believe a manager was trying to get 50% out of your first entertainment client?
Yeah, for 15 years.
So, there would have been an out at some point, but 15 years is a long time.
Yeah, it was a completely stupid deal, but I was so young I was scared to death. But I did talk her out of it.
Artists and songwriters can sell their catalogs for pretty large sums these days. It seems to me that those deals haven’t changed the balance of power much because they go to artists who are already the most successful. Would you agree or disagree with that?
Catalog sales are happening at every level; the ones who get the headlines are the most successful. At almost every level somebody is selling their catalogs. I’ll give you my philosophy on it: For most people, I think it’s a mistake, and I try to talk them out of it. And I can give you the reasons if you’re interested. There’s a section in the book on this as well.
Yes, please do.
Historically, everybody who sold their catalog has regretted it. The Beatles catalog sold a Michael Jackson for $47 million; it’s probably worth $1 billion today. There’s people over the years who have sold their royalty stream and with the changes in technology, they now make almost as much every year it would have made them as what they sold it for, or at least two or three years’ worth. And the other exercise is a pretty simple one: Take the money that you get from the sale, deduct your expenses of selling, pay your taxes, and when you look at what’s leftover can you invest it and get the same amount of money you were getting before? And do you have the same upside potential your catalogue has? A lot of time the answer is no. And prices are definitely at a historic high. I’ve never seen them this high.
On the other hand, these are pretty smart financial people on the other side, and they’re betting that the market is going to grow and subscription prices will go up and there’ll be more people subscribing as an industry matures, and they think that the income is going to go up.
So, now having said all that, I do think it makes sense in the following circumstance: If you’re an older artist, if your heirs don’t know how to handle your catalog, or will kill each other trying to handle it, it could make sense to sell it. It could also make sense if you don’t have enough cash to pay estate tax on the value of your catalog when it comes around, and they have to do a fire sale, and you’re worried about that for your heirs. Or if you desperately need money at any level. I think it should be one of the last assets to go. It’s a place to get money, but you could also borrow against it to some degree depending on what you’re looking to do. I’ve obviously done a number of these because not everybody agrees with me and a lot of them are in the circumstances I’ve described. But for the most part, and certainly for younger artists, I think it’s something to be very careful about
How often are you able to dissuade people of selling? Do you make a convincing argument?
I have a pretty good track record of it, yeah. By the way, it’s not in my personal interest. I’d love to get it large fee for selling a catalog, but I always try and do what’s best for the artists.
Sometimes, in the middle of a set, Fatboy Slim steps back from the decks — barefoot, because he doesn’t play with shoes on — and takes a moment.
“I look at the crowd and feel the atmosphere and the evening and take a little mental snapshot,” the producer born Norman Cook tells Billboard over Zoom from his home office in Brighton Beach, U.K. “Maybe everyone’s like ‘What the hell’s he doing? Is he having some sort of major panic attack?’ But it’s a good thing.’”
These instances are Cook consciously absorbing his work and his life and the general fun and power of what he does. It’s a habit cultivated amidst a four-decade career in which some moments have been lost in a haze of partying (Cook marked 14 years of sobriety this past March). As of late, there’s been a lot of to absorb.
A global star for decades now, Cook, 60, has been touring heavily, hitting Europe, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and beyond this year. In 2022, he celebrated the 20-year anniversary of his first Big Beach Boutique event — which in 2002 drew 250,000 people to the beach in Cook’s hometown of Brighton — and also launched his own festival, All Back to Minehead. That event returns to Minehead, U.K. this November.
Ahead of that, Cook is also playing a rare Los Angeles set this Saturday (Sept. 23), headlining downtown L.A.’s Pershing Square for a show produced by L.A. promoter Framework and featuring support from DJ Holographic and Francis Mercier.
The party continues next month, with the 25-year anniversary of Fatboy Slim’s massive 1998 LP You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby. One of the definitive albums of the big beat era, the project contained the crossover classics “The Rockafeller Skank” and “Praise You” and hit No. 34 on the Billboard 200 in May of 1999. In all, the Fatboy Slim catalog has aggregated 390 million on demand streams in the U.S., according to Luminate.
Funny, deep and affable over Zoom, Cook compares the heights of this album to “what being on top of a wave must feel like.” Here, he reflects on that period, shares what he’s learned from David Byrne (his collaborator on the currently running Broadway show Here Lies Love), and reflects on a forgotten night out with Cher.
1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
I am on Brighton Beach. We’re experiencing a heat wave, which is very un-British. But it’s very British to have heat waves at the wrong time. It’s like, 32 degrees [90 degrees Fahrenheit] here.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
The first album I ever bought was a cassette of Black and Blue by The Rolling Stones. That’s the first time I could afford to buy an actual real pre-recorded cassette. It was very groundbreaking, because it was the first time I got into production.
There’s a tune on on it called “Fool to Cry.” It’s a really beautiful song, and it started with this noise, and I became obsessed with finding out what this noise was, because it wasn’t a guitar. Then someone said, ‘Oh, it’s a Fender Rhodes played through a chorus.” That was the first time I asked, “How do you make that noise?” I’ve spent the rest of my career asking that same question. I’m a little bit more informed these days.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what did they think of what you’ve done and do now?
My dad worked for a glass company, but he actually launched bottle banks. He launched recycling in England. It wasn’t his idea. He just got landed with that job. So he introduced the idea of bottle banks and glass recycling to the country and got the MBE for it, which is quite cool. My mum was a teacher.
My mum is very, very proud of me and always loved music and my capacity to enjoy and perform music. My dad, not so much. He was a negative influence, because he told me that pop music is rubbish and “you want to get yourself a proper job.” So I had kind of good cop, bad cop. One person telling me it was a terrible thing to do, which made me want to do it more. And then another person telling me that was a really great thing to do, which made me want to do it more.
4. What is the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
Non-gear? Oh, right. Equipment you mean. Gear means something else in England. [laughs] Right. The first thing I bought was a car that worked and got you from A to B. I was the only one in the band with a car. It was my first luxury. It was a Chrysler Alpine.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what would you give them?
I would say, just to not be obvious, Duck Rock by Malcolm McLaren. Malcolm McLaren was the manager of the Sex Pistols, okay. And he was like a svengali character and after the Sex Pistols split up, he was very much an arbiter of what was going on. He was working in New York and picked up on hip-hop really early, got invited to these the Bronx parties with Bambaata and everyone. And so he made this album called Duck Rock, and it had DJs and scratching and rapping on it. He also went to South Africa and worked with a lot of South African musicians and then he glued them on to the tunes he made with the DJs and with rappers, and then he did a song about double dutch skipping. It was like a snapshot of everything that interesting that was going on in the world of culture.
The cover was done by Keith Haring, and that’s the first time I’d ever seen Keith Haring’s work, and so that introduced me to the world of art and opened my eyes to the idea of sampling things from around the world and bringing them together and making dance music.
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6. What’s the last song you listened to?
The last song I listened to, let me have a look… [he looks into his computer] .. a tune called “Beginners” by Angelo Ferreri. Just a tune for my sets. Didn’t listen to it for pleasure, though. It kind of is a pleasure, but it was like a work thing. Do you want to hear a bit of it?
Sure! [we listen]
So that’s why I spend most of my days doing, just trolling the internet looking for songs to go into my DJ sets… I’ll be honest, most of them I get sent. I’m kind of seen as an influential DJ, and so record companies send me stuff. I get about 30 emails a day with people sending me the new tunes, but I make it a point to give everyone at least five seconds listen. Most of them I dislike. Like, “Okay, that’s drum and bass.” “Okay, that’s EDM.” But if I get one new good tune a week… that’s why I get so excited when I find one I really like.
7. I understand you’re an art collector. What’s your collection like?
It’s expanding rapidly at the moment. It started with Keith Haring. Basically I dug what he did on the Malcolm McLaren album, and then when I travelled being in a band, first place we went to Amsterdam, and first show I saw was a museum with a Keith Haring exhibition. I’m like, “That’s the dude that did the album cover,” so I went, and it just blew me away. It must have been about 1985.
So I started collecting Keith Haring, and then I was really into mainly street art. I’ve always collected it, but over the years as I’ve diversified a bit I’ve started working with artists. I love it, because I’m a complete fanboy with artists. With other musicians, we’ll talk shop, and the magic is somehow lost because I know how they make the records. But with artists it’s like, “How do you do that? How do you come up with ideas?”
8. You’re doing your own festival, All Back to Minehead, in the U.K. in November. You obviously play around the world and see every type of event. What are you doing to make this one uniquely yours?
Obviously I curate all the acts and entertainment. But the main two things for me are that the venue is a classic British holiday camp. In the ’50s and ’60s, that was what English people did, we went to holiday camps. They’re kind of chalets — some of them are like borderline army barracks… There’s this whole culture about it. It’s where The Beatles cut their teeth, and all the bands used to go and play there. It’s a very British institution. A few of these holiday camps still exist, and they’re kind of [struggling], because now everybody can afford to go off to Ibiza and Spain.
The other thing is that the only thing uniting [the festival] is people who like my taste in music and my sense of humor. It’s all ages, very strange cross section of society, but then you put 5,000 of them in a little village where we all live together for a weekend, and it’s hilarious. It’s like the British version of Burning Man, only it’s not sunny or very picturesque. It’s quite down and everybody dresses quite stupid and we don’t think we’re very cool. But there is that feeling of community. I did it for the first time last year and didn’t know if it would work, and it just absolutely knocked my socks off how everybody got involved.
9. Next month is the 25-year anniversary of You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby. What are your strongest memories of the release of the time the album was released, and its insane success?
The main thing I remember is just the momentum of it all. I’m not a surfer, but I can imagine it was what being on top of a wave must feel like. There’s something behind you driving it along, and all you can do is try and stay on and ride it with a bit of style, because it’s going there anyway.
Musically, the whole big beat thing, everybody wanted a piece of us, because we were doing something different. I’d just gotten married to the most famous TV presenter in England, so we’d become the celebrity couple. All of these things were driving it along. We were just having a lot of fun trying to stay on and throw a few shapes before the wave crested.
10. Are you satisfied with how you did on that wave?
I’m still alive — which wasn’t a given, considering some of my behavior at the time. I survived it. I rode it to the shore, but I didn’t get on the next one.
11. By choice?
Yeah. It did freak me out somewhat. Because by that point, I’d already been in the music business for 10 or 15 years, so it wasn’t my first rodeo. But this just engulfs your whole life, and when you’ve got photographers following you wherever you go, and if you fart in the wrong place you end up on the front page of the newspapers, it was quite scary. It wasn’t quite what I was signed up for. You know I’ve always loved music, and I wanted to be a success and be appreciated for the music I made. But I never signed up for being famous. So I kind of took my foot off the gas, deliberately a bit — which, with the benefit of hindsight, 25 years later, here I stand. I still have a career, and I still have my health. So I think I did all right.
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12. Do you see your career ever coming to a close? Is there a retirement plan, or does it just go in perpetuity?
No, I tried retirement during lockdown. I had an enforced retirement for a year. Didn’t agree with me at all. I think I’ve gotten to a point now where I can probably ride this one out until I drop. In some shape or form I think they’ll always be a place for me to be doing something. As long as I’m enjoying it and other people are still enjoying it, I don’t see any reason to stop.
13. Or even slowing down?
I mean, I don’t do it at the same pace I used to. I turned 60 this year. I can’t do the stupid things I used to, but I’m quite happy to play until I drop. Athletes have to retire early, boy bands have to retire early, but with DJs, it’s not about our looks or our fitness or anything like that. We can go gray and bald and fat, because we were never supposed to be pinups anyway.
14. You mentioned the forced retirement of the pandemic. I imagine the disparity between being onstage, then just being in the silence and quiet of your house, and how that gulf is so wide. What was that time like for you?
I’m all right with that. The thing I couldn’t deal with is not having an outlet for my joy of music, because my love of music involves sharing it with other people. If I hear a new tune, I’ve got to play it with someone. Like a tree falling in the forest, and no one hearing it — if I don’t share these tunes with people, for me, they don’t have a life. That’s what I noticed during lockdown. That’s why I did a weekly podcast, because I still had to play these tunes to people.
Obviously, I don’t want to live my whole life in that glamorous travel world, so I love coming home and doing the school run and being a quiet dad. But all the while I’m stoking the fire, getting tunes ready for the next weekend.
15. You’ve been touring around the world this year, Europe, all over the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and a few days in the U.S. Is there anything special about American audiences?
I’m always aware of the history. I played Chicago the other weekend, and just being in Chicago, where it all happened… I was in New York doing this show that I did with David Byrne, and Todd Terry turned up to the musical. To some of the Broadway producers, I was like, “F–king Todd Terry is here!” And they were like, “Who’s Todd Terry?”
I’m like, “God, he invented house music right under your noses 30 or 40 years ago.” In England he’s revered as God because of what he did, but he kind of had to come to Europe to get famous. So I’m very aware of going back to where things started, Detroit or Chicago or New York, where the music was was made.
16. Say more about that?
I’ve kind of had a bit of a checkered history [in the U.S.] I first came around 25 years ago, and things were going really well in America. I was over there a lot. Then EDM happened, and I didn’t want to be on that wave, so I let things slip in America. I probably don’t travel enough to America. There’s tons of stuff going on in Brazil and Argentina and Australia and Japan. And so yeah, America got a bit forgotten — which I do apologize for. But I like that I can come over and people are really not blown out, because they haven’t seen me for 10 years.
17. What’s been the proudest moment of your career thus far?
The gigs on Brighton Beach. I’ve had six enormous gigs on the beach in my hometown. It doesn’t get any much better than this, because I love the city that I live in. I’m very, very proud of it. And they seem to be proud of me. It’s a bit like a scene from the film, like the triumphant homecoming and local boy does good.
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?
Employing my manager. The first person I met who wasn’t my record company, in the music business, was a guy called Garry Blackburn. He was my plugger at first. That was 1985, and I’ve worked with him ever since. He’s only about six years older than me, but he’s like my dad. We’ve been through heaven and hell together. More heaven than hell, but he’s been there for me during the crunchy bits. He’s been really good for me, because he just allows me to do what I do and then translates that into business. I’m useless in business. I have no idea.
19. Maybe you just answered my next question, but who’s been your greatest mentor and what’s the best advice they ever gave you?
The person who’s most inspired me is David Byrne. He musically inspired me, then I worked with him writing this musical 15 or 20 years ago. Working with him really set me on a [path] of where I am today, doing other things outside music.
Look what he did: He started a record label and started putting out Brazilian music, then he does art things. He’s got such an inquisitive mind about everything, always asking, “How can we make it more fun?” I’ve just found him such an inspiration. He’s been the blueprint. After working with him, I looked at all the other things he’d done and said, “Well, that’s how you do longevity, by not being held back by, ‘I’ve got to make an album every three years and have hits.’
Once you’ve done enough albums to have hits and have a name, then it’s like, “Well, let’s flex some other muscles.” Let’s do an art project and other things in your life that interest you, let’s invite them into your life. If you’re respected enough, if your reputation is enough, then you get to hang out with other people and swap ideas and do things that aren’t necessarily just about having hit records. He does things that interest him, rather than just being on the hamster wheel.
20. What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
Apart from, “Try not to do that, or marry that” — you know, notable mistakes — I would say just try and savor and remember more of it. There are huge amounts of things I don’t remember from my partying days. Someone will say “What is Cher like?” and I’m like “I never met Cher,” and they’re like, “Yes you did, you spent an evening with her” and then they show me photos of me and Cher having a night out, and I’m like, “Oh my God.”
Someone said to me, when I got married, “Take time for the two of you to walk away from your guests for a couple of minutes and soak up the moment, because you want to remember your life.” That was really good advice — and it did work, because we remember that moment.
I just wish I’d done a bit more of that, rather than doing everything by instinct and adrenaline, that I’d sat back and took it all in, because I’ve had the most beautiful life. I’ve gotten to work my whole career in an industry I love, in and around music I love. Most people don’t get to do that. I’ve done some really excellent and excellently fulfilling things. I just wish I remembered all of them.
Erika Jayne is getting ready to start up her very own Las Vegas residency, Bet It All on Blonde. The star will kick off her five-week stay at the House of Blues starting Friday (Aug. 25), but before gracing the stage, she sat down with Billboard News to tell fans what they can expect of […]
Last year was important for the expansion of SB19. Not only did the Philippines’ reigning pop kings expand their worldview with their first English single, “WYAT (Where You At),” and visited cities throughout North America, Asia and the Middle East on their Where You At world tour, but saw their rising impact on charts like Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart when they became just the second-ever act to top the real-time Twitter-powered tally. In 2023, the members have taken it upon themselves to expand their individual music careers, including the solo debut of eldest member Josh Cullen.
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The rapper-singer-dancer showcased his full range of talents on his first single “WILD TONIGHT” while embracing an image much darker than SB19’s beloved Pinoy-pop style. Adopting a vampire concept, the 29-year-old lets loose both visually in the music video and musically by changing his vocal styles and approaches throughout the track. “WILD TONIGHT” marks significant growth from the more restrained energy Josh previously showed when he hopped on the remix to “Sofa,” recorded with his cousin and fellow Filipino musician Ocho the Bullet. Cullen was clearly ready to unleash something much more powerful with the star saying that “WILD TONIGHT” is just the first stroke in his burgeoning solo career.
Just when SB19’s adoring fans—affectionately known as A’TIN—thought they could pin Josh down as P-pop’s dark and wild party boy, the star switched things up with his heavier second single, “Pakiusap Lang,” that embraced edgier hip-hop and R&B beats sound while sharing his acting skills in the accompanying music video that explores the twists and turns in a complicated relationship.
Before the release of “Pakiusap Lang,” and as rumors buzz that SB19 is gearing up to release new music ahead of their fifth anniversary in October, Josh found some time to sit down for Billboard to reflect on his solo career and what makes up his musical viewpoint in these 20 Questions.
“Honestly, if I could have a vacation right now, I totally would,” Cullen laughs when he thinks about how far he and his bandmates have come in these past years. “Still, I love what we’re doing and know I have to work hard to make it happen.”
Read on for more from Josh Cullen including new stories from his career, first musical memories, hints about future releases and more.
1. Where are you living and working from right now?
At the moment, I don’t have a fixed location as I’ve been prioritizing my passion for music and exploring new experiences. Though I’ve come a long way in my personal and professional life, I know that there is still much more to learn, discover, and achieve. I’m eager to see where this journey takes me and I’m committed to working tirelessly towards my aspirations.
2. You’ve made your solo debut with “WILD TONIGHT.” Can you explain the significance of this moment for you and the meaning of the title?
As an artist, I chose to title my solo debut “WILD TONIGHT” because I wanted to convey a sense of unleashing the beast or the fun inside oneself at night. It’s about how a vampire might seek revenge or how a normal person might embrace their wild side. I think the title is significant because it represents a sense of liberation and escape from the mundane aspects of daily life. It also encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and uniqueness. To me, “WILD TONIGHT” conveys a sense of excitement, energy, and a bit of danger. It invites people to join me on a journey of self-expression and exploration.
3. Your fans might be surprised to hear you both rapping and singing. Did you want to make sure of all sides of yourself with this first single?
I wanted to make sure that my fans get a glimpse of all sides of myself with this first single. I wanted to showcase everything—from my music to dance, rap to singing, creativity, choreography and every little detail to be at its fullest potential. I have been working hard, perfecting my craft and waiting for the perfect opportunity to come forward. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for to show the world what I’m truly capable of. I’m excited to share this new chapter of my journey with them and hope they enjoy the music as much as I did creating it.
4. Going off the song title, “WILD TONIGHT,” can you recall your craziest night out?
When it comes to the craziest night out I’ve ever had, one experience definitely comes to mind. It all started innocently enough with my friends inviting me out to chill and grab a bite to eat. However, things quickly escalated when everyone ended up getting super drunk, myself included, and by the end of the night, I found myself in a situation where I was two hours away from home and had no idea how to get back. In the end, I ended up hopping on a bus and riding home, having my autopilot body switch activated. Looking back, it was definitely a wild night and not exactly what I had planned when I first agreed to hang out with my friends. But it’s a story that I’ll always remember!
5. What’s the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
I don’t quite remember the exact title, but I believe it was a Linkin Park album that I bought. I bought it on CD format because that was the most common way to buy music back then. I remember being so excited to have my own copy of the album and being able to listen to it whenever I wanted. It was a really important part of my younger years and I still have fond memories of listening to it on repeat.
6. You wrote and composed “WILD TONIGHT.” Tell us about how you worked on the lyrics.
Working on the lyrics was a bit of a struggle, to be honest. I wanted to make sure the vampire concept was in there, but also have it relate to real life. I was stuck on the first verse for days and couldn’t come up with anything that felt right. But then, one night at 3 a.m., I had this crazy dream with the perfect lyrics and melody for the first verse. I was like, “Oh, shit, I gotta record this now!” And it turned out to be exactly what I needed.
As for the pre-chorus, I also hit a roadblock and was struggling to come up with something catchy. I started brainstorming and thought to myself, “What’s something people will easily remember and sing?” I was running out of ideas and was like, “Fuck it, let’s try this even if it sounds stupid.” That’s when I decided to throw in the “La-la la la” part. It was a crazy idea, but it ended up being the most catchy and memorable part of the song.
All in all, I’m really proud of how it turned out and I hope the people can feel the passion and love that went into creating it.
7. You also co-produced the single. What’s your background with music production?
My background with music production is pretty limited. I don’t really know much about music theory or anything like that. But I’ve dabbled in it a little bit and have been able to pick up some things along the way. I wouldn’t say I’m a pro or anything, but I think what I’m good at is having a good ear and being able to make good judgments about the sounds and overall vibe of the music. And you know what, I’m glad that my cousin Ocho [the Bullet] who is just as crazy as me, has co-produced the single with me. It’s been a fun journey working together and bouncing ideas off each other. We’re not afraid to experiment and push boundaries, which has led to some really unique and exciting sounds in the final product. Plus, being a performer for a long time, I have a good sense of what makes a great song and I think my experience on stage has given me a unique perspective on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to producing music. So even though I don’t have a formal education in music production, I’m confident in my abilities and my passion for music always drives me to learn and improve.
8. There are a lot of interesting concept photography for “WILD TONIGHT.” Tell us about creating the visuals for the single.
For the visuals I really wanted to incorporate a lot of storytelling, representations, and metaphors. I didn’t want to just spoon feed people with the answers. I had a lot of ideas and wanted to make sure every detail had a purpose, even down to the easter eggs. With the help of my production team, we were able to execute everything we wanted to do, from the CGI to the vampire traits. I’m really proud of how everything came together and I think it really adds another layer to the song.
Shout out to my amazing production team, YouMeUs, for bringing my vision to life and giving me the quality that I’ve been longing for. They were able to understand my ideas and help me execute them in a way that exceeded my expectations. Without them, the visuals for “WILD TONIGHT” wouldn’t have been possible.
9. How did your hometown/city shape who you are?
Imus, Cavite is the place where I grew up and it definitely had a huge impact on shaping who I am today. The people, the culture, and the environment all played a role in my upbringing. It’s where I experienced my firsts, my successes, my failures, and my challenges. It’s where I developed my values, my principles, and my perspectives. Living in Cavite taught me to be resilient, resourceful, and determined. It also taught me to be compassionate, empathetic, and understanding. The experiences and memories that I have from my hometown are invaluable and have been instrumental in shaping who I am as a person and as an artist. It is where I began loving street food as well.
10. What was the first concert you saw?
The first concert I saw was the Dream K-Pop Fantasy Concert 2012 featuring Girls’ Generation. As a fan of SNSD, it was a dream come true to see them perform live. They were one of my inspirations as an artist, and seeing them perform gave me a better understanding of the music industry. The concert was a memorable experience, and I still remember the energy and excitement of the crowd. It was definitely a pivotal moment in my music journey.
11. What was the biggest lesson you learned from SB19’s first world tour?
The biggest lesson I learned from SB19’s first world tour was how powerful music can be in bringing people from different cultures and backgrounds together. It was incredible to see how fans from all over the world connected with our music and performance, despite language barriers. The tour opened my eyes to the diversity of music and how it can transcend boundaries.
12. Did SB19’s world tour influence how you approached your solo debut?
Although the tour didn’t directly inspire my current song “WILD TONIGHT” it gave me a lot of inspiration for my future music. Being able to experience the different locations and cultures we visited on tour was a valuable experience that I have already drawn from in my future songs. Overall, the tour was an unforgettable experience that helped shape my approach to music and creativity.
13 Did the other SB19 members share feedback or their feelings about you debuting solo with “WILD TONIGHT”?
To be honest, other members didn’t provide specific feedback or express their feelings about it. However, they were all very supportive and encouraging. They commented positively on the music video and were happy with my solo endeavors.
14. What’s your go-to karaoke song?
My go-to karaoke song is “Martyr Nyebera” by Kamikazee, a popular rock band from the Philippines. The intro of the song actually sounds like The Flintstones theme, which is pretty cool. Whenever I sing this song, I go all out and even do some head banging. It’s a really fun and energetic song to sing; it always gets the crowd going.
15. Are these new singles indicating more solo music is coming from you?
Yes, I’ve been working on a lot of songs. I was actually surprised that I’ve managed to compose a lot of songs in a short period of time. I will be releasing more songs that would allow people to get to know me better as an artist.
16. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?
My ultimate professional goal is to make a meaningful impact on the Philippine music scene, particularly with OPM [Original Pinoy Music]. I’m passionate about contributing to the growth and recognition of our distinct musical heritage, and I’m determined to share it with a wider audience both locally and internationally. Additionally, I hope to inspire those who, like me, dream big and show them that with perseverance and hard work, anything is possible.
17. What’s one thing even your most devoted fans don’t know about you?
I didn’t make it to the hospital. I was born inside a car, ha!
18. What’s your message to fans who have been supporting SB19 and you?
I just want to say a huge thank you to all the A’TIN and BBQs out there who have been supporting us and me personally. It means the world to me to have such an incredible fanbase behind us, whether it’s for my solo projects or for SB19 as a group. The dedication and love that you have shown us are beyond words. Your unwavering support has helped us reach new heights, and we are forever grateful for your endless encouragement. You guys are the best, and we are honored to have you as part of our family.
19. Can you share anything about SB19’s plans for 2023?
While I can’t spill all the beans just yet, I can tell you that we’re cooking up something big for everyone. You can definitely expect a bigger comeback and possibly a bigger tour. We’re putting in a lot of effort and creativity to make sure it’s a great experience for everyone. We’re really excited about it and can’t wait to share more details soon. So, stay tuned and keep an eye out for more updates from SB19!
20. What else do you want to share with Billboard readers this time?
As a representative for OPM and Pinoy pop, I would like to extend an invitation to all the Billboard readers out there to watch out for more exciting music from us. We are thrilled to bring our unique sound and talent to the global scene, and we can’t wait to show the world what we’re capable of. So, please, lend us your support by checking out other amazing artists and groups from the Philippines as well. We have a lot of incredible talent here, and we’re confident that you’ll find something you’ll love. Thank you for your time and we hope to see you soon!
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2023 has been a bittersweet year for Prince Paul. In a new interview, the pioneer discussed the passing of Dave aka Trugoy of, De La Soul and more.
Variety magazine caught up with the Long Island, New York native days after “The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience” event in New York, where he and other high-profile talents celebrated De La Soul’s catalog finally being made available on streaming platforms. In an in depth Q&A with journalist Todd Gilchrist, Prince Paul discussed reuniting, his contributions to the seminal 3 Feet High and Rising and more.
When asked about the “The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience” he admitted that the evening brought him back to simpler times with the legendary trio. “It felt like a reunion of sorts because I haven’t seen some people in 30 years — since De La Soul is from Amityville, we all have mutual friends, so they brought out a lot of those people” he revealed.
He also added that the amount of people that pulled up for it was also humbling. “The rappers that came out, the artists, the support was overwhelming. You knew people supported De La Soul, but you don’t really know — at least I didn’t really know — until that day. I haven’t felt that much love in one Hip-Hop event, I think, ever in my life.”
Paul also revealed that is he currently working on restoring the debut album for the digital era. To hear him tell it, the task at hand isn’t an easy one as he recognizes that he could be potentially mishandling a masterpiece. “You’ve got to figure out, okay, let me restore it. What’s the sample? Do we sample it again or do we replay it? And if we replay it, what’s the level of accuracy?” he explained.
Paul also reveals that he too was fearful that their sophomore album De La Soul is Dead, which was drastically different than its predecessor, would not be received well by fans. “I was like, ‘I don’t know how people are going to take this.’ That’s why I did the skit at the front, where the guy was like, ‘This is garbage!’ Because I was like, ‘I don’t know if people going to accept [this new attitude]’ so I’m going to beat them to the punch. I’m going to create a scenario that the record is already scrutinized. We’ll do it for you!”
You can read the interview in its entirety here.
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After winning the CMA Awards’ song of the year honors for his chart-topping hit “Buy Dirt,” and following that with the Country Airplay No. 1 hit “What My World Spins Around,” Jordan Davis admits reality has exceeded his expectations.
“I feel like I’m playing with house money. I moved to town to be a songwriter and all I wanted to do is write songs,” says Davis, whose MCA Nashville album Bluebird Days comes out Friday (Feb. 17). “I think about those early goals, and I think about where I’m at now, and I’m just like, ‘God is crazy. He’s good. I’m super, super blessed.’”
Bluebird Days is an impressive 17-track set that includes 15 songs co-written by Davis that run the gamut from the spirited opening track, “Damn Good Time,” to the poignant homage to his grandfather, “Fishing Spot,” to the title track, a haunting examination of his family’s journey from happy times to the ache of his parents’ divorce.
Bluebird Days is the Shreveport, Louisiana native’s second full length album, following 2018’s Home State, which spawned the Country Airplay No. 1s “Singles You Up,” “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot” and “Take it From Me.” Davis also released two EPs prior to Bluebird Days, including a 2020 self-titled set and a May 2021 release that included “Buy Dirt.” “Barring the two Covid years, I definitely think that we would have made a [full] record around the first EP,” he tells Billboard. “Not touring and being at home more took a little while to get used to, so my writing schedule got thrown off — not to mention shifted in what I was writing about.”
The deeper, more personal themes he tackles on Bluebird Days were a result of the downtime during the pandemic combined with the success of “Buy Dirt,” a multi-platinum duet with Luke Bryan that celebrated the things that truly matter in life and is included on Bluebird Days. “When you are touring, it’s hard not to stay in the touring mindset as you are writing a song,” he says. “You start writing a song for a spot in the set and not necessarily just writing a song. With the space and with the time off, it allowed me to just truly sit down and write an honest real song. Without that time off, I don’t think we would have written a lot of these songs that are on this album.”
In listening to Bluebird Days, Davis thinks people will recognize “that we’re all pretty human.” Much of the album is written with frequent collaborators such as his producer Paul DiGiovanni, Josh Jenkins, Davis’ brother Jacob and Matt Jenkins (the latter three penned “Buy Dirt” with Davis).
“With us saying that we wanted to be honest with this album, there was no one foot in and kind of easing into this,” he explains. “It’s like, ‘All right man, if we’re going to be honest, you’ve just got to be honest,’ whether it’d be talking about my temper on ‘Short Fuse’ or talking about the way I view money on ‘Money Isn’t Real,’ how fast my kids are growing and the guilt I feel being gone half the year… that’s all real stuff, and I know I’m not the only person in the world that’s going through that.”
In light of the recent accolades and success at radio, Davis admits he was a little apprehensive about his second full length effort, including picking “What My World Spins Around” as the follow-up to “Buy Dirt.” “The space between ‘Buy Dirt’ and ‘What My World Spins Around’ going to radio was the most nerveracking — and when ‘What My World Spins Around’ had the impact the way it did and ended up being a big song in its own right, I think that took a lot of the pressure off,” he says. “I was able to see I don’t have to redo ‘Buy Dirt’ again — I just have to be honest and up front and real in the writing.”
To follow up “What My World Spins Around,” Davis says they almost went with another single before deciding to release “Next Thing You Know,” which Davis wrote with Greylan James, Chase McGill and Josh Osborne. “After a week of playing it live, I walked off stage one night and told my manager that I’m an idiot if I don’t give this song a chance at radio,” Davis says. “I don’t know if I’ve had a song that’s impacted the way this song has, even ‘Buy Dirt.’ It’s truly pretty special to watch. And it doesn’t have a chorus, which is kind of weird. It’s a totally linear story of life, but it doesn’t matter if you’re 70, 50, 40 or 20 — you have a part in this song, and I truly feel like that’s why so many people are gravitating to it.”
Even the songs he didn’t write speak for him, including “Money Isn’t Real,” penned by Jake Mitchell, Jameson Rodgers, Josh Thompson, Sarah Turner. “I was trying to write this song called ‘When the Money Runs Out,’ about, ‘Who you are going to be, what are people going to say about you, when the money runs out?’ And I couldn’t get it right,” Davis says. “Jameson sent over ‘Money Isn’t Real,’ and I remember being like, ‘Holy smokes! I’ve been trying to write this song for three years and you just sent me this song I’ve been trying to write.’”
Danielle Bradbery joins Davis on “Midnight Crisis.” “The first time I heard her sing, I was captivated, and she’s just the sweetest person in the world,” he says. “I truly think she’s on the verge of being one of the most powerful females in country music. I knew Danielle would crush it, and she was the only one we sent it to.”
Growing up in Louisiana, Davis was heavily influenced by the local sounds and acts coming through town. “The special thing about Shreveport was it truly was a melting pot,” he says. “There were places where you could go listen to traditional country. There were places that were doing writer’s rounds and clubs that would have rock bands. At 10-years-old, I was going to [defunct renowned Louisiana club] Western Sky because my Uncle Stan [Paul Davis] was playing there with his band. Texas country [acts] Robert Earl Keen and Pat Green would come play the casinos, and we’d go see them, and then jazz bands out of New Orleans would come up and me and my buddies would go see them. It was such a diverse musical city and I just pulled pieces from all that. I was lucky to grow up there.”
Initially, Davis didn’t see himself on stage. Growing up, his brother Jacob was always the performer of the two siblings, following in the steps of their uncle, a local legend. “He was playing all over Louisiana and I was just carrying his equipment in and out of venues,” Davis recalls. “So when I moved to town, he was working on getting a record deal and I was trying to get a publishing deal.”
But Davis got discouraged when he saw his contemporaries landing publishing contracts that eluded him. Then a friend told him that songwriters who were also artists were much more attractive to publishing companies, and those were the writers who were getting signed. “I was like, ‘All right, well, I want to be an artist too,’” he says. “I didn’t want to bartend anymore. I wanted to just write songs.”
These days, he’s grateful to be doing writing and singing and spending time on the road playing his songs. He’s out with Thomas Rhett through February before heading to Europe to play the C2C festivals in March in London, Dublin and Glasgow. In the summer, Davis will tour with Dierks Bentley, and he’s planning a potential headlining tour for the fall.
Ado wants to be cool.
As the Japanese singer – who delivered one of the country’s biggest hits in recent years – raced towards adulthood in 2022, however, she realized her definition of cool needed to evolve.
Within the span of years, the now-20-year-old singer had gone from being immersed in Japan’s Vocaloid culture – a genre of music that uses a synthesizing software to make vocals and melodies alike – to an utaite (singers who cover songs by other artists) – to unwittingly becoming the voice of a generation, when her viral 2020 hit “Ussewaa” pegged her as the antithesis to the dull routine of adult life. This was all without a physical release and while keeping her identity completely under wraps, which is not uncommon in utaite culture.
“Understanding the latest trends/ Checking the stock market on my way to work/ Joining a company with pure spirit/ These are the obvious rules for us workers,” she spits on the frenzied electro-rock track, which thumps and pulses and simmers with rage born from helplessness and monotony. She had spent most of her career in a silo, sometimes recording songs in a closet inside her home. At first, “cool” meant brazenly rejecting societal expectations. In her own words, the brash, scathing sound was born from a primal need to resist the hierarchy.
“It was a rebellion against adults and this society, and I really wanted to win,” she tells Billboard. Yet here she was – joining the very contingent she’d scoffed at for the better part of her career.
But Ado is not like most young adults. In fact, she comes with a disarming quietude that most would struggle to reconcile with the pumping anger and scorn of her songs. As time pushed her closer to the other side of the threshold, she felt it was the right moment to broaden her perspective.
Like any teenager, she had once thought that screaming at the top of her lungs, pouring visceral resentment into her songs and outright rejecting the idea of conformity was the way to achieve that. Ask her about it now, she’d probably laugh and say that emotion without self-awareness is a rebel without a cause. “When I started out, I was quite immature,” she admits. “I really wanted to be taken seriously.”
As she expanded her vision for Ado, the artist, throughout 2022, some of her own dreams came true. She released her debut album Kyougen, which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart, and then repeated her success with Uta’s Songs: One Piece Film Red, which reached no. 1 on the same chart.
She’s come to approach her music as less of an outlet and more as an instrument for inspiration: “Going towards the end of the year, I really had proof – through the work that I did, through my performance, through my songs, and getting through challenges mentally as well as within myself – that I had grown. I felt like I leveled up in a huge way.” Her small wins, she says, assured her that she was on the right path.
At first, it sounds like a betrayal of the “young, wild, and free” ethos she’s come to embody, a proverbial “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mentality. She would disagree: She’s only becoming more conscientious, not replacing the primordial emotion that underlines her music. It’s an important part of being cool, you see: “[Cool people] are ready to take responsibility for who they are and what they do.”
With one Japanese tour just weeks behind her, and her new Mars arena tour on the horizon – which will take her to 14 venues across Japan between June and September 2023 – Ado sat down with Billboard to discuss her career and growth.
You’ve just wrapped up a series of shows across Japan. How are you feeling?
It was pretty tough, but I was able to connect with my fans and hear their voices. Even though it was tough, when I got on stage, I forgot about everything. Concerts are really fun to do!
What aspects of it did you think were tough?
First of all, I have to say travel. Because you’re moving to so many different places, and then you have to go on stage – of course, being on the stage is fun, but it’s repetitive. You have to be your best self over and over again on stage, each night. That was a bit tough. It was really sort of an internal battle with myself.
You actually did a stream recently where you mentioned that you don’t like looking at performances of yourself. Why is that?
That’s right. It’s really uncomfortable for me. I really don’t like seeing myself in [any] media form – concerts, photos, video footage. Even if there’s a slight shadow of myself or a flicker, I just want to shut down the computer or turn it around so I don’t have to see it.
In that case, how are you preparing for the possibility of becoming more and more famous? I imagine as you are going to be performing at different venues, there’s chances of photos or videos.
I’m quite aware that Ado is loved by the fans, but for some reason… I do equate myself with Ado, the artist, so I do know that I’m loved and people like what I do. But even if I know [what] their objective view [is], the fans’ view of me from the third person and my subjective view [of myself] in the first person, they don’t equate. They don’t match up. So I think there is a discrepancy there.
That sounds like you had trouble loving yourself at some point, even if the fans love you.
You are right in your assumption. I think, at some point, I would really love to be able to look at the footage or photos of myself and think it’s all great and really appreciate myself. See myself the way the fans see me. I think that would make everything much more fun, but I’m not quite there yet.
Is that one of your goals for 2023?
Yes. Not just on an emotional level of just loving myself, but I’d like to be able to achieve that this year through improving my skills.
There’s not a lot of live performance videos that you’ve uploaded from the tour, except for the one at the Saitama Super Arena. What was special about that performance?
The Saitama Super Arena, for me, is really valuable and meaningful because it was the day that my dream came true – and because it came true, it encouraged me to keep singing. So, that concert was very important in my life. That’s why I wanted more people to see it.
This reminds me of a video you uploaded sometime ago, titled “To Everyone Who Was Born In 2002,” where you talked about a blue rose and how it signified dreams coming true. How did you relate to it, especially in context of last year?
Actually, originally, when we had the design for my image, it was only a long-haired girl. There was no rose in the character design. Then, somewhere along the line, we added a red rose and we went with that for a while. Then, I started looking into blue roses and the significance behind them – 2022 was when that happened. Then, I realized that it was connected to dreams coming true, and that message really appealed to me. So I thought: ‘I’ll use this motif’. That’s why I wear the blue rose on my chest, near my heart.
What do you think you’ve been trying to achieve in your music and have those goals changed from your debut till now?
In the beginning, I was expressing that emotional anger quite strongly [through my music]. I really wanted to be taken seriously, and it was a rebellion against adults and this society of adults, and I really wanted to win. Having said that, now I’m 20, and I have become an adult. When I started out, it was quite immature. Now, as opposed to anger being the main motivation, it’s about motivating kids or young people for their dreams to come true. If they have dreams, maybe I could symbolize that, or inspire them to make their dreams come true.
I like that you brought up being an adult. When I was watching “To Everyone Who Was Born in 2002,” I wondered: were you at all disappointed by adulthood not being all that it’s chalked up to be?
I’m not sure if the word “disappointment” is correct – but when I tried being an adult, I realized that you [can’t] just switch it on and off. When I was 19, I realized it’s more like a state of mind that you gradually move into. So, when I did become 20, I wasn’t really shocked or hugely disappointed, but I thought that I wasn’t self-aware enough yet. I grapple with that at the moment as well. But, I will leave it to my future self. I think my future self will be okay.
Vocaloid producer Ine recently spoke about you in an interview, and he thought you were very cool. You’ve mentioned before that you want to be a “cool” artist – what do you think makes an artist cool?
I would say first of all, voice is really important to me. And if they are a songwriter, it would be their choice of words. [But] I really do think it’s about their state of mind and who they are as a person. I think that’s also a big part of being cool – that they’re ready to take responsibility for who they are and what they do.
Sometime ago, you got really emotional in a stream because, in 2022, you hadn’t been able to put out a lot of utaite songs. Did you feel like you were losing touch with your roots?
Yes, I think I was very used to releasing utaite music, and [in 2022] compared to a lot of my other releases, it was much less. So, I think I was a bit emotional and sad about that.
2022 was a big year for Vocaloid as well. One of the things that happened was Billboard Japan launching their Nico Nico Vocaloid Chart. In his interview, Ine said that he was excited but also scared about the development, because Vocaloid originally symbolized a community of people who made music because they loved it. He said: “When there’s the potential for your creations to be recognized for their quality, it also highlights the fact that your creations aren’t getting recognized.” Do you share his emotions?
Ine-san is a producer, and I am an utaite, so there might be a difference [in approach] there, but personally, I am not really scared. But… I can understand as a producer why he would [say that]. Regarding the chart itself being established, I think it’s amazing, because it shows how much Vocaloid music is loved, and many people want to hear it. So, I am really excited about the future of Vocaloid music.
Ahead of the Grammys this weekend, best new artist nominee Anitta is back for part two of her Billboard interview, sharing more of the backstory along with her plans for the next phase of her career.
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“I really wanted this because I heard so many times that it was impossible, and I wanted to prove that it was not, someone can do this,” Anitta says of the days she spent hustling in her native Brazil to make her career happen. When she was faced with the argument that Brazilians couldn’t cross over in the States, she says she simply “could not accept it.”
She tracks her hustling days, recalling the era when she’d perform in Brazil on Friday, Saturday and Sunday then fly to the States to network during the week, before flying back to Brazil to play shows on the weekend, all while taking English lessons and doing studio sessions in English to get used to recording in the language. “It was crazy,” she says, adding that she was “so tired.”
But of course, the work paid off, with Anitta crossing over in the States, particularly upon the release of her 2022 album, Versions of Me, and its big single “Envolver.” Of this success, Anitta says fans in her home country “are super happy and very supportive of me, whenever ‘Envolver’ was starting to get really really big on the charts out of Brazil, the Brazilians, they saw it and were like, ‘If you love your nation, you’ve gotta play this song.’ … When it was No. 1 global, it was a holiday.”
Anitta also reveals that she “for sure, definitely” will end her singing career in the next five or six years, saying that she loves “change, challenges and trying news things” and is eager to develop her acting career. (She notes that she’s already been invited to appear in a number of films.)
Given her penchant for both hustle and success, money is on Anitta achieving anything she sets out to get. Watch the complete interview above, and tune in to the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS to see if Anitta wins for best new artist.