Media

06 Jun 2025

Anderson .Paak Talks Working With Mariah Carey, His Journey as DJ Pee .Wee & More | Billboard

Billboard caught up with Anderson .Paak ahead of his DJ Pee .Wee set at House of Mouse, and he shares how he’s grown as a DJ, working on his label, collaborating with Mariah Carey and more!

Tetris Kelly:

So a party doesn’t start until DJ Pee .Wee shows up. Man, how you feeling? 

I feel great!

I feel like everywhere I go in the industry, I can be at Coachella, I can be at the Super Bowl — you’re there providing the vibe. So what’s the evolution been like for you as a DJ? 

Man, it’s been great. I love DJing, you know? Being a part of the party, but also like helping make the party is like, it’s a dream, like, I love it. So it’s been awesome to get to learn a lot of music. Shout-out to Eddie and Maurice. It’s, like, always a new challenge every time, just like, trying to make the crowd move. So it’s been awesome to go from like, a little like speakeasy, where we started, to doing parties with Mickey Mouse now. 

I mean, that’s what I’m saying, being at the House of Mouse. How’d you get involved with Mickey and all his cool friends?

It’s been a dream come true. I think our first party that we did was in London, maybe. And, yeah, we hooked up with Joss, and they just like, you know, at first I didn’t know what Willie was about, and it was just like, exceeded all expectations, like to be able to interact with, like, all the characters, and they took me to the studio, and we did so much cool content. It’s been amazing. 

Keep watching for more!

06 Jun 2025

Laufey Teases Her New Album: ‘It’s Dramatic, Big & Cinematic’ | Billboard News

Laufey shares how Disney has inspired her music, why she chose Suki Waterhouse to go on tour with her, and teases her new album!

Are you excited for her new album? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly: Hanging out with Laufey at the House of Mouse. How’s it feel to be here tonight? 

Laufey: I’m so excited. There’s like, I’m seeing already so much, like, many ears and bows and like- 

It’s the merch for me. 

It’s always the merch for me. 

I mean, what is your Disney experience like? What has the brand meant to you? 

Oh, my God. I mean, it’s just my childhood, right? I think growing up, I didn’t really have… I always loved, like, old music, old sounds. I didn’t have much context for it, but I always heard it in movies. And like, the way I told my friends about my music and, like, my musical aspirations was kind of always through the lens of music. It’s like you listen to the music from, like, the old Peter Pan movies, like the old Disney princess movies. It’s that kind of vintage sound is everything that I strive for in my modern project. So it means a lot to me. 

I love that you can connect all the lines there. And I mean you’re gonna be taking the music out on the road with Suki Waterhouse. We’re so excited about that. So how did you decide to partner with her? And what’s it gonna be like on the road?

Oh, my God. I mean, I’m such a fan of hers, I kind of, I wanted it to be like a girly show. Like I was like, I need a girl. 

Keep watching for more!

06 Jun 2025

Khalid ‘Loves Being Gay’ & Reacts to Being Outed Online | Billboard Cover

Billboard Canada cover star Khalid is getting ready to show off his more mature and authentic self on his fourth album, and he sits down to share his reaction to being outed online, who he’d love to work with in K-pop, wanting to be an inspiration to young queer boys, his growth since ‘American Teen’ and more! 

Tetris Kelly:

How are you feeling, my friend? 

Khalid:

I’m good. Thank you for having me. 

Well, we are happy to have you, but I gotta ask you right away: Tell me about your favorite Billboard moment, like a time past, present, future even that you might have charted or want to chart.

My favorite Billboard moment had to be my first ever moment on Billboard with “Location.” I mean, that song, to me, is just one of those songs that I’m grateful to even have gotten a chance to write. It’s one of those songs that kind of came to me, and so to see that success and to know that people are still bumping “Location” almost nearly 10 years later is really exciting. 

Yeah, and I mean, to have a hit like that, and then have continued to have hits, you’re a lucky man. And now you got new music coming out. So tell me about “All I Know.”

“All I Know,” Rudimental, I want to thank them for having me be a part of the song. It’s really awesome. I love EDM music, and I listen to it on my own time. So anytime that I’m able to experiment and explore with my sound and try new things, I’m always willing to, so I really love that song so much. 

When you’re working on your own new music, you’re creating an album. I mean, you’ve had different journeys in your career, where do you want to arrive now? 

Keep watching for more!

05 Jun 2025

El Malilla Defines Mexican Reggaeton | Billboard News

Griselda Flores caught up with El Malilla at Suenos Festival, and he defines “Mexican Reggaeton,” discusses his dream of touring the U.S. and more!

El Malilla:

The special case with Mexican reggaeton is that – Hey, how’s it going, everyone? I’m El Malilla, and this is Billboard, VIP Access.

Griselda Flores:

We’re with El Malilla at Sueños, here in Chicago. Welcome.

El Malilla:

We’re at the Sueños Festival in Chicago and I’m really excited because it’s the fifth time we’ve sung in the United States and the first time we’ve sung here in Chicago, and I saw a lot of people picking up on my songs, singing along. So there’s something inside me that I’d like to go on tour, but not just at a festival, and I’d like to be at venues for these fans who are there.

Of course.

And not just for 20 minutes.

I was just about to ask you that. You sang at Coachella and now Sueños. What do you hope for it, to turn into a tour?

Yes, I would like to work on that. I would like to visit cities in the United States where people know us and also where they don’t, since I started planting the seed for the Malilla project, which was a great project that I really liked. I sing reggaeton. Mexican reggaeton. Mexican reggaeton. I am Mexican and I sing reggaeton.

Keep watching for more!

05 Jun 2025

Kendrick Lamar Leads BET Awards Nominations With ‘Not Like Us’: What to Expect From Awards Show | Billboard News

The BET Awards’ 25th-anniversary show takes place Monday, June 9, and we’re breaking what you can expect, including Kendrick Lamar’s 10 nominations, tributes to Snoop Dogg and Mariah Carey, and more.

Are you excited for the BET Awards? Let us know in the comments.

Tetris Kelly: 

Kevin Hart, Tyla, Kendrick Lamar, Doechii and more will be at the culture’s biggest night. The BET Awards are turning 25 this year, and you already know they’re going to be showing out. Comedian Kevin Hart is back to host the show for the second time, bringing his quick comedic timing, likability and we hope a little playful celebrity roasting. This is Black Hollywood’s biggest night, celebrating the biggest and brightest in the culture. And with any BET celebration, the stars will be hitting the stage with some knockout performances. And this year’s lineup might be the best yet. We’re talking Lil Wayne, Playboi Carti, GloRilla, Leon Thomas and Teyana Taylor, each ready to blow the roof off the Peacock Theater. Oh, and you thought they were finished, nah. Hold up. Wait a minute, because that’s not all. This year’s show will also feature special tributes and appearances you don’t want to miss. Honorees include Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, Kirk Franklin and Mariah Carey, each being celebrated for their massive cultural impact. Speaking of the biggest, when it comes to this year’s nominations, living rap legend Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with a jaw-dropping 10 nods, including album of the year, best male hip hop artist, and video of the year for his smash hit diss track “Not Like Us.”

Keep watching for more!

05 Jun 2025

Ghazi Shami Accepts the Clive Davis Visionary Award From Olamide | Global Power Players 2025


Ghazi Shami accepts the Clive Davis Visionary award from Olamide at Global Power Players 2025.

Penske Media Corporation (which also owns Billboard) and film and production company MRC became investment partners of SXSW in 2021. Penske took majority ownership of SXSW two years later.

Mike Van:
Past years, the Clive Davis Visionary Award is usually presented at our Power 100 event before the Grammys. Yet due to the wildfires in L.A. this year, we were forced to cancel that event. As such, we could not go without presenting the award this year, and in many ways, this is an even more fitting room for the occasion given the incredibly bold vision of this year’s honoree. This remarkable leader has been making big bets around the world for years, investing in artists and executive talent from Africa to Asia to the Middle East and, of course, in the U.S., and making global waves. In the process, his company, Empire, has been part of 62 Billboard Hot 100 hits as an imprint or label, including Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song,” which tied the record as the song with the most weeks at No.1 in the Hot 100 as well as in history in last year, at 19 weeks. Empire has also been an imprint or label on eight top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and had a hand in distributing over 150 albums that have reached the Billboard 200 chart. To present this award, we’d like to welcome one of this year’s Global Power players and the founder of Nigeria’s most prominent record labels, YBNL nation. Please give it up for Olamide.

Olamide:
Thank you, Billboard, for having me today. Ghazi has partnered with YBNL for six years, and the Empire team has helped expand the global reach of not just YBNL artists, but music from African continent as a whole. Through its hard work and strong vision, Ghazi has shifted how artists and labels work together in true partnership. As Empire celebrates 15 years, we hope Ghazi and Empire team continue to set the bar for independent musicians globally. Thank you.

05 Jun 2025

Tems Accepts the Diamond Award From Yati Khumalo | SXSW London 2025  

Tems accepts the Diamond award from Yati Khumalo at SXSW London 2025.

Penske Media Corporation (which also owns Billboard) and film and production company MRC became investment partners of SXSW in 2021. Penske took majority ownership of SXSW two years later.

Yati Khumalo:
Created in partnership with the Botswana Investment and Trade Center, the Diamond Award represents the shared philosophy between the sustainable and ethical development of Africa’s mineral resources, which countries like Botswana have perfected, and our most noteworthy mainstream export — music. Generating more than $29.6 billion in revenue in 2024, music is the backbone of African culture, both on the continent and abroad. Alongside the Diamond Award, tonight’s winner will also receive an all-inclusive, curated tourism experience at Abercrombie and Kent travel group’s world renowned Chiefs Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

I’m so pleased to present this award to an artist who has been leading the vibe with authenticity, an unmistakable sound and an attitude of perseverance. Please join me in celebrating Nigerian singer-songwriter, producer, entrepreneur and the hit maker “Free Mind,” “Wait for You” and “Love Me JeJe,” Billboard and Billboard Africa‘s Diamond Award recipient, Tems.

Tems:
What an intro. Thank you so much. Thank you so much to Billboard. I’m really honored to be here to stand in front of so many beautiful people, so many, so many accomplished people. It’s an honor. It’s a great pleasure. And I really, really appreciate you.

05 Jun 2025

Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Kim Petras & More Gear Up for Festival Season | Billboard News

This is partner content.

This summer is packed with festivals, and we’re highlighting incredible stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Kim Petras and more, who will be bringing their hottest hits to the stage!

Tetris Kelly: 
The festival season is far from over, and as we gear up for the rest of the year, we’re breaking down three massive outings that you should have your eye on, presented by Amazon Prime. It’s Pride Month and Pride is bringing icons only to Washington, D.C., June 6 and 7. You can catch Paris Hilton and Kim Petras, Troye Sivan and Miss Jennie from the block, Jennifer Lopez. At the same time over in New York City, Benson Boone will be flipping his way into the Governors Ball, with a lineup that also includes Tyler, the Creator and Olivia Rodrigo. Olivia is a darling of festival season, as she is also headlining Chicago’s Lollapalooza. Tyler is making his way there as well, and on July 31 to Aug. 3, they will be joined by Doechii, Gracie Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter.

We will be following all the festivals all year long, so keep it locked at Billboard. 

04 Jun 2025

Best Photos of Tems, Elton John, Ghazi & More at Billboard’s First Global Power Players Event

Billboard hosted its first Global Power Players event in London on Wednesday night, where Elton John and his husband and manager David Furnish, EMPIRE founder and CEO Ghazi Shami and Afrobeats superstar Tems were recognized with special awards.

John and Furnish collected the Creators’ Champion Award, with John saying in his speech, “Supporting the next generation of British artists is one of the major driving forces in my life.” He also took the opportunity to speak out against the U.K. Labour government’s controversial data bill – which proposes an opt-out approach for rights holders, as opposed to the preferred opt-in strategy and has been voted down by the House of Lords for an unprecedented fifth time.

“Copyright has to be transparent and seek permission,” John said onstage at the invite-only event at Shoreditch House in east London. “These two principles are the bedrock of the industry and they must be included in the data bill as a backstop. Let’s be clear: We want to work with the government, we want our government to work with us. We are not anti-AI and we are not anti-Big Tech.”

Also at the Global Power Players event, Tems received the Diamond Award from incoming Billboard Africa editor Nkosiyati Khumalo, saying onstage: “Being African and a musician is a whole new world and I feel like Billboard has been so supportive of not just African music but the whole scene and the culture.”

Finally, EMPIRE founder and CEO Ghazi Shami was given the Clive Davis Visionary Award, presented by Nigerian musician and YNBL label boss Olamide, saying in his speech: “I often tell people that EMPIRE is a philanthropy company masquerading as a record label. I truly believe that in my heart. It wasn’t always that way. Being a visionary means you see a need in your community and you try and figure out how to serve that need.”

Find the best photos from the inaugural Billboard Global Power Players event below.

03 Jun 2025

JoJo Siwa Talks Relationship With Chris Hughes, Her Sexuality, Rock Mafia & More | Billboard News 

JoJo Siwa takes us out to Priscilla’s and she shares her experience on Celebrity Big Brother U.K., her relationship with Chris Hughes, working with Rock Mafia on her new album, opening up about her sexuality, what fans can expect from her tour and more!

Tetris Kelly:
Well, I feel like I live the coolest life ever, because I’m just casually hanging in Burbank with JoJo Siwa. 

JoJo Siwa:
We’re locals. 

And this is Priscilla’s. So what is the story of this place? 

They have this blueberry vanilla coffee that became my favorite thing ever. 

OK so I wanna try. 

So what is really special about this? 

I would’ve never thought about blueberry and coffee. 

So strange, right? 

It’s awesome. 

But here’s what’s cool is it’s like, you can see all their coffee beans. The bean is what’s actually flavored. So the coffee bean is infused, essentially, with blueberry. It’s cooked, I think, in oil. I don’t know how they do it. And then it has a vanilla powder in it anyways, I’m on my-

What did you get? 

I’m on my English breakfast tea kick right now. 

Oh, Miss U.K. right now.

I’m missing my people over there.

From across the pond. You’re going on the 22-date tour. I mean, you’re not new to touring, but like, what’s gonna be different about this summer? 

I mean, I’m an adult now, which is crazy. There’s elements in this show that make it a lot different than just a typical concert. It’s been really fun. It’s been really fun to create it as it’s like, song, song, funny bit, song, song, dance moms reference song, song, Jojo the Bobo reference song, song, crowd interactions, there’s things from my life that people really like, quotes that I’ve said, half of them being with you- 

All the quotes being with me.

Keep watching for more!