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Just days after the death of Limp Bizkit co-founder bassist Sam Rivers at age 48 of undisclosed causes, TMZ is reporting that a spokesperson for St. Johns County, Florida Fire Rescue said they responded to a call on Saturday (Oct. 18) for a “nonresponsive person in cardiac arrest.”
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At press time no official cause of death had been announced and the gossip site added that a spokesperson for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s office said that deputies responded to what is referred to as an “attended death” at Rivers’ address, meaning a call in which the deceased was a patient under medical care for a serious or life-threatening illness likely to result in a near-term death.
Billboard reached out to the St. Johns Country Fire Rescue and Sheriff’s offices — as well as Limp Bizkit’s spokesperson — for comment, but had not heard back at press time.
Rivers, 48, was diagnosed with liver disease in 2011 due to excessive drinking and received a liver transplant in 2017 after taking a temporary leave from the nu-metal band in 2015, before returning in 2018.
Singer Fred Durst posted an emotional tribute to Rivers on Monday saying, “it’s so tragic he’s not here now” and admitting that he’d gone through “gallons and gallons of tears since yesterday and I’m thinking, ‘my God, Sam’s a legend,’ you know? He did it. He lived it.” Earlier, the band — which also features guitarist Wes Borland, DJ Lethal and drummer John Otto — released a joint statement paying tribute to their beloved compatriot.
“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic,” the group said. “The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound. From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”
At press time it appeared the band planned to carry on with its planned late 2025 Gringo Papi South American tour dates, which will resume on Nov. 29 at Explanada del Estadio Banorte in Mexico City before moving on to Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina before winding down on Dec. 20 in Sao Paulo, Brazil; no replacement for Rivers has been announced yet.
Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information click here.
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The government has been shut down for more than three weeks, the president just took a wrecking ball to the White House and more than 40 million Americans are potentially a month away from losing their food assistance unless Congress acts soon. Those scenarios, and many more, are why frequent Donald Trump antagonist and punk prodder Ken Casey says we need to focus on the real problems in the country, not who is performing the halftime show at next year’s Super Bowl.
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The Dropkick Murphys lead singer is the latest artist to fully back Bad Bunny‘s booking for what is traditionally one of the most-watched televised musical performances of the year, telling Rolling Stone that he hadn’t really listened to the global superstar’s music, but became a fan after watching Benito chew up the scenery in Happy Gilmore 2.
“I will go to the mat for that guy,” Casey said of his support for Bad Bunny in the wake of his hilarious turn in the cameo-packed Adam Sandler sequel. “God bless his heart. He is a true, true American” he added of the Puerto Rican singer who is an American citizen. The latter comment was a pointed asterisk seemingly aimed at the many MAGA supporters and Trump administration figures who have bashed the Benito booking, including Sec. of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who has threatened a heavy ICE presence at the Feb. 8 game in Santa Clara, Calif.
“[This administration] just wants to control everything, every narrative,” Casey said of Trump 2.0. “There’s way bigger problems in the world than who is at the halftime show at the Super Bowl,” warning that, “if you don’t get involved now, you might lose your chance to get involved.” The latter comment came after an estimated seven million Americans turned out over the weekend for massive “No Kings” protests across the country decrying the authoritarian actions of the current administration.
Casey was also speaking out to shine a light on his drive to mobilize the punk community to join him in supporting Home of the Brave, a nonprofit founded by former Republicans to speak out against the Trump administration and lend a voice to those whose lives have “been directly harmed” by its actions.
The singer will join the org’s advisory board, taking his place alongside board members including frequent Trump antagonist George Conway, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and D.C. Metro Police Dept. officer Michael Fanone (who was injured in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters), former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice and former Trump 1.0 deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews.
In a video announcing his board membership, Casey says, “I’m so outspoken about what Trump’s doing to America because I have a platform, the band has a platform,” noting that the Murphys’ message of support for worker’s rights and social injustice has been consistent over 30 years. “If we’ve been outspoken even in times nowhere near as drastic as this, why would we not step up our level of activism as the stakes raise?”
Casey admits that speaking out against Trump has probably cost the band fans, but expressed hope that maybe things will “come around” some day, adding that he’s not afraid to call out the silence from other bands because if the Murphys can influence one band, or 10 fans, or 100 fans, to change their minds the movement could gain critical mass.
The Murphys have definitely not been shy about their feelings about their dislike for Trump, dedicating their single “First Class Loser” to the former reality star in July during a Warped Tour show in Long Beach, Calif. where they played videos tying the President to teen sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein. Earlier this year the singer also called out a fan for waving around a “true Nazi edition” MAGA hat at one of their St. Patrick’s Day shows in Boston in March, then slamming “rat and a coward” Trump against just weeks later.
The right-wing mediasphere and the Trump White House have been lashing out about the Bunny booking, with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski calling the pick “shameful,” and Trump dubbing it “absolutely ridiculous.” Amidst the ongoing government shutdown, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson took time to say that tapping Benito was a “terrible decision,” while claiming that the reggaeton megastar who is tied with Taylor Swift for having the most No. 1s on the Billboard Global 200 of any solo artist as lacking appeal to a “broader audience.”
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After a 2025 edition was called off six months to go , the Sick New World festival will be back in 2026 with two huge one-day concerts in Las Vegas and Fort Worth, Texas, with System of a Down headlining both events.
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The Vegas show will take place on April 25 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, and in addition to SOAD, the show will feature Korn, Bring Me the Horizon, Ministry, AFI, Evanescence, Acid Bath, Underoath, Coal Chamber, Knocked Loose, Cypress Hill, KMFDM, the Melvins, Filter, Clutch, Danny Elfman, Marilyn Manson and others.
Fans can sign up now for a pre-sale for the Vegas date that kicks off on Thursday (Oct. 23) at 10 a.m. PT.
The Forth Worth show will take place at Texas Motor Speedway on Oct. 24 with SOAD at the top of the bill, along with Deftones, Slayer — celebrating 40 years of Reign in Blood — Evanescence, Ministry, AFI, Underoath, The Prodigy, Mastodon, Knocked Loose, Power Trip, Down, Melvins, Orgy, Filter, Kittie, Snot, P.O.D. and many more.
Fans can sign up now for a pre-sale that starts on Friday (Oct. 24) at 10 a.m. CT.
Sick New World debuted in 2023 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds with SOAD as its headliner along with fellow hard rockers Korn, Deftones and Incubus and a similar mix of metal, industrial, hardcore and goth rock. It returned the next year with SOAD again at the top, joined by Alice in Chains, A Perfect Circle, Swans, Primus, Code Orange and Knock Loose, among others.
The 2025 edition, which was to feature Metallica and Linkin Park, was slated to take place in April of that year, but was cancelled in Nov. 2024 due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Check out the full lineups below.
Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information click here.
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John Williamson, the Australian “bush music” legend, has criticized a nationwide anti-immigration protest where his signature song, “True Blue,” was reportedly played without his approval.
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Thousands gathered in several Australian capital cities last Sunday, Oct. 19 for the “March for Australia” rallies, which formed as a collective voice against the federal government’s immigration policies, and for counter protests. Williamson, not for the first time, has called out the unauthorized use of his music.
Turning to Facebook, Williamson writes: “‘True Blue’ is a song for all Australians and should not be hijacked by any group that seeks to use the song to sow division. I believe in a multicultural society – one where all Australians come together in unity to celebrate our unique multicultural nature and freedoms.”
A decade ago, the ARIA Hall of Famer put conservative event organizers on blast for attempting to weaponize his famous song. Back in 2015, he shared a post on Facebook in which he noted that “True Blue” was reportedly being used at rallies by various groups including the Reclaim Australia movement, and “did not have my approval to use it.” On that occasion, he wrote, “I would prefer the song be used to celebrate togetherness in our great country. How about holding a rally for ‘Love’ and see who turns up. Hatred never solves anything.”
A musician and conservationist, Williamson’s career spans more than 50 years. The 79-year-old has sold more than 5 million albums and accumulated upwards of one billion streams. Over time, he has collected 28 Golden Guitar awards, four ARIA Awards, and on Australia Day 1992, was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues.” Williamson performed at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and in 2010 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Since its release in 1982, “True Blue” song has become part of the fabric of Australian culture, and is regularly played at sporting events and ceremonies, including Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin’s public memorial service, where he performed it twice on acoustic guitar.
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Broke Records is facing a lawsuit from ATLXS, the 18-year-old Italian artist behind the hit dance track “Passo Bem Solto,” who alleges the indie label is refusing to release him from a distribution deal he signed as a minor.
Broke, co-founded by Andre Benz and Brandon De Oliveira in 2023 in partnership with Create Music Group, has carved out a niche identifying viral songs and turning them into streaming hits. This is precisely what the label did with “Passo Bem Solto,” which is currently No. 6 on Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and has more than 450 million Spotify streams across various remixes.
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But the artist behind “Passo Bem Solto,” 18-year-old ATLXS (Diego Basile), is now suing Broke to get out of his contract. ATLXS’ attorney, Douglas Johnson, writes in a Monday (Oct. 20) federal complaint that he signed over the “Passo Bem Solto” masters to Broke in January, and Johnson tells Billboard that the agreement also included publishing rights.
The lawsuit alleges the deal was “predatory,” and that a provision of California’s family code allows a contract signed by a minor to be later “disaffirmed” — that is, made void. ATLXS, who was only 17 when he signed with Broke, sent a legal notice to the label terminating his contract under this provision last month.
According to the lawsuit, Broke refused to honor the termination notice and is continuing to monetize “Passo Bem Solto” on streaming platforms. ATLXS is seeking a court order requiring his masters and publishing rights to be reverted back, as well financial damages for copyright infringement.
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“Defendant has retained revenues, royalties and profits derived from the exploitation of the subject works after disaffirmance,” reads the complaint. “Defendant has continued to exploit the works through all of its streaming distribution channels, including continuing to stream the subject works on several streaming services, including but not limited to YouTube and Spotify.”
Speaking with Billboard on Tuesday (Oct. 21), Johnson says California law is clear that minors can rebuke their contracts and that an artist like ATLXS can regain his copyrights. “I find it to be a straightforward case,” he says.
Reps for Broke declined to comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.
Trending on Billboard The sheer number of artist signings announced on a weekly basis makes it difficult to keep up, no matter how closely you pay attention to the industry news cycle. That’s why every other Tuesday, Billboard compiles the latest signings to labels, distributors, agencies, management companies and more, in an effort to provide […]
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As Taylor Swift sang on last year’s Tortured Poets Department: “We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.” Maybe the pop singer/songwriter just needs his next era to get even bigger than he already is (the man has four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits, including the 12-week No. 1 “See You Again” with Wiz Khalifa, after all). And that next era is on the horizon, with the announcement of his fourth studio album Whatever’s Clever!, due in March, and the release of the lead single “Changes” last week.
Over the past month, Puth has been testing out some of his new material during a 16-show residency across Blue Note New York (Sept. 25-28) and Blue Note Los Angeles (Oct. 16-19), bringing jazzy reimaginings of some of his biggest hits to the legendary jazz club stage. Billboard was inside the final Los Angeles concert over the weekend, and on the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie is telling Keith all about seeing Puth play at such an intimate venue.
Katie was mostly struck by what a good fit the venue was for Charlie and his catalog, as “Professor Puth” (known for sharing his music education with the TikTok audience) led an incredibly talented band of instrumentalists and backup singers through a masterclass of live pop. And as for the new songs — we heard “Beat Yourself Up” and “Changes” from the upcoming album on Sunday night — the crowd was just as into the brand-new tunes as they were into “Attention,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” “How Long” and, of course, “See You Again.” It seems that this new Dad Rock vibe Puth is leaning into (appropriately, the “Changes” music video also doubled as a pregnancy announcement for him and his wife Brooke) is going to be a perfect match.
Listen to the full conversation here:
And speaking of Taylor Swift… also on the show, we’ve got chart news about how Swift continues to hold down the No. 1 spots on both the Billboard 200 albums and Billboard Hot 100 songs charts with The Life of a Showgirl and lead single “The Fate of Ophelia,” while Olivia Dean makes gains on the Billboard 200 with The Art of Loving.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
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Rising global stars of Latin music like Aitana (Spain), Silvana Estrada (Mexico), Yami Safdie (Argentina), Ela Taubert (Colombia) and Yailin (Dominican Republic) gathered Tuesday (Oct. 21) to discuss the challenges of achieving gender equity in the music industry during the second day of activities at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida.
During the “Women’s Panel: Global Rise,” moderated by Billboard Español editor Sigal Ratner-Arias, the artists also talked about the biggest challenges they’ve faced as women in the music industry, the role of social media in their lives and careers, how they’ve found their unique sound, and the importance of mental health.
The conversation showcased a wide range of opinions, styles, cultures, creative processes and challenges faced by these female stars in the Latin music industry, who share similarities in age (all in their 20s), a solid career path in music, and clear global growth. Some of them have won Latin Grammy Awards and sold out stadiums in their home countries
“When we come together, we are stronger,” Estrada, who won the Latin Grammy for best new artist in 2022, said as she spoke about the challenge of achieving gender equity in an industry that has historically been predominantly male-led and highly competitive.
Yami Safdie, who started out years ago as a popular content creator in Argentina, stated that the standards for men and women in the music industry are different. From her experience, she said, “Women are constantly being pitted against one another.”
“I didn’t know how to dance, and in this industry, they teach you that pop singers must know how to dance well, but men aren’t expected to dance well,” added Spanish star Aitana. “I thought, I’m not a good pop artist if I can’t put on a show.”
Silvana Estrada shared that many people told her she wouldn’t be able to achieve her dreams, but her strong belief in herself helped her turn her aspirations in music into a reality. She added that she has received great support from colleagues and friends like fellow Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade. “The rivalry [imposed by society on women] is designed to weaken us, to isolate us, when in reality, when we come together, we are stronger,” she expressed.
Colombian artist Ela Taubert admitted that winning the Latin Grammy for best new artist in 2024 left her feeling insecure about what would come next and whether she would be able to meet expectations. “I’m afraid of disappointing people. The pressure is there,” she said. “But then came the advice from my mom… The key is to enjoy the process.”
Yailin, who was a bit more reserved than her peers on the panel, spoke about the importance of mental health and recalled being a victim of online hate due to her high-profile relationships with urban music artists. “I faced hate I didn’t deserve,” she said, “but my way of dealing with it was by delivering joyful music to my audience.”
With over 30 years of history, Latin Music Week is the largest and most important gathering of Latin artists and music industry executives worldwide. The event also coincides with the Billboard Latin Music Awards 2025, which will air on Thursday (Oct. 23) on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as the Artist of the 21st Century.
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Reggaeton icon Ivy Queen and icon in the making Tokischa joined forces at 2025 Billboard Latin Music Week on Wednesday (Oct. 22) for a candid conversation about feminism, sexuality and music — also marking the first time the Dominican breakout star and Puerto Rican icon met.
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“I’ve seen a lot of perceptions of who you are, how you present yourself. What do you feel when people put a label on you without knowing you?” Ivy Queen asked Tokischa.
“I recently went to the dermatologist who says she’s religious,” Tokischa said. “She started talking to me about God and told me that I had a very big name, Altagracia [her middle name]. I understand what it means. It’s the name of the virgin, a message from God. People don’t expect me to be a person who believes in God, who prays, who gives thanks, who asks for forgiveness. I’m a firm believer in God, and I know what that name entails.”
Amid the conversation — during which they bonded over breaking stereotypes in the music industry, having things in common like being Pisces, and talked about relationships — Tokischa opened up about the ultra-personal album she’s working on.
“I finished my album mid-year. I worked on a super intimate project, spending seven months in the studio all day,” she expressed. “[On the album] I’m talking about my story — beyond being Tokischa la perra, la bellacal, I’m raw and honest, in terms of all the traumas I’ve overcome, from my years as an addict. I had an unstable moment because I had to uncover all those traumas and record. In my career, I’ve had to start over from scratch twice.”
“That’s normal. It’s happened to me a lot. If it’s about being reborn, I’m a phoenix,” Ivy Queen said, sharing encouraging advice. “This business takes the best of you. You have to ride the wave while it lasts, and when the sea is rough, know how to balance yourself. I considered myself an ugly duckling in this industry, and I had to blossom. You are blossoming. You’re at a stage where you’re enjoying being human, and I want you to keep rocking it, to continue being you.”
Spanning 36 years, Latin Music Week is the single largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s event — which also features Carlos Vives, Carín León, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Netón Vega, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, and Xavi, among others — hosts panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, networking and activations, in addition to its celebrated Billboard En Vivo showcases.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
