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Spring is just around the corner, and some of today’s biggest music stars are celebrating the imminent warm weather with seriously hot new releases. It was a big week for pop, as LISA her debut solo album, Alter Ego, complete with 15 new tracks and collaborations from Megan Thee Stallion, Future, Tyla and more. The […]
Falling in Reverse scores its fourth No. 1 and second in a row on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, as “Bad Guy,” featuring Saraya, lifts a spot to lead the March 8-dated survey.
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The song follows the band’s Jelly Roll team-up “All My Life,” which ruled for five weeks beginning last July.
The Ronnie Radke-led act first topped the chart in 2020 with “Popular Monster,” followed by “Zombified” in 2022.
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The rockers first reached the tally in 2015 with “God, If You Are Above…,” which peaked at No. 28.
“Bad Guy” is Saraya’s first Billboard ruler, earned with her first charted title. The professional wrestler dated Radke for six years through last year. (Another Saraya, fronted by vocalist Sandi Saraya, made Mainstream Rock Airplay four times in 1989-91, paced by the No. 9-peaking “Love Has Taken Its Toll.”)
Concurrently, “Bad Guy” ranks at No. 16, after reaching No. 14, on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2.4 million audience impressions in the week ending Feb. 27, according to Luminate.
On the most recent multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs survey (dated March 1, reflecting data accumulated Feb. 14-20), “Bad Guy” ranked at No. 6 (it debuted at its No. 4 best last August). In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 711,000 official U.S. streams.
“Bad Guy” is the latest single from Popular Monster, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart in August 2024 and has earned 892,000 equivalent album units to date.
All Billboard charts dated March 8 will update Tuesday, March 4, on Billboard.com.
Lil Baby’s attorneys Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg have responded to the Atlanta Police Department while distancing the Atlanta rapper (born Dominique Jones) from the alleged gang war and pair of teen murders the APD attempted to tie him to. Findling and Goldberg called the APD’s reference to Lil Baby “complete and total nonsense” while […]
With their first anniversary just a month away, UNIS looks back on a year of unforgettable moments and exciting changes. In an exclusive interview, the members share what they have learned, how they’ve evolved, and the new challenges they’re ready to embrace.In about a month, you’ll celebrate your one-year anniversary since debut. What has been the most memorable moment of the past year and why?
HYEONJU: My debut is the moment I remember most. It was UNIS’s very first step, and it remains vividly imprinted in my memory.
NANA: I feel the same way.
GEHLEE: I loved the experience of our very first fan signing at a shopping mall in the Philippines. It was my first time witnessing firsthand how deeply my hometown fans adore UNIS. It was truly an honor.
KOTOKO: For me, the day I first met our fans is unforgettable. Meeting those I had longed to see filled me with immense joy.
YUNHA: I believe our debut moment is the most memorable. Revealing UNIS to our eagerly waiting fans was incredibly nerve-racking!
ELISIA: It was during the KBS Music Festival, sharing the stage with our seniors in our first collaborative performance on such a grand scale. UNIS’s “Curious” featured a fresh, fun intro and an energetic dance break that made it especially enjoyable.
YOONA: I clearly remember when we received our first rookie award. It was a prize we had dreamed of, and it felt like a true recognition of all our hard work.
SEOWON: my birthday in 2025 stands out. It was the day I truly realized how much EverAfter supports me and why I started this journey.
Comparing your early days to now, what has been the biggest change?
HYEONJU: It’s the sense of responsibility. Initially, I felt an overwhelming pressure to “do well,” but now I trust my members and simply think, “We’ll be great.”
NANA: I’d say the biggest change is that I’ve grown 1cm taller since debuting!
GEHLEE: I feel much more relaxed and confident. The training after the debut has helped tremendously, and improving my Korean has made adaptation so much easier. I really feel like I’m on the right track now.
KOTOKO: It seems that everything has changed, especially my ability to express myself through a variety of facial expressions.
Over the past year, is there a particular skill or quality you’d like to pass on to your fellow members?
NANA: I want to learn English from ELISIA and GEHLEE!
KOTOKO: HYEONJU’s charisma is incredibly captivating.
ELISIA: I used to move gently and fluidly, but since coming to Korea, I’ve learned to execute sharper, move quickly.
YOONA: I admire ELISIA’s wide range of expressions on music shows and stage performances. I’d love to learn that from her.
SEOWON: I’d love to learn knitting from the talented YUNHA!
As a multinational group representing Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, how do you integrate this strength into your stage, performances, and music?
HYEONJU: Our multinational makeup naturally enhances our expressiveness.
NANA: Knowing the tastes of each country gives us a unique advantage to incorporate diverse elements into our performances.
KOTOKO: Our ability to cover Japanese, Filipino, and various other songs is a major strength.
YUNHA: Being multinational means we can cover songs from our respective countries and showcase new facets of ourselves in different languages.
YOONA: At fan signings, for instance, many international fans attend. We communicate in three languages and even perform cover dances to foreign songs.
With the fandom name “EverAfter” in mind, what special memories do you hope to create with your fans in the future?
GEHLEE: I dream of holding a concert just for EverAfter. Seeing fans holding light sticks and sparkling like stars on stage would be an unforgettable moment, Everafter our fandom name.
KOTOKO: I want to embark on a world tour and meet EverAfter fans around the globe.
SEOWON: I envision opening a café exclusively for EverAfter fans, staffed entirely by UNIS!
Which cities would you like to visit on a world tour?
HYEONJU: I want to visit countries on the other side of the globe. I’ve been to nearby countries, but I’ve yet to meet EverAfter fans from the farthest corners of the world.
NANA: Japan, since it’s my hometown. It would be a dream to visit on tour someday.
KOTOKO: Me too!
GEHLEE: Personally, I’d love to visit New York or Paris. Their fashion scenes fascinate me and meeting fans there would be incredibly exciting.
YUNHA: I’d go anywhere EverAfter is present. I visited Taiwan briefly for a performance and, although it was short, I loved the city’s vibe and would love to return.
ELISIA: I aim to perform at Japan’s Kyocera Dome. I want to become a world-star artist and take the stage there!
YOONA: I’d like to visit Singapore. It’s a country I’ve always wanted to see, with beautiful scenery and a wonderful atmosphere.
SEOWON: For me, it’s Paris and New York. I’ve always wanted to visit these cities at least once.
What is UNIS’s goal for this year?
HYEONJU, KOTOKO, YUNHA, ELISIA, YOONA, SEOWON: Our goal is to top all the music shows!
NANA: For me, it’s all about meeting as many EverAfter fans as possible!
GEHLEE: It would be amazing to hold a UNIS-only concert this year. Even though each of us brings a unique charm, we’re working together to deliver a spectacular performance.
What new aspects or endeavors can fans expect from UNIS in 2025?
HYEONJU: We plan to showcase many sides of UNIS that we haven’t had the chance to reveal before.
NANA: While we’ve always shown a cool image, we’d also love to show a cuter side of ourselves.
GEHLEE: I believe UNIS won’t be confined to a single concept. We’re ready to display everything from cute and lovable to chic and cool. Fans can look forward to a variety of styles next year.
YUNHA: Now that we’re nearing our first anniversary, we hope fans will see a more refined and dynamic performance that reflects our growth from countless stage experiences.
What must UNIS overcome to be recognized as the representative 5th generation girl group?
HYEONJU: I think it comes down to growth. We must continue to develop and show progress.
GEHLEE: To be acknowledged as the leading 5th generation girl group, we need to better showcase our unique identity. With so many amazing groups out there, it’s vital that we continually cultivate and enhance UNIS’s distinctive charm through our performances, music, and teamwork.
YUNHA: For me, it’s about mastering our mindset and always challenging ourselves with confidence is the key.
ELISIA: We must connect people of all generations through our music.
SEOWON: We need to carve out our own unique identity rather than being just another ordinary girl group. That’s how we can present ourselves as a fresh, innovative act to the public.
Are there any hidden talents or personal skills among the members that fans might not know about?
NANA: My fingers are very flexible!
GEHLEE: I’m not sure if it’s a talent, but I frequently notice “angel numbers” like 111, 2222, and 3737, whether on clocks, license plates, or suddenly appearing in my surroundings.
KOTOKO: I’d say it’s HYEONJU. She’s our very own “food expert” who knows all the best eats!
ELISIA: SEOWON can make the most amazing sauces. They’re so delicious, they completely blew me away!
YOONA
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: Yoondol-e or Yoondang-e (puppy)
My favorite song at the moment?: “To My X” by KYUNGSEO – The lyrics are so warm, and I’ve always admired this Sunbae!
But my favorite song of all time is?: “Good Parts” by LE SSERAFIM – It’s soft, warm, and uplifting—my perfect combo!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: Journaling about my day. If that doesn’t work, I read or listen to music!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: Practice as seriously as you perform—that’s how you master the stage.
SEOWON
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: SEOWON: Lim-hamkki! (Lim-Hamster)
My favorite song at the moment?: “Just For Today I LOVE YOU” by BOYNEXTDOOR – I’m a fan of this style of music!
But my favorite song of all time is?: “Play Pretend” by Alex Sampson – It comforts me. I still listen to it all the time!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: I haven’t found my healing method yet. Maybe someday I will!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: You don’t have to try so hard. If you’re struggling, that’s not happiness. Remember why you started. It’s a journey—perfection isn’t required.
KOTOKO
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: Ko-chan!
My favorite song at the moment?: “Classified” by OH MY GIRL – It magically melts my stress away!
But my favorite song of all time is?: “Candy Pop” by TWICE – I sang this during my audition. Full of memories!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: Putting stickers or playing games!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: Try anything at least once.
GEHLEE
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: Princess!
My favorite song at the moment?: “Strategy” by TWICE – It’s my confidence anthem! I can’t stop humming it!
But my favorite song of all time is?: “Lovefool” by The Cardigans – My mom and I sing this out daily. Our ultimate bonding song!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: I write down my feelings, dance to my favorite song, or vent to someone close. Letting it all out helps me reset!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: When hard times come, remember it’s just a step toward everything you’ve prayed for.
ELISIA
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: Baby/Ellie!
My favorite song at the moment?: “First Love” by Hikaru Utada – A Japanese song my family and I always sing together. It feels nostalgic!
But my favorite song of all time is?: “Times Are Hard for Dreamers” from Amelie, the Musical – It’s my anthem for chasing my K-pop dreams!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: Listening to music or curating new playlists!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: Love yourself first before loving others.
NANA
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: Nana-chan!
My favorite song at the moment?: “Heroine” by Back Number – It’s a winter song, perfect for this chilly season!
But my favorite song of all time is?: “Last Dance” by BIGBANG – I danced to this as a kid, and it’s been my anthem ever since!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: Going outside!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: Nana, there’s something only you can do.
HYEONJU
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: Jyu!
My favorite song at the moment?: “Toxic Till The End” by ROSE – I’ve always loved this ‘Sunbae(Senior in Korean)’, and now it’s stuck in my head!
But my favorite song of all time is?: “I Hate You, I Love You” by Gnash – My go-to song during my training days. Still holds a special place!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: Going outside for a walk!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: You can do anything.
YUNHA
Image Credit: FandF Entertainment
I love it when fans call me: Bbang-ahji! (Puppy)
My favorite song at the moment?: “Gondry” by HYUKOH – I’m obsessed with calm, moody tracks lately.
But my favorite song of all time is?: “New Rules” by Dua Lipa – This song inspired me to become a singer. Life-changing!
How to “heal” yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed?: Drawing, reading, or crafting—hobbies keep negative thoughts away!
My favorite quote or best advice someone gave me: If you don’t speak up about your hunger, no one will know.
There will never be enough time or space to recognize all the unsung heroes and trailblazers in the music industry that deserve to be acknowledged. But as Black History Month winds down, one pioneer stands out: Regina Jones, former co-owner and editor-in-chief of the groundbreaking music and entertainment publication, SOUL Newspaper.
Predating Rolling Stone and Creem, Los Angeles-based SOUL became a cultural force as the first-of-its-kind newspaper chronicling Black music and entertainment from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. That period saw the publication expand its reach and impact from local to nationwide and then international as it covered icons-in-the-making such as Quincy Jones, Richard Pryor, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. SOUL and Jones’ intertwined journeys unfold in the new documentary, Who in the Hell Is Regina Jones?
As Jones notes in the documentary, SOUL was inspired by the flames that erupted during the Watts Riots in August 1965. She was 21, a mother of five and married to aspiring news reporter and radio DJ Ken Jones — later to become L.A. television’s first Black weeknight news anchor in L.A. She was also working as an LAPD dispatcher on the second shift when she took the first distress call about the riots on Aug. 11, after which she alerted her husband, who filed on-the-street radio reports during the six-day tumult.
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“As we watched the riots happening and saw our neighborhood burning,” Jones tells Billboard, “Ken said, ‘Something needs to be done for our people.’ That’s when he came up with the idea to start a newspaper primarily about Black music and entertainment. He was the visionary; I was the nuts-and-bolts implementer. That’s how SOUL was born.”
Less than a year later, the first 15-cent, eight-page weekly was published. Dated April 14, 1966, the cover featured James Brown and Mick Jagger alongside the headline, “White Artists Selling Negro ‘Soul.’” The first run sold 10,000 copies. By 1967, the newspaper had expanded to 16 pages published twice a month.
“It was hard work,” Jones recalls with a laugh about putting the issues together on their dining room table “with my five kids around me” before moving the operation into an office. At that point she had quit her LAPD job and was wearing several hats: handling the phone as the receptionist, hustling advertising and negotiating with distributors before adding editor-in-chief stripes after husband Ken clinched the television anchor gig.
Regina Jones
Courtesy of SOUL Newspaper
Among the innovative business strategies that Regina employed at SOUL was partnering with R&B radio stations around the country — such as KGFJ in L.A., WOL in Washington, D.C. and WWRL in New York — to publish branded editions with charts and advertisements provided by these local Black stations and DJs. At one point, SOUL’s reach was certified at 125,000 copies. And its key international markets included England and Japan.
SOUL’s pivotal role in raising visibility and awareness of Black music and artists was a crucial and influential turning point. But there were other uphill battles as well that Jones fought. Like when Donna Summer was the cover subject. Her team was going to give SOUL an image taken by a Caucasian photographer. “And I said, ‘No,’” remembers Jones. “’If you want her to be in SOUL, my photographers have to do the shoot.’” Summer’s team finally acquiesced. And instead of the 40-60 minutes originally slotted for the shoot, Summer gave the photographer four hours.
“I had to do things like that, call people out,” adds Jones. “I was a very militant young Black woman, so I immediately had to start hiring people of color.” With her self-described “foot on your butt” management style, she nurtured a staff of future stars in their own right. Among the names Jones proudly reels off are noted photographers Bruce Talamon and Howard Bingham, ex-SOUL editor/Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Leonard Pitts and journalists/writers Steve Ivory, Mike Terry and Connie Johnson.
By the early ‘80s, as the documentary relates, SOUL had gone monthly owing to the economic climate draining the ad pool plus burgeoning competition from other mainstream publications starting to tap into the Black music scene. And after 20-some years, Jones and husband Ken were divorcing. SOUL’s final issue was published May/June 1982. Donated to UCLA and Indiana University in 2010, the SOUL archives were digitized by Jones’ grandson Matt Jones and made available online in 2023.
Regina Jones with Dick Griffey and Desmond Tutu
Courtesy of SOLAR Records
But Jones wasn’t finished yet. She tells Billboard that she was “brought back to life” a year later when Black label executive Dick Griffey of SOLAR Records recruited her as his VP of publicity. At the time, the label’s roster included Shalamar, the Whispers, Lakeside, Midnight Star, The Deele and Klymaxx. While there, Jones also handled publicity for Jesse Jackson when Dick Griffey Productions signed on as West Coast manager for Jackson’s 1984 presidential run. Jones shares that it was she and OLAR promotion executive Darryl Stewart who orchestrated Jackson’s host gig on Saturday Night Live — the very first presidential candidate to do so.
Three years later, Jones launched her own PR firm. Among Regina Jones & Associates’ clients were Geffen and Capitol Records, the Black Women’s Forum and actress Cicely Tyson. A major client for 13 years was the NAACP Image Awards. Jones then joined the staff of Crystal Stairs, a well-known childcare development agency on the West Coast.
All of which is chronicled in Who In the Hell is Regina Jones?, which has been shown at the New Orleans Film Festival and Pan African Film Festival. “I wish I could tell you that I woke up one day and decided I wanted to be in the music business, a publisher, a publicist or fundraiser,” reflects Jones. “My life has been a lot of surprise gifts and blessings.”
Kelsea Ballerini is halfway through her first-ever arena tour, and the country superstar took to Instagram on Thursday (Feb. 27) to reflect on the run so far.
“17 shows, half the tour is done. thank you for showing up so wholeheartedly, for decking out in glitter and making signs, for keeping it safe and fun for everyone,” she wrote alongside a carousel of sparkle-filled moments from the road, both onstage and off. “We feel so lucky to be doing this show for you, i really still can’t believe we get to do it 19 more times. my heart is full, my tank is empty, im gonna go eat some chicken nuggets and take a nice nap before we get back to it for the west coast. i adore and appreciate you more than i can say.”
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The “Cowboys Cry Too” singer’s Live on Tour is in support of her 2024 album Patterns, the follow-up to her 2022 full-length LP Subject to Change. Patterns gave Ballerini her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and the album hit No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.
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The 30-city Kelsea Ballerini Live on Tour trek features support from MaRynn Taylor and Maisie Peters. It kicked off back in January, and features the singer traveling across Chicago, Milwaukee, Nashville, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston, Tampa, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas before the run wraps up on March 30 at the Ball Arena in Denver.
For this run, Ballerini is donating $1 from every ticket sold to her Feel Your Way Through Foundation, which works to minimize the stigma around mental health conversations.
Justice and Tame Impala’s collaboration “Neverender” lands both acts their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, leaping three places to top the March 8-dated tally.
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For electronic duo Justice, “Neverender” is its first No. 1 on any airplay-based chart. The tune previously became its first entry on any radio ranking since “D.A.N.C.E.,” which peaked at No. 25 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay in 2007.
Meanwhile, “Neverender” marks the first Alternative Airplay ruler for Tame Impala, the project of Kevin Parker, in his eighth appearance. Parker, who first made the list with the No. 8-peaking “Elephant” in 2013, has two previous No. 2s in “Lost in Yesterday” (2020) and as featured, alongside Bootie Brown, on Gorillaz’s “New Gold” (2023).
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Tame Impala boasts two No. 1s on Adult Alternative Airplay: “Lost in Yesterday” and “Is It True,” both in 2020.
“Neverender” gives Alternative Airplay its second and third newcomers to the top spot on the chart in 2025. Almost Monday snagged its first leader in early February with “Can’t Slow Down.”
“Neverender” reigns in its 25th week on the ranking and just over 10 months after its April 25, 2024, release.
Concurrently, the song bounds 22-11 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2.9 million audience impressions, up 37%, in the week ending Feb. 27, according to Luminate.
On the most recent Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (dated March 1, reflecting data Feb. 14-20), “Neverender” appeared at No. 9 for a sixth total week; it reached No. 8 in May 2024. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 826,000 official U.S. streams last week.
“Neverender” is on Hyperdrama, Justice’s fourth studio album and first since 2016’s Woman. The former bowed at No. 1 on the Top Dance Albums chart in May 2024 and has earned 84,000 equivalent album units to date.
All Billboard charts dated March 8 will update Tuesday, March 4, on Billboard.com.
When Kacey Musgraves served as the opening performer at the new, 4,500-person capacity music venue The Pinnacle in Nashville on Thursday night (Feb. 27), she featured a new, unreleased song as part of her set — a song she wrote about her Australian cattle dog, whom Musgraves told the audience “is so spicy, I named her Pepper.”
Musgraves offered up the witty yet loving “She’s My Bitch,” inspired by her beloved pup.
“She’s black and white/ All Ride or die, more bark than bite/ She’s my b—h,” Musgraves sings in a fan-captured video, eliciting cheers from the audience. “The star of the pack, no one’s talking smack/ Yeah, she’s got my back/ She’s my b—h.”
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From there, the musician wrapped in a bit of her signature, keen-eyed wit, singing, “Who would have known when I took her home, that I’d fall so in love … Yeah, I’m her b—h.”
Last year, Musgraves shared how Pepper saved the singer from nearly stepping on a venomous copperhead snake. Pepper was bitten by the snake and Musgraves took the dog to the vet, where it was treated and ultimately healed. “Thank God for good dogs,” Musgraves wrote on social media at the time.
In a set that offered up earthy vibes thanks to a stage filled with moss, greenery and even confetti, Musgraves’ show also included songs such as her Grammy-winning “The Architect” and her breakthrough “Merry Go Round,” as well as “Rainbow” and “High Horse.”
The performance came just a couple of months after Musgraves performed at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Musgraves’s most recent album, Deeper Well, released in 2024 and followed her 2021 album Star-Crossed.
There are many things one is certain to see and hear a dance music mega-festival: fireworks, kandi bracelets, trance, house, bass, techno, wild outfits and the wide expanses of skin they reveal. No one, however, would ever expect to see rock icon Jon Bon Jovi.
And thus it was a shock when the superstar turned up onstage during Armin van Buuren‘s set at Ultra Music Festival Miami last March. He’d made his first ever trip to Ultra to help the Dutch trance legend debut his remix of Bon Jovi’s classic “Keep The Faith,” the title track and lead single from the band’s 1992 album, which was the group’s fifth studio LP.
Bon Jovi fans will understand why van Buuren’s edit worked so well, with the original six-minute anthem possessing the same sort of simmer, slow build/big-ass release structure that defines so many dance music hits.
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But talking to Billboard over Zoom while on a family ski vacation in the Dolomites, van Buuren says he was “super nervous” about how the dance crowd might receive the remix, and also how die-hard Bon Jovi fans might respond to his update, which isolates the vocals and piano stabs, using them to assemble a giant build created around the punchy “faith!” lyric and sleek, frenetically arranged synth stabs. In fact, everyone liked it a lot — with the remix getting an official release today (Feb. 28) on van Buuren’s venerable Armada Music and UMG Recordings.
“Bon Jovi songs have had some unique and epic moments over the years, but this is truly ahighlight,” Jon Bon Jovi says in a statement. “Armin is a total pro, and I was thrilled to work with him on the track. I had such a blast at my first Ultra, the crowd was absolutely electric. Thanks to Armin forhaving me.”
Here, van Buuren discusses how the dance version of “Keep the Faith” came to be, and why — in the case of Jon Bon Jovi — he was very happy to meet his idol.
What are your early memories of Bon Jovi?
Bon Jovi was literally everywhere, especially in the Netherlands; he was super popular. The way we consume music is now radically different now of course. We all have all these beautiful apps and [streaming platforms] but back in the day, it was all record stores and vinyl and the top 40 radio show and, Bon Jovi was the cool dude. He always looked so cool in pictures. I remember buying his records at my local record store and driving home with them and adding another CD to my collection.
How did you first link with Jon Bon Jovi to get the project going?
I met up with his manager, who was a friend of a friend, in L.A. … That’s how the conversation started. I asked “Can I try something?” They asked which song, and I said, “Keep The Faith.” It turned out that the first demo was a home run, and I didn’t actually change much after the very first idea. I lined up all the stems. I got a groove going. I tried updating the sounds without alienating the song, because the guitars and the song structure is already amazing. It’s a very effective song. The structure is very straightforward and very powerful, very energetic. So that made it fairly easy.
Of all the Bon Jovi classics, why did you pick this one to remix?
Obviously, “Living on a Prayer” is the biggest Bon Jovi track. But [his team] said, “We’re okay with [anything] except that one, because it’s been done.” I got that, and his repertoire is humongous.
The great thing about “Keep the Faith” is that it was easy to translate into my EDM world, which always has a BPM challenge. It was 128 BPM, and obviously we sped it up. We made the tempo faster to fit my set. The original, compared to my version, doesn’t really feel a lot faster. When I started working on the mix, I told everybody to let me first get a draft version going, to make sure everybody was happy with the rough idea.
Also, for myself, I asked, “Is this going to persuade a crowd going crazy at Ultra Music Festival? All of a sudden they hear all these guitars coming in and Bon Jovi onstage. How am I going to translate that into an Ultra world, which obviously is very challenging?” People at Ultra have a certain expectation. Dance music has a certain sound.
How did you actually get Jon onstage with you at Ultra?
[While I was making it] I wasn’t even sure if Jon Bon Jovi would be up for doing a live performance, because he had problems with his vocal cords. But I didn’t know that at the time. His manager told me there was a chance [he would come], and that she’d ask him. He actually lives close to Miami, so I asked if we could persuade him to come to Ultra Music Festival.
Apparently, he’s not very enthusiastic about remixes — but he called his manager after he got the first draft of the remix and said, like, “This is insane. I love it so much, and I want to perform this live, but I can’t sing.” Then when he showed up at Ultra. We had time to take photos backstage. We had time to chat a little bit. He even gave me a gift. It was incredible.
What did he give you?
He gave me a very special limited edition Bon Jovi jacket that I still haven’t touched to this day. I’m afraid to wear it. He was very, very nice. I mean, it’s rare, you know — I’ve met quite a few superstars in my career, and was lucky enough to work with a few superstars in the studio, and there’s always this disappointment a little bit after. You know how they say, “Don’t meet your heroes?”
But with Jon Bon Jovi it was the other way around. He was super nice. He was super humble. He was very interested in what I was doing, and he was like, “I don’t know much about the dance music world, but tell me.”
That’s so cool.
And then the climax story, obviously, is that he came onstage. I told [the crowd], “He’s my childhood hero. Here he is, Mr. Jon Bon Jovi” — and completely non-planned, he started actually singing along with the song, which was so random and so great. But he couldn’t really sing, because his doctor strictly forbade him from using his vocal cords, because he just had a massive surgery on his vocal cords. So I was like, “What? He’s singing!” That was the cherry on top. But I was afraid, because I was like, “What if he hurt his vocal cords? What if he hurt his throat?”
We agreed that he was just going to come on, say a few words, we would vibe to the drop, and that’s it. But he sang along, and that’s super special.
Did he say anything after about what compelled him to start singing?
I didn’t meet him straight after, because he left and my performance lasted for another hour. But I texted him after, like, “So dude, you just started singing.” He’s like, “Yeah, I don’t know. Spur of the moment.”
I mean, that has to be a big compliment though.
Well, at that point he hadn’t been on a big stage for a while, so maybe he felt the energy. But you have to imagine, for me, Ultra Music Miami is always one of the most important gigs of the year. I get Bon Jovi on stage, and I’m super nervous, because I’m playing something completely new — which is always a bit uncomfortable with the crowd, because they don’t know what to expect, and they don’t know what you’ve created. And then he comes on. It was a climax, absolutely.
The remix seemed very well received in the moment, and then well received online when the performance video was posted to YouTube. Did you feel that momentum as you were playing it?
Yeah, but I was a little bit afraid. I mean, Bon Jovi has a lot of really big fans. Like, fans that follow him around. He’s a superstar. It’s kind of like ruining one of his paintings, in a way. It’s so out of my world. I was just afraid that people would be upset for kind of ruining the original song, because I have so much respect for the original. The the way it was produced and the way it was mastered, it just sounds so great. It’s a timeless record.
But then I keep telling myself that this is not supposed to replace the original version, it’s just an addition and my interpretation of his great work with the band. I think it adds to the lifespan of the song, and I hope a young generation will appreciate this.
Was it always clear that it would become an official release?
No, not at all. I mean, it’s very difficult, because it’s signed to Universal. It’s a major record company, so you have to really ask politely. That’s why it took a year after the performance to come out. Because he had a documentary coming out, he had an album coming out, and obviously his release schedule can’t be interfered with, so you have to be very delicate.
But that’s all up to management, and I wasn’t involved in that, but that’s the reason why it took a year. The track was done. We haven’t really changed a lot from the version I did at Ultra. We’re thinking about maybe [releasing] another more commercial or radio-friendly version — but the version we’re releasing now is the version pretty close to the version that I did at Ultra Music Festival Miami, because there’s so much demand for it.
Gracie Abrams has canceled her performance in Brussels on doctor’s orders, with the singer revealing that she’s currently fending off a “gnarly” illness that has left her unable to take the stage. Breaking the news via a handwritten note posted on Instagram Stories Thursday (Feb. 27) — one day before she was slated to take […]