Music News

Jelly Roll & Bunnie Xo ‘Still Trying’ for Baby Amid IVF Journey

Jelly Roll gave fans a heartfelt update on his efforts to have a baby with wife Bunnie Xo through IVF on Thursday night (May 8).

“We’re right in the middle of the journey,” the country star told Access Hollywood on the red carpet for the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. “For all of our friends out there who have been supporting and praying for us that know the journey we are on, y’all know how hard it is. Thanks for praying for us. We’re still trying.”

The Beautifully Broken singer already has two kids from previous relationships — 16-year-old daughter Bailee Ann and 8-year-old son Noah — but has been open in the past about his and Bunnie’s desire to expand their brood with a baby of their own.

In fact, earlier this spring, Jelly Roll’s wife gave listeners a separate update about IVF via TikTok, saying, “I’m literally going through IVF treatments right now — the hormones, the shots, all that. I’m going through all of the emotions, the rollercoaster, the worry, just so that I can have a little piece of my husband and me…to just add to the other two beautiful children that we have together.”

At the ACM Awards, Jelly Roll was nominated for three awards, including entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and album of the year, and he also hit the stage to perform his 2024 single “Heart of Stone” before being joined by Shaboozey on their new collab “Amen.”

Watch Jelly Roll discuss his IVF journey with Bunnie here.

Halsey Reflects on Viral ‘Mallsey’ Video: ‘Everyone Will Remember That Until I Die’

No matter how many hit songs Halsey writes, she might never live down singing Blink-182 at her local mall.

The pop star reflected on the viral video from their teenage years, affectionately dubbed “Mallsey” by fans, during a Friday (May 9) appearance on Owen Thiele’s In Your Dreams podcast.

“Word of caution to those seeking virality is that, when you’re trying anything hoping one thing will go, you don’t get to decide what that one thing is,” Halsey said on the podcast. “And that one thing might define you forever.”

Halsey went on to suggest one of those things in her own career will likely be her No. 1 single “Without Me,” which she still counts as “one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written.” However, the musician also quickly pointed out, “I sang at the mall once when I was a kid and everyone will remember that until I die, probably.”

The nonbinary pop star then went on to explain the context of the “Mallsey” clip, saying, “Here’s the thing that sucks about it, right? Is that I was starting to get really popular on Tumblr, and this was the time where everyone was doing meet-ups. … You didn’t have to do anything, you didn’t have to have a talent. It didn’t matter. You were just big on the internet.”

So at the suggestion of several Tumblr users, Halsey decided to host their very first impromptu meet-up at Pennsylvania’s King of Prussia Mall. “I went and met all these fans,” the singer continued. “It was the first time I’d ever met a fan before, and they were like, ‘Will you sing?’ and I was like, I never sang outside of my bedroom before.”

Put on the spot, she bravely launched into an a cappella cover of Blink-182’s 2004 classic “I Miss You” — complete with Tom DeLonge’s unforgettable vocal affectations — which was captured on camera by a fan and the rest, as they say, is Internet history.

Elsewhere during the interview, Halsey confirmed they’re in the process of working on new music that will serve as a follow-up to 2024’s The Great Impersonator, and also dished on her mom’s hilarious reaction to her early Tumblr-era fame.

Meanwhile Halsey just teamed up with Evanescence singer Amy Lee for their new collaborative single “Hand That Feeds

Watch Halsey’s full chat on In Your Dreams below.

Which New Music Release Was Your Favorite This Week? Vote!

On Thursday, the Catholic Church elected a new pope after a two-day conclave in Rome. But while only 133 cardinals from across the globe were able to participate in the decision to make Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago the first-ever American pope history has ever seen, anyone can participate in another vote that’s happening this week: Billboard‘s new music poll.

And with new releases from Miley Cyrus and BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ, this ballot might feel just as divine to some fans. The Hannah Montana alum dropped the emotional new single “More to Lose” from upcoming album Something Beautiful, along with a cinematic music video that fits into the overall visual storyline Cyrus is crafting for this LP. Meanwhile, the K-pop star unveiled “Messy,” the latest track to be released from the F1 movie soundtrack after Doja Cat and Don Toliver’s “Lose My Mind.”

In addition to other new singles from Kid Cudi and Halsey — who teamed up with childhood hero Amy Lee of Evanescence to craft “Hand That Feeds” for the Ballerina soundtrack — streaming services also welcomed a number of new full-lengths this week. Among them are Sleep Token’s sprawling LP Even in Arcadia, Kali Uchis’ intimate album Sincerely, PinkPantheress’ mixtape Fancy That and Maren Morris’ album Dreamsicle.

But which of those projects are your favorite? While there may not be any ceremonious white smoke that emerges from the Sistine Chapel chimney once you’ve made your choice, Billboard is still hoping you’ll cast a vote.

Tell us your favorite new music release of the week by voting in the poll below.

Everything We Know About Lorde’s ‘Virgin’ So Far

This summer, Lorde will finally deliver what fans are sure is going to be an immaculate conception: Virgin, her long-awaited fourth studio album.

As revealed April 30, the New Zealander’s next LP is set to arrive soon via Universal Music New Zealand and Republic Records, bringing an end to a four-year album drought during which Lorde has spent much of her time out of the spotlight. Finally reemerging shortly prior to the announcement, the hitmaker shared the first taste of what Virgin will sound like on April 24 by releasing lead single “What Was That,” a synth-pop dance track that catches fans up to speed on what they missed since they last heard from her (lots of MDMA and dancing at New York City nightclub Baby’s All Right, it would seem).

The track was accompanied by a DIY music video, featuring footage of the star performing it in front of a swarm of fans gathered at Washington Square Park — hours after many of them had been kicked out by authorities when the size of her crowd became too disruptive.

The numbers she pulled that day made it clear: Lorde was back. It was a resurrection that her disciples had been waiting for since her last album, Solar Power, dropped in 2021, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The soft, summery album followed 2017’s Melodrama and 2013’s Pure Heroine — and with fans knowing full well how different each of those three albums is, it only mades the anticipation surrounding Virgin greater. What will it sound like? What are the songs about? Will there be any collaborations?

And while many of those questions won’t be answered until the release date, Billboard is keeping track of everything we learn about the LP in the weeks before it drops. Keep reading to see what there is to know about Lorde’s Virgin — from the day it’s coming out to the producers behind it and more — below.

Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson & More to Return to ‘The Voice’ as Season 27 Finale Performers

Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and more stars are returning soon to their old stomping grounds, with The Voice announcing that a handful of former coaches will be performing on the upcoming season 27 finale.

As revealed Friday (May 9), the “God’s Country” singer and Kelly Clarkson Show talk show host will both take the stage during the competition series’ live show on on Tuesday, May 20, with the episode running from 9 to 11 p.m. ET/PT. Shelton — who was a Voice coach from seasons 1 to 23, the longest anyone has ever served on the panel — will sing “Texas” from his new album, For Recreational Use Only. Clarkson, who has nine seasons as a coach under her belt, will perform new single “Where Have You Been.”

But the two stars aren’t the only Voice veterans who are locked down for the finale. Season 23 and 25 coach Chance the Rapper will take the mic for “Space and Time,” while Alicia Keys — who manned one of the four spinning chairs for seasons 11, 12 and 14 — will share the stage with Amanda Reid from Broadway’s Hell’s Kitchen for the television debut of “The River” / “Empire State of Mind.”

Plus, Foreigner will perform a medley of their greatest hits, including “Feels Like the First Time,” “Juke Box Hero” and “I Want to Know What Love Is,” and Joe Jonas will belt out “Heart by Heart” from his upcoming solo album, Music for People Who Believe In Love. Sheryl Crow — one of this season’s mega mentors — will join James Bay to sing their collaboration “You and Me Time,” and season 22 Voice winner Bryce Leatherwood will deliver a rendition of his track “God Made” from his upcoming self-titled debut album.

The finale will come as five finalists compete for the honor of this season’s winner, which will be selected by audience voting on May 20. This season’s coaches were Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Bublé, John Legend and Adam Levine.

A week prior to the finale, Ballerini and Legend will both perform as well, delivering “Baggage” and “So High,” respectively, on the May 13 episode. On May 19, Bublé will sing “Always on My Mind.”

Starting May 12, The Voice‘s season 27 live shows will air at 8 p.m. ET/PT Mondays and 9 p.m. ET/PT Tuesdays through the finale.

Mariah Carey Continues Celebrating ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’ Anniversary: ‘Reliving the Splendor’

It’s (still) like that, y’all! Mariah Carey took to social media on Friday (May 8) to continue the festivities surrounding the 20th anniversary of her landmark 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi.

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“Reliving the splendor of The Emancipation of Mimi with a few more of my favorite moments!” the icon captioned a carousel of memories from the era, adding the hashtag “Mimi20” along with a butterfly and red heart emoji.

Among the photos in Carey’s post were snaps of the R&B legend performing on stage in a glittering silver gown with mic in hand and walking her beloved Jack Russell terrier, Jack, in a yellow bandage dress, as well as a behind-the-scenes shot with Snoop Dogg from the set of the “Say Something” music video.

Mimi also included throwback clips of her performance of lead single “It’s Like That” alongside Jermaine Dupri and Fatman Scoop to open VH1 Save the Music’s 2005 benefit concert and an interview where she broke down the album’s many vibes on the press tour.

“I think each song on the album, Emancipation of Mimi, not necessarily has a different message, but has a different mood and has a different feeling — you know, evokes something different depending on who’s listening to it and at what time,” the superstar lays out in the latter video. “‘Don’t Forget About Us’ could kind of give you a good, happy memory or you could be miserable crying, listening to it over and over.

“But I think all in all, it’s always good to have music that you can sort of live vicariously through, and that’s what a lot of people have told me this record is for them,” she concluded.

Speaking of “Don’t Forget About Us,” Carey marked Mimi‘s major milestone in April by releasing a new remix of the No. 1 hit by Kaytranada. The re-envisioned version of the smash will be featured on the massive 40-track 20th anniversary reissue of the album, which is scheduled for release May 30.

Check out Mariah’s latest Emancipation of Mimi-era memories here.

Friday Dance Music Guide: The Week’s Best New Tracks From Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas, Parcels & More

This week in dance music: The long-awaited reopening of Brooklyn Mirage has been delayed “indefinitely” after permitting issues ahead of the club’s opening weekend. This delay forced the cancellation of Sara Landry’s back-to-back opening weekend shows, with the hard techno producer and her team scrambling to relocate the performances and the 12,000 people meant to attend them.

“There was never going to be an option where I sat in my hotel room without doing anything, knowing that thousands of people spent money in this economy to buy tickets and fly in,” Landry told Billboard earlier this week in a story about how she and her team ultimately put on four replacement shows for 15,000 people in at Brooklyn Storehouse and Knockdown Center in New York.

Meanwhile, we spoke with English-born, Australia-based producer Mark Pritchard about his haunting new album, Tall Tales, made with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. “They’re quite heavy songs,” Pritchard says. “There’s playful things happening in some of the [accompanying videos, but there’s a lot of heavy dystopian-feeling things.”

Additionally in the dance realm, longstanding Canada-based indie electronic label Monstercat was acquired by Create Music Group, Beyoncé’s 2022 dance-oriented album Renaissance rose from 8-5 on the Top Dance Albums chart in tandem with the kickoff of her Cowboy Carter tour, Illenium announced that he’s signed with Republic Records after a stint at Warner, telling us that he “just felt a family sort of love” when meeting with his new label, John Summit announced that his biggest solo headline show to date will happen this October in Boulder, Co. and PinkPantheress dropped a new nine-track mixtape, Fancy.

And last but never least, these are the best new dance tracks of the week.

Akon Claims Big Meech Feels ‘Slighted’ by 50 Cent In Recent Interview

Akon has chimed in on the tension between 50 Cent and Black Mafia Family co-founder Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory.

During a recent appearance on the BagFuel podcast, he talked about his relationship with BMF and Jeezy during the mid-2000s, and was eventually asked about Meech falling out with his business partner 50 Cent once he got out of prison. “Actually, me and Meech had some talks about that,” Akon revealed. “He does feel slighted ’cause he felt that, you know, him and 50 should’ve sat down and had a real conversation as men because he’s been in [prison] for 20 years. He don’t know the feud that’s going on with 50 and whoever else. All he know is that, when he got out, [Rick] Ross came through, showed some love. While he was locked up, Ross made a big ass song that was, you know, ‘They think I’m Big Meech, Larry Hoover.’ In his mind, Ross is just paying homage.”

He added that the former music executive and drug kingpin wasn’t fully aware of the music business politics that would “warrant what Fif’ did.”

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The “big ass song” Akon is referring to Rick Ross’ 2010 street anthem “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)” featuring Styles P, which peaked at No. 60 on the Hot 100. The same song Rick Ross once told Billboard that he would clear for the show if 50 agreed to help promote Ross’ Wingstop franchises after the G-Unit boss expressed interest in using the track in another Billboard interview.

50 Cent and Big Meech have been in business together with the former producing a docuseries and a TV series for Starz about the latter’s rise to power alongside his brother Terry “Southwest T” Flenory in the Detroit underworld during the late ’80s, eventually turning BMF into a national crime syndicate and influential record label that was instrumental in breaking Jeezy’s solo career.

However, things turned sour when Meech and Rick Ross were seen together on social media, causing a back and forth between the Miami rapper, 50 and Meech’s son, Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr., who plays his father in the BMF series.

The fourth season of BMF is set to premiere on June 6.

SEVENTEEN Will Perform on Seoul’s Jamsugyo Bridge to Celebrate 10th Anniversary

SEVENTEEN announced plans on Friday (May 9) to perform later this month on Seoul’s famed Jamsugyo Bridge in honor of their tenth anniversary as a group.

The special performance, which will mark the first time a K-pop group has ever performed on the South Korean landmark atop the Hangang River, is set to take place on May 25 during the idols’ B-DAY PARTY : BURST Stage.

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CARATs from around the globe will have the opportunity to tune into the performance via a livestream. SEVENTEEN’s outdoor anniversary event also happens to coincide with the release of their upcoming fifth studio album, Happy Burstday, which is slated for release the following day (May 26) via Pledis Entertainment. (The LP will arrive roughly two months after the group’s latest special unit HOSHI x WOOZI unveiled their debut EP, Beam, back in mid-March.)

Additionally, S.COUPS, JEONGHAN, JOSHUA, JUN, HOSHI, WONWOO, WOOZI, THE 8, MINGYU, DK, SEUNGKWAN, VERNON and DINO are gearing up to launch a new worldwide variety show, NANA bnb with SEVENTEEN. The series will be helmed by Na Yeong-seok and follow the group on a four-day, three-night stay with the producer. An on-air version will be streamed in 78 regions and countries across Asia, the U.S. and Europe starting June 2 on platforms like Lemino, KOCOWA+ and Channel K, with a full version featuring extended footage available exclusively on Weverse.

Earlier this week, SEVENTEEN also dropped a trilogy of new concept series teasing the pending arrival of Happy Burstday made up of concepts NEW ESCAPE, NEW MYSELF and NEW BURSTDAY.

Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ Notches 8th Week as U.K.’s No. 1 Single

Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” has earned an eighth consecutive week at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart (May 9). The last single to earn this feat was Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste,” which reigned at the top for nine consecutive weeks beginning in August 2024.

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Earlier this week Warren landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with the breakout single, and “Ordinary” is now up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The current No. 1 on the Hot 100 is Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s “Luther,” which has ruled for 11 consecutive weeks.

In late April, Warren got the seal of approval from Lana Del Rey when she ran into him backstage at Stagecoach Festival in California. The “Video Games” star sung some of Warren’s song “Ordinary” back to him and professed her love to the track: “Every time I hear it, I think, ‘Why can’t we hear more like this? Because it takes you to church.” 

Speaking to Billboard in January, Warren discussed using challenging moments in his personal life, including the passing of both of his parents and his stint of homelessness, in his material. “I recently started doing this thing where I write about those [experiences], and I try to take control in a way,” he said. “For me, something really beautiful is taking something so sad and dark, and what most would view as something that ruined their life, and turn it into something that can help people.”

Ravyn Lenae is now up to No. 2 with her single “Love Me Not,” rising three places from the previous week. “This is crazy! This is the first time I’ve had a song chart in the UK at all,” Lenae told the Official Charts Company. “My brain never went as far as to think ‘this song could be a Number 2,’ so seeing the progress over the weeks has been crazy!” The song currently sits at No. 53 on the Hot 100 and continues to rise.

Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” slips one place to No. 3, WizTheMC and Bees & Honey’s “Show Me Love” lands at No. 4, with Ed Sheeran’s “Azizam” ending the week at No. 5. His new song “Old Phone” comes in at No. 17 and his is 64th top 40 hit in the U.K.