State Champ Radio Music News
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The race to ROSÉ‘s new song is over, with the BLACKPINK star unveiling “Messy” for the F1 soundtrack, along with an accompanying music video, on Thursday (May 8).
In the sleek visual, the New Zealand-born performer walks through various nighttime cityscapes, strutting down a glistening street past a crowd of people and leaning over the terrace of a high-rise building in between shots of footage from the F1 movie. “Baby, let’s get messy, let’s get all the way undone/ Come over and chase me like I’ve never been touched,” she belts over piano and anthemic percussion, sitting on the floor of a blue-lit room as confetti rains down on her. “Baby, I’m obsessed with you, and there’s no replica/ If it’s messy, then you know it’s really love.”
“Messy” is just one of several songs that will appear on the F1 soundtrack, which Atlantic Records announced May 1. Similarly, ROSÉ is only one of many A-list stars who contributed to the project, with Ed Sheeran, Tate McRae, RAYE, Burna Boy, Roddy Rich, Dom Dolla, Chris Stapleton, Tiësto, Sexyy Red, Myke Towers, Madison Beer, Peggy Gou and more musicians also lending their talents to the album.
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Don Toliver and Doja Cat also released a single for F1, “Lose My Mind,” in late April.
Starring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and Damson Idris, the Joseph Kosinski-directed film will hit theaters June 27, the same day its full soundtrack drops.
For ROSÉ, “Messy” marks her first release since her debut solo album, Rosie, arrived in December and reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The LP featured smash hit “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars, which spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200.
The K-pop star is now gearing up to reunite with her BLACKPINK bandmates for the first time since their Born Pink trek concluded in 2023, with ROSÉ teasing back in February that they had new music in the works around the same time the girl group announced that a world tour was slated for this summer. Three of the members — ROSÉ, JENNIE and LISA — were in attendance at the 2025 Met Gala in New York City Monday (May 5).
Watch ROSÉ’s “Messy” music video below.
As it turns out, Benj Pasek of EGOT-winning songwriting duo Pasek & Paul couldn’t take the musical advice to “Whistle While You Work” during the making of the Snow White live-action remake… because he can’t whistle. “I would like to make a public service announcement that I cannot whistle,” Pasek says in a bonus feature […]
After nearly 50 years as a band, Pulp has finally made an appearance on an airplay-based Billboard chart. The English band’s “Spike Island,” the lead single from its upcoming album More, bows at No. 38 on the Adult Alternative Airplay survey dated May 10. The Jarvis Cocker-led act first appeared on any Billboard tally in […]
Usher has jokingly apologized to Sabrina Carpenter’s dad following a viral photo from the 2025 Met Gala that showed the R&B star feeding the “Espresso” singer a cherry during his performance. “Apologies Mr Carpenter,” Usher commented Wednesday (May 7) on Carpenter’s Instagram post in apparent tongue-in-cheek fashion alongside sweating and cherry emojis. The apology was […]
Sleep Token nabs its third No. 1 in a row on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, bowing atop the May 10-dated survey with “Damocles.”
In the week ending May 1, “Damocles” earned 8.9 million official U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads, according to Luminate.
Its No. 1 coronation follows three-week reigns each for the band’s “Caramel” (April 19-May 3) and “Emergence” (March 29-April 12).
In fact, Sleep Token has now replaced itself twice on Hot Hard Rock Songs, having led for the past seven weeks. That’s the first time any act has done so with three different songs since the ranking began in June 2020. Previously, Linkin Park accomplished the feat with two songs; “The Emptiness Machine” reigned between Sept. 21, 2024, and Feb. 8, followed by a one-week lead for “Heavy Is the Crown” (Feb. 15) before “The Emptiness Machine” returned to No. 1.
Sleep Token becomes the sixth act with at least three No. 1s on Hot Hard Rock Songs, following Foo Fighters and HARDY (also three), Linkin Park (four) and Bring Me the Horizon and Falling in Reverse (six apiece).
It also becomes the first act to hold the entire top three of the chart (as “Caramel” and “Emergence” rank at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, on the latest tally) since Linkin Park did so on the Nov. 30, 2024, list.
Concurrently, “Damocles” also bows at No. 1 on Hard Rock Streaming Songs and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales, Sleep Token’s third leader on both.
“Damocles” starts at No. 11 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ranking, and on the all-format Billboard Hot 100, it begins at No. 47.
“Damocles” is the latest taste of Even in Arcadia, Sleep Token’s fourth studio album, out May 9 via RCA.
Sabrina Carpenter had the best reaction when a person online wasn’t too please please pleased with her 2025 Met Gala look.
In a post on X Wednesday (May 7) — two days after she walked the red carpet at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for this year’s event — the pop star hilariously responded to a critic who’d written that her leggy Louis Vuitton jumpsuit was a “perfect example of how dressing against your body type can go horribly wrong.”
“The stuffy collar is making her neck look constricted and short,” the person had added. “Not to mention, the sleeves look very stuffy, and the tailoring is completely off, so removing the sleeves shifts focus back to her waist.”
Suggesting that Carpenter should have removed the sleeves of her brown suit jacket and added a jumpsuit and pinstriped pants to the look, the critic also shared an edited photo rendering what they thought the “Espresso” singer should have worn instead — after which Carpenter reshared the post on her own account with her reaction.
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“damn i f–ked up..” the Grammy winner joked.
But even though you can’t make everyone happy, Carpenter’s look Monday (May 5) was a favorite of many people’s (and Billboard‘s). Featuring a white collar and long coattails that trailed behind her, the look was designed by LV Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams, who also co-chaired the 2025 Met alongside A$AP Rocky, Colman Domingo and Lewis Hamilton.
“I’m a massive fan of Pharrell and have been to the [Louis Vuitton] show, and I was just like, ‘If I could go this year with him, that would be my dream,’” she told Vogue on the Met red carpet Monday. “And it came true! And he was like, ‘You’re quite short, so no pants for you.’ So here we are!”
The night marked Carpenter’s third Met, with the Girl Meets World alum first attending in 2022. Two years later, she attended once again and posed on the red carpet with then-boyfriend Barry Keoghan.
In the year since, the “Taste” musician has scored her first-ever No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Short n’ Sweet, which dropped in August. She spent much of the fall and early months of 2025 touring in support of the album, first in North America followed by Europe.
Ghost’s Skeletá debuts atop a trio of Billboard rock albums charts, including the flagship Top Rock & Alternative Albums survey dated May 10.
The full-length studio set earned 86,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of availability (April 25-May 1), according to Luminate. Of that sum, 77,000 units are via traditional album sales.
The bow of Skeletá atop Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums gives Ghost its fourth No. 1 on both, following the reigns of Impera (2022), Prequelle (2018) and the EP Popestar (2016).
Additionally, its No. 1 on Top Hard Rock Albums is the band’s seventh, with the aforementioned albums joined by 2024’s Rite Here Right Now soundtrack, 2023’s Phantomime EP and 2013’s Infestissumam.
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With seven No. 1s on Top Hard Rock Albums, Ghost moves into a three-way tie for the third-most rulers since the ranking began in 2007, alongside Five Finger Death Punch and Foo Fighters.
Most No. 1s, Top Hard Rock Albums:
9, Linkin Park
8, Pearl Jam
7, Five Finger Death Punch
7, Foo Fighters
7, Ghost
6, Disturbed
6, Korn
6, Nickelback
As previously reported, Skeletá is Ghost’s first No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and the first hard rock release to top the ranking since AC/DC’s Power Up in 2020.
Concurrently, nine songs from Skeletá‘s 10-tune tracklist dot the multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, paced by “Peacefield,” which rises 13-4 largely from 2.6 million official U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads.
“Lachryma” and “Satanized” follow, moving 7-10 and holding at No. 11, respectively, though both songs boast higher peaks on the ranking so far — No. 3 (“Satanized” in March, “Lachryma” in April).
The week’s top debut of the group, meanwhile, is “Guiding Lights” at No. 15 (1.1 million streams).
Lead single “Satanized” returns to its previous best of No. 7 (rising one spot) on Mainstream Rock Airplay. Upon its entrance into the top 10, it became Ghost’s 10th top 10 since first appearing on the tally in 2015, including five No. 1s.
Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees for the 2025 BET Awards. The “Squabble Up” MC notched 10 nods, including album of the year for GNX, as well as video of the year for his Drake diss “Not Like Us” and three viewer’s choice award notices for “Not Like Us,” “Luther” (feat. SZA) and “Like That” (with Future & Metro Boomin).
Right behind Lamar with six nominations each are Doechii, Drake, Future and GloRilla, with Metro Boomin snagging five and SZA and the Weeknd rolling up four each.
Among Doechii’s noms are album of the year for Alligator Bites Never Heal, as well as video of the year and viewer’s choice award for “Denial Is a River,” BET her for “Bloom,” best collaboration for “Alter Ego” (feat. JT) and best female hip-hop artist.
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Drake’s nominations include album of the year for $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, video of the year for “Family Matters,” viewer’s choice award for “Nokia,” best group with Drake & PartyNextDoor, as well as best male R&B/pop artist and best male hip-hop artist. Future is also in the album of the year mix for We Don’t Trust You (feat. Metro Boomin), with other nods for video of the year for “Type Shit” (with Metro Boomin, Travis Scott and Playboi Carti), best collaboration and viewer’s choice award for “Like That” (with Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar), best group for his collabs with Boomin and best male hip-hop artist.
GloRilla is in the album of the year mix as well for Glorious, along with a viewer’s choice award notice for “TGIF,” best collaboration for “Sticky” (with Tyler, the Creator, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne), the Dr. Bobby Jones best gospel/inspirational award for “Rain Down on Me,” best female hip-hop artist and BET Her for “In My Bag” (feat. FLO).
The 25th anniversary BET Awards, hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, will air live on BET from the Peacock Theater in L.A. on June 9 at 8 p.m. ET. Voting for the Viewer’s Choice award will open soon.
Check out the full nominations for the 2025 BET Awards below:
Album of the Year$ome $exy $ongs 4 U — Drake & Partynextdoor11:11 Deluxe — Chris BrownAlligator Bites Never Heal — DoechiiCowboy Carter — BeyoncéGlorious — GloRillaGNX — Kendrick LamarHurry Up Tomorrow — The WeekndWe Don’t Trust You — Future & Metro Boomin
Best Female R&B/Pop ArtistAri LennoxAyra StarrCoco JonesKehlaniMuni LongSummer WalkerSZAVictoria Monét
Best Male R&B/Pop ArtistBruno MarsChris BrownDrakeFridayyLeon ThomasTeddy SwimsThe WeekndUsher
Best Group41Common & Pete RockDrake & PartynextdoorFloFuture & Metro BoominJacquees & Dej LoafLarry June, 2 Chainz, The AlchemistMaverick City Music
Best Collaboration“30 For 30” — SZA feat. Kendrick Lamar“Alter Ego” — Doechii feat. JT“Are You Even Real” — Teddy Swims feat. Givēon“Beckham” — Dee Billz feat. Kyle Richh, Kai Swervo, KJ SwervoBless — Lil Wayne, Wheezy & Young Thug“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA“Sticky” — Tyler, The Creator feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne“Timeless” — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti
Best Female Hip Hop ArtistCardi BDoechiiDoja CatGloRillaLattoMegan Thee StallionNicki MinajRapsodySexyy Red
Best Male Hip Hop ArtistBigXthaPlugBossman DLowBurna BoyDrakeFutureKendrick LamarKey GlockLil WayneTyler, The Creator
Video of the Year“3AM in Tokeyo” — Key Glock“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey“After Hours” — Kehlani“Denial Is a River” — Doechii“Family Matters” — Drake“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar“Timeless” — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti“Type Shit” — Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott & Playboi Carti
Video Director of the YearAnderson .PaakB Pace Productions & JacqueesBenny BoomCactus JackCole BennettDave Free & Kendrick LamarDave MeyersFoggierawTyler, The Creator
Best New Artist41Ayra StarrBigXthePlugBossman DLowDee BillzLeon ThomasOctober LondonShaboozeyTeddy Swims
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award“A God (There Is)” — Common & Pete Rock feat. Jennifer Hudson“Amen” — Pastor Mike Jr.“Better Days” — Fridayy“Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams feat. Sir The Baptist & Donald Lawrence (Terry Hunter Remix)“Constant” — Maverick City Music, Jordin Sparks, Chandler Moore & Anthony Gargiula“Deserve to Win” — Tamela Mann“Faith” — Rapsody“Rain Down on Me” — GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music
Viewer’s Choice Award“Residuals” — Chris Brown“Denial Is a River” — Doechii“Nokia” — Drake“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar“TGIF” — GloRilla“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA“Brokey” — Latto
Best International ActAny Gabrielly (Brazil)Ayra Starr (Nigeria)Basky (UK)Black Sherif (Ghana)Ezra Collective (UK)Joé Dwèt Filé (France)MC Luanna (Brazil)Rema (Nigeria)SDM (France)Tyla (South Africa)Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)Best New International ActAbigail Chams (Tanzania)Ajulicosta (Brazil)Amabbi (Brazil)Dlala Thukzin (South Africa)Dr Yaro (France)KWN (UK)Maglera Doe Boy (South Africa)Merveille (France)Odeal (UK)Shallipopi (Nigeria)TxC (South Africa)
BET Her“Beautiful People” — Mary J. Blige“Blackbiird” — Beyonce feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts“Bloom” — Doechii“Burning” — Tems“Defying Gravity” — Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande“Heart of a Woman” — Summer Walker“Hold On” — Tems“In My Bag” — Flo & GloRilla
Best MovieBad Boys: Ride or DieBeverly Hills Cop: Axel FLuther: Never Too MuchMufasa: The Lion KingOne of Them DaysRebel RidgeThe Piano LessonThe Six Triple Eight
Best ActorAaron PierceAldis HodgeAnthony MackieColman DomingoDenzel WashingtonJamie FoxxJoey Bada$$Kevin HartSterling K. BrownWill Smith
Best ActressAndra DayAngela BassettCoco JonesCynthia ErivoKeke PalmerKerry WashingtonQuinta BrunsonViola DavisZendayaYoung Stars AwardAkira AkbarBlue Ivy CarterGraceyn “Gracie” HollingsworthHeiress HarrisMelody HurdThaddeus J. MixsonTyrik JohnsonVanVan
Sportswoman of the Year AwardA’ja WilsonAngel ReeseClaressa ShieldsCoco GauffDawn StaleyFlau’jae JohnsonJuju WatkinsSha’Carri RichardsonSimone Biles
Sportsman of the YearAaron JudgeAnthony EdwardsDeion SandersJalen HurtsJayson TatumLeBron JamesSaquon BarkleyStephen Curry
Indie digital rights group Merlin has announced its first partner for Merlin Connect, an initiative designed to help emerging social and tech platforms license music while increasing payouts for indie artists.
On Thursday (May 8), Merlin revealed that it has partnered on the initiative with Nina Protocol, a music platform and direct-to-fan marketplace that’s described in a press release as “built to empower independent artists and labels through fair economics, direct payments, and tools for directly engaging their communities.”
Through the initiative, which was unveiled last June, Merlin will provide chosen platforms with music, API-backed operational infrastructure, and support and mentorship — including access to industry experts and collaboration with Merlin members — to help supercharge the platforms’ growth.
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“Through Merlin Connect, we’re investing in a future where quality independent music is foundational to digital innovation,” said Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin, in a statement. “It’s about identifying partners like Nina Protocol whose mission, principles, and passion align closely with our own, and providing them with licensing solutions and dedicated support to help them thrive. Nina’s approach to artist empowerment, transparent monetization, and platform independence makes them a powerful partner for our members and a standout among emerging platforms in the space.”
Founded in 2021 by Mike Pollard, Eric Farber and Jack Callahan, Nina Protocol allows artists and labels to grow release earnings via direct-to-fan sales while keeping 100% of digital sales revenue. It also lets fans “unlock perks” when they support artists and discover music “through both lean-back listening and active ‘crate-digging’ exploration,” according to the release, which adds that Nina Protocol “is known for its high-quality editorial content — designed to feature artists, scenes and new releases.”
“We believe the future of music is independent,” said John Pollard, COO at Nina Protocol. “In Merlin, we have found an ideal partner with an impressive track record of demonstrating how independent music can come together to secure its own digital future. This partnership connects Nina with Merlin’s diverse global membership, providing high-quality catalog and crucial insights that will help us continue to build technology that serves the independent music community and strengthens the independence of artists and labels worldwide.”
Prior to the partnership, Merlin members were already using Nina Protocol to build artist-to-fan communities. This included Mad Decent artist LUCY participating in a Q&A on the platform; artist Harto Falión being featured in a “Nina Interview Vid”; Warp Records’ OPN taking part in a Nina interview; and artist Wu-Lu engaging fans in a Q&A session. Through the partnership, the release says, Merlin Connect will work to “bring Nina’s impact to the wider Merlin membership.”
Merlin Connect content is slated to launch on Nina Protocol this summer.
Prince Royce is set to open TelevisaUnivision’s 2025-26 Upfront presentation, taking place in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday. The bachata star will perform songs from his upcoming new album Eterno. “Music is the cornerstone of our content strategy, bringing to life the power of Latin Music to our audience and clients,” Ignacio Meyer, president of Univision […]
