Music News

05 May 2025

Maggie Rogers to Speak at Alma Mater NYU Tisch School of the Arts 2025 Graduation

Maggie Rogers is headed back to her alma mater to help send off this year’s class of graduates, with the singer/songwriter announcing Monday (May 5) that she’ll speak at the 2025 New York University Tisch School of the Arts commencement ceremony later in the month.

Sharing a nine-year-old photo of herself in her purple graduation robes and cap, Rogers — who completed a bachelor’s degree at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in 2016 — posted the news on Instagram and wrote, “see you at graduation.”

Tisch also posted the announcement on its official account, revealing that the “Alaska” singer will serve as the school’s 2025 Salute Honored Speaker. The ceremony will take place May 16 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Trending on Billboard

Rogers’ participation in the school’s commencement is sure to be a full-circle moment, given how her career first took off when she was still in an NYU classroom. A filmed 2016 masterclass guest-led by Pharrell Williams for the Clive Davis Institute famously propelled the Maryland native into the spotlight, with the producer declaring in the viral video that he’d “never heard anyone like” Rogers after listening to her then-unfinished song “Alaska” during the session.

The musician has since dropped three albums, all of which charted on the Billboard 200; Heard It in a Past Life, which features “Alaska,” arrived in 2019, followed by 2022’s Surrender and 2024’s Don’t Forget Me.

In addition to earning her bachelor’s at NYU, Rogers also finished a master’s degree in religion and public life at Harvard University in 2022.

See Tisch’s announcement below.

05 May 2025

Chris Brown Earns Third RIAA Diamond Certification With ‘Look at Me Now’ Feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes

Chris Brown turned 36 years old on Monday (May 5), and he has extra reason to celebrate his birthday after the RIAA announced that he’s collected another diamond certification with 2011’s “Look at Me Now.”

After going eight times platinum in 2021, “Look at Me Now” earned diamond status on Monday. With assists from Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, the Afrojack and Diplo-produced single landed on CB’s F.A.M.E. album. (The Recording Industry Association of America issues diamond certification to singles that have sold 10 million units in the United States.)

Busta Rhymes’ speedy bars over spacey synths became one of the most memorable verses of his career, which has been imitated by fans at karaoke bars across the globe — but never truly duplicated.

Trending on Billboard

A Colin Tilley-directed visual arrived in March 2011 and has compiled nearly 580 million views on YouTube. “Look at Me Now” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.

“I knew that I was working on something for a Chris Brown record, but I thought it was for a mixtape,” Diplo told VIBE of the track’s formation. “When I did the beat, I gave it to one of his writers. Then Busta Rhymes got on it and I was like, ‘OK, this is going to be a club record.’ And then when Wayne got on it, ‘Look at Me Now’ became a radio record. It just took off from there.”

It’s Brown’s third diamond plaque following “No Guidance” with Drake and his appearance on RVSSIAN and Rauw Alejandro’s “NOSTÁLGICO.” “Look at Me Now” is Wayne’s fourth diamond certification and Busta Rhymes’ first.

Fourteen years later, Brown is still at it. He’s preparing to hit the road for a global trek, as the Breezy Bowl XX stadium tour is slated to kick off in Amsterdam on June 8. Jhené Aiko, Bryson Tiller and Summer Walker are set to join him on the tour at various stops across the world.

05 May 2025

Gloria Gaynor Says ‘Biggest Misconception’ About Her Is That She’s a Feminist: ‘I Love Men’

Gloria Gaynor is setting the record straight about her stance on an important but polarizing subject: feminism.

In a new interview with Metro published Monday (May 5), the disco legend revealed that she does not identify as a feminist when asked what people often get wrong about her. “The biggest misconception about me? It may be dangerous to say this, but that I’m a feminist,” she said.

“People say it to me, ‘And since you’re a feminist …,’” she continued. “Uh, no. Not really. I love men.”

Noting that she grew up with five brothers, Gaynor added, “I love men who know who they are and are strong enough to take their place, but also strong enough to recognize a woman’s strengths and … allow her to exercise those strengths and realize that we are to be partners and not opponents.”

Trending on Billboard

So, there you have it: Gaynor, whose Billboard Hot 100-topping 1978 smash “I Will Survive” is widely regarded as one of the most iconic feminist anthems of all time, does not consider herself a feminist. Her comments have already sparked pushback online, with many people pointing out that, despite her implication, loving men and feminism are not mutually exclusive. By definition, feminism is the “belief in and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests,” according to Merriam-Webster.

“So Gloria Gaynor doesn’t know what feminist is … got it,” one person wrote on X.

“So Gloria Gaynor isn’t a feminist because she loves men?” wrote another user. “Feminism isn’t anti-man, it’s just pro-human rights. But sure, let’s ignore that. i love men and I‘m still a feminist.”

Billboard has reached out to Gaynor’s rep for comment.

The Grammy winner’s new interview comes a few weeks after she announced that her new EP, Happy Tears, will arrive June 6. The first taste of the five-track project came in February, when Gaynor dropped single “Fida Known,” which she told Metro is her favorite song of the bunch.

“The song is all about helping people to look back on the things that they’ve overcome and to recognize what they’ve come through,” she told the UK publication. “It’s, ‘If I’d have known this, I wouldn’t have done that,’ but you didn’t know that, and you still made it through.”

Gaynor added, “The song sort of continues where ‘I Will Survive’ left off.”

05 May 2025

Billie Eilish Has a Laughing Fit During Her Stunning Cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ at Amsterdam Show

Billie Eilish fans in Amsterdam are feeling so f–king special after witnessing the star cover Radiohead‘s “Creep” at Ziggo Dome on Sunday night (May 4).

In videos posted by concertgoers, Eilish departs from her regularly scheduled setlist to deliver a stunning rendition of the rock band’s signature hit, joined on stage by two backup vocalists and an electric guitar player. Taking the main melody, the nine-time Grammy winner’s piercing voice soars over lush harmonies provided by the other singers, with Eilish adding her own tasteful riffs throughout.

“But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo,” she sings, closing her eyes to the music. “What the hell am I doin’ here?/ I don’t belong here.”

Trending on Billboard

At one point toward the end of the performance, the musician spots something in the distance that makes her crack up, and is unable to stop laughing. Even as she raises her microphone to start singing again, she bursts into another fit of chuckles, eventually composing herself enough to deliver the song’s final haunting bars.

Released in 1992 as Radiohead’s debut single, “Creep” eventually entered the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1993 before peaking at No. 34 the following September. It’s featured on the band’s first album, Pablo Honey, which reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200.

Eilish’s performance of the track comes midway through her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour, which kicked off in September in support of her 2024 album of the same name. After touring North America through late December, the “Lunch” singer has spent the past couple of months traveling around Australia and Europe, with her trek set to conclude in Ireland in late July.

One venue at which she’ll set up shop for six nights on the road later is the O2 Arena in London, where she previously performed in 2019. While she was there, none other than Radiohead’s Thom Yorke caught her performance, after which he told British newspaper The Times, “I like Billie Eilish.”

“She’s doing her own thing,” he added at the time. “Nobody’s telling her what to do.”

05 May 2025

Alanis Morissette, Sublime, Lenny Kravitz & More Hit the Sand for BeachLife Festival 2025: See the Best Photos

The vibes were both mellow and musical at the 2025 BeachLife Festival, which took over the sand for three days in Redondo Beach, California, this past weekend, from Friday through Sunday.

Lenny Kravitz headlined on Friday, bringing the first night to a close with massive hits including “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” and “Fly Away.” Saturday night’s lineup was led by Sublime, fronted by late singer Bradley Nowell’s son Jakob Nowell, who deftly took the reins of his dad’s SoCal band for “What I Got,” “Santeria” and more hits tailor-made for the oceanside fest. And the weekend came to a close with Sunday night headliner Alanis Morissette, whose set was jam-packed with her biggest hits, including Jagged Little Pill standouts like “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket” and “Ironic.”

Other Friday highlights included Train starting their set with “Calling All Angels” and wrapping in epic fashion with the top five Billboard Hot 100 smash “Drops of Jupiter,” plus O.A.R. Aloe Blacc, The Struts and Digable Planets.

Saturday included Pretenders, with Chrissie Hynde wailing on “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and more rock classics, as well as Cake closing their set with the one-two-three punch of “Never There,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” and “The Distance,” with frontman John McCrae’s between-song commentary keeping the crowd on their toes. Also on day 2: Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, Skip Marley, Sugar Ray, Alo and the Sublime spin-off Long Beach Dub Allstars.

Finally, Sunday included a set from The Beach Boys, with longtime friend and collaborator John Stamos joining the Mike Love-led group just down the road from their Hawthorne, California, beginnings, as well as Jackson Browne, Mt. Joy, Marcus King and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

To get a glimpse at the three-day festival, find some of the best photos from the weekend below.

05 May 2025

Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’ Hits No. 1 on Billboard Global 200 Chart

Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” ascends a spot to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. The song marks the singer-songwriter’s first leader on the chart.

Meanwhile, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” scores a 16th week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey. The ballad first hit No. 1 on the list last September.

Elsewhere, WizTheMC earns his first top 10 on both tallies with “Show Me Love.”

Trending on Billboard

The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

“Ordinary” crowns the Global 200 with 82.5 million streams and 6,000 sold worldwide April 25-May 1. The song by the Carlsbad, Calif., native became a viral hit, boosted by his performance of it in March on Netflix’s Love Is Blind. It has since topped 11 charts in Billboard’s Hits of the World menu, spent seven weeks and counting atop the Official UK Singles chart and hit No. 2, as of this week, on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100.

“Die With a Smile” drops to No. 2 after 18 weeks atop the Global 200 beginning last September (second only to the 19 weeks at No. 1 for Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” since the chart began). The rest of the ranking’s top five holds in place: ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” at No. 3, after 12 weeks at No. 1 starting in November; Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” at No. 4, following three weeks at No. 1 last August; and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” at No. 5, after it logged seven weeks on top in February-April 2024.

WizTheMC’s “Show Me Love” soars 19-10 on the Global 200 with 37 million streams (up 22%) and 1,000 sold (up 13%) worldwide. The track by the South African-German multihyphenate, based in Toronto, became his first Billboard chart entry in March. It concurrently bounds 11-6 on Global Excl. U.S.

“Die With a Smile” collects a 16th week at No. 1 on Global Excl. U.S., with 66.9 million streams (down 1%) and 3,000 sold (down 2%) outside the U.S. The song boasts the second-longest rule in the chart’s archives:

  • 19 weeks at No. 1, “APT.,” ROSÉ & Bruno Mars (2024-25)
  • 16 weeks, “Die With a Smile,” Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (2024-25)
  • 14 weeks, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey (2021-25)
  • 13 weeks, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus (2023)
  • 13 weeks, “As It Was,” Harry Styles (2022)

The rest of the Global Excl. U.S. is also steady week-over-week: “APT.” at No. 2; “Ordinary” at its No. 3 best; JENNIE’s “like JENNIE” at No. 4, after hitting No. 3; and “Birds of a Feather” at No. 5, following three weeks at No. 1 last August.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated May 10, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, May 6. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

05 May 2025

Natanael Cano Defies Ban on Narcocorridos, Performs Tumbados at Aguascalientes Fair

Natanael Cano, leader and creator of the corridos tumbados genre, defied the ban imposed by authorities in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes against narcocorridos on Saturday (May 3). During his performance at the Feria Nacional de San Marcos, he played a couple of songs with explicit references to figures of drug trafficking and glorification of crime. In response, the event organizers lowered the audio volume and turned off the lights, bringing the show to an end.

Videos on social media show the moment Cano responds to the request of some attendees at his concert during the Feria Nacional de San Marcos, who insisted on hearing “Cuerno Azulado,” a controversial song in which the musician talks about organized crime and its alleged ties to Mexican authorities.

Trending on Billboard

“‘Cuerno (Azulado)’ isn’t something you need to ask me for, my friend. ‘Cuerno’ is something you need to ask your government for. If you want it so badly, do something about it,” the singer responded to the crowd. “With all due respect, we came here to Aguascalientes to sing for you, my friend, and with all due respect to the people who are prohibiting us from singing and showcasing our art, we don’t give a damn. Do something about it yourselves, don’t come asking me for it here”

Natanael Cano’s performance, announced as one of the star acts of the legendary fair that has been held for 197 years, began with a series of corridos and ballads that adhered to the list previously approved by local authorities. However, after midnight, the setlist included “Pacas de Billetes,” a song referencing Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the notorious drug lord who is currently serving a life sentence in the United States following his conviction in 2019.

The musician continued with “El de la Codeína,” a song that references substance trafficking, which led the organizers to lower the sound volume in the venue. In response, the artist’s technical team activated its own audio system so Cano could keep performing. However, after finishing the song, the organizers turned off the lights, and the singer abruptly left the stage without the concert officially concluding.

Billboard Español has reached out to Natanael Cano’s representatives as well as festival organizers and the government of Aguascalientes for comment on what happened Sunday, but has not heard back as of press time.

The incident with Cano comes three weeks after the concert by corridos superstar Luis R. Conriquez at the Feria de Texcoco in the State of Mexico on April 11 ended in chaos when he refused to perform narcocorridos, complying with restrictions imposed by local authorities on expressions that glorify crime in public spaces.

Conriquez revealed in an exclusive interview with Billboard that local authorities had warned him not to perform narcocorridos during his show at the Feria de Texcoco. “They said that if I sang a corrido, they would cut off the sound.”

The local Congress of Aguascalientes on April 16 approved legislation to penalize “the dissemination of content, images and artistic or musical expressions that promote activities related to organized crime.” State authorities have not commented on what happened during Cano’s show.

Aguascalientes is one of 10 states (out of 32) in Mexico that have banned or restricted the dissemination of narcocorridos or expressions that glorify crime. Without a federal law, local governments enforce penalties ranging from hefty fines to up to a year in prison for those who perform music that promotes violence.

Grupo Firme, another of the superstar regional Mexican acts that performed at this year’s Feria de San Marcos, declined to play corridos during its concerts on April 19 and 20, as previously announced by vocalist Eduin Caz in a social media message saying the band was complying with the new restrictions.

Junior H, another leading figure in the corridos tumbados genre, is scheduled to perform at the palenque of the mentioned fair Wednesday (May 7).

The new bans implemented in Mexico have expanded to the United States. In an unprecedented move, the U.S. State Department announced on April 1 the revocation of work and tourist visas for the Mexican corridos group Los Alegres del Barranco after it displayed images of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” during a concert on March 29 at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara.

05 May 2025

Bad Bunny Announces Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour: Here Are the Dates

After speculation that Bad Bunny would announce a global tour, the Puerto Rican star officially unveiled dates for Latin America, Europe, Australia and Japan.

Set to kick off in November in the Dominican Republic, Bad Bunny will tour the world in support of his latest album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. He will wrap this year’s dates in Mexico City and resume in January in Colombia. He’ll then make his way to Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Portugal and Italy, to name a few countries.

The 23-date stadium tour “will bring [Debí Tirar Más Fotos] to life, fully immersing audiences in its world, celebrating the essence and culture of Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican heritage,” according to a Live Nation press release. The ambitious stint — which follows Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour — marks the star’s return to Europe for the first time since 2019, and to Latin America for the first time since his World’s Hottest Tour. It’ll be his first time performing in Australia, Brazil and Japan.

Trending on Billboard

Before hitting the road for his global tour, Bad Bunny will perform a 30-date residency at El Choli in his beloved Puerto Rico, which is set to draw an estimated 250,000 visitors to the island over the summer.

Tickets to Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour will go on sale Friday, May 9. See the complete list of the dates below:

  • Nov. 21 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Estadio Olimpico
  • Dec. 5 | San Jose, Costa Rica | Estadio Nacional
  • Dec. 10 | Mexico City, Mexico | Estadio GNP
  • Dec. 11 | Mexico City, Mexico | Estadio GNP
  • Jan. 23 | Medellin, Colombia | Estadio Atanasio Girardot
  • Jan. 30 | Lima, Peru | Estadio Nacional
  • Feb. 5 | Santiago, Chile | Estadio Nacional
  • Feb. 13 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Estadio River Plate
  • Feb. 20 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Allianz Parque
  • Feb. 28 | Sydney, Australia | ENGIE Stadium
  • March 2026 | Tokyo, Japan
  • May 22 | Barcelona, Spain | Estadi Olimpic
  • May 26 | Lisbon, Portugal | Estadio Da Luz
  • May 30 | Madrid, Spain | Riyadh Air Metropolitano
  • May 31 | Madrid, Spain | Riyadh Air Metropolitano
  • June 20 | Dusseldorf, Germany | Merkur Spiel-Arena
  • June 23 | Arnhem, Netherlands | Gelredome
  • June 27 | London, UK | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
  • July 1 | Marseille, France | Orange Velodrome 
  • July 4 | Paris, France | La Defense Arena
  • July 10 | Stockholm, Sweden | Strawberry Arena
  • July 14 | Warsaw, Poland | PGE Narodowy
  • July 17 | Milan, Italy | La Maura 
  • July 22 | Brussels, Belgium | King Baudouin Stadium

05 May 2025

Which Star’s Look Are You Most Excited to See at the 2025 Met Gala? Vote!

It’s the first Monday in May, and you know what that means. The 2025 Met Gala is only hours away, meaning countless celebrities will soon walk the famous steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, wearing what will likely be some of the year’s most memorable high-fashion looks.

But who can fans expect to see on the carpet? The full, confirmed guest list will only become apparent as the stars arrive on the scene Monday night (May 5), though there are a few people you can count on seeing. That includes A$AP Rocky, one of the night’s co-chairs and a seasoned Met Gala veteran. And wherever he goes, you’ll often find Rihanna — who’s also attended her fair share of Mets — as well.

Also helming the 2025 event with Anna Wintour are Pharrell Williams, designer Lewis Hamilton and actor Colman Domingo, while LeBron James will serve as honorary co-chair. Their involvement means that all four of the men are expected to join the “F–kin’ Problems” rapper at the museum Monday night sporting designs that exemplify this year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which focuses on “the role of sartorial style in forming Black identities” and the “proliferation of the Black dandy,” according to Vogue.

Trending on Billboard

Plus, Usher, Doechii, André 3000, Janelle Monáe and Tyla are all set to appear as members of the costume institute benefit host committee, while Zendaya — per longtime stylist Law Roach in an interview with E! News — will return for what will be her seventh Met. All of those people’s looks will most likely be exquisite, not to mention the dozens of other stars who will be in attendance come gala time.

But whose apparel are you most excited to see on the carpet this year? Tell us by voting in the poll below.

05 May 2025

DJ Akademiks Thinks Drake Had the Best Diss Song In Kendrick Lamar Rap Battle

DJ Akademiks has divided his followers by arguing Drake‘s “Family Matters” was the best diss track exchanged between Drizzy and Kendrick Lamar.

As K-Dot and the 6 God’s legendary rap battle reaches its one-year mark, critics and rap fans alike have been reflecting on the cultural impact of the diss tracks exchanged between the two hip-hop giants. Ak, who was deeply devoted to Drizzy during the battle’s entirety, chimed in with his two cents on Saturday (May 3), posting on X that he thinks the second verse on “Family Matters” was “the hardest s—t in the battle.”

“In hindsight, ‘Meet the Grahams’ was the WORST song by a mile in the battle,” he added as his followers began to converse on the topic. He then published a ranking of the diss tracks, with “Family Matters” being on top and K-Dot’s Grammy-winning song “Not Like Us” being placed at No. 3.

Trending on Billboard

“Songs are ranked off quality, bars, not impact,” he clarified in the post.

This was a heavily divisive stance.

“Buried alive over meet the grahams when your talking about bars and quality,” one follower wrote on X. “Having pushups over 6:16 in LA is wild.”

“Meet the Grahams below the heart part 6,” another wrote.

However, Ak is far from the first person to argue Drake’s victory. Back in January, Vybez Kartel also chose The Boy as the clear winner in the showdown.

“I’m not a fan of Kendrick,” Kartel told Billboard. “I don’t even listen to Kendrick, so I wouldn’t know … I saw it on the internet, but no disrespect to the dude, I hear him, but I don’t listen to him. Drake is more in tune with Jamaica and the culture … Drake is a better and bigger artist.”

Check out Ak’s tweets below.