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With the holiday season fully swinging, we are officially in the most sentimental time of year, and Zeds Dead knows it.
As such, the mighty duo is sharing Channel Flipping 2: Only You, an epic mashup of classics by artists including Nas, Talking Heads, The Hollies, The Platters and Dionne Warwick, along with clips from films including The Mask and Midnight Cowboy and commentary by comedian Bill Hicks and the sage Tupac Shakur.
The pair spent more than a year making the six-and-a-half-minute clip. Watch it exclusively on Billboard below.
Altogether, the effect of Channel Flipping 2 is heartstring pulling, with the selections and edits whipping up nostalgia, inspiration and a spirit of purpose. The project comes a year after the release of Zeds Dead’s first Channel Flipping mashup, with this new one also extending the motif of the duo’s excellent March album, Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness.
Designed to play like a space-time continuum flattening jukebox, the album’s tracks weave in dialogue from The NeverEnding Story and Scarface along with samples from Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, which are all nestled among the psychedelic bass music.
Below, the duo’s Zachary Rapp-Rovan talks to Billboard about the new mashup, the response to their latest album and why “there’s just something about nostalgia.”
How does Channel Flipping 2: Only You extend the ethos, philosophy and world-building of Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness? And why release it now?
It’s all part of the same world so to speak. Over the last few years we’ve been building this concept at our shows of an old television set floating through space that picks up bits and pieces of broadcasts from the last 100 years. It’s also kind of an homage to hip-hop and DJing culture in general. The album and the Channel Flipping series both exist within that world.
As for why release it now? Basically because it’s finally at a place we feel comfortable putting it out. It’s been a while in the making, working on it here and there over a few years. It was started at the same time as the last channel flipping.
It’s been eight months since the release of the album. Do you think fans have really gravitated to and fully understood the concept behind it? What have they told you about it, and what it’s meant to them?
The response has been really amazing from what we can tell! I don’t think it really matters if they think about the concept or not to enjoy it, but most of them probably see it.
The album and this new video are so nostalgic. What does this nostalgic aspect say about where you’re at as artists and people? Has playing this music on tour hit differently, given the emotional layers?
There’s just something about nostalgia. Its hard to describe, but when you work with samples and cut and manipulate them, sometimes you can end up with some really interesting feelings. Sometimes it’s as if it takes you back to a time you were never a part of but it feels you were, a strange familiarity or something. It’s not something you can make happen every time, but when you hit in it, it’s kind of exciting. It’s not the only thing we love to mess with, but it’s definitely been something we’ve always revered in music I guess you could say.
We had this idea a few years ago to have the person that we sampled playing on the screen at the same time so people could kind of see what’s going on. Most of the time when you’re at a set, you hear a vocal and don’t know where it’s from, but we thought it would be cool to see the original performer if we could find a cool video of it. It adds this extra dimension of emotion sometimes to see that. We’ve just been continuing down that path ever since.
A darn shame it wasn’t nominated for a dance/electronic Grammy. Were you hoping for a nomination?
We thought it was a longshot, but we submitted anyway, just ’cause why not? We don’t take it as a snub, at the end of the day we’re pretty underground and it would be more of a big surprise if we were nominated. We’re not in this thing for awards — being able to work in music and share it with people is award enough.
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The Kid LAROI announced the release date for his first new full-length album in two years on Thursday morning (Nov. 20). Before I Forget is due out on Jan. 9 via Columbia Records, with the album’s first single, the R&B ballad “A Perfect World” out now.
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“In a perfect world we’d have it all figured out/ Baby, you would be my girl/ And if they talk, let them talk, baby/ I hate the way you love it when you hurt me/ But we could stick it out, we’ll make it work babe,” the singer croons in a falsetto whisper on the song’s chorus over a silky arrangement.
At press time a full track list had not yet been released, but the album is set to also include his previously released single, the skittery break-up ballad “A Cold Play.”
In a message on his Instagram announcing the album, the singer said the LP is a fresh take replacing a previously recorded album that he tossed. “I made this album in the last 4 months. I had a whole other album that was completed but I scrapped it,” he wrote alongside the cover art, which depicts the singer’s head floating just above the surface of the water. “started again from scratch with the exception of 1 song. it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever made. it’s also the most personal thing I’ve ever made. sorry it’s taken a while. I hope that it resonates with you in some way cause it means a hell of a lot to me. I love you and thank you for supporting me always.”
Last week, LAROI posted footage from the NFL halftime show in Berlin where he performed “A Perfect World” and “A Cold Play” during the game between the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons.
LAROI, 22, released his full-length debut album, The First Time, in Nov. 2023, with a follow-up deluxe edition adding Lil Yachty to a guest list on the original that included BTS’ Jung Kook, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Future, Central Cee and Robert Glasper, among others. The singer’s 2020 mixtape, F*ck Love, topped the ARIA Charts in his native Australia, then hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart a year after its release.
Listen to “A Perfect World” below.
Trending on Billboard The Country Music Association Awards wouldn’t be complete without, well, some “country dang music,” as entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson phrased it Wednesday night (Nov. 19) while hosting the 2025 ceremony at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. That’s why numerous artists took the stage for a cornucopia of live performances during this […]
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As country icon Dolly Parton continues to convalesce from an undisclosed illness that has kept her close to home for the past month the singer sent a heartfelt thank you message to Monday’s (Nov. 17) gathering of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), where her Dollywood theme park was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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“Hey there it’s Dolly! And I sure wish I could be with you in person today,” Parton said in a thank you video posted on her Instagram on Wednesday (Nov. 19). “But you probably heard that I been dealing with a few health challenges this fall and my doctors told me to take it easy for just a little while.”
Dressed in a bedazzled light blue jumpsuit and looking bright-eyed and energetic while seated in front of a blue backdrop next to a vase of white flowers, Parton, 79, said she was “truly sorry” she could not be there in person, adding that she wanted to say thank you for the “incredible honor.” She also thanked her partners of 40 years in the park, giving them props for always listening to her “big ideas” for changes to the park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. that averages around three million visitors a year, making it one of the state’s biggest ticketed tourist attractions.
She recalled when she first had the idea for Dollywood she dreamed of a destination in the Smoky Mountains where her family could perform, she could provide steady work for the members of her community, as well as a place where families could come to laugh, play and make memories together. She told the story of taking over the old Rebel Railroad park in 1986 and being nervous on opening day, wondering if anyone would show up.
“I peeked out the window of my bus and saw all those cars lined up and would you believe it, they’re still lined up today!,” said Parton, who is only the second woman to be inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame on her own and the fourth total woman in the organization’s 100-year history. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this honor. For me and for everyone who makes Dollywood what it is. And to all my friends and partners and to all of you out there helping families make magic everyday in your own parks and places, remember that I will always love you.”
Parton was also unable to attend Sunday night’s (Nov. 16) 2025 Governors Awards in person to accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award due to her recent health issues. Back in early October, Parton’s sister Freida sparked some concern among the singer’s fans when she asked for prayers for the singer as she dealt with the undisclosed health matter, then apologized for scaring them. “She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference,” Freida said at the time.
A day later, Parton posted an Instagram video assuring folks that she’s under the weather but still busy. “I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I’m dressed kinda like a country-western girl, but before I got started, I wanted to say, I know lately, everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am … do I look sick to you?! I’m workin’ hard here,” she said.
“Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate,” she added. “I want you to know that I’m OK. I’ve got some problems as I mentioned. Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself. I let a lot of things go that I I should’ve been takin’ care of, so anyway when I got around to it, the doctor said, ‘We need to take care of this, we need to take care of that.’ Nothin’ major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I’m kinda havin’ a few treatments here and there.”
Though her team has not discussed what has laid the country icon low, in that video message Parton assured her followers that she’s “not dying.” Parton’s beloved husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, died earlier this year at age 82 and in September Parton announced that she was postponing her Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace — which was due to kick off next month — due to some health challenges. The residency is now slated to begin in 2026.
Trending on Billboard Calvin Harris, John Summit and Peso Pluma are set to headline AT&T Playlist Live! on Jan. 17 and 18 in Miami Beach ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship. The star-studded concert is free for fans, with doors opening at Lummus Park on Ocean Drive at 6 p.m. ET on both […]
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The Stone Roses bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield has died at age 63.
His death was first reported by the Manchester Evening News, and confirmed by Mani’s brother Greg on Facebook Thursday (Nov. 20). “IT IS WITH THE HEAVIEST OF HEARTS THAT I HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THE SAD PASSING OF MY BROTHER GARY MANI MOUNFIELD,” he wrote. “RIP RKID.”
Ian Brown, the band’s singer, also confirmed the news writing on his X profile: “REST IN PEACE MANi X.”
Mani was born in Crumpsall, Manchester, on Nov. 16, 1962. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
The Stone Roses was formed in Manchester in 1983 by Brown and guitarist John Squire. Drummer Alan “Reni” Wren joined the group the following year, and Mani completed the lineup in 1987. The band fused the city’s burgeoning dance scene with a “baggy” psychedelic rock sound and earned widespread acclaim from the British press.
In 1989, the group released its seminal self-titled debut album, which peaked at No. 5 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart, and went on to inspire a number of bands from the local area such as Oasis. Liam Gallagher said in 2011 that seeing the Roses perform live made him “obsessed with music” and was what made him want to join a band.
Following the release of The Stone Roses’ debut album, the band was embroiled in a lengthy legal dispute with its label, Silvertone. The group eventually signed with Geffen in 1991, and three years later, released The Second Coming to mixed reviews. The LP’s labored production put tensions on the group, and Reni left in 1995. A year later, Squire announced he was also departing, leaving Brown and Mani as the sole two members of the group. After a disastrous performance at Reading Festival in 1996, the band called it quits.
Mani then joined Scottish band Primal Scream as its bassist in 1996, and performed with the band until 2011. He also formed the group Freebass with fellow Manchester bass players Andy Rourke (formerly of the Smiths) and Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order) and released one studio LP in 2010.
In April 2011, Brown and Squire reconciled at the funeral of Mani’s mother. Several months later, The Stone Roses announced its reformation for a number of shows at Manchester’s Heaton Park for June and July 2012. In May 2016 the group released its first single in 20 years, “All for One,” though relations soon broke down again and sessions for a comeback album were eventually scrapped. Despite tensions, the group toured steadily until 2017, including shows at London’s Wembley Stadium. In 2023, Mani’s wife, Imelda, died following a bowel cancer diagnosis.
On Nov. 14, Mani announced a U.K. speaking tour for the U.K. titled The Stone Roses, Primal Scream and Me – An Intimate Evening With Gary “Mani” Mounfield. The tour was set to begin in September 2026 and run until June 2027.
Tributes have been pouring in from a number of Manchester artists. Liam Gallagher said on his X account: “IN TOTAL SHOCK AND ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED ON HEARING THE NEWS ABOUT MANI MY HERO RIP RKID LG”
The Charlatans’ singer Tim Burgess wrote on X, “I shared this photo a week or so ago on Mani’s birthday – It never failed to bring a smile to my face – and that was exactly the same for the man himself. One of the absolute best in every way – such a beautiful friend.”
Mani and Imelda are survived by twin sons Gene Clark and George Christopher.
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Lily Allen didn’t just want to make music again after her marriage to David Harbour fell apart — she needed to.
In an interview with CBS Mornings that aired Thursday (Nov. 20), the British pop star opened up about making her new album, West End Girl, a visceral 14-track LP detailing the end of her relationship. The project has generated critical acclaim since its Oct. 24 release, but Allen revealed on the show that she wasn’t even sure whether it would “see the light of day” while she was writing it across 10 days in December.
“I wasn’t even really thinking about it as, like, a commercial endeavor,” she told correspondent Anthony Mason. “It was an act of desperation, actually.”
The album was therapeutic to the point where Allen didn’t feel like her “healing process” was complete until it came out into the world. “Since I’ve put it out, it’s felt completely and utterly liberating,” she said. “It was kind of hellish having it in the background. I don’t know. I just feel like I couldn’t, it said everything that I needed to say. And I felt like I couldn’t really like get on with my life until I’d said it.”
Billboard has reached out to David Harbour for comment on Allen’s CBS Mornings interview.
Though she’s now in a much better spot, 2024 was an excruciating year for Allen. One month prior to news of her separating from the Stranger Things actor coming out in February, the musician checked into a treatment facility to get help with her mental health. At the time, she said on her Miss Me? podcast that she was struggling with constant panic attacks and disordered eating.
“I was excited, but also, you know, my life was falling apart,” she reflected on CBS Mornings of writing the album just before going into treatment. “So I had to, like, go and deal with some very practical stuff.”
And while Allen has stated that West End Girl is a mix of real life and fantasy, it doesn’t paint a very flattering picture of her marriage to Harbour, whom she wed in 2020. The lyrics detail a partner who pressured her into having an open relationship before breaking the agreed-upon boundaries, leaving her feeling heartbroken and betrayed.
“That’s what’s fun about this record,” Allen told Interview Magazine in October. “At the time, I was really trying to process things, and that’s great in terms of the album, but I don’t feel confused or angry now. I don’t need revenge.”
Now feeling much better than she did a year ago, Allen is gearing up to go on a U.K. tour in 2026. She says she’s excited to bring her two daughters — whom she shares with ex-husband Sam Cooper — along for the ride, which she plans on expanding to include dates in North America soon.
Watch Allen’s interview with CBS Mornings below.
Lily Allen wrote most of her new record, “West End Girl,” in 10 days at the end of last year.The album, @lilyallen’s first in seven years, was written during the breakup of her marriage. In her only TV interview about her new music, Allen told @anthonymasoncbs why releasing the… pic.twitter.com/oPdrQ7uJ9R— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 20, 2025
Trending on Billboard As Las Vegas locks in its 2026 DJ residencies, The Chainsmokers are sticking with their longtime home at Wynn Nightlife. The property confirms that the duo, Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, have extended their contract with Wynn Nightlife for the next three years, meaning they’re playing Wynn’s Encore Beach Club and XS […]
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Billboard’s Dance Moves roundup serves as a guide to the biggest movers and shakers across Billboard’s many dance charts — new No. 1s, new top 10s, first-timers and more.
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This week (on charts dated Nov. 22, 2025), Calvin Harris and Jessie Reyez crown the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart with “Ocean.” It becomes Harris’ 18th No. 1 at the format and Reyez’s first career No. 1 on any Billboard chart. Plus, chart moves for DJ Snake, Fred again.., Danny Brown and nate band.
Check out the key movers below.
Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez
In July 2017, Jessie Reyez debuted on Billboard’s charts for the first time, thanks to her featured appearance on Calvin Harris’ “Hard to Love,” which debuted and peaked at No. 30 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. Now, eight years later, she reaches No. 1 on a Billboard chart for the first time, also thanks to a Harris collaboration.
Harris and Reyez’s “Ocean,” released Sept. 5 on Columbia Records, rises 3-1 on the latest Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. It earns Harris his 18th No. 1 at the format and Reyez her first No. 1 on any Billboard chart.
Harris’ 18 No. 1s mark the second-most in the chart’s 22-year history. Here’s an updated look at the artists with the most No. 1s:
19, David Guetta
18, Calvin Harris
12, Rihanna
10, The Chainsmokers
8, Ellie Goulding
7, Anabel Englund
7, Madonna
7, Tiësto
“Ocean” is Harris’ second No. 1 of 2025, following “Blessings,” featuring Clementine Douglas, in July. Before that, he notched three leaders in 2024 (“Free,” “Lovers in a Past Life” and “Body Moving”). Harris has now spent 108 total weeks at No. 1 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay, extending his record.
Although this is her first No. 1, Reyez has had a steady presence on Billboard’s rankings since her chart arrival. She’s charted five songs on the Hot R&B Songs chart and earned radio hits on Alternative Airplay, Latin Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay. Plus, her album Before Love Came to Kill Us reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 in 2020.
DJ Snake
The Algerian-French DJ banks his third entry on the Top Dance Albums chart as his new album, Nomad, debuts at No. 7 with 6,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate. His previous two entries, 2016’s Encore and 2019’s Carte Blanche, both hit No. 1. The new project includes collaborations with J Balvin, Travis Scott, Peso Pluma and Stray Kids, among others.
One of the album’s breakout tracks, “Tsunami,” featuring Future and Scott, debuts at No. 6 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. It earns DJ Snake his 12th top 10 on the chart. The J Balvin collab, “Noventa,” spent a week at No. 1 on Latin Airplay in October.
Fred again..
The superstar debuts two tracks on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart: “Beto’s Horns (Fred Remix)” with Argentinians CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso (No. 15), and “Talk of the Town” with Sammy Virji and Reggie (No. 24).
The former becomes CA7RIEL and Amoroso’s first U.S. chart hit, following four entries on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100. “Beto’s Horns” was boosted by a mix with Ezra Collective. As for “Talk of the Town,” the song is a remix of Irish rapper Reggie’s 2022 track of the same name.
Both “Beto’s Horns (Fred Remix)” and “Talk of the Town” are part of Fred’s ongoing USB project — a concept beginning in 2022 that he’s called an “infinite album,” with new one-off mixes being released continuously.
Fred again.. has now charted 32 tracks on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, all since 2021.
Danny Brown
The trailblazing rapper appears on Billboard’s dance charts for the first time, as his new album Stardust debuts at No. 25 on Top Dance Albums with 3,000 units.
Stardust marks a fresh sonic turn for Brown, who has long embraced experimenting with new genres and styles. The project features Brown’s signature raps and leans into EDM and hyperpop textures. It includes guest appearances from genre fixtures Frost Children, Jane Remover and underscores.
Prior to Stardust, Brown charted four albums on the Billboard 200 and two top five entries on Top Rap Albums.
nate band
The up-and-coming DJ claims his first career entry on Billboard’s charts as “Miss Your Body” debuts at No. 14 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The track, released Oct. 17 via moshpit projects/Thirty Knots, opens with 1.1 million official U.S. streams.
The vocals on “Miss Your Body” are sung by Lily Kaplan, who’s credited as a cowriter and coproducer on the track. She previously wrote songs for Central Cee, Ice Spice, Lil Durk, Stormzy and $uicideboy$. She reached the Billboard Hot 100 as a cowriter and coproducer on Ice Spice and Central Cee’s “Did It First” (No. 51 peak, 2024).
Band has released two other songs on DSPs: “Drugs I Like” (plus a remix with AVELLO) and “Falling.”
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Charli xcx’s original idea has been turned into a film, which also features the British pop star playing a fictionalized version of herself, and A24’s The Moment released its first trailer on Thursday (Nov. 20).
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The chaotic teaser sees her diving into a reimagined version of her Brat era. Charli’s artist name and her 2024 album are used throughout the clip, which finds the singer preparing for her first arena world tour while navigating the turbulence of fame and a spotlight that’s burning brighter than ever.
“When I felt like people started to care about me, nothing else mattered,” Charli says in the trailer. “Nothing was more important than Brat.”
2026 is shaping up to be a busy campaign for Charli on the silver screen, with the Aidan Zamiri-directed movie coming to theaters on Jan. 30.
The Idol’s Rachel Sennott, award-winning actor Alexander Skarsgård and reality mogul Kylie Jenner are set to appear in the film alongside Charli. The rest of the cast includes Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Rish Shah, Jamie Demetriou, Arielle Dombasle, Hailey Benton Gates, Trew Mullen, Mel Ottenberg, Richard Perez, Isaac Powell, Shygirl and A. G. Cook.
The Moment serves as Zamiri’s feature directorial debut, while Charli xcx is on board as a producer through her Studio365 production company.
As far as the rest of her film endeavors, Charli xcx is slated to deliver multiple original songs for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation, and the first arrived with “House” earlier in November. The 33-year-old also notched roles in upcoming projects including Daniel Goldhaber’s remake of Faces of Death, I Want Your Sex, The Gallerist, 100 Nights of Hero and Sacrifice.
Watch The Moment‘s trailer below.
