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TDE’s Punch claims Kendrick Lamar took out even more harmful disses aimed at Drake on the song “Euphoria.” In a three-hour conversation with Curtiss King on Thursday (April 17), Top Dog Entertainment’s president spoke on all things TDE, including the high-profile rap battle between Drake and K-Dot. When asked about the rumored 18-minute version of […]
Morgan Wallen banks his 17th No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “I’m the Problem” ascends a spot to the top of the list dated April 26. The song increased by 7% to 28.8 million audience impressions April 11-17, according to Luminate.
The co-write by the 31-year-old from Sneedville, Tenn., reaches the penthouse in 11 weeks. It completes the quickest trip to No. 1 since Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Wallen, needed just seven frames to reign last June.
“I’m the Problem” is Wallen’s third Country Airplay No. 1 from his album of the same name, ahead of its May 16 arrival. “Love Somebody” dominated for three weeks in February, after “Lies Lies Lies” led for a week in November. He scored his initial No. 1 in June 2018 as featured on Florida Georgia Line’s “Up Down.”
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Wallen’s new LP bulges with 37 tracks, one more than on his 2023 blockbuster, One Thing at a Time. That set has ruled the Top Country Albums chart for 82 weeks, the second-most in the chart’s history, after only his own Dangerous: The Double Album, which ran up a record 97 weeks at No. 1 beginning in January 2021.
Wallen also surges 30-22 on Country Airplay with his newest single from I’m the Problem, “Just in Case” (6.6 million, up 53%). Plus, the album’s “I Ain’t Coming Back,” his second collab with Post Malone, was released Friday (April 18).
‘Holy’ Lands in Top 10
Bailey Zimmerman nets his fifth consecutive career-opening Country Airplay top 10 as “Holy Smokes” lifts 11-10, up 2% to 15.9 million in reach. His first four entries all hit No. 1: “Where It Ends” (last October, for two weeks); “Religiously” (September 2023, one); “Rock and a Hard Place” (beginning in April 2023, six); and “Fall in Love” (December 2022, one).
Zimmerman earned his first No. 1 on the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart (dated April 19) as featured on rapper BigXthaPlug’s “All the Way,” which soared in at the summit. (The single is not currently being promoted to country radio.)
Whens she’s not making music, chances are you’ll find Tinashe (aka SniperNashe) sniping away at bad guys in Call of Duty: Warzone. The singer loves to talk about her obsession with the game — including with Billboard last August — and all that chatter has paid of in a new promo featuring Tinashe hyping the return of the Verdansk map.
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And even if some people still look sideways at her game skills, she’s not sweating it. “I think it’s something that you kind of expect with the territory and within the culture, and something that I’m definitely used to,” she told Rolling Stone of the side-eye women gamers still get sometimes. “Gaming culture is super huge, and especially women — young women — [are] an underappreciated fan community. So, it’s really nice to be able to represent that. And yeah, hopefully with more representation, the less we’ll have those kind of stigmas.”
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Because of her obsession, the “Nasty” vocalist told the magazine that she always brings her PlayStation console on tour to set up in venues before her shows. “It’s one of the ways that I can still stay connected with the things I love to do at home, because you have so much downtime on the road before shows,” she said. “If I’m flying show to show, I probably won’t bring it because it’ll just be a little bit of a hassle going through security, but whenever we’re on a bus tour, I definitely always bring it.”
Her focus on the game is so intense, in fact, that she admitted she’d rather play than work on new music when she’s on the road. “I’m not really a big fan of recording while I’m touring because it’s hard for me to split my energy and attention that way,” she said of her attention to Call of Duty‘s free-to-play first-person shooter game that debuted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when she, and everyone else, had a lot of free time at home. “But now the Match My Freak Tour is done, and I’m just doing more spot dates, a couple here and there. So, now I’m really kind of more focused on creative mode.”
At Billboard’s Women in Music 2025 event in March, the Tinashe promised now that her dates are over she “excited to get in there [the studio] and work on what’s next musicwise.”
Watch Tinashe describe the sniper tower rampage that earned her her killer nickname in the promo video for the return of the beloved original Verdansk map below.
This week in dance music: Interscope Records announced a forthcoming Avicii compilation album that will feature a new song with vocals from Elle King, and PinkPantheress, 2hollis and Skrillex made moves on the dance charts.
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And to round it out, these are the best new dance tracks of the week.
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Barry Can’t Swim & O’Flynn, “Kimpton”
Ahead of performances at Terminal V festival and Brooklyn Steel this weekend, producer of the moment Barry Can’t Swim has dropped the gorgeous “Kimpton” with London producer O’Flynn.Emotive, enchanting and exotic, the track weaves kalimba and chanting vocals with soft, brooding piano and string parts — and even a subtle harp. Of course, as dance artists, Barry (his real name is actually Joshua) and O’Flynn tie these delicate elements together with a hefty kick drum. It’s easy to imagine “Kimpton” mesmerizing Barry’s crowds this weekend; taking listeners into those oh-so-memorable moments of elation before bringing back the beat and locking them into the groove. The track comes ahead of Barry Can’t Swim’s sophomore album, Loner, coming July 11 via Ninja Tune.
Dom Dolla & Kid Cudi, “Forever”
Kid Cudi earned his EDM stripes almost two decades ago with David Guetta’s legendary “Memories” and Steve Aoki’s party-fueled remix of “Pursuit Of Happiness.” Now, he joins Dom Dolla on “Forever,” a melodic progressive house track that evokes those EDM vibes of old, along with the good vibes approach we’ve come to expect from Dolla. As the Aussie DJ/producer puts it, the pair “went to the studio to write something that takes you to a happier time and place. It’s something a little different from both of us.” Dolla debuted the track at his sold-out March doubleheader show at Madison Square Garden, bringing Kid Cudi on-stage to belt it out live. You can watch the moment in the music video for “Forever”, if you haven’t seen it online already — clips shared previously by Dolla racked up over 20 million views.
Dove & Kehina, “Chroma 009”
Belfast’s underground heroes, Bicep, are back with a mellow, hazy breaks track under their Dove alias, released on the duo’s Chroma label. Joined by vocalist Kehina, the track is laden with rich synth pads, meticulous beats and a glistening synth arp that floats in and out of the track; much like Kehina’s vocals. This track probably won’t be the most floor-filling moment at one of Bicep’s coveted Chroma shows, but instead is prime material for the more pensive moments at the party. Expect to see this accompanied with stunning visuals at upcoming Bicep shows.
Speaking on the track, Kehine says: “It’s a dizzying, trance-like track that weirdly reminds me of a lot of the music my mum used to play when I was a kid, particularly North African Gnawa music. That same hypnotic rhythm, that trance you fall into while dancing” Kehina comments on the new single. “I recorded and wrote this a month or two after vocal surgery. It really helped pull me out of my head and reminded me why I love making music in the first place. It helped me imagine a future in something I’d had to step back from for a while.”
HiTech feat. George Riley, “Take Yo Panties Off”
You might be looking for the “Skip Ad” button when watching the music video for HiTech’s “Take Yo Panties Off ft. George Riley.” But fret not, this is just the intro, which is just as fun and wacky as the rest of the track. The fast-tempo track hits you hard with a collage of bizarre sounds that’ll make you think, “Wait, was that the sound of a player taking fall damage in Minecraft?” (Yes. Yes it was.)
But beyond the fun and freaky sounds in the track, there’s a serious amount of groove in “Take Yo Panties Off” that’ll make you truly want to… Actually, better keep ‘em on. From George Riley’s infectious cadence throughout the track, the rapid walking bassline, smooth synth stabs and, of course, the repeating “Real freak bitches, tho” vocal part, there’s a whole lot to get down to. HiTech, the Detorit trio comprising King Milo, Milf Melly and 47Chops, have released the song via Loma Vista Recordings amidst their HoneyPaqq tour. They’re previewing tracks from the HoneyPaqq VOL. 1 mixtape, so you can expect a whole lot more booty-shakin’ material at their shows.
Surf Mesa, “Holding On”
Los Angeles-based producer Surf Mesa had a lightning in a bottle moment in 2020 when his breakout hit “ily (i love you baby)” had a lengthy run at the top of Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. He’s steadily released singles and EPs in the five years since, the latest of which is “Holding On” with Danish American producer John Alto. The moody track falls square in the lane Bob Moses has long carved out, giving (in the best way) Chris Isaak goes tech house vibes. The track is out on the recently launched Breakaway Projects, the new label and management venture from the company behind Breakaway Music Festival.
“I’m really excited to be working with Breakaway for a few records this year and even more excited to begin that partnership with ‘Holding On,’ a favorite of mine with my good friend John Alto,” says the artist born Powell Aguirre. “This record has been super close to my heart from the moment we started the demo and is the third or fourth idea John and I made one day in the studio. We knew immediately we had to get it out asap.”
Aaron Hibell & Dan Heath, “Odyssey“
Next week, lauded livestream producer Cercle launches its much-hyped touring show, Odyssey, in Mexico City, with the events brand and label releasing the official soundtrack to the shows ahead of the premiere. Created by rising producer Aaron Hibell and Golden Globe nominated composer and producer Dan Heath, “Odyssey” is a sweeping, cinematic scene-setter in the grand tradition of Hans Zimmer, with its swells of violin and drums adding to the already significant anticipation for this show. Odyssey which will have ten nights in Mexico City (with headliners including The Blaze, Beh Böhmer, Jungle and Mura Masa) before heading to Los Angeles then on to Paris. “Odyssey” is out on Cercle Records.
The Weeknd gave fans another sneak peek at his upcoming Hurry Up Tomorrow movie through the lens of his “Drive” music video, which arrived on Friday (April 18). Directed by Trey Edward Shults, who also helms the movie portion, the heart-racing clip will give viewers goosebumps as they go from a state of euphoria to […]
You gotta love a practical pop star. When shooting her 2005 music video for smash hit “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey got a second life out of her wedding dress from her nuptials to first husband Tommy Mottola — and in a new episode of Vevo’s Footnotes posted Friday (April 18), she explained the simple […]
It’s been seven years since Public Enemy leader Chuck D released a solo single. But on Friday (April 18) the lyrical Hard Rhymer came back into the frame with the psychedelic bomb track “New Gens.” A swirl of PE’s signature hard-hitting beats, layered samples and D’s twisty wordplay, it opens with the rapper borrowing last presidential election’s Democrat diss of choice.
“Weird, I’m weird too/ But damn, you weird/ Can’t stand the way you, goddamn you weird/ Oh way you can’t see, but can you listen for a minute?/ If you cannot see it, but cannot hear it/ Whoa, new gens can’t dance to this,” he booms over the free jazz-like track featuring rock guitar, vintage VHS tape educational videos samples, blaring horns and a disjointed drum track.
“Here right now the place to be/ Why everybody’s always pickin’ on we?/ We the people, ‘crossed all ages/ Now joined by a screen between/ Called screenagers,” he intones in the video that features a collage of stock b-boy and rollerskating footage from the 1970s and ’80s, news reels and fresh film of Chuck chilling on a couch having a drink. “And don’t forget, new gens I love y’all/ Have a ball,’” D says in a shout-out to the current crop of MCs.
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Stetsasonic legend Schooly D jumps into frame in the final stretch to amp things up with a frenetic guest spot.
“They say I got no filter/ I’m wonderin’ if it’s true/ But when you speak the truth/ Some punks ain’t into you,” he raps before adding the cold hard coda, “Some people claim they legends/ But don’t put nothin’ out.”
The single is the first taste of D’s upcoming solo album, Radio Armageddon, which is due out on May 18. The 14-track follow-up to 2018’s Celebration of Ignorance will find Chuck surrounded by some of his old school microphone brethren, from Schooly D to Philly rapper Phill Most Chill and Donald D and Jazzy Jay of the Universal Zulu Nation. Other guests include hip-hop’s original hype woman, Son of Bazerk’s 1/2 Pint, ULTRAMAG7, N.Y. MC Miranda Writes and artists from D’s SpitSLAM Record label, The Impossebulls and Blak Madeen.
Chuck will be on the road with PE this summer, playing a run of festivals in the U.S. and Europe in May and June before joining Guns N’ Roses for a run of European shows this summer.
Check out the video for “New Gens” and the album’s track list below.
Radio Armageddon tracklist:
“Radio Armageddon”
“What Rock Is”
“Black Don’t Dead”
“New Gens”
“Station Break”
“Rogue Runnin”
“Is God She”
“Station Identification”
“Here We Are Heard”
“Superbagg”
“Carry On”
“What Are We To You”
“Sight Story Style Sound”
“Signing Off”
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Morgan Wallen once again finds some help in Post Malone, Addison Rae comes back strong and Lana Del Rey’s country tour continues. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Morgan Wallen feat. Post Malone, “I Ain’t Coming Back”
The follow-up to “I Had Some Help,” last year’s summer-dominating team-up between Morgan Wallen and Post Malone, was always going to generate a ton of attention from casual country fans and Nashville diehards, and “I Ain’t Coming Back” functions like a strong big-budget sequel, with Wallen playing anti-hero and Post shrugging, “Go throw your pebbles / I’ll be somewhere gettin’ stoned.”
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Addison Rae, “Headphones On”
A song like “Headphones On” goes a long way towards dismissing the notion that Addison Rae’s pop artistry is superficial in the slightest; the former social media star’s latest single not only synthesizes ‘90s rhythmic pop with passion and scholarship, but she tucks revealing admissions — “Wish my mom and dad could have been in love,” “I compare my life to the new it girl” — in between sumptuous refrains.
Lana Del Rey, “Bluebird”
Regardless of how closely Lana Del Rey’s upcoming country-leaning album follows Nashville touchstones, songs like “Bluebird,” a breathtaking anthem about escape under uncertain circumstances, nods to the power of Del Rey’s songwriting — particularly when her sprawling hooks get squeezed into more traditional structures, as she repeats “Find a way to fly” to the titular subject and herself.
Davido, 5ive
A press release for Davido’s latest full-length describes 5ive as a “culturally fluid album,” and indeed, the Afrobeats titan has never sounded so expansive: pop, R&B, rock, reggaeton and dancehall are all represented on these 17 tracks, although Davido’s effervescent personality serves as the project’s center.
Tommy Richman feat. Sexyy Red, “Actin Up With Sexyy Red”
Tommy Richman and Sexyy Red have each enjoyed their share of viral moments that impact the pop charts, and with this new version of Richman’s single “Actin Up,” they inject the existing mixture of sensual crooning and steel drums with some of Sexyy’s boisterous energy, turning Richman’s brooding posture into more of a party atmosphere.
Wiz Khalifa, Kush + Orange Juice 2
Fifteen years ago, Wiz Khalifa’s Kush + Orange Juice represented a breakthrough mixtape for a quick-witted MC just months away from topping the Hot 100; now, Kush + Orange Juice 2 serves as a particularly inspired check-in from a beloved veteran, with Gunna, Juicy J and Ty Dolla $ign among the guests stopping by to pay homage.
Xavi & Netón Vega, “Hija de Papi”
Following the Xavi-assisted collaboration “Cuando Me Ocupes,” which was featured on Netón Vega’s debut album Mi Vida Mi Muerte earlier this year, “Hija de Papi” continues to build out the chemistry between two of the fastest-rising stars in modern Mexican music, with harmonies leading into quick spoken-word exchanges over extended instrumental breaks.
Editor’s Pick: Isabel Larosa, Raven
Annapolis singer-songwriter Isabel Larosa has been a buzzed-about name in online pop discourse for months now, and debut album Raven makes good on the promise of her early singles: with a breathy vocal delivery as a signature and a knack for choosing propulsive, alternative-leaning production, Larosa stands out in a crowded field, and should be moving upward from here.
During the 2019 Billboard Women in Music gathering, Spanish superstar Rosalía gave an honest speech. She recounted her experience of going to the studio to find that the sound engineer and the producer were both men; when she studied music in college, the musicians were all men. The reality for women in the music industry has changed somewhat in recent years, but it’s still not enough.
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“I will never stop ’til I find and see the same number of women as men in the studio,” said the winner of 11 Latin Grammys and two Grammy awards, to the awe of her listeners.
What Rosalía said years ago confirms the recent report of USC Annenberg, published last January, about Inclusion in the Recording Studio, which reveals the inequity in women’s representation in music. She Runs The Boards, by the platform Platoon, is one global initiative seeking to transform that situation through immersive musical laboratories. The program came to Mexico for the first time this year in collaboration with the American Society of Composers, Artists and Editors (ASCAP).
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She Runs the Boards Mexico took place from March 20 to 22, after a successful first experience in Miami in late 2024. The global musical program, created by women for women, aims to challenge the lack of racial and gender diversity in the global music industry.
“One of the reasons we wanted to do She Runs The Boards was because we saw a very low percentage of women, engineers, producers and composers, in the music industry in general, so starting an initiative like this was a way to try to increase that percentage,” said Grace Hsiu, Senior Strategy Editor for Artists in Platoon and co-founder of the program.
“It’s very unusual for any type of studio session to be totally female, so being able to do this and bringing it to Mexico City is a big win for us,” Hsiu adds.
She Runs The Boards Mexico included the participation of performers Lena Burke, Lucky and Valentina Perdido, in addition to the composers Mónica Vélez, Agua Tinta, Amanda Coronel, Covi Quintana, Luisa Almaguer, Marcela de la Garza and Shu Cantoral; the producers GRTSCH and RLPK; and audio engineers Karen Valdivieso, Lizzy Landau and Mariana Aguilar.
Over three days, this group of creatives and technicians, mostly Mexican, joined forces at Casa de Copas, a recording studio in the old Sony Studios complex in Mexico City, the headquarters for this song camp.
Divided in three groups that changed every day, these women, of different ages, nationalities, roles, careers and musical genres, brought together their ideas, talent and passion to create a diverse array of songs, from ballad pop to merengue, dark-alternative pop and Mexican regional music.
“Music isn’t just sound, it’s the collective heartbeat of the people who make it,” says Luis Castro, Creative Director of US Latin & International Affairs for ASCAP. “True artistic expression flourishes when minds connect, spirits align and voices join together in a team.”
The laboratory brought together Mónica Vélez, a recognized figure in the Hispanic music industry; experienced pianist Lena Burke; Luchy DR, a singer with great vocal versatility; Luisa Almaguer, representative of the trans community and a rising alternative musician in Mexico; talented young people like GRTSCH and RPLK, all to create songs, composed by Amanda Coronel and Marcela de la Garza, recognized in the Mexican regional music scene, and mixed by young engineers Michelle Anzo and Karen Valdivieso.
During the selection process, Luis Castro from ASCAP says, they sought out participants who had “something in common” creatively speaking. Then they aimed to pair experienced participants with authors that were beginning their careers.
“What’s the best way to start if not with women?” says Guillermo “Pinky” Mordan, Head of Latin at Platoon. “I had a really nice experience because I saw how the groups formed and the respect that they have for each other as colleagues and women. Seeing them flow was something that made me proud.”
Mónica Vélez, one of the most respected Mexican composers in the Hispanic scene and winner of two Latin Grammys, affirms women’s advancement, in music and elsewhere, is unstoppable.
“When an idea is necessary, many minds begin to repeat it around the world. No one can stop us from moving forward, because there are a lot of us having different ideas and getting them off the ground indifferent spaces and skies,” Vélez says.
The Mexican songwriter Mónica de la Garza says that over the years, she has watched women taking up more and more space in the music industry, above all in audio engineering and production.
“Finding each other as songwriters, supported by other women in the process of creation, production and musical recording, is something that makes me proud and inspires me,” de la Garza says.
The Puerto Rican Valentina Perdido, who participated as a performer and composer, expresses that it was “an honor to work with so many talented women.” “I’m still a small artist in New York, and coming to this big city and getting in the studio with all these women has been one of the most incredible experiences.”
“Pinky” Mordan emphasizes that there are clear examples of how women are leading in the music business today, with figures in the United States like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. In Latin America, the Colombian women Karol G and Shakira stand out, the latter with world records from her Grammy-winning 2024 album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which marked her triumphant return to music after seven years. “But we also want these generations of women to direct men’s projects, for them to be the ones showing the way,” he adds.
“For us it’s not just about coming to Mexico and doing this song camp once,” says Grace Hsiu. “We really live this every day, and we defend it because it’s important for women to have this opportunity. It’s important for women to realize they can be engineers. They don’t have to just be in front of the consoles, they can also be behind the consoles,” she concludes.
The multi-award and GRAMMY® winning label Platoon was acquired by Apple in 2018. The boutique artist services company identifies groundbreaking talent from around the world, while providing invaluable and innovative tools and services to build their careers and reach new fans. Platoon landed its first success shortly after their inception when they signed the then-unknown Billie Eilish, laying the groundwork for her ascent to global stardom, alongside other household names such as Mr Eazi and Victoria Monét. Current signings include Saint Harison, RZA, Khaid, Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and more.
Doechii‘s “Anxiety” music video is like a dream come true — but not a good one. The video, which arrived Friday (April 18), starts out totally normal, with Doechii working on music on her bed — a visual callback to the setting of her old Coven Music Sessions, from which “Anxiety” originated in 2019. But […]